Letting hamsters out of their cage occasionally gives them space to run around and helps them feel more settled when they return inside.
Many hamsters like being out of their cage as it allows them to run around and explore. If your hamster enjoys this freedom, let it out at least once per week.
Remove all dangerous items, like wires and toxic plants. Also, seal up small spaces and supervise your hamster to prevent them from getting hurt or escaping.
Many owners prefer to use a playpen to keep their pet hamsters safely contained.
Do Hamsters Like Being Out of Their Cage?
Hamsters love exploring new things. Some hamsters enjoy being out of their cage, while others aren’t keen. Much depends on their personality and how comfortable they feel in their environment.
As confirmed by PLoS One, hamsters are prey animals, so being out in the open scares them and makes them feel vulnerable to predators. Also, unfamiliar sounds and smells can make them anxious.
You can make your hamster feel more comfortable while free-roaming by providing hideouts it can retreat to whenever it feels threatened.
Also, ensure the hamster has access to its toys and exercise wheel. These items will have your hamster’s unique scent, making them feel more at ease.
Put your hamster back into its cage if it seems stressed and agitated. Stress exacerbates pre-existing health conditions and can make your hamster sick.
All hamsters need at least 24-48 hours to settle in once in their new home, but after that, you can slowly introduce them to a hamster-proof environment.
Should I Let My Hamster Out of Its Cage?
If your hamster enjoys being outside of its cage, there’s no harm in getting it out to free-roam.
However, you mustn’t remove your hamster from its cage if it seems uncomfortable outside. This will cause stress and could cause your hamster to distrust you, harming your bond.
There are benefits to allowing hamsters to roam outside of their cages, including the following:
Exercise
While an exercise wheel and large cage measuring at least 80 x 50 cm are essential, hamsters enjoy having a larger area to run around.
Hamsters can run between 3-6 mph, but most cages don’t allow them to run at full speed. Providing a space larger than a cage gives a hamster greater freedom, staving off obesity and keeping it healthy.
Mental Enrichment
Hamsters spend their days evading predators, building intricate tunnel networks, and foraging for food. They also have to contend with extreme weather conditions.
While you can replicate this by providing deep bedding and scatter-feeding, hamsters get bored quickly in captivity and need lots of things to do to keep their minds sharp.
Hamsters deal with boredom in unhealthy ways. As explained by Animal Welfare, they exhibit several self-destructive behaviors, such as:
- Chewing their fur or skin.
- Monkey barring.
- Gnawing the cage bars.
- Overeating.
Your hamster may appear lazy and sleep more often.
Cage Cleaning
You’ll be able to clean your hamster’s enclosure without stressing them. Cleaning deep burrows is tricky, particularly as hamsters pee, poop, and stash food.
There’s no effective way to clean them without disturbing the hamster while in the cage, so letting it roam allows you to sanitize its living environment while exploring and having fun.
Can I Let My Hamster Roam Free?
You can let your hamster roam free, provided you’ve created a safe and secure environment. You should avoid giving your hamster the full run of the house.
While Syrian hamsters are slower and less likely to squeeze into cracks, small dwarf species can get into tiny gaps. They’re also fast and often disappear before you’ve even noticed.
Given that they chew wires and other inedible objects, they are at risk of hurting themselves.
When free-roaming your hamster, follow these steps:
- Block all larger gaps, like the space under drawers and wardrobes. Also, remove any items your hamster could chew.
- If the room’s too hot or cold, put the heating on or open a window beforehand to achieve a comfortable temperature of 65°F to 75°F.
- Once the temperature’s right, shut all doors and windows to prevent the hamster from escaping or other pets from entering.
- Remove or tuck away all wires and plants your hamster has access to.
- Add an exercise wheel, toys, and hideouts in your hamster’s free-roaming space. You may also need a sand bath if your hamster uses one to pee in.
Leave some food, water, and tasty treats for your hamster to drink and nibble on while it explores. If you have several hamsters, you must let them roam free at different times to prevent conflicts.
How Often Should You Let Your Hamster Out of Its Cage?
There are no set rules on how much time hamsters need outside their cage.
Allowing your hamster to roam free at least once a week is a good starting point. However, many hamsters prefer being out more than this, especially if they live in a small cage with little enrichment.
If you know you’ll be away for a few days, the hamster can stay in its cage until you get it out again. Occasional freedom is much better than no freedom at all.
Boredom and stress can’t be resolved by free-roaming time alone. Upgrading the hamster’s cage and providing a larger wheel is a better way to make a hamster happy.
Can Hamsters Go Outside in the Sun?
As hamsters are a prey species, they must never be allowed outside.
The loud, unfamiliar sounds and shadows from birds will overwhelm your hamster, causing stress. Also, if your hamster escaped into the wilderness, you’ll never get it back.
Hamsters cope poorly with extreme temperatures. So, exposure to direct sunlight causes hamsters to overheat and dehydrate, even if outdoors for a short time.
Hamsters are also sensitive to bright lights, and sunlight will affect their eyesight.
Letting your hamster out of its cage is a fun and enriching thing to do. Take the appropriate safety measures and progress slowly to see how your hamster responds to being outside.
