How To Keep Your Hamster Cool During The Summer (Tips & Tricks)
With summer comes hot temperatures, so how do you keep your furry little friend cool during those months? Extreme temperatures above the hamsters ideal one (that being 18-24°C or 65-75°F), can potentially make your hamster get heatstroke. That means it’s super important to know how to cool them off when the temperature gets high.
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What Are Some Signs of Heat Stroke?
Before we get into the tips and tricks of cooling down your hamster, it’s important to know what a heatstroke could potentially look like in a hamster just in case it happens.
Some common signs of a heat stroke include:
- Lethargy
- Increased Thirst
- Limp body
- An unwillingness to eat
- Sudden weight loss
- Wet or greasy looking coat
For more info on heat stress in hamsters check out this video by ErinsAnimals…
If you suspect heat stroke, it’s important to cool them down as quickly as possible. If they don’t wake up make sure you take them to the vet!!
So…How do we prevent heat stroke? Here are a few tips and tricks to keep your hamster cool…
Turn on the A/C or a Fan
If you have air conditioning, turn it on during the hot summer months. A comfortable temperature for a hamster is 18-24°C (65-75°F). If you don’t have air conditioning, consider turning on one or multiple fans instead. Don’t point the fan directly at the enclosure as this can be stressful to your hamster.
Avoid placing your hamster’s cage in any direct sunlight
Avoid keeping their cage near windows or any other place with direct sunlight, especially if your hamster has a glass or plastic aquarium-type enclosure. Try to place the cage in areas of the house that are shaded for at least 80% of the day. If you do have your hamsters cage in direct sunlight and are unable to move it, make sure you are closing the blinds/curtains to block out some of the heat.
Consider Using Aspen Rather Than Paper-Based Bedding
Paper-based bedding is perfectly fine to use during the summer months, however, aspen shavings don’t hold in heat as well as paper-based does, therefore making your hamster more cool.
Keep The Bedding Depth!
You may think that more bedding means more heat but it’s actually the opposite. When you have a deep substrate, the bedding is actually cooler the further down it gets. This is why during the summer months you may have noticed that your hamster is staying in their burrows rather than at the top.
Use Cooled Hamster Safe Items In The Cage
Some things such as ceramic items, stone, a stainless steel dish, or a terracotta pot can be put in the refrigerator, then placed somewhere in the cage that is accessible to your hamster. This way, if your hamster becomes too hot, they can lay on the cooled item you provided them to cool them self down.
Try To Swap Out Plastic for Ceramic Or Wood
If your hamster enclosure has a lot of plastic hideouts and toys, consider switching them out for a material such as ceramic or wood. Plastic hides can get very hot and humid inside. If you swap them out for another material, you are giving your hamster a much more comfortable spot to sleep and hide away in. You could even incorporate our previous tip into this one for even more coolness!
Use An Ice Pack Or Frozen Water Bottle
You could use also hard re-freezable ice pack or a frozen water bottle (wrapped in towel) to cool down your hamster and certain spots in their enclosure. For example, you could lean it against their hideout to try and help with the temperature inside. If you notice that your hamster is chewing either of these, make sure you take them out.
- 4-pack of hard-sided square ice packs for temporary cold storage of food, beverages, perishables, and more; dimensions measure 4.75 x 4.75 x 0.5 inches
- Heavy-duty BPA-free plastic casing for leak-free durability
- Place in coolers, lunch boxes, bags, storage cases, and more to keep items cold
Move Your Hamster Down To The Lowest Floor
Heat rises, therefore if your hamster is kept on the top floor they will be exposed to higher temperatures than if they were on the lower floor. Consider temporarily moving your hamster down to the first floor if possible to keep them at a comfortable and cool temperature.
Keep A Thermometer Near Their Cage
While this tip doesn’t actually physically cool down your hamster, it is a great tool for monitoring the temperature of your hamsters cage. Attach or lay a thermometer against the outside of the cage. If you notice the temperature going above 24°C (75°F), then you’ll know it’s time to cool them down!
- [VERTICAL INDOOR THERMOMETER] - Dimension 9.8 inch (length)/ 2.2 inch (width), The vertical shape allows you to mounted it to your barn, coop, green house, home garden, helps for track the temps. The medium size also good for your basement, garage, office, labs, nursery, or room
- [THERMOMETER WITH HUMIDITY METER] - Thermometer measuring range between -20 and 120°F (-30 and 50°C ) accommodate all climates, Humidity from 1-99% RH, clear and easy to read. Have Celsius and Fahrenheit both .Not only tells the temperature but also can help your kids to learn about the World's weather or doing the science project
- [WALL THERMOMETER] - There’s a mounting hole on back of the thermometer, you are able to use the screw to hang it up on the wall or use the suction cups( (NOT INCLUDE)) to attach it to your window, to helps you to keep the temperature at a desirable level. And please DO NOT sit the thermometer in direct sunlight, mount it in the shade will help you to get an accurate reading
Keep Your Hamster Hydrated
It’s super important to make sure your hamster has access to fresh, clean, and cool water at all times. But even more so during a heat wave and during the summer months. On top of that you can also feed them foods with a higher water content. Some safe foods you can give include cucumber, zucchini, and celery.
Check On Your Hamsters Water
Throughout the day try to monitor your hamster’s drinking water for coolness. When you notice it become warm, replace it with cool drinking water. To keep the water cold for a longer period of time, place a bit of ice inside.
Use Sand To Your Advantage
Sand tends to stay much cooler than other substrates, meaning it can be a comfortable place for your hamster to lay and roll around in during the warmer months. To make it even cooler, you can put their sand bath in the fridge. Most hamsters also prefer to be in a more sheltered area so it’s especially good if you have a bottomless hideaway somewhere inside the sand.
Hopefully these tips and tricks help you keep your hamster cool! If also happen to have rabbits, check out our article called How to Keep Your Rabbits Cool During The Summer.
