Are you wondering if your pet hamster longs to be outside sometimes? Some of them live outside, after all, in certain countries. Maybe the fresh air keeps them healthier and happier, so we need to see if your hamster can go outside safely.
Hamsters can go outside. They aren’t supposed to live in captivity in a small, enclosed space. You can allow your hamster some time outside to roam around freely. However, they can quickly run away, so you should ensure they are in a safe environment with borders, such as a playpen.
This article will discuss how hamsters feel about going outside and if they are safe from predators and other animals. I’ll also share how you can safely put them outside to protect them from injuries and keep them from running away.
Can Hamsters Survive Outside?
Hamsters can survive outside, but it depends on the circumstances of the individual hamster. In certain countries, hamsters can live in the wild. This might be a complete surprise to you.
Hamsters can survive in the wild where they were born or grew up. Like most wild animals, they develop traits and behaviors that allow them to survive despite issues with weather changes, food scarcity, and predators.
On the other hand, domesticated hamsters are not equipped to survive in the wild, as they have not learned to defend themselves from predators. They are also likely to suffer significantly from the weather, as they are not used to extreme heat or cold.
Here are some conditions that may affect how likely a hamster can survive outside:
Confrontation With Other Animals
If you want to keep your hamster safe, it is crucial to keep in mind that other animals are wandering around outside. Some bigger animals will approach your hamster, and they could attack, kill, or eat the smaller animal.
Your hamster might not be safe even around house pets, especially if they’re not properly introduced or well-adjusted to each other.
Therefore, it’s important to keep your hamster within your yard with borders they can’t escape from. It’s also a good idea to keep them in a spacious playpen when outdoors. That way, they can enjoy the feel of being outside while being safe from potential threats from bigger animals.
Availability and Competition for Food
If you put food outside with your hamster so it can eat whenever it’s hungry, there’s an increased risk of injury because other animals will be attracted to the food. Good examples of animals that will probably approach when they smell the food are mice and rats.
If that happens, there’s a big possibility that the hamster will become aggressive in the situation, and the animals will attack each other. Your hamster will probably win in that scenario when confronted with a mouse.
However, unnecessary violence and possible death must be avoided. Otherwise, your hamster will most likely sustain injuries and stress, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
Hamsters love to eat veggies and fruit, and they aren’t the only ones who love these foods. Hedgehogs and bunnies also love them, so they might try to steal from your hamster.
Hedgehogs sometimes eat meat and can sometimes get aggressive when attacked. Hamsters tend to be aggressive when threatened or faced with competition for food, so they might attack the hedgehog. In this case, the hamster will likely lose.
Bunnies can also fight when they feel threatened and are stronger than hamsters. However, bunnies wouldn’t eat meat.
Temperature
Hamsters don’t do well in the cold. They feel comfortable and thrive in temperatures around 70 °F (around 20 °C). They should not be outside if the temperature is much higher or colder than that.
They can tolerate some time outdoors when the temperature difference isn’t too big. However, 10 °F (12.22 °C) or more outside the comfortable range will feel like a big difference to your hamster and can affect their health.
When the temperature outside is too cold or too hot for your hamster, it can cause serious (permanent) health issues and possibly even death. You must keep this in mind inside your house as well.
Hibernation is a possible result of prolonged exposure to cold. People often think their hamsters have passed away because they become stiff when hibernation kicks in. As a result, some people are sadly convinced their hamsters are deceased, so they bury them alive or throw them away in the trash.
Sunlight
As you might know, the temperatures are higher in areas with sunlight. There’s also a very high risk for rodents to get heatstroke when exposed to direct sunlight, which is most likely to be fatal for small animals.
Humans don’t experience temperature the way tiny animals do, so although it might not feel too hot, the temperature can be detrimental for hamsters.
It is vital that your hamster is in the shade when brought outside. If you can’t find a good spot, you can even place certain items over its cage to create shade. Bright lights will also completely blind your hamster, possibly injuring them when they bump into things.
Things to Avoid When Letting Hamsters Go Outside
If you want to keep your hamster safe outside, there are some things to keep in mind. We’ve talked about how food, temperatures, and threats from predators can affect them. However, there are some other things to avoid when letting your hamsters enjoy a day outside. Let’s check them out below:
Leaving Your Hamster Unattended
It’s a horrible idea to leave your hamster alone outside. Many things can happen while you are away, like other animals approaching. Keeping an eye out will also ensure you can tell when your hamster gets too stressed or shows signs of health issues in case you misjudged the temperature outside.
Hamster Exercise Ball
Do NOT put your hamster outside in a ball. You might think a hamster exercise ball is a great way to keep your hamster safe from predators, other rodents, and the weather, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
It can be pretty dangerous as it will make it harder for a hamster to escape. That said, exercise balls are unsuitable for your hamster’s day out.
Here are more reasons why you shouldn’t let your hamster use the exercise ball outdoors:
- Walking and running in the ball can damage the hamster’s spine because it’s bent weirdly.
- The ball can cause high stress in hamsters because they don’t know where they’re going, and their senses are limited.
- Their sight is already bad, so there’s an increased chance of bumping into things, which can cause severe trauma to their tiny bodies.
How To Keep Your Hamster From Running Away
You can put your hamster‘s cage outside, especially if the cage is big and the animal can hide away whenever they feel like it.
They should be able to walk around, but that should also be the case inside your house. No animal deserves to be locked up in a small space. That classifies as animal abuse, so ensure your hamster is comfortable and happy at all times.
You can put a hamster playpen outside for your pet. These are available in different sizes and can give your hamster a lot of space.
You can buy the Casifor Play Pen (available on Amazon.com). It is an affordable playpen for small animals, available in pink and blue. If you decide to use a playpen inside, remember that it is open on top and makes your pet more vulnerable to other animals.
Limit your hamster’s time outdoors to around an hour per day. You can break this up into two 30-minute sessions, depending on your schedule and availability to look after them as they safely play outside.
Final Thoughts
Hamsters can enjoy being outside, and it might be a great opportunity to get some fresh air and more freedom. However, the outdoors can be dangerous for your hamster. Other animals and the weather can pose a threat to them.
You should not leave the hamster outside by itself and ensure that no other animals approach the cage or playpen. Otherwise, it could result in the death of your hamster or another animal.
You should also protect your hamster from extreme temperatures, which can result in life-threatening health issues.