My pet is cold

[captain usopp]

I've got a pet Degu. (a hamster like pet, that looks like a squirrel and a girbil) It is starting to get cold in Canada, and so is my room. He is also by the window this year and I'm not rearanging my entire bedroom full of furnature again.

I put my lava lamp beside his aquarium cause I was thinking it might be cold for him. I fell asleep watching tv, and woke up in the middle of the night to see him huddled up beside the lava lamp instead of his little hut. I decided to leave it on for him, and just slept with the covers over my head.

I can't leave that thing on all the time though. I'm gonna pull the aquarium back from the window as much as I can, and shove a blanket between it and the wall. I am hesitant to buy that fluffy white bedding stuff for him in the pet store, because it's so damn expensive, and you can only reuse it so long.

I was wondering if anyone is more experienced with little animals that would have some good suggestions for me.

[Zulen]

First… just let me say "Awwwwwww…..".

Second, what if the average tempurature in your house at night? Normally, animals around this time are growing a winter coat. Remember that thing called instinct?

If it's really bugging you, you could maybe make your own Fluffy white bedding with some cottonballs or something…

[Cap'n Carter]

Cuddle him and give him more love

[Buuhan1]

Bite down and deal with rearranging. If your pet means anything to you, you will go through the trouble or rearranging your furniture filled room.

[bevin]

You could also get him a little heat lamp or give him things to make a nest. Yes, animals do get cold, despite having fur, and as a general rule of thumb, if it's too cold for you, it's too cold for them. Hamsters are pretty small, so they're going to get cold more easily than even a dog or a cat would.

[captain usopp]

@bevin:

You could also get him a little heat lamp or give him things to make a nest. Yes, animals do get cold, despite having fur, and as a general rule of thumb, if it's too cold for you, it's too cold for them. Hamsters are pretty small, so they're going to get cold more easily than even a dog or a cat would.

Yes, this is what I was thinking. Though, I do tend to get cold easily compared to other people. I was thinking of cotton balls, like menchioned above. Is that ok to give to my pet? What if I give him lots and lots of woodchips? What else do I give him to make a nest? A heat lamp sounds interesting. I don't know much about them. I guess I can check it out at the pet store. Are they on stands, or could I clip it onto the aquarium?

thanks bevin. That's a good start.

[bevin]

I'm not sure about bedding materials, I've never owned a hamster myself. My advice would be to ask someone at the pet store or maybe call a vet to see what they'd say. I'd guess woodchips or whatever it is that you have lining his cage already.

http://www.smallanimaladvice.com/looking_after_your_hamster.php This page seems to have some decent info, though I'd ask at the pet store or vet's office about reccomendations in the bedding material before buying any. Also ask about the heat lamps, I'm not really sure about those, either.

Good luck. ^^

[Bounty1Berry]

You could get one of those lights with a metal "can" around it, and fasten it to the top of the tank, and use the bulb to provide warmth to the tank.

My snake tanks have a light stood on their lid to create a warmer "basking spot"… one is a small tank and uses a 15- or 25-watt bulb, the other is larger and uses a 40 or maybe a 60.

You might consider a dark-tint bulb at night, or even a special heat-only bulb.
There are also under-floor heaters you can stick to the bottom of a tank.

It's important to check the temperature... otherwhise you might make it so hot it's not healthy for the poor critter.