Overheated hamster?

hamsterlover16 · 07-01-2015, 12:14 PM

The UK had a really hot day today around 35 degrees! Poppet my hamster is in a bin cage and is not near direct sunlight. It is very hot inside my house and outside and i'm worried she is too hot. She seems to stay in the same corner of her cage and she goes to take her food but then drops it. I have tried wrapping an ice block in a towel but its not very cold because the towel is too thick and she is just biting everything. I don't want to give her anything ceramic because there is a big chance she will chew it and eat sharp pieces. I'm really worried, I hear hamsters can die from becoming overheated! I know in the wild they live in hot conditions but I don't know how to make her cool while still keeping her safe!

Pebbles82 · 07-01-2015, 12:21 PM

Have you got a fan to cool the air a bit? I think you might have to try a ceramic mug - choose a really chunky earthenware type one and put it in the fridge then put it in the cage when it's cold - she'll probably be too relieved to want to bite it. Have another one in the fridge to swap it with if necessary. Someone else may come up with a better suggestion.

Vectis Hamstery · 07-01-2015, 02:03 PM

I agree with the idea of a chunky ceramic mug/flower pot/plate that is put in the fridge and rotated. I also have closed the curtains in the hamster room and shut the window in the height of the heat and opened both again when it's cooler in morning/evening. Also I pop in frozen veg. That way the ham has the option of eating it frozen, cool or defrosted!

Pebbles82 · 07-01-2015, 03:45 PM

I like the frozen veg idea - I was toying with putting the remnants of a bag of frozen peas in but wasn't sure if eating frozen peas was ok!

Charlie is very hot tonight too. I've noticed the last couple of nights he's been sitting in his ceramic sand bath/salt pig a lot - there's hardly any sand in it because he kicked it all out and filled it full of Fitch. He definitely seemed affected by the heat and looked quite sad. I've been trying to persuade him to go into a ceramic mug on the sofa which has been in the freezer for a few minutes but he's not having it! I've had his sand bath and piece of stone in the freezer and put them back in the cage but they don't keep cold for that long. Still it should be a bit cooler at night.

Piebald · 07-01-2015, 04:47 PM

Freeze a plastic bottle of water and put that in? I suppose it depends on how likely chewing is. It will condense and get damp too but it provides good instant coolness. Get a marble tile and put it in. SomE rocks are helpful too. Obviously sterilise first.
If you have a fan put a frozen water bottle in front of the air stream.
Keep the curtains closed so you don't have a greenhouse. If the air outside is warmer than inside keep the windows closed.
Also at night when the air inside is warmer than outside, put the fan facing out the window to suck out the warm air.

Piebald · 07-01-2015, 04:50 PM

Oh and cypher I think it was said the sand bath would help so if your little man is sitting in it maybe fill it up for him. Xx