Every kid wants a hamster at some point in their life. Not everyone had a hamster when they were younger, so if this was you, then you really don’t know what to expect to get a hamster.
You figure that it’s a small animal that’s kept in a cage, so how hard can it be, right? Well, it really isn’t that hard to take care of a hamster compared to a dog or a cat.
The main downside to having a hamster that many people do not figure out till later is the noise. Learning how to soundproof a hamster cage will be your best bet for a good night’s sleep.
The constant squeaking of the hamster wheel. The constant chattering of the hamster. Don’t forget the loud thumping and shuffling noises the hamster will constantly be making as well.
The best part is that hamsters love to do all this at night when you are trying to sleep. I’ve researched many different sources to find the best ways to quiet a hamster cage.
Here is everything I have found that can help reduce the noise your hamster makes as much as possible.
Use a Silent Plastic or Wooden Exercise Wheel
Let us start with one of the most annoying hamster accessories. The wheel. The hamster wheel is one of the most iconic parts of a hamster.
Every hamster has to have a hamster wheel. If your hamster doesn’t have a hamster wheel, then you are lucky since you can skip this step entirely.
If you are like everyone else, then you are pretty sick and tired of the constant squeaking from the wheel your hamster likes to run on at 2 o’clock in the morning.
The best way to fix this issue for good is to purchase a silent exercise wheel. This wooden exercise wheel is perfect if you like the look.
It is built with a ball bearing for smooth and quiet use with your hamster. It also has an extra grip on the inside to keep your hamster from slipping and falling out while running.
Now, not many people may like the look of a wooden hamster wheel. It may be sturdy and long-lasting, but the look may not be for everyone.
For a more modern look, this plastic silent spinning exercise wheel is the best you can get. As an added bonus, it also comes in a variety of different sizes to suit all your needs.
This hamster wheel is tried and proven and has a substantial amount of positive reviews from hundreds of satisfied owners.
You can’t go wrong with changing out your hamster’s current exercise wheel with this one.
Changing out your hamster’s wheel will significantly reduce the amount of noise your hamster will be able to annoy you with at night.
Place a Thick Blanket Underneath Your Hamster’s Cage
I bet you are wondering why you would put a thick blanket underneath your hamster’s cage. Well, the main reason for doing this is to absorb any impact noise your hamster will be causing.
Impact noise is simply noise that is produced from impact. Anytime your hamster falls or runs around his cage, it is considered to impact noise.
The best way to deal with impact noise is by adding a thick, dense material where the noise originates from. This method was made popular when people started doing it to reduce blender noise.
So the next question you are left with is if you should place a thick towel or a random blanket underneath your hamster’s cage.
Anything will work. Just find something that isn’t too large but still large enough after being folded a few times to fit underneath your hamster’s cage.
Folding the towel or blanket a few times will increase the density, which will therefore increase the amount of noise reduced.
Go ahead and give this method a try since it’s practically free. If you have shower towels or small blankets, then you can give this a go right now.
I do have to mention that this method isn’t the permanent solution to soundproofing your hamster’s cage, just a nice fitting piece in the puzzle.
Incorporating as many methods as possible is typically the best approach to any kind of soundproofing if budget is not an issue.
Replace Your Hamster’s Cage with an Aquarium or Habitat
To greatly reduce the amount of noise your hamster cage makes, you can replace it entirely. The main issue with a hamster cage is how open it is.
Since there is nothing to keep the noise in the cage itself, the noise will radiate throughout your entire room. Not to mention that the cage also has bars that hamster love to chew on.
This just adds to the annoyance of having a hamster cage. You’re in luck because there are a few alternatives you can use instead of a cage.
This habitat is a great way to let your hamster roam and play, all while reducing the amount of noise due to the enclosed style structure this has.
Yes, this is much smaller than a standard hamster cage, but what makes this an awesome alternative is that you can buy many different habitats and connect them together to make one big hamster aquarium or habitat.
This is hands down the best solution when it comes to soundproofing your hamster cage. Not only is it soundproof, but it looks freaking awesome when you build a huge mansion for your hamster.
You can then house many hamsters in your hamster mansion
Here is an awesome video I found that gives a great review of this product. The possibilities are endless when you start mixing and matching all the different habitats together.
Cover Your Hamster’s Cage
This method simply helps cover up your hamster’s cage to help keep the noise inside his cage. I would only suggest doing this when you need to go to sleep.
