The Hamster Owners Forum Website
The Forum

Hamster of the Moment Winner!

Information for Hamster Owners:

(under construction)

Too Cold?

What to do if the weather or your home is too hot

Syrian hamsters can hibernate. What they do isn't exactly hibernation, however, since they slow down their bodies as a last ditch attempt at survival. Unlike other animals that hibernate all winter, hamsters do not prepare their bodies to hibernate and hence this can be very stressful on them.
Since hamsters have been known to go into hibernation even at about 10C/50F or even a little above that temperature, it's best to keep your hamster at around 60-75F(15C-23C) all year 'round to avoid hibernation (or heat stroke).

What you can do to prevent:
  • Give your hamster lots of shredded toilet paper as nesting material. Paper traps heat and insulates extremely well. Trust me, I came home after New Year's to find the heating off and a very insulated hamster under a load of bedding. I paniced and grabbed him out of his nest and found it was actually quite cosy and warm in there. DO NOT GIVE FABRIC OR FLUFFY BEDDING TO YOUR HAMSTER. These nesting materials are much more harmful than helpful to providing insulation from the cold for your hamster.
  • Make sure you are able to keep your home warm all winter long before you get a hamster. It should be on your personal checklist for preparing for a new pet.
What you can do if it does happen:
  • Slowly warm up your hamster using your body heat. Hold your hamster near a warm part of your body (or against your skin if you're comfortable with that too). Do not leave near a heating source. You can try using a hot water bottle as well, making sure it's well wrapped so it's not too hot for your hamster.
  • Make sure there is plenty of food and water for the hamster when it comes around from hibernating as it will probably be very hungry and thirsty.
It's also recommended you contact your vet for further advice in case there is a problem with your hamster soon after waking up.

Dwarf hamsters are from much colder climates than syrian hamsters so they are not known to hibernate unless under extreme situations where even humans would be at risk of cold related health problems. They're much more likely to have problems with heat stroke before a syrian does, however, so check out the information to keeping your hamsters cool in the summer if you keep dwarf hamsters.