Hamsters make us happy. No doubt about it. And so when our hamsters are happy, we are happy. But there are a lot of things to keep in mind to make our hamsters happy. Food, bedding, toys, cage, and one of the most important places to keep the hamster cage.
There are a lot of external factors which need to be kept in mind when choosing where to place the hamster cage. The external environment plays an important role in the well-being of any organism. As a new hamster owner, this question must have already come to your mind. In this article, we will answer this properly.
Things To Consider When Choosing a Perfect Place for a Hamster
Here are some factors that should be considered when choosing a place for your hamster cage. Let’s go through them.
1. Temperature Stability
Temperature fluctuations can cause big problems for your hamster. Best suited temperature for hamsters is between 18.5C – 24C or 65F – 75F with relative humidity between 40- 70%. Extremely low temperatures will make them go into hibernation, and high temperatures can cause heat stroke and organ failure.
If you live in a place where temperatures are too cold or too hot, you must first consider how to provide a stable and suggested temperature for your hamster. Check your rooms and see what temperature variations the rooms go through in a day. Places like the basement, fireplace, attic, etc, are not suitable as these places face temperature fluctuations throughout the day.
Choosing a room that has a stable room temperature where your hamster won’t be disturbed would be a good place to keep your hamster.
2. Quiet Place
By now, you must have known that hamsters are nocturnal. They rest through the day and stay active at night. This is their natural behavior.
During the day, we humans get active, get to the office, and clean our home, and other pets get active, lots of noise here and there. Continuous noises can make your hamster stressed as they have good hearing capacity. This can mess up their rest and sleep cycle. Choose a room or place where it’s quiet so that your hamster can rest peacefully there.
They will be active at night, and having them in your bedroom will interfere with your sleep. So having a quiet room and not your bedroom will be good for you and your hamster.
3. Away from Sunlight
You should always keep your hamster away from sunlight. Sunlight will not only cause temperature problems but also mess up their sleep schedule. Hamsters are sensitive to sunlight and bright light.
In their natural habitat, they live in burrows where it’s dark, and when they get out in late evenings and nights, it’s either a little dark or already dark. So you should keep this in mind and avoid direct sunlight on your hamster, and also, your room should not have much light.
It should be dark with a little light source. You may think, what if you cover up your hamster’s cage to solve this light problem? Covering the cage will not be a good solution as it will give rise to ventilation problems. Rooms with a little light source are best.
4. Ultrasonic Noises
We, humans, can hear sound waves of 20Hz – 20KHz. Below or above these, we can’t hear a thing. But our little hamsters have excellent hearing as compared to us. They can hear what we can’t. Hamsters can hear sound waves of 96Hz – 46.5 KHz. So in this sense, they can hear more sounds that we humans can’t hear.[1]About Hamsters’ Hearing – Hamsteropedia
A room can have a lot of electronic appliances like Vaccum clearer, TV, laptops, etc, and these appliances emit ultrasonic sound waves. These soundwaves can stress the hamster. Therefore, choose a place for your hamster that does not have these appliances around.
5. Away from Other Pets
Hamsters are small rodents. For them, even a small cat is big and a predator. As a pet owner, you may have other pets in your home. In that case, it’s advisable to keep your pet separate. The presence of cats and dogs can frighten them. Other pets can injure them. Hence keeping hamsters and other pets separate is a good decision.
6. Height
It’s always advisable to keep the hamster cage above the ground. Not will only will it make it easier to clean the cage and interact with the hamster, but it will also keep your hamster safe.
7. Good Ventilation
The place you will keep your hamster should have good ventilation. A room with bad ventilation will build up high moisture content, dust, odor, and gases, which can harm hamsters’ respiratory and overall health. So it’s a must to have a room with good ventilation.
Can Hamsters be in a Room with AC?
As we have already discussed, the perfect temperature for hamsters is between 18.5C – 24C or 65F – 75F. If you live in a place where you have temperatures around these readings, then it’s good for your hamster. But if you live where summers get really hot, you should use AC and a fan to keep your hamster comfortable.
Keep the AC between the recommended temperature, and your hamster will be fine. Also, avoid direct Ac blow to your hamster. It can cause sudden temperature drops in your hamster, and direct blows can stress it.
Can You Keep the Hamster Cage in the Kitchen?
The kitchen is the warmest place in a house due to constant cooking, appliances, and other things. Also, during cooking, different kinds of fumes and smoke get produced, which can cause health problems for your hamster.
There can be appliances there like a mixer, microwave, and dishwasher, which not only emit ultrasound but also a lot of noise, making it a hard place to be in for a hamster. So please avoid your hamster’s presence in the kitchen.
Can You Keep the Hamster Cage in the Bedroom?
As mentioned above, hamsters are nocturnal. Meaning they rest during the day and get active at night. And we humans are active in the mornings and rest at night. This situation will interfere with your sleep cycle as hamsters are active at night and make a lot of noise. So it’s better to keep them in another room where all the good conditions are met.
But we live in modern times now; there’s always an exception. You could sleep through the day and work during the night. In this situation, you can have your hamster in your room. You both will appreciate each other company as you both will be awake at the same time. But keep in mind the lighting and electronic factor that we talked about in the post.
Can You Put a Hamster Cage in the Closet?
If you are short on space, then closet space can work. It’s quiet there, with little light and no disturbance, so in a sense, it’s a great place for your hamster. But you can’t just put your hamster there; you need to make sure some criteria are met. Most important of all is proper ventilation.
Keep the door of the closet option this way; there will be no ventilation problem. Also, the closet should not be properly dark. A little light is recommended so the hamster’s biological clock isn’t affected.
Can Hamsters Stay in the Dark?
Yes, they can stay in the dark. Hamsters are nocturnal, so their energy is according to light and darkness. Darkness is a sign for them to get active, start their usual exploration, and hoard food.
Light is a sign for them to get back to sleep. Now, in a room where you will keep the hamster, it should have limited light, not too much, not pitch dark. In this way, they will perfectly follow their sleep cycle.
Are LED Lights Suitable for Hamsters?
No, LEDs aren’t suitable for hamsters. Natural light is enough for them. They don’t need bright lights. Limited light, with no artificial light, in a climate-suitable room is perfect for them. So avoid LED lights near your hamster home.
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References
| ↑1 | About Hamsters’ Hearing – Hamsteropedia |
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