Need suggestion /advice - indoor cage room

[ponyo]

Hi all,
As you knows Tako already over the rainbow bridge and before im taking a new litte fur friend i will evaluate my room where i put the cage is and also the cage itself. It is a room where built in the middle of living room. The room have windows that not connected to the living room and also only small amount (almost none) of sunlight enter . Before i watch a video where people said that natural lamp (Reptile Lamp) have benefit for the encolusure and for the hamster. They said that it can kill any bacterias inside the enclosure, is it true? Since the cage room always so dark and never turn the light on.

 

[elusive]

Hamsters do need enough light to be aware of the normal day night cycle but not really more than that so even a dimly lit room with little daylight getting in should be sufficient.
I wouldn’t use a reptile light close to your hamster cage, it may be too bright & possibly too hot as well, I doubt it would kill any bacteria but then with normal cleaning bacteria shouldn’t be a problem anyway.
You could try using a daylight bulb in the room or just a normal fairly low light but not too close to the cage & leave it on during daylight hours if it’s very dark.

The room my hamsters are in is a long narrow room with the cages at the north end which gets very little light, we have so much rain & so little sun it’s often quite dark there but it’s never been a proble,.

 

[ponyo]

Hamsters do need enough light to be aware of the normal day night cycle but not really more than that so even a dimly lit room with little daylight getting in should be sufficient.
I wouldn’t use a reptile light close to your hamster cage, it may be too bright & possibly too hot as well, I doubt it would kill any bacteria but then with normal cleaning bacteria shouldn’t be a problem anyway.
You could try using a daylight bulb in the room or just a normal fairly low light but not too close to the cage & leave it on during daylight hours if it’s very dark.

The room my hamsters are in is a long narrow room with the cages at the north end which gets very little light, we have so much rain & so little sun it’s often quite dark there but it’s never been a proble,.

Thanks elusive, i will put a new light bulp for new hamster. How about to keep the humidity stay on standart for hamster? Is dehumidifier can be used in the room where the cage put on? Im worried that the room is to humid because the air circulation not good since my room i used is a room on living room and can make bacteria grow well even i open the window and always turn on the fan to make hot air go out

 

[elusive]

Do you know what the humidity level the room is?
As long as the room isn’t damp & there’s some air circulation it should be ok, if you’re opening the window & using a fan then I think that would be enough but if you’re concerned you can get cheap hygrometers just to keep an eye on the actual level.

 

[Socks' Mum]

You don't have to worry too much about bacteria as some exposure to bacteria and viruses is good as it helps the animal, and humans, to fine tune their immune systems. The anti bacterial in cleaners may be counter productive, to an extent, as they increase the risk of bacteria and viruses developing resistance. Ordinary cleaning should be more than enough. The problem may be more with large scale breeding which uses antibiotics and to some extent isolates the hamsters from normal levels of exposure and may delay maturing the immune system. To some extent, we have to relax and let nature take it's course. I think the fan and encouraging good ventilation is a very good idea.

 

[Socks' Mum]

With my guinea pigs, they have lived in a family with children, before I adopted them, and I think that may be a good thing as they had some exposure to a wide variety of bacteria and viruses. So don't be afraid to handle your hammy and take him out in the playpen.

 

[Maz]

I'm so sorry Ponyo - we all go through this when a hamster dies suddenly - worrying if it's something we could have done or changed. Try not to worry too much. Tako clearly had some kind of infection in his eye.

If it's suitable for you to live I'm sure it's suitable for a hamster. If the room literally gets no light at all, ever, then to keep a regular pattern for the hamster, it could be good just to have a normal lightbulb on a timer if you can. Just a lamp or something with a plug timer so the light goes on when it's daylight and off when it turns dark. I don't think not having daylight would have affected your hamster's health, but it does help them to have a routine of getting up at a certain time Just as they get in a routine of getting up when it's feeding time.

Is the humid air actually causing mould to grow anywhere?

 

[ponyo]

Thanks all for the answer.

@elusive : i dont know about the room humidity level, however when the season change into summer, feel like hard to breath and thats why i put fan there to keep the hot air out. Thanks for the ideas, Elusive.

@socks mom : Well yeah for the first time i thought that the fan and ventilation isn't good enough when summer season come. However with the immune system you explain, i got a new lesson now. Thanks socks mom

@Maz : kinda paranoid with Tako sudden die happen right away and the cause is the same as Ponyo had before. Evaluate everything what the cause and wonder whats wrong. For the humid air doesn't make a mold grow however its make like hard to breath if we dont turn on the fan. Because in my city suddenly the summer is more hotter than before. Raising from 30C to 32 / 34C

Thanks all for the explanation, i can take the conclusion that the room should be okay with the fan and ventilation. Im so sorry if im kinda annoying, sudden death with the same cause of previous hamster make me think something wrong. Once again, thanks for the answer and information, got many lesson and that make me relief.

 

[Maz]

You are not annoying at all - it's a huge shock and it's part of the grief process that we question everything afterwards. Take care of yourself.

 

[Maz]

It's so hard isn't it. Not only have you gone through your hamster passing, but you have two cages to clean out and disinfect as well and a lot of bedding to throw out. That always hurts as it costs money. Just take your time with that. If you find it too upsetting to do straight away, what I sometimes do is put a blanket over the cage/enclosure so it doesn't upset me looking at it. Then do it when I'm having the right moment/the right day. It can also be a sign of respect putting a blanket over it.

 

[Socks' Mum]

It is great that you can share this with us, thank you

 

[ponyo]

It's so hard isn't it. Not only have you gone through your hamster passing, but you have two cages to clean out and disinfect as well and a lot of bedding to throw out. That always hurts as it costs money. Just take your time with that. If you find it too upsetting to do straight away, what I sometimes do is put a blanket over the cage/enclosure so it doesn't upset me looking at it. Then do it when I'm having the right moment/the right day. It can also be a sign of respect putting a blanket over it.

Thanks a lot Maz, for the suggestion. Appreciate it

 

[Maz]