Much like humans, the hamster’s immune system is suppressed if they get too cold. This makes them more vulnerable to virus or bacterial infections, and you might put them at risk of having hypothermia if you have a very young or old hamster.
Being out in the cold for a long time is probably one of the most stressful things that can happen to a living thing. Any animal or person, no matter how big or small would do anything to stay warm.
So it’s not surprising that our little hamster friends also try to find ways to stay warm.
But as their fur parent, how can you keep these little balls of fur from getting cold stress? At first, this can be a very hard thing to do.
Sometimes, hamster owners allow themselves to be tricked by the fur coat of their hamsters into believing that they can warm themselves.
But this is far from the fact as these animals are not even that effective at abrupt decreases in temperature adjustment.
Why do hamsters need to be kept warm?.
Your hamster’s immune system will be weakened if it gets too cold, just like in people. This makes them more likely to get viruses or bacteria, and if you have a very young or very old hamster, you could put it at risk of getting too cold.
In the winter, it’s normal for your hamster to be lazy. This is because they don’t use as much energy to stay warm, so they choose to stay in bed longer.
This shouldn’t worry you, because, in the wild, hamsters only wake up to eat and drink. If, on the other hand, your hamster loses consciousness from being too cold or goes into hibernation mode, this could be life-threatening and you should call a vet right away.
How to keep hamsters warm in a cold environment?
It’s not hard to keep a hamster warm. Use small blankets and heating mats to get started. You could also build them a small nest, use a heater, or move them to a room that is warmer.
If the first five options don’t keep your hamster friend warm enough, you might want to try giving them more food, getting them to move around more, or bringing them inside.
10+ Best Ways to Keep Hamsters Warm
1. Improve hamsters diet
Try to give food that is very tasty and has a lot of fat and protein because it is important to slowly warm up during these times. You should make him drink, put a little sugar in the water, and give him a drink.
The most important thing you can do to keep your hamster from going into hibernation is to watch what it eats. The food your hamster eats is very important to its life and health. If you don’t give it enough food, it will go into hibernation.
Feed it food that will make it fat. Put avocado, sunflower seeds, and peanuts in its bowl. If your pet eats this way, it will gain more fat and stay healthy.
Hamsters come from places like Syria and Greece that are dry, dusty, and warm, so they are used to being warm and calm. If the temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, your hamster might stop moving around as much.
And if the temperature starts to drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, your hamster might die or go into hibernation mode.
2. Provide extra bedding and substrates
Use extra bedding to keep your hamster warm in the winter. A lot of hamsters like to pull the bedding apart to make a nest.
Aspen is the only kind of wood that is safe for hamsters to sleep on. Aspen is a great, cheap choice for getting rid of smells as well.
Aspen, on the other hand, seems to stick to the fur of some types of hamsters, especially Syrian hamsters with long hair, but it doesn’t hurt them in any way.
Make sure you give them a lot of places to burrow and build their nests. This is one of their favorite things to do, and it’s also a natural way for them to keep warm. A thick, four- to five-inch layer will be very helpful for them.
Your hamster might be cold if he pulls a lot of his bedding into his hiding place. Hamsters can do this on their own, even if they have a lot of nesting materials in their home.
Most of the time, people put warm fabrics in the hamster’s bedding to help it get cozy and comfortable. But you can also use other things, like hemp wood chips.
The good thing about using hemp wood is that it doesn’t have any dust and still looks good. Hemp wood is also known to make a more natural environment for hamsters.
3. Don’t open doors frequently
During the winter, your hamster may start to sleep more. This is because, in order to stay warm, they save energy by staying in bed longer.
But if your hamster passes out or goes into hibernation because it is too cold, this is a life-threatening situation and you should call a vet right away.
You shouldn’t let your home’s doors open and close all the time. Try not to keep your Hamster’s cage right next to your home’s main entrance. When you open and close doors all the time, cold air will get into your home.
