Can I keep a hamster in a conservatory?

[TheFlumpsHaveEyes]

We're getting a hamster and the plan was to have the cage in my eldest DC's bedroom - until I was told it will probably keep him awake all night.

So, is it on to keep it in the conservatory? It's centrally heated and we keep the connecting door to the rest of the house open at night so it doesn't get too cold overnight when the heating goes off. It does get a bit colder than the rest of the house though. It doesn't ever get really hot or have direct sunlight as it's north facing with an opaque roof.

Does that sound ok for a hamster? I know nothing about them having not had a pet when I was a child myself (a long time ago ).

[TheFlumpsHaveEyes]

PS Was also thinking it would be better as it's a quieter room - our sitting room and dining room always have a tv blaring or various musical instruments being thrashed out somewhere - the conservatory is a bit calmer!

[mogandme]

My dead hamster would say no. but I don't know if my conservatory is the same as yours.

[TheFlumpsHaveEyes]

Oh . So do you think it was because of the temperature then?

[MummifiedBonkeyMollocks]

I don't think the variations in temp would be great tbh. If it gets to cold then hammy may hibernate , plus in the summer I can imagine it being far too hot to be comfortable. I stuggled at some points this year keeping my zoo cool in normal rooms.
the noise issue, once hammy has settled in then a bit of noise is good. Ours used to come out when she heard us come home and was much friendlier and less jumpy. Current hamster isn't quite as sociable but he still wakes up when we feed him at 6 then buggers off back to bed much to ds's disgust .

Tip though: Get a cage without bars (google zoozone 2, its a fab size for a hammy, the top would need meshing though, again google has the answers) , and a Karlie wonderland wooden wheel and voila...no noise!
The wheel is the best I have found, all you can hear is the patter of tiny feet and a cage without bars means no chewing.
I live in a flat and have had two hammys, one was a bar chewer, the other is a runner. One has sadley passed but the oter is in my 4yo's bedroom and it doesn't affect him at all. I can't hear him either and I am right next door. :)

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Probably would be ok just make sure it has lots of warm bedding which is cleaned out regularly as damp bedding would get very cold.
A quieter room is good during the day when it wants to sleep more.
Ours used to come into the dining room in the evening. We Had a huge cardboard box with high sides, we built all sorts of obstacles, walls and tunnels in it and the hamster would spend a couple of hours playing in there every day looking for food which we'd hidden. DC loved watching and playing with it but it was confined except for cuddles.

[slartybartfast]

you can get a silent wheel. and they do get used to the noise.

[PropositionJoe]

I thnk it will get too cold in winter. What are your other options? We had ours in the study but i know my friend's son kept his in his bedroom and the noise didn't bother him.

[Flippityjig]

It depends on the temperature of the conservatory. I think that hamsters hibernate if it's too cold and wouldn't be properly prepared for it with fat layers, which is why they tend to die, I think.

My daughter has her hamster in her bedroom and has got used to it. We did buy a new wheel for him instead of the one that came with the cage though and he has a big cage, as he used to chew the bars in the small cage out of boredom. Now he has this cage www.amazon.co.uk/Savic-Hamster-Heaven-Navy-Blue/dp/B003QRPAR2?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 and this wheel www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Spinner-Hamster-Gerbil-Exercise/dp/B0013KA8DA/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_1?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21.

Good luck.

[MummifiedBonkeyMollocks]

See, I found the so called silent spinner was too loud. To rattleley (sp?) . But then my girl was a odd ball on the wheel, wooden ones are amazing, even my boy who goes like the clappers doesn't make a sound.

[SauvignonBlanche]

I wouldn't we had 2 that died suddenly after a change in temperature.

[Flippityjig]

I agree the silent spinner isn't silent but it's better than the squeaky thing we had before! LOL

Yes, they do like interaction, best to have them somewhere where you and the children can see them and they can see you. They like to come out and be handled often too (we're not as good at this, I live in fear of being bitten and dd forgets, although she handles him with old woollen gloves and he doesn't bite her. We put him in his ball to run around for 10 mins as often as poss though.)

[badtasteflump]

Quick update - have had hamster two weeks now and she's lovely - and really tame already, probably as DC1 never leaves her alone. She climbs out of the cage into his hands when he calls her and she just sits there snuggling up to him - its very cute to watch . It might sound mad but I'm sure she knows his voice - when she's going round downstairs in her ball and he starts talking, she runs over to where he is!

We decided against the conservatory in the end after the concerns over temperature, so we started off with her in the dining room. That lasted two days until DC1 announced he thought she might be lonely at night when none of us are in there, so moved her into his room. I thought she would keep him awake, but so far it's been fine

[eumachia]

hi badtasteflump - just seen this thread - could I ask what kind of cage you have? We have had a hamster for 3 weeks and it isn't tame at all yet. DD would love to have the hamster in her bedroom but we have a cage with bars, and would prob need to get another cage to reduce the noise of chewing, running etc.

[SantaKissedBonkeyMollocks]

Try and Google Zoozone 2 .
Its a fab size and tank style so quiet.

A wooden wheel will be silent apart from the patter of feet

[eumachia]

Thank you! Will try that.

[rockinaroundthebadtasteflump]

I don't actually know what my cage is - we bought it from the local petshop and it doesn't have a 'name' or brand on it...

Looks like this though

cage

We bought a bigger wheel as the one that came with it wasn't very big. Our hamster loves climbing around on the bars so I don't think she'd be impressed with a tank - don't know if climbing up the sides is typical hamster behaviour tho or just a quirk of ours She can get a bit noisy at night but DS must be a heavy sleeper - I hear her sometimes at night when I walk past his room but he's always lying there oblivious

And re taming - DS1 handles ours a lot - every day, from when we first got her. At first she was nervous of his hand, so he tried something we'd read on here - we took her in the bathroom (or any small room with no escape holes or furniture to hide under), shut the door, let her out of her cage and just sat on the floor while she ran about. We had some little treats which we kept holding out for her and in no time she was crawling all over us - I think it's quicker that way as they are much less scared if you let them come to you rather than trying to grab them. If you haven't got a safe 'room' you can sit in the bath (empty, with the plug in, obviously!) , with the cage, let her out then again, just let her sniff around and climb on you.

[eumachia]

Thanks very much. The cage also looks more of a suitable size for a bedroom.

Our hamster is still not tame. She doesn't like being held at all, and bites to let us know it. We'll have to try the bath technique but I'm a little worried she'll bite anyway... worth trying though