Bang! Crash! Boom! Can hamsters die from loud noises? Mine looks a little freaked out right because a glass of water just shattered.
Do hamsters get stressed with loud noises? Are hamsters sensitive to noise? Can hamsters die from being scared? Do they like music?
I’m pretty sure my hamster loves music, but lower volume is the key. In this article, we will find out if or can hamsters die from loud noises.
Can Hamsters Die From Loud Noises?
Yes. While it is much less common for a hamster to suddenly die from a loud noise, the prolonged exposure to sounds above a tolerable decibel levels could cause a slow and painful death from stress related causes.
Repetitive noises, jumping from fear and waking up by loud sounds during sleep will contribute to a fearful hamster who perceives threats too often. The immune system will suffer as a result.
Do Hamsters Get Stressed With Loud Noises?
There are many cause for hamsters to get stressed out or even sick. They include:
- sudden movements
- loud noises
- strange stimulus
- glass shattering
- perceived threats
- over-cramped or unable to flee
Rodents are quick to react and show their facial expression in ways that we find expressive. A hamster who is scared will show it.
A loud noise may cause a hamster’s look to express a reaction of, “Wow, what happened?” to “Get me out of here!”
The fear and stress from being alarmed by loud sounds can lead to immune system deficiencies and susceptibility to infections or viruses.
Are Hamsters Sensitive to Noise?
Yes. It correlates with how sensitive are hamster’s ears. When we hear a sound at a 10 decibel level, it’s amplified to the smaller and more sensitive ears of a hamster who hears it about 50-60 decibels instead.
This is useful for our little rodent friend because he or she can hear the sounds of perceived danger or possible predators from much further distances.
Since nuisance rats or mice are also sensitive to sound, we are able to use sound repellent that send out higher frequency tones that humans cannot hear to drive them away instead of trying to trap or exterminate them.
Can Hamsters Die From Being Scared?
Sadly, yes. Hamsters are cute, sometimes cuddly and all the time ready to react. They are quick to flinch and the first between the two of you to respond to sound from near or far.
A sudden burst of noise will cause fear that is temporary. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds will only make things worse. Your hamster could suffer the effects ranging from:
- stress
- anxiety-related diseases
- death
We can lower volumes, minimize our movements, cover the cage with a blanket sometimes and tread lightly to keep our hamsters more comfortable around us in their captive, but comfortable cage.
How Do I Destress My Hamster?
Please allow your hamster to get some peace and quiet during the day if they are in a location where there is constant movement or sound.
How To Calm A Stressed Hamster
- Hiding spaces are great for fish in aquariums and even rodents in enclosures.
This means we should give our hamsters a place to hide in their cage. We can use:
- tubes of cardboard
- bamboo
- lots of hay or shredded paper
- hollow logs
- caves
There are plenty of other hidden locations you can create where a hamster can quickly dash into when noises or threats become too loud or too real. A hamster who feels less exposed when scared will find comfort in hiding spaces.
Do Hamsters Have Good Hearing?
Absolutely! A hamster has to balance out their senses when they know that they cannot depend on their eyesight to get them out of trouble or perceived threats. A hamster has many predators and must be on alert at all times in the wild.
They will use their sharp hearing skills to detect the slightest motions or changes around them. This means that the moment your keys are jingling outside of the door, your hamster is already aware that someone or something is happening.
When they recognize your sounds, voice and detect your movements through hearing, they should become excited or delighted to have you home.
Say hello to your hamster, repeat their name and spend a moment to interact with a treat, contact or even a wink! Your hamster recognizes your voice and has incredible capabilities to pick up frequencies that not even our own human ears can detect.
How Strong Is a Hamster’s Hearing?
Hamsters can hear very well and pick up sounds from far away. They have excellent hearing. Would you like to know what frequency hamsters can hear?
- A hearing range of 96 Hz to 46.5 kHz (8.9 octaves) and sensitivity of 1 dB at 10 kHz is expressed in studied hamsters.
This means that they are more sensitive, more acute and more in tune with various sounds that are amplified in their ears compared to us who hardly react to some loud noises.
Are Hamsters OK With Music?
