Keeping Benjamin Wam in Cold Oregon Winter -

[HamsterMama]

I live in Oregon, and it can get pretty cold here in the winter—often in the 30s. We don't have central heating, so I rely on a space heater to keep my master bedroom warm, but it's difficult to keep the temperature steady.

For the last two nights, it’s been very cold outside, and the room has stayed around 60°F. According to the thermometer, it’s been 60°F inside his cage as well. Over the last two nights, he hasn't been awake as long or running on his wheel, but last night made it clear he’s been too cold, and it makes me so sad. He ate nothing and wasn't even interested in the puzzle toy I made for him. He ran on his wheel for a bit, But he must have been cold to bypass the baby food green beans I "painted" on his Mazuri Pellets.

I realized his current 8 inches of bedding isn't enough, so I have more on the way to help him burrow deeper for warmth. In the meantime, I gave him a massive amount of shredded toilet paper to add to his bed as a soft nesting material to help him stay cozy tonight.

This AM , I doubled down on insulation for his enclosure: I’m lining the outer walls of his cage with cardboard and thick foam (see pics) to help hold the heat. I also ordered a reptile heat pad with a thermostat that I plan to use under his cage (with a layer of cardboard in between). I’ll keep it on just one side so he can move away from it if he gets too warm. He has flannel pads for hamster beds coming too.

He is in a Bucatstate 3.0, 120cm enclosure, which has a metal bottom, so I want to be extra careful that it doesn't get too hot.

I would appreciate any advice you can give me! Suggestions? Thoughts? Thank you.

 

[Maz]

Aw - they do seem to prefer nice warm rooms . Although 60 f (about 15.5) is a bit too cold for hamsters, the insulation should mainly do the trick. I wouldn’t put a reptile heat pad underneath the cage, even with cardboard in between. Firstly the reptile heat pads are supposed to be unsafe - quite a few issues apparently. Secondly there would need to be a decent amount of space under the cage. For example some people stand a barred cage on a few books and put a snugglesafe heat pad underneath. Those are safe - they are like a microwave hot water bottle.

Snugglesafe heat pad - click here

 

[HamsterMama]

Aw - they do seem to prefer nice warm rooms . Although 60 f (about 15.5) is a bit too cold for hamsters, the insulation should mainly do the trick. I wouldn’t put a reptile heat pad underneath the cage, even with cardboard in between. Firstly the reptile heat pads are supposed to be unsafe - quite a few issues apparently. Secondly there would need to be a decent amount of space under the cage. For example some people stand a barred cage on a few books and put a snugglesafe heat pad underneath. Those are safe - they are like a microwave hot water bottle.

Snugglesafe heat pad - click here

Oh, thank you for the reply. I will cancel the reptile heating pad then. I love the link you sent, but we don't own a microwave. Maybe we will invest in a small one...Thanks again and Happy New Year

 

[Maz]

A hot water bottle might work Your insulation should help as well, but they do feel the air temperature I think. You're on the borderline. They do like it a nice comfortable 20 degrees centigrade, (68 fahrenheit), but are ok at temperatures above your current temperature. Anything below that is risking torpor.

 

[Socks' Mum]

I bought a microwave after years of being against them (for convenience food only ) specifically for snuggle Safes. They are good. Moving the cage away from the window in winter might help. The extra bedding should help a lot too. @Lovelyness used a sort of wool lagging as insulation. Fleece would probably help too. Socks' cage sits on noodle bath mats and was on a yoga mat at one stage as well as having small wheels under his cage. It might be worth getting a small fan heater for a burst of heat if needed. The deeper bedding is a great idea as hamsters are very good at creating warm, snug little nests in their bedding

 

[Socks' Mum]

Yes, the heating pad could be safe, but they can be risky if the thermostat stops working for any reason

 

[Maz]

The reptile mats really aren't safe - they have led to burns and fires. I have an oil filled radiator (electric), that has a thermostat and a built in timer. So it comes on when the temperature gets below a certain level and also only comes on within the times you've set if it's cold enough. It has an autocut out for safety. Because even with that, I'm not that keen on leaving something electric plugged in and on overnight, but because it has the autocut out feature, it's a safe one. It's a delonghi dragon. They aren't cheap though. We use it anyway in the main room as only have partial central heating, so it's useful for the hamsters overnight as well.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Those are great heaters

 

[Lovelyness]

Wool lagging round the cage for insulation. It came from my organic box delivery…it’s used to keep food cool.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Memories

 

[ilguy]

Some owners have had success with a snuggle sack for their hams. I bet you could leave one in the enclosure for a warm spot to hide in.

