Crimes Of The Hot

Hello all! I apologize for not posting in a while. I've been very busy lately. (Two jobs, college, etc.) Sasha Is doing very well! It has almost been a year since we adopted her! Kip (our Betta) is also doing well. I actually just finished cleaning both of there homes. Anyways....

It's summer guys!

That means high temperatures! Especially for me, since I'm in south Texas. In the winter I did a post on how to keep your ham ham warm, so now I'll do one on how to keep your ham ham from over heating in the summer.

Hamsters do well at room temperature, which is usually 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually. If it's 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside and you don't have an AC or fan on, then your house will be above 75 degrees. If it's 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside and you don't have a heater on, then your house will be below 65 degrees. So it's hot outside and you have the AC or fan on. But then you have to leave the house. How many of you leave the AC or fan on when your not home? Some people do, some don't. There is a law about leaving dogs in cars in the summer with the windows rolled up because they can over heat. If you think about it, the same thing can happen to a house with an animal inside. Most of us close and lock all windows and doors when we leave and if there is no source of cool air inside the house temperatures can soar!

What you can do to prevent a hot hammie!

• Place a second water bottle in your hamster's habitat. This will ensure that your hamster has access to water at all times. If he/she gets hot, they will drink more water, and it's never good to deprive an animal of water. Also, many water bottle clog and get stopped up from now and then. If one bottle stops working, they can drink from the other one. *Make sure to give fresh water every day and check for clogs*
• Buy a thermometer. No your not going to take your ham's temperature, it's for room temperature! Place it near the cage so you can monitor temperatures.
• You can buy a small desk fan and place it near the cage. Desk fans are very small so they do not put out enough breeze to make your hamster too cold. Just be sure it's not too close to the cage. If the fan blows the bedding around or seems to make your hamster uncomfortable, then it is too close.
• If your going to leave the house but don't want to leave the AC or fan on, then open a window. If you can't open a window then consider keeping only one room cool. Move the hamster to a room you can easily keep cool and leave an AC or fan on at a low setting. This way you won't waste electricity but your ham ham stays cool!

Do NOT:

• Do not put a bowl of water in the cage for your hamster to use as a swimming pool. It would be adorable, but remember, hamsters should not be allowed to get wet.
• Do not put ice in your hamster's water bottle(s).
• Do not spray your hamster with a mist bottle to cool it down.
• Do not put your hamster under or too close to an air conditioner or very large fan. You don't want them to get too cold!
• Do not place your hamster's cage in direct sunlight (like in front of a window). The breeze may be nice, but the sun  can over heat them. They also have eyes that are sensitive to light.

I added a second water bottle to Sasha's habitat. We don't leave the AC on too often because of the electric bill, especially if were not home. But I always either leave a window open or turn on the small desk fan I have for her. 

Hope this helps! Stay cool guys!

-Tracy