Hamsters are the most commonly kept pet rodent in the western world and the number of people keeping hamsters just continues to increase with each year.
Thankfully, hamsters are relatively easy to keep and even beginners who are totally brand new to keeping a pet rodent should easily be able to add a hamster to their family without having any major problems.
That said, hamsters do have a number of strange behaviors that can make some people wonder exactly what is going through their pet hamsters head when it chooses to do certain things.
One of these things that we do see people reaching out and asking about is their pet hamster sleeping outside of the house in its cage.
This is pretty common and for the most part, there really isn’t any reason to worry about it but some hamster owners do end up worrying and trying to workout exactly whats wrong with their pet hamster so we wanted to publish this article to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Is It Normal For A Hamster To Not Sleep In The House In Its Cage?
The first thing that we want to point out is that its actually pretty normal for hamsters to sleep outside of the house in their cage.
While it might not be something that you would expect, a lot of hamsters simply don’t like sleeping inside of their houses and will instead choose to find somewhere else in the cage to curl up and go to sleep.
There are a number of reasons why a hamster might not want to sleep inside its house but in our experience, the two most common reasons are that the hamster doesn’t feel safe inside its house or that the hamster simply prefers sleeping in the open.
As we mentioned above, there are a number of reasons why a hamster might not want to sleep inside the house in its cage and its important to try and figure out exactly why your hamster is doing this so that you can then take the necessary steps to try and rectify the problem.
If your hamster isn’t sleeping in its house because it doesn’t feel safe then the best thing that you can do is try and make some changes to the house itself to make it a more secure place for your hamster to sleep.
On the other hand, if your hamster simply prefers sleeping in the open then there really isn’t much that you can do about it as its just something that some hamsters prefer.
In either case, as long as your hamster is healthy and happy then there really isn’t anything to worry about so just let your hamster sleep wherever it feels most comfortable.
Why Your Hamster Keeps Sleeping Outside Of Its House!
As we mentioned above, there are a number of reasons why your hamster might keep sleeping outside of its house and in most cases, there really isn’t anything to worry about.
Hamsters tend to sleep wherever they want, especially in a cage where they feel safe and at ease.
Some hamsters may choose to avoid sleeping in the house in their tank due to it being too small, uncomfortable or due to them not feeling safe and secure in there.
Stress and anxiety levels in your pet hamster can also result in it choosing to sleep in some random areas of its cage rather than its intended sleeping location.
An unsuitable bedding is another option that may cause your hamster to sleep outside of its bed too. Thing of materials that are dusty and cause your hamster to have problems breathing.
In some cases though, it can just be one of those things where your pet hamster just chooses to sleep wherever it wants in your tank and that there’s nothing you are able to do about it.
How To Make Your Hamster Feel More Safe Inside Its House
If you think that the reason why your hamster isn’t sleeping inside its house is because it doesn’t feel safe then there are a number of things that you can do in order to try and make your hamster feel more safe and secure.
The first thing that you can do is to make sure that the house itself is made out of a material that your hamster feels safe in.
Some hamsters may feel unsafe in a plastic house while others may feel more comfortable in a wooden one.
It really varies from hamster to hamster so you will just need to experiment a little bit until you find a material that your hamster feels safe in.
Another thing that you can do is to make sure that the house is big enough for your hamster to move around in and that there are no gaps or holes that your hamster could potentially escape through.
The last thing that you can do is to try and make the entrance to the house as small as possible so that your hamster feels more secure when it is inside.
You may need to experiment with a few different designs before you find one that your hamster feels safe in but once you do, you should find that your hamster starts sleeping inside its house more often.
Making Your Hamster’s Cage More Comfortable
If your hamster isn’t sleeping in its house because it doesn’t feel comfortable then there are a number of things that you can do in order to try and make the cage more comfortable for your hamster.
The first thing that you can do is to make sure that the bedding inside the cage is as soft and comfortable as possible.
You should also make sure that the bedding is thick enough so that your hamster can burrow into it and make a little nest for itself.
Another thing that you can do is to make sure that the temperature inside the cage is comfortable for your hamster.
Hamsters are very sensitive to changes in temperature so you will need to make sure that the cage is not too hot or too cold for your hamster.
You can also try and add some extra hiding places inside the cage for your hamster to sleep in if it feels like it needs them.
How Long Can It Take To Get Your Hamster To Sleep In Its House?
It can sometimes take a little while for your hamster to get used to sleeping in its house but in most cases, it shouldn’t take more than a week or two.
If you are still having problems getting your hamster to sleep in its house after a couple of weeks then you may need to consult with a vet or an animal behaviorist to see if there is anything else that you can do.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a number of reasons why your hamster might keep sleeping outside of its house and in most cases, there really isn’t anything to worry about.
Hamsters tend to sleep wherever they want, especially in a cage where they feel safe and at ease.