This will cause the temperature inside your house to drop quickly. Also, make sure the windows in the room where your hamster lives are shut. Especially at night when it is much colder.
4. Exercise with your hamster
Even on cold days, hamsters need to work out to stay healthy and safe. It is suggested that they get more time on the floor these days. Let them out in an open, large room with closed draughts and ventilation. If you can, try to do this for at least an hour a day. If hamsters don’t get enough exercise, they can get sick in a number of ways. It could also make the hamster fat.
Another sign is that your hamster becomes sleepy and stops eating. He may be trying to save body heat and energy by sleeping even more, so you may not see him as often. If it was very cold, your hamster could actually shiver and shake.
5. Keeping hamsters warm in a cold room
To keep the hamster from getting cold, keep the cage away from the window and other sources of airflow. Even though the windows are shut, your hamster can still feel the temperature and can tell that it is getting cooler bit by bit. The areas near the windows are the coldest in the room.
6. Choose a perfect spot for the cage
When deciding where to put the cage, it will be safer if you choose a quiet spot in your room or somewhere else in the house. This will keep the hamster from feeling too cold and from hiding in its bedding.
To fix the problem with the windows, you could think about getting thicker curtains for the window areas. This will keep the area from getting cold, and the curtains will keep the heat in the room. You can also put rolled-up towels on the window sills, which are places where cold air can get in.
The sun is the best way to get warm. In the winter, everyone needs sun. Sunlight is a great way for all living things to keep themselves safe. It is a great way to get vitamin D, and it is also good for your health in many other ways.
7. Use a space heater
You could also consider getting a space heater. Setting up a space heater would keep the hamsters from getting cold and keep the room warm all day. But make sure the room doesn’t get too hot or the hamster will get hurt. Also, if you have a metal cage, don’t put the heater right next to the cage.
If you can’t afford a space heater, you might be able to borrow or rent one. If neither of those work, try setting your heating system to turn on more often than usual. This will make sure that the hamster’s room stays at a comfortable temperature.
8. Heating pads for cages
A smart way to keep your hamster safe is to use heat pads. You can find different kinds of heat pads both online and in pet stores. They come in different sizes and shapes and can keep your hamster safe for a long time.
You can heat up the heat pads in a microwave and then put them under the cage. But make sure you don’t use the heat pad too much or the hamster’s normal immune system will be hurt.
Move the hamster’s cage away from walls, doors, and other places that let in cold air. If you get rid of the cool air, your hamster’s home will start to warm up right away.
If you keep him in the same room where the cool air is moving, moving his cage away from a draughty window won’t make a big difference. Instead, you should move the hamster to a room with better insulation and warmer airflow.
9. Prevent hibernation
If you keep a hamster in a cold room, it might go into hibernation. There is no time or warning for a hamster that is stuck in a room that is very cold. He will have to act quickly to fall into a sleep that will not only keep him safe for a long time but also make him lose water.
In dangerous situations, falling asleep can cause a hypothermic shock, which can be fatal. If you see that the hamster is going to sleep, there are a few things you can do.
Try using your own heat. Take the hamster and put it in your hands. To warm up the hamster, pat and rub it. Hold it for at least 30 minutes and make sure it changes its behavior or looks more alert.
If that doesn’t work, use a bottle of hot water to heat it up. Wrap the hamster in a towel and put hot water in a bottle. The hamster shouldn’t touch the bottle directly and shouldn’t get too hot. This will help him get out of hibernation by warming up his body.
Give the hamster warm milk. As soon as the hamster starts to wake up, even just a little bit, try giving him a dropper of warm milk. You can heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave, but make sure it isn’t too hot by testing it first.
If you want, you can use a dropper to give clean water, water with sugar, or a drink with electrolytes, like what athletes use to rehydrate.
You should do anything you can to get him to drink water. Rehydrating the hamster helps it wake up from its winter sleep.
10. Keeping hamster cage warm
Put a thick blanket on the bottom of your hamster’s cage. The blanket will not only keep the bottom of the enclosure safe, but it will also keep the heat inside.