As crazy as it sounds, you can still offer a cooling tile in the winter. My late buddy used his all year round, it's nice to give them options. He liked it a bit chilly for sleepy time

 

[Tulsi]

I have also bought a microwaves for snuggle safes only. (guinea pigs). My heating rarely goes above 16.5 degrees centigrade and all my hamsters have had a lot of deep paper bedding and plenty of ripped up loo roll. Cindy has a lot of moss which she has taken into her nest as well as the soft paper.

 

[HamsterMama]

The reptile mats really aren't safe - they have led to burns and fires. I have an oil filled radiator (electric), that has a thermostat and a built in timer. So it comes on when the temperature gets below a certain level and also only comes on within the times you've set if it's cold enough. It has an autocut out for safety. Because even with that, I'm not that keen on leaving something electric plugged in and on overnight, but because it has the autocut out feature, it's a safe one. It's a delonghi dragon. They aren't cheap though. We use it anyway in the main room as only have partial central heating, so it's useful for the hamsters overnight as well.

I bought a microwave after years of being against them (for convenience food only ) specifically for snuggle Safes. They are good. Moving the cage away from the window in winter might help. The extra bedding should help a lot too. @Lovelyness used a sort of wool lagging as insulation. Fleece would probably help too. Socks' cage sits on noodle bath mats and was on a yoga mat at one stage as well as having small wheels under his cage. It might be worth getting a small fan heater for a burst of heat if needed. The deeper bedding is a great idea as hamsters are very good at creating warm, snug little nests in their bedding

Thanks for the great ideas. I am looking at microwaves...lol...Haven't owned one is 20 years, but....

 

[Lovelyness]

I had a snuggle safe pad for Blossom too

 

[Maz]

Thanks for the great ideas. I am looking at microwaves...lol...Haven't owned one is 20 years, but....

That would potentially make it an expensive snugglesafe! I don't blame you for not having one for years - ours only gets used for heating up cups of tea and making porridge. You can get them quite cheap now though, or second hand, but they take up some space in a kitchen as well. On the other hand a hot water bottle would go cold quicker. And a microwave is a safer purchase than a reptile mat! Unless you have a small heater you could use instead (which would cost more to run).

 

[Rescued One]

I live in Oregon, and it can get pretty cold here in the winter—often in the 30s. We don't have central heating, so I rely on a space heater to keep my master bedroom warm, but it's difficult to keep the temperature steady.

For the last two nights, it’s been very cold outside, and the room has stayed around 60°F. According to the thermometer, it’s been 60°F inside his cage as well. Over the last two nights, he hasn't been awake as long or running on his wheel, but last night made it clear he’s been too cold, and it makes me so sad. He ate nothing and wasn't even interested in the puzzle toy I made for him. He ran on his wheel for a bit, But he must have been cold to bypass the baby food green beans I "painted" on his Mazuri Pellets.

I realized his current 8 inches of bedding isn't enough, so I have more on the way to help him burrow deeper for warmth. In the meantime, I gave him a massive amount of shredded toilet paper to add to his bed as a soft nesting material to help him stay cozy tonight.

This AM , I doubled down on insulation for his enclosure: I’m lining the outer walls of his cage with cardboard and thick foam (see pics) to help hold the heat. I also ordered a reptile heat pad with a thermostat that I plan to use under his cage (with a layer of cardboard in between). I’ll keep it on just one side so he can move away from it if he gets too warm. He has flannel pads for hamster beds coming too.

He is in a Bucatstate 3.0, 120cm enclosure, which has a metal bottom, so I want to be extra careful that it doesn't get too hot.

I would appreciate any advice you can give me! Suggestions? Thoughts? Thank you.

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Hi,
I'm in New England. My hammies are fine, but my ger-boys are chilly. I got a large ZooMed Reptiipad and placed it on the side of the tank where they camp out, and covered the top of the tank area with a towel. I got a small thermostat and placed it too high to reach, at the tank is pretty stable at 70*. There are also infrared heat bulbs that can be used if there is no glass to attach the pad. Both need an outlet.

