Housing

Cool through the summer

Hamsters feel best at a temperature of about 18 to 24 ° C. If it’s warmer than that, it’s important to keep your hamster cool. Hamsters can’t sweat the way people can, which is why you have to make sure your pet stays happy and comfortable in hot weather. Below some tips.

Watch for overheating
Hamsters are very sensitive to heat and can easily overheat. Look out for the following symptoms of heat stroke:
  • Panting
  • Bright red tongue
  • Drooling
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Do not move
  • Convulsions
Place the enclosure in a cool part of the house
Do not expose your hamster to direct sunlight. On hot days, make sure the residence is not exposed to the sun shining through the windows. Hamsters and other small animals can easily get heat stroke from the sun.
Use cold water
An easy way to keep your hamster cool is to give it cool water. Hamsters can become dehydrated quickly, so it is important to ensure that your hamster always has fresh and clean water at their disposal. You can put an ice cube in the drinking bottle or drinking bench of your hamster. This way the water stays cold longer.
Freeze bath sand
Hamsters like to take a bath in sand. You can treat your hamster to a cool bath by freezing its bath sand. Place a cup of bath sand in a resealable plastic bag. Put the bag in the freezer for a few hours, remove the sand from the bag and fill your hamster sand bath with it. Put a second bag in the freezer so that you can alternate these two, so the sand stays nice and cool.
Hideouts
There are several hideouts  on the market that will help your hamster stay cool. Take, for example, the terracotta houses and the ceramic houses, which continue to feel wonderful during those hot days.
Cooling stone Granite
The cooling stone stays cool and provides cooling to your hamster all day long. The stone does not have to be in the refrigerator, it will remain nice and fresh, but not too cold. Hamsters will appreciate the cooling stone on hot days!
Icepod
The Icepod is ideal for hot days. To give your hamster a nice coolness when it is too hot. Your hamster will lie comfortably on the Icepod during hot days. The Icepod has a diameter of 21 cm and is made of a sturdy material and stays cool for hours. Put the Icepod in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours and it is ready for use.
Trixie cottage Gunnar
The Gunnar is a special house! The internal compartment allows the placing of cooling packs in the summer. The flat roof provides extra seating space and can be opened to take a look inside.
Stones
What you can also do is put a stone in the freezer or refrigerator and if it is cool enough in the accommodation, this will also keep cool for a long time. Your hamster can lie comfortably against this.
Ventilation
What is very important is ventilation. Especially if you have an aquarium or terrarium, it is important that you ensure good ventilation and that it does not get too hot during the stay. You can monitor the temperature in the enclosure by hanging a temperature gauge in the enclosure.
Be careful not to put your hamster in a draft. This can lead to colds. You can recognize a cold in your hamster by sneezing, a runny nose, weight loss and a watery eye. He may also be wheezing or whistling. Colds are caused by drafts, but also by stress, temperature fluctuations in the environment. A cold does not have to be a problem for us humans, but should not be underestimated with a sick hamster. Visit the vet to prevent the disease from developing into pneumonia

Budget
There are also budget options to keep your hamster cool in warm weather. take an ice cream bag, a terracotta pot and a porcelain plate, for example. Here you can create a cooling spot like on the picture on the right.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *