How to Hamster Proof Your Home for a Safe Playtime

Having a hamster as a pet means having the time and space for one. Hamsters are nocturnal animals and will most likely sleep all day and wake up at night and want to come out and play with you for a while. If you try and change their schedule they probably won't be happy and that may lead to the hamster getting sick.

There are several ways to play with your hamster and if you plan on letting him run around freely on the floor for a time each night you have to hamster proof the room he will be in, otherwise he could get hurt or destroy or damage some of your things.

You should get down on your hands and knees so you are looking at the floor the same way your hamster would. You will be surprised how many things could miss if you don't.

Make sure to block the room off from the other rooms so your hamster stays in the room you have hamster proofed and not get into a room where he could wind up hurt, like the kitchen. Rooms like the kitchen have a lot of unsafe hiding spaces like under the refrigerator where he could get stuck or electrocuted while chewing on the wires.

Block off any open pipes there may be in the room as well as blocking access under tables, televisions, behind the stereo where wires may be. These small crawl spaces are dangerous because your hamster could get stuck. Move all wires from the floor, you can even tack the wires a few inches up off the floor onto the wall, just as long as they are up out of the reach of your hamster.

Remove any chemical bottles because hamsters have sharp teeth and can chew through a plastic bottle very fast. You should remove any pointy objects you find, such as nails sticking out from tables or walls so your pet doesn't accidentally get hurt by them.

It is very important to keep the cage your hamster is in, inside the hamster proof room. That way if he happens to escape from the cage, he will be less likely to get hurt and you will be able to easily find him.

The cage and the room should be in a quiet place in the house as hamsters have very sensitive hearing and loud noises can stress them out. The cage should be out of direct sunlight as the heat could dehydrate your hamster and they like quiet dark places to sleep during the day.

Above all watch your step when your hamster is running loose on the floor. Sometimes they will run very fast right under your feet before you can even make the next step, for this reason it's always wise to shuffle your feet or just stay sitting while they are out. Be careful with opening and shutting doors to the room, a hamster is a curious creature and if they see another place to run, like an open door they will dash for it and could get hurt if you close the door on them.