Ideal Temperature For Hamsters (Comfort Guide)

Is it too hot?…

…Too cold?…

…Or just right?

You’ll find out the ideal temperature for a hamster in this article.

But perhaps you wonder…

What temperature do hamsters like? What temperature is too cold for hamsters? What is the highest temperature a hamster can live in?

We’ll be answering all of your questions in the next section of this article.

Check it out!

What Is the Ideal Temperature for Hamsters?

Feeling too hot is pretty miserable, feeling too cold is not much better and your hamster definitely agrees. He’s not keen on the extremes either.

In fact, they are lethal for him.

So, what is the best temperature for a hamster to feel comfortable?

And if you have hamster babies at home, you’ll want to know how to make these mini fluffballs feel good as they venture into the world for the first time.

What is the ideal climate for hamster babies?

Let’s find out.

What Temperature Do Hamsters Like?

We all want our hamsters to feel comfortable in their cages. That’s why we make sure they have the right diet and kit them out with all the best gear and exercise equipment.

There’s a mini gym and obstacle course in many hamster cages. We must admit, 21st-century hamsters are really living the high life.

But asides from getting enough entertainment, we also like our little hammies to feel cozy. Neither too hot nor too cold.

But what is a comfortable temperature for hamsters?

The ideal temperature for pet hamsters is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, 18.5 to 24 degrees Celsius. This is the best temperature range for hamster babies and older hamsters too.

What Temperature Is Too Cold for Hamsters?

We all want our hamsters to stay nice and cool, especially in the summer months. But exposing your hamsters to low temperatures is also dangerous for them.

What kind of temperature range is too cool for them?

Temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18.5 degrees Celsius are too cold for hamsters.

When the environment around your hamster’s cage drops below these ranges, your pet hamster will begin to act strangely. Here are some of the behaviors he will display.

• Shivering
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of energy
• Trouble breathing
• Hibernation

What Is the Highest Temperature a Hamster Can Live In?

Brrr!

Are temperatures plummeting outside?

When this happens we all like to sit by the fireplace and wrap up warm like a bug in a rug. When it’s cold out, your hamster likes to feel snug, but it’s important you warm him up gradually and safely.

Exposing him to high temperatures is dangerous.

So, what kind of temperature range is too hot for your hamster?

The highest temperature a hamster can live in is 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 degrees Celsius. Hamsters do not have sweat glands so they do not have an effective method of cooling their body down.

Now imagine being wrapped in a fur jacket while it’s 80 degrees out.

Not very pleasant.

If your hamster’s cage is in direct sunlight and your hamster begins to overheat, he will begin to display the following behaviors.

• Lack of energy
• Increased thirst
• Heat stroke (sleeper disease)

How Much Heat Can a Pet Hamster Tolerate?

Keeping your hamster warm is very important, especially when the cold weather begins. But hamsters are very sensitive to hot weather and are prone to heat stress and all of its complications.

So, what should be the maximum temperature in your hamster’s habitat?

Keep your hamster warm, but its environment should not exceed 75°F or 24°C. If your hamster lives in hot temperatures (above 80°F or 27°C) it can suffer from heatstroke.

These extremes are especially taxing on older hamsters.

How to Keep a Hamster Cool in Hot Weather

We all like to stay nice and cool in the summer months. While cracking open an ice-cold beer and turning the AC on high might work for us, we’re going to have to take a different approach to cool down our hamsters.

Here are a couple of things you must do to stop your hamster from feeling hot and bothered.

• Move him from a warm room into a cooler one with good ventilation
• Keep him out of the direct sun
• Put his cage on a cool surface
• Give him cold water to drink by using a frozen water bottle or putting a few ice cubes in his bottle
• Wrap an ice pack in a dish towel and put it under the cage
• If he is showing signs of heatstroke, take him to the vet immediately

Avoid These Cooling Methods

It’s essential your hamster stays cool while the weather is hot. But there are some things you must not do to bring the ambient temperature down.

What are these?

Hamsters need adequate ventilation but they don’t like drafts. Do not keep his cage next to an air conditioner, air vent, or fan.

Hamsters can get chilly quickly. What might seem like a refreshing light breeze to us might feel like gusts of gale-force winds to your teeny little hamster.

Why You Don’t Want the Room Too Cold

It isn’t easy keeping a pet warm all year round. It becomes increasingly complicated when the temperature drops outside and you enter the winter months.

If your hamster’s habitat is too cold, here’s what will happen.

• He will begin to shiver
• He will lose his appetite
• He will become lethargic
• He will have problems breathing

As you can see, if your hamster’s habitat is too cold, he will begin to suffer. Prolonged exposure to cool air could cost him his life.

How To Keep Your Pet Hamster Warm

There’s nothing like a hot cuppa to warm you up through and through when it’s chilly out. But we’re going to have to find an alternate method to keep your hamster toasty.

When temperatures drop outside, here’s what you must do to keep your hamster warm in his cage.

• Move him to a warmer room, a small room might be easier to keep warm
• Put his cage on top of a heating pad
• Use a space heater with a temperature gauge that will turn it off when it gets too warm
• Give your hamster more bedding and enough food

Avoid These Heating Methods

Hamsters are able to maintain their body heat without their mothers from at least 3 weeks old. But if you live in a colder climate, your hamster might struggle to stay warm on his own.

Most hamsters will go into a stage of temporary hibernation if their environment is too cold. You will need to heat up his room if this happens.

While heating your hamster’s environment, avoid the following practices that will do more harm than good.

• Do not put him in direct sunlight
• Do not put him too close to a fireplace, stove, or space heater

How Wild Hamsters Keep Warm

It is not just your pet hamster that isn’t fond of colder climates, wild hamsters also go to great lengths to keep warm over the winter.

Winter whites survive cold winters in Siberia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. They even make it through the harsh desert climates in Central Asia.

How does this hamster species do this?

They line their burrows with animal fur or wool to keep warm. They also close all but one entrance to the burrow to stay warm.

There is a theory that wild Syrian hamsters, as well as other wild hamster breeds, may be crepuscular in order to avoid extreme daytime and nighttime temperatures.

The Perfect Environment for Your Hamster’s Cage

Every hamster owner needs to know how to best make his hamster feel comfortable. A hamster that is either too hot or too cold is in danger of false hibernation and heatstroke.

This article has helped us to see that the right temperature for pet hamsters is between 65 and 75°F or 18.5 and 24°C. Putting your little buddy in the right, clean environment and supplying him with fresh water and food every day will help to stay happy and healthy.

Have you found the tips in this article useful?

At Oddly Cute Pets we pride ourselves on providing you with the most useful guides for your small animals. So, make sure you check out our website for more handy tips and tricks.

Thanks for reading!