Keeping Hamster Warm

Beryl said:
I haven't even been able to find a reliable one. I'm contemplating whether to move Rodney upstairs or not, where its warmer.
Click to expand...
It's difficult isn't it. I am maybe too much of a fuss pot when they're older. But I'm sure if the room has been warm in the evening they're ok until morning unless it's going to freeze at night and then I worry a bit.
 
A_J said:
ThermalPro ones are pretty good. I have one of theirs (TP357) that connects to a Bluetooth app on my phone so I can see temperature (and humidity) graphs to make sure it isn't getting too cold in the middle of the night.
Click to expand...
That sounds brilliant! I am really happy with mine. It is just a basic one.
 
A_J said:
ThermalPro ones are pretty good. I have one of theirs (TP357) that connects to a Bluetooth app on my phone so I can see temperature (and humidity) graphs to make sure it isn't getting too cold in the middle of the night.
Click to expand...
Now that sounds amazing. Presumably the thermometer is wifi connected then? I do that with the night cam sometimes (can watch it on my phone elsewhere).
 
Maz said:
Now that sounds amazing. Presumably the thermometer is wifi connected then? I do that with the night cam sometimes (can watch it on my phone elsewhere).
Click to expand...
The TP357 is bluetooth only so the phone has to be in bluetooth range of the thermometer to download the recorded data. That does mean it's not much use if you ever want to check on things while away from home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Bluetooth still sounds pretty good :) . I couldn't imagine a thermometer with wifi but I guess these things are possible.
 
Maz said:
It's difficult isn't it. I am maybe too much of a fuss pot when they're older. But I'm sure if the room has been warm in the evening they're ok until morning unless it's going to freeze at night and then I worry a bit.
Click to expand...
It can be difficult. I could still put a snugglesafe between wall and cage behind his house once it gets colder but then i'd worry that he'd get too hot with the amount of bedding he has in his house.

Must look into this thermometer A_J recommended. Or get one of those food probe ones to check the temperature inside his house when he's out.
 
You know I actually imagined a food probe when you mentioned a thermometer in his house! Would it work? I think I'd be worried the hamster might bite it! Although presumably it would be done when the hamster was not in the house! I think the air temperature is the most important thing. If the air temperature is below 0 it can't be good for them but then they'd probably stay in their house - but I also think it's unlikely it would be less than zero indoors! Because we keep our houses heated on and off.

Maybe you could put the snugglesafe between wall and cage but away from his house end.
 
I tried putting Orko's thermometer in his bedding just to check if it had a different temperature but it was the same as the room.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
There are different views on it anyway. There are some people who don't do anything at night and say their hamsters have always been fine - but maybe they live in insulated houses or have their central heating on a lot. We just have to weigh it up.
 
Hi all, great reading all the comments here. Keeping Hams warm has been concerning me. He’s a large Syrian and doesn’t tend to burrow and sleeps in the back corner of a shoe box which apart from the entrance is floor to ceiling full of quite compacted, as that’s how he’s made it Kaytee bedding and the safe bed tissue like paper I use, which he tucks in all around himself.

Anyway I’ll get to the point… there was a delivery at work today and i looked at the cardboard box and it was identical to the size of Hams cage. So I’m just thinking, I could sit his entire cage in this. Leave the lid at the back up, the side ones down so he can still see out when sitting on his shelves and then cut the front section down so I still have good access. Then if it’s does get really cold outside, like minus figures, I could stuff some old towels between the box and the bottom of his cage (he’s in a hamster heaven) at the corner where he sleeps and this will act like double insulation.

Does this sound completely crazy or a feasible idea or does anyone think it would not make any difference at all. The other option is that when it does get cold we move him upstairs with us where it’ll be a bit warmer than downstairs. We rarely ever have our heating on after 10pm and have been using it even less with all the utility costs rising.

A picture of the box. F348BFF8-36AC-4D8D-93D0-60569CF09427.jpeg.
 
I think that's a great idea to insulate but i'm not sure about the towels in case Hams would chew them.
I've attached our late Rory's mats to the outside of Rodney's Hamster Heaven to keep drafts out but was thinking of using cardboard originally.
Like you, i've also considered moving him upstairs.
Cardboard is a blank canvas for your kids to decorate with Christmas stickers so Hams home could become a festive arts & crafts project.
 
Zara said:
Hi all, great reading all the comments here. Keeping Hams warm has been concerning me. He’s a large Syrian and doesn’t tend to burrow and sleeps in the back corner of a shoe box which apart from the entrance is floor to ceiling full of quite compacted, as that’s how he’s made it Kaytee bedding and the safe bed tissue like paper I use, which he tucks in all around himself.

Anyway I’ll get to the point… there was a delivery at work today and i looked at the cardboard box and it was identical to the size of Hams cage. So I’m just thinking, I could sit his entire cage in this. Leave the lid at the back up, the side ones down so he can still see out when sitting on his shelves and then cut the front section down so I still have good access. Then if it’s does get really cold outside, like minus figures, I could stuff some old towels between the box and the bottom of his cage (he’s in a hamster heaven) at the corner where he sleeps and this will act like double insulation.

Does this sound completely crazy or a feasible idea or does anyone think it would not make any difference at all. The other option is that when it does get cold we move him upstairs with us where it’ll be a bit warmer than downstairs. We rarely ever have our heating on after 10pm and have been using it even less with all the utility costs rising.

A picture of the box. View attachment 663.
Click to expand...
That is a major issue - the cost of bills doubling or trebling. Same here. We went as long as possible before putting any heating on and in the end only put it on because the hamsters were feeling the cold (we had extra clothes on). It's why I moved the heated clothes drier into the living room - it's cheaper to run than the electric heater and keeps the chill off the hamsters!

I think the box is a good idea as it'll keep draughts out. I'm not sure putting towels in between would make a huge difference and as Beryl said, he could chew the towels through the bars. How about hemp mat? I sometime put that on a house roof for a bit of insulation. It's a bit like insulation? It's another cost though. I get the big 100cm one and it lasts for ages as I can cut smaller pieces off it but you might use most of it insulating the cage.

But actually I think air temperature and draughts are the main thing so maybe just the cardboard box and moving him upstairs would be better. It
 
Beryl - Yes, what a great idea 👍 we could do a wrapping paper collage. With the towels I would just tuck those into the very bottom between the cardboard and the blue base on our HH as he would no doubt chew them given a chance. As you mention above draughts are probably the worse thing. May see how much the Bluetooth thermometers are too. I’ll have to make that a secret purchase. Anything for the hamster in this house is consider frivolous, lol! Not to Hams and I it isn’t 😉
 
Sounds like a good Christmas present for a hamster - bluetooth thermometer! Except he'd need it before Christmas maybe! Here's hoping for a mild winter. We did have one a few years ago. I remember not having any heating on over the Christmas period - just a fire.
 
The hamsters themselves are resourceful. I had left one corner of Rodney's HH free for him to look out and he made his own draft excluder by packing it with Kaytee from base to shelf! I'm now considering making an acrylic panel for that section but then he'd probably chirp at me because he wouldn't be able to sniff through the bars. I think their instincts tell them to prepare for the winter regardless of the actual temperature.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top