Good thread Serendipity. It`s good to bring this up sometimes just as a reminder to owners who may not actually realise that temperatures are on the downturn. Being in Scotland I can feel it already!
I keep the central heating on low all day and it`s off during the night. So I tend to regulate it during the day, keep my bedroom door closed and the window blinds low to prevent cold air wafting in. Chubs sleeps all day anyway so I barely see him!
I like cypher`s idea of placing some fleece under the cage to help with insulation. I have a small pet blanket to I will use that idea!
Heat pads and matts can be used, but ideally, I would only use them if the hamster was old, ill or in a room that tends to feel cold even when the heating is on. But be aware of the overall temperature and have a thermostat near the cage. I have a retro horse head thermometer and it reads 20c/70 degrees farenheight at the moment. Although it feels chilly in the air inside my room. Poundland sell thermometers to hang on the wall near your hamster cage.
I would say as long as the room has heat in some form, hamsters will moderate themselves inside a cosy nest. I use (and highly recommend) Supreme Cosi n Dri for your nest area. It`s a bit like Carefresh but a better, less dusty product. Absorbent too. Ripped up white toilet paper mixed in or any of the available paper based beddings.
Keep your cage away from direct draughts like beneath a window or open door, but remember too that allowing air to circulate is important.
If your hamster is frail or older or has been ill recently, moving their food dish and water closer to their nest area means they don`t have to be out too long to get food/water. Chubs gets waited on every day and I leave his little pieces of raw veg at his door and they disappear without him emerging! x