Before going to sleep, you can simply place a blanket over the entire cage. Be sure to leave at least one side open to make sure your hamster can still get fresh air.
I don’t entirely recommend this method because it has the potential to become very dangerous very fast, but nonetheless, this will help with noise reduction.
Purchase a Lazy Hamster
Yea, I said it. Go find yourself a lazy hamster. A hamster that is less active is a less noisy hamster. There is no pun intended with this method.
Some hamsters actually exhibit lazier behavior than others. I found this out after researching on this forum where people were talking about different ways to soundproof their hamster enclosure.
One user suggested purchasing a male Syrian hamster. Since it is hard to tell the gender of the hamster since their privates are covered by their coats, you will have to look at their fur.
Long-haired hamsters are generally males, while short-haired hamsters are generally females.
The main reasons for Syrian hamsters being lazy is because they are only awake for a few hours to feed. Once they are nice and full, they will stay awake for a little bit and then go right back to sleep.
That is just the nature of this type of hamster. If you are okay with your hamster sleeping and eating most of the day, then purchasing a Syrian will greatly help in reducing the amount of noise in your hamsters cage.
The main downfall to purchasing such a lazy hamster is then you start to forget why you go ta hamster in the first place.
Either your sibling or you probably got a hamster, so you can watch them or play with them. A hamster that just eats and sleeps all day isn’t really a pet but a chore.
You only get to really play with this type of hamster for a few hours per day, depending on what hours your hamster is active.
Tips on How to Get Your Hamster to Be Quiet at Night
1. The first thing you need to do is realize that your hamster is a nocturnal creature. They will spend the majority of their day sleeping while being the most active at night.
If you try to adjust your hamsters sleep schedule then you could potentially harm is health and negatively affect his mood.
A moody hamster is definitely not a quiet hamster.
The best way to help maintain a good sleep schedule for your hamster is to make it your best effort to feed, handle, clean, and play with your hamster in the afternoon hours. Keeping all the activities towards the later part of the day will help keep your hamster in its natural nocturnal schedule.
2. When finding a good location for your hamster cage or habitat, make it a point to place it in a quiet area. The best place to put a hamster cage is in a dimly lit room that isn’t receiving much traffic throughout the day.
Also, try to keep your hamster’s cage away from direct sunlight and the bathroom for obvious noise reasons.
3. Choose the right type of exercise wheel. I went over this earlier in the article. Choose a silent hamster wheel.
Not only will a silent hamster wheel keep you from going insane, but it is also very important for your hamster’s health. Exercise is crucial to keeping your hamster in good health physically and emotionally.
Without a hamster wheel, there is not much your hamster can do to release any energy that he has built up inside.
Traditional metal hamster wheels can be very squeaky, so it’s best to go with a wooden wheel or a specifically designed silent plastic hamster wheel.
4. Choose the right hamster cage or habitat. The type of cage or habitat you pick for your hamster will make all the difference. Earlier I suggested that the more enclosed the cage or habitat, the better.
This is true in all aspects of reducing noise. Invest in a few habitats for your hamster.
It will both benefit you and him. You will get a good night’s sleep, and he will have a huge home to play in.
5. Play with your hamster before going to bed. This is an ageless technique that also works well with kids. Get all of your hamster’s energy out before you hit the sack.
If you make a good effort to play with your hamster an hour or two before you go to bed, he will most likely be less active during the nighttime.
Try to encourage your hamster to use his exercise wheel to help him expend any energy he has accumulated from eating and sleeping all day.
Remember to make sure you do this in the late afternoon hours so you will still be respecting his natural sleep schedule.
Final Thoughts
It seems like an easy task to have a hamster as a pet. This is until you actually have one. Many people don’t know that hamsters are nocturnal creatures.
Which means they will be most active when you want to sleep. The best way to soundproof your hamster’s cage is to first get a silent exercise wheel.
This will be one of the main noise factors when housing a hamster.
The next step is to place a thick blanket or towel underneath his home. This will help absorb any and all impact noise that he may generate throughout his playing.
Give the blanket or towel a few folds before you place it underneath his cage for added density.
Find a lazy male Syrian hamster to be your pet. Syrian hamsters tend to be far less active than other breeds.
These types of hamsters will eat, play, and then sleep most of the day. Don’t forget to replace your hamster’s noisy cage with habitat or aquarium that is mostly an enclosed structure.
The fewer holes, the better. You want to keep the sound in, not out. Once you have incorporated everything that I have talked about, your nightlife with your hamster should drastically improve.
