Do you want to get a cute little hamster in your home but can’t seem to figure out where to keep its cage? If that’s the case, this article will provide you with all the necessary information.
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to deal with a hamster, but if you own one, you should always know what they need or at least do the research to find the appropriate information. They may be adorable snuggly pets, but they’re more than that and it’s imperative to keep in mind that these creatures actually have quite a lot of needs.
For example, did you know that hamsters travel several hours every night in their native habitat? They live in a non-domestic setting; therefore, if appropriate requirements aren’t provided, they may find a household environment upsetting.
But if you give it a little effort, you can design a pleasant environment for your hamster that will make them very comfortable and happy.
Best Place to Keep a Hamster Cage
Once you bring your furry friend home, the first question you might ask yourself is where to put their cage. We’re going to cover a lot of Do’s and Dont’s, but the most important factor is to put the cage somewhere that it can live comfortably without feeling any stress.
It may take some time to find a suitable place but when you do, you should keep the cage there and not move it around too often. Hamsters like their consistency and new environments can cause stress that may lead to health issues.
Don’ts for Hamster Cage Placement
Let’s talk about what you shouldn’t do when it comes to placing your hamster’s cage in fear that it could affect their health and put their lives in danger.
Don’t Keep Hamster’s Cage Near Ultrasonic Sounds
As you may know, our human ears can tolerate a frequency of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. However, your little friend can easily hear from 500 to 20,000 Hz. That means that they are capable of understanding and communicating ultrasonic frequencies, many of which we can’t hear ourselves.
These ultrasonic sounds are created from electronic devices like your television, laptops, kitchen or bathroom pipelines, microwaves, faucets, and more. Therefore, to prevent their sleeping patterns from being interrupted, you should keep them in a space away from these devices.
Imagine if you always heard a humming noise or a buzz throughout your day? Keeping your hamster in such places will only increase their frustration and anxiety levels, and they might have a hard time relaxing. No one would want to see their pet struggle like this as they could get sick without receiving sufficient sleep.
As a result, try to place their cage in a peaceful and comfortable area without ultra sonic distractions.
Don’t Keep the Cage in an Area Where the Temperature is Constantly Changing
It’s always advised to maintain a constant temperature around your hamster’s cage. They are not the most hardy animals that can withstand significant climate changes around them.
Therefore, it is best to keep them away from windows that get a lot of sun and can increase the temperature of the cage. You should also keep them away from chimneys, furnaces, and damp or humid areas as they can cause serious problems.
When deciding on the right spot for your hamster’s cage, you should look for a room that has reliable temperature control settings. If you’re thinking about your house corridor or garage, that’s a big no no since those areas don’t have the most reliable temperatures.
If you keep them in such areas, your pet may not be able to maintain a comfortable temperature. And if you were thinking of it, spaces like cupboards or storage spaces are poorly insulated and are not safe for your hamsters either.
You should also avoid keeping their cage directly underneath from AC vents, since they make a lot of noise. Try to look for a room that has 1-2 windows and sufficient ventilation. Rooms like those could make a comfortable place for your new pet.
Hamsters thrive at temperatures ranging from 68°F to 74°F (22°C to 24°C). If you stay somewhere with extreme climate conditions or can’t maintain a reliable temperature, then hamsters might not be the ideal pet for you. It could be a dangerous environment if the temperature goes under 60°F (15°C). Many hamsters will enter into their hibernation phase if the temperature drops more.
If you do live in a cold weather climate, it could be a good idea to add a heating pad underneath your hamster’s bedding to provide warmth in the cold weather. Make sure to purchase the device designed for small animals, as the ones made for humans are not ideal for their sensitive skin and fur.
Also, when the temperature increases beyond 74°F (24°C), your little pet could experience a heat stroke along with other health conditions. Like most factors when choosing a location for their cage, it’s a fine balance.
And finally, unexpected temperature changes can add additional stress to your pet’s life. You should maintain their cage in a fixed place and not move them to a different places with varying temperatures.
Don’t Keep the Cage Outdoors or in Brightly Lit Areas
Another lesser known don’t when it comes to placing your hamster cage is to avoid areas that are too bright or get direct sunlight because it could be dangerous for your hamster’s health. Hamsters are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day, so if they are getting blasted with sunshine when they’re supposed to be sleeping it could affect their bedtime routine and cause them stress.
You should keep them in a place where they may get minimal daylight. It could be in a back room that stays dark most of the time, but you’re really looking for a mix of artificial and natural light. Hamsters are routine-oriented animals that may benefit from a shaded when they are sleeping.
Because hamsters are nocturnal, they are most active during the night and prefer to hide in the daylight. They spend most of their daytime sleeping by hiding in the shaded areas of their cage, such as a log or inside a plastic home. However, a little daylight helps a lot in improving keeping them healthy and on a reliable sleep schedule.
Also, you should make sure that there is no motion sensor or artificial light in their room during the night as the constant on-off could have a negative impact on their sleeping patterns.
And finally, during humid or rainy weather, you should make sure to close all the windows and doors to keep their room cool and dry, which is how they generally like it.
Don’t Keep Their Cage at Ground Level
You should always keep your hamster’s cage at least 3 feet above the floor. You could either install a secure wall-mounted shelf or use a wooden table to hold their cage.
The reason for this is that it’s much easier for you and your little companion to see each other when their cage is off the ground. You can also keep an eye on them from a distance if their cage is at your eye level. Feeding and socializing is also easier when the cage is not on the ground.
