Ways to cool down your hamster in the Summer Months!

Hello everyone! 


Nibbles here, Teddy and I are both so sorry for lack of posting.
Wait till we are off for summer break though and you will see such a difference 
in posting time periods& consistency :D 


Today I am going to talk about ways to cool down your hamster in the summer months! ( Speaking of summer ;) )


While you cannot spray your hamster with water, there are many ways to do other things to make their summer months as enjoyable as yours :-)




Hamsters originated in desert areas such as Syria, but remember they lived in cool burrows deep underground.


Note- Hamsters have very few sweat glands, so helping cooling them down is essential.


Note- Hamsters do best between temperatures of 65F ( 18.33 C ) and 78F 
( 25.56 C )


Hamsters can have many illnesses due to heat, including ; heart attacks,heat stroke, and are susceptible to kidney problems brought on my heat stress.


How To Prevent Hamsters From Becoming Over Heated
 Hamsters should always be kept in rooms where there is good ventilation or air conditioning because they will get sick and they could die if they over heat. If your hamster is sleeping on his back in a different place than usual, he may be trying to cool off. Hamsters will sleep on their backs if they become too warm, trying to get rid of some of the extra body heat through their belly's.


Signs A Pet Hamster May Be Over Heated
An Over heated hamster will be hot to the touch, have an overly warm nose and feet. An over heated hamster might be panting heavily with an open mouth and be lethargic. You might also observe your hamster laying sprawled out in the open with his feet stretched out behind him. Hamsters will do this so they can try to lose some of the heat through the bottom of their feet. They also may not eat or drink much, which can lead to dehydration.


How To Keep A Hamster Cool
During the summer it's important to make sure the room you keep your hamster in cool, even if you aren't home. There are several very effective ways to make sure your hamsters are kept cool in the summer. Most importantly make sure they always have fresh, cool water available to them. Hamsters can become dehydrated very quickly. With animals that are watered via a bottle, make sure the mechanism is functioning properly so that your pet can access the water that is there.


Freeze water bottles and wrap them in small towels or cloths and place them inside the hamsters cage. Wrapping them in a cloth first will absorb the condensation from dripping inside the hamsters cage and make sure if he lays up against the frozen bottle he won't get too cold.


Place their cage on the floor in the coolest part of your home. Tile floors stay cooler longer in the summer months.


Do not keep the hamster cage near or on the window sill or near a window. First of all, hamsters like to sleep during the day and will be bothered by the light and during the summer the area right near the window is going to be warmer than other places in your home.


Don't use a glass aquarium as a cage. Glass aquariums don't allow for air circulation and the inside of a glass aquarium may stay a couple of degree's warmer inside than on the outside. 


Always try to keep the room you have your hamster in at the same temperature. Constantly changing temperatures can stress hamsters and make them more susceptible to becoming sick.




Also another thing I do is put a large mug in Nibbles cage. It is cool so that when she becomes hot she can lay in it. I usually have some raisins or some treat inside for her :-)


Also bring your hamsters outside! It gives them vitamin D from the sun which is very important for them. I usually let Nibbles go on the grass for 15-30minutes. Be aware of dandelions though as these can may your hamster feel a bit ill, but it is not deathly. Nibbles loves to eat daisy's which is fine for your hamster. 


Note- In warm conditions try not to put your hamster in his/her ball inside. It has very limited ventilation holes for breathing and can make your hamster hotter.


These are some photos I took of Nibbles when I brought her out the other day&also the mug I have in her cage :-) Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed!


Love,