But if your room is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, an insulating blanket won’t fix the problem. Instead, it will just cut down on how cold it is. But if the hamster only needs a little more heat, this is a good, low-cost, and low-maintenance solution.
You will need to keep the cage close to the source of artificial heat in your home. When it is really cold, you should touch it often to make sure it hasn’t gone to sleep. If his body is cold and he breathes slowly, he may be getting ready to hibernate.
11. Provide your hamster with a hiding home
Hamsters like to hide because it helps them keep their body temperature steady and stay warm. You can only make hiding places for your hamsters at home if you take the right steps. Cut a narrow hole in a cardboard box to make an opening.
Make sure you don’t leave any rough edges, or the hamsters could get hurt. Your hamster will use this spot to take a break. Keep some hay (preferably timothy hay) in the box so the hamsters have plenty to chew on.
Think about getting a hamster a place to hide to put in the cage. This tiny house will give the hamster an extra layer of safety.
Wood, which is the best insulator in the world, is usually used to make them. You might even think about getting a hamster and an igloo to keep out the cold.
The hamster can hide in the small space for as long as it wants.
A nest box made of wood, ceramic or thick plastic that is well insulated gives your hamster a safe place to sleep. Make sure the nest box is in a stable place where your hamster won’t be able to turn it over and have it fall on them.
There is a water bottle in every hamster cage. You also need to look after the water bottle.
If the hamster has a place in the cage where it likes to hide and cuddle, you might want to move the bottle there. If it’s too cold, the hamster might not get up to drink.
12. Take care of the water bottle
Also, on cold days, water bottles sometimes freeze. If you don’t take care of it, your hamster will lose water. You can cover the water bottle with a towel or something small to keep it from freezing.
As the mercury level drops, the tip of the water bottle can freeze, which slows the flow of water. Tap the tip of the bottle every few hours to see if the temperature is too cold. It is also recommended that both the water bottle and the water bowl be used on cold days.
If you really want to make sure the hamster stays warm in the winter, choose a glass cage. In cold weather, metal and wired cages don’t keep the heat in as well as glass cages.
If you put enough bedding in a glass cage, you don’t need any extra blankets or heating pads.
13. Water bags and covers for warmth
Putting a warm water bag on top of a hamster’s cage will keep it warm. You can even put the water bag inside by picking a corner of the enclosure.
Cover the water bag with a thick cloth or towel before you use it. Make sure the water bag is not leaking and that you don’t use it without a towel or cloth.
Make sure your hamster has a wheel in its cage during the winter if it doesn’t already have one. The hamster’s favorite thing to do is run around on the wheel. When it’s cold, moving around will make heat and keep you warm.
Cover the cage with something warm. The cover will help keep the heat in and keep the hamster from getting too cold. Check to see if your pet is warm enough to keep it from going into hibernation.
If it gets cold quickly, add more covers to keep it from getting too cold, but leave some holes so that fresh air can still flow through the cage.
What happens if a hamster gets too cold?
Hamsters can go into shock or hibernation if they get too cold. This can be very distressing for everyone as it may look as though your furry friend has passed away, as they appear limp and are cold to touch.
If you suspect that your hamster may be hibernating you should check for shallow breaths and signs of twitching and move them immediately to a warmer spot, stroking them until they start to stir. If you cannot rouse them, you should see your vet immediately.
Are Hamsters Less Active During Winter?
Some breeds of hamsters will become less active during the winter. All hamsters will become less active if they are cold.
A decrease in activity can be noticed if your hamster is drinking less, roaming less, and sleeping more.
If you observe a drastic change in your hamster’s routine, evaluate their home and surrounding temperatures to make sure they are warm enough.
Conclusion
Hamsters can, like people, catch a cold. They will have a runny nose and will probably sneeze. You will notice the change in its fur as well. It will become matted and ruffled.
If he is hot to the touch, it means that his body temperature is high and he will usually have low energy and a loss of appetite.