 

[Socks' Mum]

That would potentially make it an expensive snugglesafe! I don't blame you for not having one for years - ours only gets used for heating up cups of tea and making porridge. You can get them quite cheap now though, or second hand, but they take up some space in a kitchen as well. On the other hand a hot water bottle would go cold quicker. And a microwave is a safer purchase than a reptile mat! Unless you have a small heater you could use instead (which would cost more to run).

If you have a large freezer you can bulk cook, but that's never appealed to me

 

[Rescued One]

The reptile mats really aren't safe - they have led to burns and fires. I have an oil filled radiator (electric), that has a thermostat and a built in timer. So it comes on when the temperature gets below a certain level and also only comes on within the times you've set if it's cold enough. It has an autocut out for safety. Because even with that, I'm not that keen on leaving something electric plugged in and on overnight, but because it has the autocut out feature, it's a safe one. It's a delonghi dragon. They aren't cheap though. We use it anyway in the main room as only have partial central heating, so it's useful for the hamsters overnight as well.

While there are concerns, they are perfectly safe on the side of a glass tank. The tank interior heats to about 70* and the gerbils park right against the warm glass to sleep For an open cage as pictured, I would consider a 50 W ZooMed infared bulb at one end and a towel over the other half of the cage to create several thermal zones so the hammie can self-select.

 

[HamsterMama]

While there are concerns, they are perfectly safe on the side of a glass tank. The tank interior heats to about 70* and the gerbils park right against the warm glass to sleep For an open cage as pictured, I would consider a 50 W ZooMed infared bulb at one end and a towel over the other half of the cage to create several thermal zones so the hammie can self-select.

I live in Oregon, and it can get pretty cold here in the winter—often in the 30s. We don't have central heating, so I rely on a space heater to keep my master bedroom warm, but it's difficult to keep the temperature steady.

For the last two nights, it’s been very cold outside, and the room has stayed around 60°F. According to the thermometer, it’s been 60°F inside his cage as well. Over the last two nights, he hasn't been awake as long or running on his wheel, but last night made it clear he’s been too cold, and it makes me so sad. He ate nothing and wasn't even interested in the puzzle toy I made for him. He ran on his wheel for a bit, But he must have been cold to bypass the baby food green beans I "painted" on his Mazuri Pellets.

I realized his current 8 inches of bedding isn't enough, so I have more on the way to help him burrow deeper for warmth. In the meantime, I gave him a massive amount of shredded toilet paper to add to his bed as a soft nesting material to help him stay cozy tonight.

This AM , I doubled down on insulation for his enclosure: I’m lining the outer walls of his cage with cardboard and thick foam (see pics) to help hold the heat. I also ordered a reptile heat pad with a thermostat that I plan to use under his cage (with a layer of cardboard in between). I’ll keep it on just one side so he can move away from it if he gets too warm. He has flannel pads for hamster beds coming too.

He is in a Bucatstate 3.0, 120cm enclosure, which has a metal bottom, so I want to be extra careful that it doesn't get too hot.

I would appreciate any advice you can give me! Suggestions? Thoughts? Thank you.

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UPDATE 1.8.26

Has anyone used this type of setup?

Sorry to be annoying with another update, it is just that I am trying not to bore you with the details of why some excellent suggestions from the forum won't work for our situation.

I have done a ton of research for options for Benjamin’s winter setup, and am still doing so. Since my room stays between 40-60°F in the winter, I've gone with a 60W setup to be safe. From what I’ve gathered, using these items together is the 'Gold Standard' for safety and control:

• 60W Ceramic Heat Emitter: Provides gentle, steady warmth with zero light, so it doesn’t disturb his sleep cycle. The 60W is safer for my room temp than a 100W.
• Dimmable Lamp Fixture: A high-heat porcelain socket that lets me manually 'cap' the power so the mesh on the top of the cage never gets too hot.
• Digital Thermostat: The 'brain' that automatically cycles the lamp on/off to stay at exactly 72°F.
• Adjustable Lamp Stand: Suspends the lamp safely above the cage so I don't have to rest the weight directly on the mesh lid.

I feel much more confident with this 'multi-layer' safety approach. But I am not yet sold on this because I just cannot be sure. It is going to take a lot of "testing" for me to feel confident once I get it. It seems this setup would provide excellent protection and keep him warm. Safe and warm - my goals.

Still, I’d love to hear your thoughts, or if anyone has experience running this specific trio!

 

[Maz]

The thing to be careful of with heat lamps is it doesn't get too hot close to the enclosure.