Temperature Recommendations

For Housing your hamster

Temperature and Your Hamster Hamsters need to be kept in a temp. which is comfortable to most humans. This is good, but occasionally they can get too hot or too cold. If a hamster is too hot, he may get heat stroke. An animal with heat stroke may be lethargic and limp. His ears will be down. He might be sweaty or his fur matted. If you suspect heat strke put your hamster in a cool location and mist him gently with cool water. When he seems revived, place him in his cage in a cool location and make sure he has plenty of cold water and cold moist fruits (such as apple) to replenish his fluids. If a hamster is too cold, he may develop induced hybernation. In this state he won't be able to be easily woke up and is cold to the touch. Revive the hamster by handling him and talking to him in a VERY warm location. Use a heater or a lamp or even the bathroom with hot steamy wtaer running, but do not plac the hamster's cage directly on the heating source or it could get too hot. After he is revived, keep him very warm for about ten hours and then make sure he is not chilled again. If a too hot or too cold hamster is not revived by the above treatment within 20 minutes, he needs immediate emergency vet care. To avoid this trauma in the future: 1) Never place a hamsters cage in a window, on or near a heat source (even an infrequent one like a fireplace) or in a room that gets a lot of midday sun. 2) Never let your hamster cage sit directly on a cold surface like a cement floor. if your must keep your pet in the garage or basement, put his cage on a raised platform and provide insulation in the form of a blanket wrapped around the botton thrid of the cage and taped securely with electrical tape. 3) If you think your hamster is getting too cold in the winter nights, provide extra nesting material (like toilet paper) and make sure he has a snug house inside his cage. Additionally you may want to aim a lamp at the cage which is a less expensive way to provide heat to a small area that a space heater. 4) When in doubt, pick your hamster up. He should feel neither cold or warm to the touch.