Will a hamster die if it travels a lot?

Question

If it goes back and forth between about three places? I heard that it puts a lot of stress on the hamster and will kill it. Is this true?

Answer 1

Traveling will not harm any pet per say. It is the stress involved with the travel and the abrupt temperature changes that can cause it to get sick. If you have your pet in a good cage, the cage is its home no matter where it lives. Keep the temperatures as close as you can to where it currently lives when you cart it to the other locations and also while it lives in those locations and you should be fine. Keep your car either cooled to that locations's temp or heated to that locations temp while you are traveling depending on really hot summer or cold winter outdoor temps. Be sure that your pet never sits near a heater vent or air conditioned vent or a window that is open. Breezes from those vents or the window can cause a chill in the pet. Keep a cover on the cage when you go outside with it if the temperature is colder outside than your home is inside so it helps keep wind off your pet. Pets do need sunlight just like humans do but never keep the entire cage in sunlight because the pet cannot find any cool place to be if the entire cage is sunny. His cage is his home so that is not the problem as long as it is kept clean and he has fresh water daily and a good food source from clean dishes. Remember that he sleeps and walks in his own potty so keep his bedding fresh as best as possible. Some time you can train them to use the same place in the cage for their potty spot. If you can, then you only have to keep that part changed daily and the rest of the bedding weekly. Hope that helps you. My daughter had a hampster that lived to be 9 human years old by following these things. She would take it to school on show day and it survived just fine.

Answer 2

I had a hamster when I was a kid. I dont think that it will kill your hamster just keep it out of the heat/cold and the best thing would be to keep it in the same cage change could stress it out.

Answer 3

Why don't you volunteer at a local animal shelter? Pets are a huge responsibility and traveling can be a problem (yes, even with cats). Unless you have the money and means for a reliable pet sitter while you are gone who will feed, water, and play with your animal, it is not wise to get a pet if you travel a lot. Most animal shelters are dying for volunteers to help take care of animals, and even to foster animals. It is possible you could foster animals for as little as a few weeks depending on the shelters and organizations near you. Then you could plan around your schedule. Or you could volunteer to be a dog walker or pet sitter yourself while you are home.

Answer 4

It will really stress can kill your hamster so I wouldn't travel to much with your hamster!

Answer 5

Moving wouldn't cause stress on the hamster, switching cages would. then It could die.

Answer 6

No I don't think that is true. I think you will be fine. I use to take my hamster to different schools and day cares to show her off and she was fine.

Answer 7

no, the reason people think this is so is because they fail to realize that hamsters are sensitive to temperature. it's the heat in the vehicle that kills.

Answer 8

its possible, it would stress him out and freak him out to be in a new spot a lot, he doesnt know where he is, the moving makes him dizzy, stressed, its could harm him

Answer 9

Traveling with your pet hamster is fun. As long as your hamster has everything it needs, and not things it dosn't need, it will be fun for it too.

Basic Tips

Make an appointment with your vet for a check-up. Your pet should be in good physical condition before embarking on a trip.
Make sure there is lots of ventilation
Use a limited amount of bedding, most of wich has the hamsters smell on it already (for less stress)
Mix some seeds and treats in with the bedding to occupy your hamster
For long travels, bring a water-bottle and offer it to your hamster from time to time
Don't play with the hamster at inconvenient times
Use carriers that are very excape-proof
Don't allow temperature extremes
Try not to bump your hamster around a lot
Don't let strangers or/and other people play with your hamster while traveling (too stressfull)
Try to maintain constant temperature
Try to keep your hamster away from drafts, heaters, etc.
Keep your hamster out of direct sunlight
Always keep an eye on the carrier
Whether you're staying at hotels or campgrounds, check first to see if pets are welcome.
Travel either early or late in the day to reduce the risk of overheating.
Never, ever, leave your pet in a parked car; it takes just minutes for heatstroke or freeze to set in.



Airline Traveling Tips

Use a carrier that is airline-friendly (like Sherpa bags, in the pic below)
Keep the hamster with you on the trip
Keep your eye on your hamster
To make the skies a little friendlier, research your airline's rules and regulations for pet travel.
If your hamster is traveling as cargo, find out what the other cargo is (in case it's harmful) and be sure to properly label your hamster's crate.
Don't feed your hamster airline peanuts :)



Food
Have a supply of complete food that your hamst is familiar with so you rhamster doesn't have to adjust to a different kind of food in a strange place. This can also prevent indeigestion, stress, illness, and hunger.