Also, if you have bigger pets, which we’ll talk about, they won’t be able to sniff their cage, scare, or harm them if they are generally out of reach. And not to mention if you were a hamster, being on the ground and seeing massive animals or people could cause them to be frightened and lead to increased anxiety.
And finally, as we talked about regulated temperature and drafts, having the cage on the ground could lead to respiratory issues from dust build-up or drafts from ventilation. What may feel like a small draft to you, could be a hurricane force wind to a small hamster.
Don’t Keep Their Cage Around Other Animals
As we briefly talked about in the last section, you should avoid placing a cage on the ground and away from your other pets. Hamsters are quite shy and peaceful creatures that get scared if they see big animals around them. They generally stay alert and keep a close eye on the environment around them, but can get scared if they hear footsteps or see a relatively large animal approaching them.
Hamsters have impeccable hearing abilities and depend on their instincts to hide in the wild. If you have other pets, try to keep them in separate rooms until they are properly introduced.
Experts agree that having a bigger animal in the home like a dog or cat could cause your hamster undue stress and as a result, you should not let your pets move freely around your little friend. You have no idea what harm they might cause to your little pet.
Hamsters can also go into shock if they suddenly see big animals around. You should also teach your children to not touch or go extremely close to your hamster until they feel more comfortable in their environment.
It’s better to not force the hamster into situations that can stress them out and instead wait for them to get comfortable around you. Your hamster might not trust you if you pressure it too much.
Don’t Keep Them Nearby the Kitchen or Fireplace
And finally, the absolute worst place you could keep your hamster would be the kitchen or near the fireplace. As you know, both kitchens and fireplaces get very hot and drafty, both of which are not ideal for your furry friend.
Not to mention that the smoke released by fireplaces and cooking can be dangerous for their health. They could develop a respiratory disease by inhaling fumes or even small ingredients like seasonings from your cooking endeavors.
Having your hamster in the kitchen can also lead to unsanitary conditions when cooking. Needless to say, there’s never a good reason to keep your hamster in your kitchen.
Can I Put my Hamster Cage on the Floor?
This is one of the most common questions when it comes to your hamster cage placement, so we figured it best to have a dedicated section here. The quick answer is no, you should never put your hamster cage on the floor.
Hamsters are small animals. If you put their cage on the ground, they would see you as a daunting and huge presence. It may easily startle them and cause stress. They may also find it more challenging to approach you in the future as they think of you as a threat.
Your hamsters would notice the movements more often if you put their home on the ground. They might quickly become stressed out by the constant movement of the shoes, lifting heavy objects, sweeping, or vacuuming.
Also, it’s just not really feasible to have the cage on the floor. Between social interaction, cleaning their cage, feeding them, and more, it just doesn’t make sense to put it in such a random spot.
And as mentioned earlier, it can be more drafty, dusty, and dirty on the floor. You may not notice it all since you’re 5 feet above the floor, but if you were 2 inches tall, you probably wouldn’t want to be on the floor either.
Can You Place a Hamster Cage in Your Bedroom?
It is purely your decision as to whether you want to keep your hamster with you in your bedroom or not. However, you should keep a few things in mind before making a decision.
While hamsters generally keep clean, they can smell or stir up dust or bedding into the air. Therefore, it’s not a great idea to keep that around you sleeping area. After all, do you want to wake up feeling like you slept in or near a barn? But if you do, you may want to invest in several odor removers to keep your personal space smelling fresh all the time.
Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, hamsters are nocturnal, meaning they are highly energetic at night. They make all kinds of noises like little chirping, they run around their cage and go on the wheel, and may chew or eat while you’re trying to sleep. You might not want these noises to disrupt your sleeping schedule.
You might also feel like these small creatures won’t require a bigger space in your room, but they should get a decent sized cage, which can take up a lot of space. Be prepared to figure out a proper layout to place their cage where you can provide all facilities inside your bedroom, including tubing for them to explore.
However, if we get back to hamsters, fragrances from perfumes, deodorants, shampoos, and essential oils can be too strong for hamsters and could badly impact their mood and appetite. That means you shouldn’t use any of these fragrant products around their cage and that may be tricky if they are right in your bedroom.
Can I Put my Hamster Cage in my Closet?
A wardrobe might seem like the ideal choice for a peaceful and comfortable environment for your hamster, but it’s not a great idea. Hamsters, just like every other mammal, require sufficient airflow and oxygen to survive. Generally, closets don’t provide that, especially if the doors are regularly closed.
As a result, it’s best not to place your furry friend in a closet. The worst case scenario could be that they succumb to suffocation from inadequate air flow or oxygen. But keeping this in mind, if your closet doesn’t have any doors, has proper air circulation, is spacious, and is a peaceful place, then it could work.
But generally there are always better places for your hamster to live peacefully.
Conclusion
This article covered a lot of information about the best place to put your hamster’s cage and as a pet owner, it’s our responsibility to give our pets the best life without any undue stress.
As a result, you know that your hamster’s enclosure should be placed in a calm area far from TVs and other electronic appliances. The environment surrounding the cage should maintain a constant temperature of 68 to 74°F with no direct light and drafts from your AC vents. And always make sure the cage is on a sturdy platform above the ground and out of reach of other animals.
We hope this guide helped you make a decision for your beloved pet’s happiness and safety.