Hamsters are friendly, adorable, and great pets.
However, they can be puzzling animals and challenging, particularly to new owners to learn their needs.
Most people are left wondering the best place in the house to place the hamster.
So, Can You Put a Hamster Cage in The Closet?
Yes! It is completely fine as long as the closed doors are kept open for sufficient ventilation and the day/night cycle is left undisturbed. You should also ensure the closet is not too humid or cold. Generally, if you have nowhere else to keep your hamster, a well-ventilated closet with doors opens, and a wall or other thing does not block the ventilation, it can be okay with proper considerations. More so, you won’t have to worry about keeping the lights in your closet on.
Hamsters are nocturnal creatures that are likely to enjoy their habitat dark.
This arrangement will work out much better than other room areas where the hamster is likely to be disturbed by lights and other animals.
However, they still need light similar to most other animals for internal functions and maintaining the sleeping schedule well aligned.
How Do You Choose the Best Place for Your Hamster?
Whether you choose to place your hamster in the closet or any other place in the house, there are some factors you should consider to ensure she is happy and comfortable.
Some of the factors to consider when choosing the best place to keep your hamster include;
1. The Larger The Cage, The Better
One of the main things to consider before bringing home a new pet is finding a perfect cage to house them.
Hamsters are excellent pets for several reasons: they don’t need a large space.
However, they require a relatively spacious cage where they can play and stretch out.
So, ensure your hamster’s enclosure is at least 12 inches by 24 inches, as well as 12 inches high. Even the biggest hamster enclosure does not occupy much of your room.
However, the size of the cage is not the only factor to consider.
The surrounding environment is just as essential to consider before bringing home your new pet.
2. Away From Noise
Your hamster’s senses can become easily overwhelmed, making it vital to ensure the surroundings are quiet.
They are nocturnal creatures meaning they are active during the night and spend most of the day sleeping.
Your best bet will hence be keeping their cage in a quiet place.
This way, they will not be disturbed by noises from people during the entire day and will rest peacefully.
If they don’t get sufficient sleep, hamsters can become stressed and irritated, and you don’t want a cranky hamster.
Therefore, it is in your best interest to keep the cage in a quiet place to have a happy pet.
Hamsters are not just disturbed by the noises from people.
Sound vibrations from speakers, televisions, or PlayStation can also awaken and irritate them.
So, ensure they won’t be disturbed by the television or speakers even in the closet in which you place them.
3. Stable Warm Temperatures
In the wild, hamsters live in arid and semi-arid regions like steppes and deserts. Hence somewhere warm and dry is perfect for them to survive.
If the temperatures become too cold, your hamster might hibernate to generate warmth.
Also, you don’t want to expose your pet to very high temperatures as it can cause harmful effects to their health.
Most closets do not cool or heat consistently with the other rooms in the home.
Therefore, before selecting a closet as the habitat for your hamster, ensure the temperature and climate is favorable for your hamster.
It is also a perfect idea to keep your hamster’s cage away from direct sunlight and cold draughts.
4. Lighting
As previously stated, hamsters are nocturnal.
They hence thrive best in low, gentle, and consistent lighting.
Your room’s lighting has a substantial effect on your hamster’s sleeping schedule.
For the creatures to stay comfortable and happy, you should keep the lights dim, particularly during the dawn hours when they are sleeping.
Additionally, you should try and maintain a regular schedule for your lighting pattern for your hamster to adjust their sleeping schedule appropriately.
5. Adequate Ventilation
Just like us, our furry friends require good airflow to survive.
You should hence keep your cage in a place with sufficient ventilation and air circulation.
If you want to keep your hamster’s cage in the closet, ensure the doors remain open or are entirely removed to offer adequate ventilation.
You should never keep your pet’s cage in a closet with closed doors or insufficient ventilation.
6. Secure habitat to avoid escape
Hamsters are natural escape artists that love being challenged to escape.
You hence want to ensure that their habitat is well secure; otherwise, they will get away.
If you decide to place your hamsters’ cage in the closet, ensure both the closet and the enclosure are secure.
If you are placing the enclosure on the floor, ensure you place something else under the cage to prevent your hamster from chewing on the carpeting, which could result in illness.
Choose a highly secure cage and ensure to keep it closed properly when you are away.
Also, it’s a perfect idea to keep the cage in a safe room so that if your hamster manages to escape from the cage, it will still be secure in the room.
Hamsters often hide under floorboards and small spaces when they escape.
Additionally, if you want to place the hamster on another surface within the closet, you should ensure the surface is of equal size to the enclosure and stable.
Finally, you should confirm that your closet has no holes or open vents in any of the corners otherwise;, your small friend will end up in the walls.
7. Away From Ultrasound
Hamsters have an incredible hearing ability and detect sounds that the human ears cannot.
Ultrasound originates from computers and televisions, and although they are inaudible to humans, it can stress out your hamsters.
Ultrasound can also originate from water pipes, so keeping your hamster’s cage near the washing machine or dishwashers might be hurting.
Can You Place Your Hamster Cage Outside?
If you live in a significantly warm climate, you can keep your little pet’s cage outside.
Otherwise, the outdoors is highly likely to be very cold for your hamster.
Hamsters thrive best in temperatures between 18-21 degrees Celsius.
Keep in mind that temperatures go low even in summer.
It is also vital to consider the potential dangers your hamster could be exposed to, like other bigger pets in the home or wild animals near the garden.
The creatures are often scared of dogs, large animals, or foxes available outside their enclosure.
So, it is advisable to keep the cage of your hamster inside if possible.
Wrap Up
You can put your hamster’s cage in a closet, but you should be very cautious.
If the closet has a closed-door or lacks sufficient ventilation, your pet might suffocate in no time.
Similar to humans, these little friends require fresh air to survive.
Otherwise, as long as you take the above-listed measures in place, your pet will be fine in the closet.
Related
Should You Kiss Your Pet Hamster?
Is It Ok to Keep Your Hamster in The Living Room?
References
Can I keep my hamster in the closet overnight? – fixya.com