Lighting/Climate
Maintain (as much as possible) a steady 12-hour light/darkness routine (traveling or no). Keep the temperatur a comfortable room temperature for humans, maybe slightly cooler. Besdies, hamsters have a thick fur coat and cannot sweat (to the best of my knowledge) except out of their paws like dogs. Also keep carrier out of direct sinlight and drafts.

Illness
Cause: The cause can simply be from stress (unusual smells, drafts, food, water, bedding, lighting, people, etc). It can also be caused by poor bedding, water or food.
Here are some pointers on bedding, water, and food WHILE TRAVELING.
Bedding & Cleaning: Use the same bedding your hamster is used to, and mix it in with about a handful of un-soiled bedding from the previous cage-cleaning. This way, the scent of your hmaster smells from the leftover bedding will be comforting and give it a snse of being at home. If you are traveling with your hamster for more than a week, then a cage-cleaning isnecissary. Put your hamster in a stress-free holding cage while cleaning its home. Use the same bedding arrangements as above. If that is not possible, just us un-inky newspapers to cover the bottom of its cage.

Food: While traveling, keep a subtle amount of food & treats for your hamster in an airtaight container to assure sanitation. Feed greens sparingly, compared to your hamsters normal diet. Feed your hamster treats on its usual basis.
IF YOUR HAMSTER REFUSES TO EAT while traveling: make sure the food is santitary and/or offer it less treats. Make sure it is housed a suggested in the Recovery section below. If its conditions worsen, take it to an animal clinic or vet immediately.

Water: Tap water is okay for hamsters as long as it is okay for humans. Make sure that water is offered to your hamster in an un-leaky water bottle that is re-filled and washed out with water daily. Dehydration and constipation are very common traveling illnesses, caused by lack of sanitary water. Recovery: Recovery on the move can be altered by your vets' suggestions. It is much more serious if a hamster gets sick while traveling. First off, put it in a cage with lots of bedding, familiar food, and a water bottle that doesn't leak filled with fresh water. Give it plenty of nesting material to use if it gets cold. Make sure your hamster is not bumped about, or handled by strangers to preven stress. Keep your hamster out of direct sunlight, but be sure to keep a constant lighing pattern. 12 hours of ligh, 12 hours of darkness, same as it was (or should be) at home.
Make sure the cage is not placed on the floor/ground, near an open window, or in direct sunlight. Breezes and cool drafts, even too much sun could be stressful. Hamsters are needy when they're ill, aren't they?


On the Move

Keep your hamster in a carrer best suited for it's enviornment. Try as much as possible to keep strangers from prodding or holding your hamster. Also try to prevent drafts, driect sunlight, unusual lighting, and bumping around for your hamster.
Requirements: Hamsters need ventilation, floor covering, food, fresh water, something to chew on, and mental stimulation while traveling or no. Make sure your hamster has something to gnaw on while its traveling (didn't I just say that??). Don't allow items to shift around inside the carrier, or water to drip, spash, or spill. Make sure the carrier is excape proof and chew-proof. Do not use objects that can shift around inside the carrier, like water dishes. Use water bottles if you are traveling with your hamster for more than an hour.
Food dishes are not needed. They take up space and can move around inside the cage. Besides, your hamster will probably just stash the food somewhere else. Houses, wheels, and other toys should be kept firmly in place. They can be secured to wire bars with twisite-ties.
Don't bother your hamster while your on the move. It could be stressful or annoying to your hamster. Try to avoid the temptation.

Make sure it's a short journey on a nice, smooth road. Take out anything in the cage that can move around and hurt your hamster. If you are using a special travelling cage, use bedding that's familiar to your hamster.

Give your hamster a cucumber or similar wet food before the journey. Take out the water bottle, since they drip too much into the cage.

Try to have a passenger watch your hamster and hold the cage so that he can't escape. Remember that bumps could knock the cage open, so be sure that it's extra secure. Without a passenger, either find a way to secure the cage with a seatbelt, wedge the cage in between luggage, or put it in a stable place on the floor.

Keep the windows closed so it doesn't get too drafty. Don't leave your hamster in the car or in the sun, and stop if your hamster looks sick