I have mentioned that my hamster loves music, but it’s about the volume I play it at. I’ve also given up listening to heavy metal or hard rock with my hamster.
My hamster enjoys low frequency or “lo-fi beats” along with classical and instrumental sounds from various global or “world” music.
The decibel level should stay low and the volume should be tolerable for you and not bouncing off a wall that is next to your hamster’s cage.
Are Hamsters Sensitive to Loud Music?
Yes. Hamsters hate heavy metal. Just kidding. It’s all about the tolerable decibel levels and frequencies that are heightened or amplified in a hamster’s ears.
Keep in mind that 96 Hz to 46.5 kHz (8.9 octaves) and sensitivity of 1 dB at 10 kHz are typical for most species of hamsters. They are sensitive to:
- Loud noise
- High pitched sounds like screams
- Startling alarms
- Phone ringing next to them
We know that loud noise is not tolerated much by hamsters who would rather choose to flee and hide as a result. We must also consider the pitch of sound.
High pitched shrills or screams mimic nature’s animals that frighten hamsters as potential predators. Alarms and even the ringing of a phone can make a hamster jump or feel “rattled”.
Are Hamsters Sensitive to Light?
Hamsters are sensitive to bright lights or spotlights. It’s best to keep them in rooms where a light is not directly shining on them or their cage. Hamsters also enjoy the dark at night and do not need lights on when you are asleep.
This may not provide comfort to your hamster and perform just the opposite where sleep becomes restless.
Erratic lights, flashing and strobe lights should be used elsewhere. You can always cover your hamster’s cage from time to time where you can’t avoid the brightness for this particular moment.
Lights should also turn off a night around similar times to set a routine and diurnal schedule for your hamster to feel comfortable and less sensitive.
Are Hamsters Sensitive to Temperature?
Yes. Hamsters are sensitive to a sudden changes in temperature around your home. Even if a quick draft of wind blows below through the room, it could be refreshing for you, but harmful for your hamster.
Hamsters are not able to adapt to the cold as rapidly as larger mammals. It’s best to maintain a comfortable temperature setting and place yours hamster’s enclosure further away from:
- windows
- vents
- fans
A central position or anywhere on the opposite side of a room away from blasts of air will benefit the overall health of your hamster.
What Temperatures Can Hamsters Tolerate?
Hamsters are able to enjoy the comfort of temperatures in the following range:
- 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
They have difficulty adjusting to sudden temperature changes. Any temperature under 60 degrees Fahrenheit can cause stress on your hamster which leaves them weakened.
Your hamster can succumb to chilly temperatures, drop his or her immune system and become sick. Avoiding a trip to the vet is key when keeping the temperature stable. The chill in your hamster can make him or her very sick.
What Do Hamsters Do When Scared?
When a hamster is scared, he or she can react in many ways. The first reaction would be to freeze or flee the scene. A hamster might:
- Act Skittish
- Hide Excessively
- Bite
- Freeze
- Shake
A scared hamster could have a sudden heart attack as well. Be wary of loud sounds around your favorite little rodent.
Why Do Hamsters Stand Still?
A hamster will be seen freezing or standing still in a motionless and sometimes upright posture when suddenly startled or scared.
Fear and surprise incite reactions internally to immune system dysfunctions or shock, but external reactions may include remaining absolutely still.
A predator whose eyesight is poor will listen and sniff around, but your hamster might have a chance to survive by not moving an inch. Help your hamster avoid this feeling in your home where the mood is light, playful and comfortable.
Conclusion
Hamsters are skittish sometimes and that’s ok. This is because they are an easy target for many potential predators in the wild. They need to react faster and this could mean that the existence of fear could actually be helpful for their survival.
When a hamster is acting fearful in your home it is up to you to figure out how to make the situation more relaxing. This includes lowering the volume of the TV or the music your are listening to, making fewer sudden movements or bursts of noise.
Sometimes we can’t avoid it when glass shatters. Accidents will always happen, but our hamsters make us more careful people.
Keep your phone notifications from going off next to your hamster if possible and try to be mindful of your furry little friend’s sensitive hearing.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
