Hamsters are uber-sensitive and get stressed from loud noises easily. If you live in a city center apartment or another area where your hammy is constantly exposed to loud sounds, it is only logical to be worried because the effects on your pet rodent can be significant.
Can hamsters die from loud noises? Exposure to loud noises can stress hamsters which may worsen existing conditions such as heart disease resulting in death. Acute or chronic stress is a leading cause of stroke and heart disease-related deaths in hamsters.
Hamsters have an amazing sense of hearing so even the slightest bit of noise can be extremely disturbing. If you’re serious about raising one of these cute little guys in a happy environment, shielding them from loud sounds can be vital.
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Can Hamsters Die from Loud Noises? Really?
Hamsters may not die directly from loud noises. However, their extreme sensitivity when exposed to high volume sounds often results in significant stress accumulation. The built-up stress may exacerbate pre-existing health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and stroke resulting in death over time.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of sudden deaths in hamsters. Protecting your beloved pocket rodent from disturbing noises can make them happy while allowing them to enjoy longer lifespans.
Do you play musical instruments such as the piano? You’re right to be concerned about the impact on your pet rodent as an aspiring hamster parent. How do you balance your love for music with the hamster’s disdain for noise?
Well, firstly noise is often an unpleasant sound while music is arranged tunes soothing to the ear. Hamsters do not abhor pleasant sounds. They just do not like meaningless noisy sounds emanating from their surroundings.
You can always test to find out if your cute furball enjoys some genres of music played at whisper-level volumes.
Are Hamsters Sensitive to Noise?
A hamster’s extreme sense of hearing is one of its greatest strengths for survival in the wild. It ensures the ability to sense predators from several miles away so they can run or hide to save their lives.
But, when domesticated, this gift may also turn into a curse because even the slightest level of noise can be extremely unforgiving to the ears of these little rodents. Many of us think that playing music at low volumes may be just what hamsters need but even that can be too loud for them.
Note that hamsters have smaller bodies and highly sensitive ears. Sound volumes in human terms may be up to 10 times louder in the ears of these petite-sized rodents.
So a 5-decibel radio show could sound like 50 decibels blasting in the ears of hamsters. Can you imagine how scary a shouting match with your spouse in the middle of the night could sound to your pet hamster?
Experts recommend whispering as the medium of communication with these cute pet rodents. Avoid shouting or even talking at a normal tone as you would with a fellow human.
What Noises Can Be Stressful for Hamsters?
All forms of noise can be stressful for hamsters as long as the volume is not comparable to a human whisper. Several tests have shown that these little creatures have a soft spot for classical music.
But turn up the volume even slightly and all hamsters hear are scary and disturbing sounds that stresses and makes them desire to hide. Mechanical noises from household appliances like blenders, microwave ovens, and lawnmowers can make the situation even worse.
We often switch on these appliances randomly, scaring these little creatures significantly. Hamsters can be more stressed by sounds emanating from household appliances, cars, and motorbikes than even those from loud music.
Finding ways to shield your beloved pocket rodent from these noises can save their lives many times over.
How to Protect Your Hamster From Noise
Loud noises can be unforgiving to hamsters’ ears and overall well-being. Long-term exposure may be even life-threatening which is why protecting your pet from such noises is your responsibility as a hamster parent.
Here are a few ways to shield these creatures from unwarranted noise.
Soundproof the Hamster’s Cage Room
The most potent way to protect hamsters from loud noises is to soundproof their cage area. This can block out sounds emanating from different parts of the home resulting in the most pleasant experience.
If soundproofing the whole area does not seem viable, you can always move the hamster to a soundproofed breeder tank. The hamster should enjoy his peace of mind in there while allowing you to go about your daily activities with little risk of upsetting him.
Install Cage in Quiet Area of The House

Every home has areas that are quieter than others. Such areas can be good spots for placing your hamster’s cage. Basements , guest rooms, and abandoned bathrooms can be great examples of hamster cage locations.
The lack of or reduced human traffic in such areas means hamsters can enjoy a relatively quiet environment.
Protect Hamsters From Household Appliance Noise
Hamster cages should be placed away from the kitchen and other areas where home appliances are used frequently. The sound of blenders, microwave ovens, and fryers can be extremely upsetting to the ears of your pet rodent.
If you live in a big house, avoid the kitchen or surrounding areas if you want your hamster to enjoy noise-free cage or tank environments. Also, you may want to move the hamster’s cage temporarily to a quieter area of the home whenever you need to use such household appliances.
Keep The Hamster’s Cage Away From The Street or Garage
The street can be a major source of distressing noise for hamsters. Placing their cage in an area of the home with a window or opening to the streets may be counterproductive due to the loud noises from moving cars.
Also, keep the hamster’s cage away from the garage because the sound of your car’s engine can be extremely startling for the little guy.
Do Not Allow Other Pets To Come Close
Hamsters can get agitated by sounds from larger pets such as dogs. These furry pals may bark at anytime so allowing them to get close to the cage can expose the pocket rodent to unwanted noise.
The meow, purring, and other cat sounds may be equally disturbing for hamsters of all ages, especially young ones. Keeping felines away from your pet rodent’s cage can be smart.
No Kids Around Hamster’s Cage
Kids can be lovely but unpredictable, especially with respect to keeping quiet. From shouting at will to throwing tantrums at the slightest opportunity, hamsters could be exposed to a lot of noise at any point.
If you want your favorite Chinese, Dwarf, or Syrian to enjoy a peaceful environment, keeping kids away may be apt. Perhaps, you can allow kids access to the rodent’s cage when they grow a bit older and understand the need to keep quiet around these delicate creatures.
Put The Smartphone on Silent

Smartphones can be another source of disturbing loud noises for hamsters. You could observe all of the suggestions listed above but failure to tone down your smartphone’s ringer may be counterproductive. A call or Instagram message can spook your hamster into distress unexpectedly.
Always put smartphones on silent at home to protect the hammy’s ears from the noise associated with calls, email, and social media notifications.
Keep the Sound System Away From the Hamster
Sound systems are great for entertainment but are you willing to put your hamster’s comfort in jeopardy for your pleasure? The days of loud music blasting from your sound system should be a thing of the past once you bring a hamster home.
If you must play music, keep the volume as low as possible. Even with that, the hamster cage should be moved to another area of the home where the volume of the music sounds like a whisper.
Use Headphones with the PlayStation
Love spending hours on the PlayStation? A couple of changes have to be made to accommodate your hamster’s needs. Firstly, hamster cages or tanks should never be placed in your game room unless it is soundproofed.
Also, consider connecting your PlayStation to headphones so you can enjoy the game’s sounds without disturbing the hamster’s ears even if his cage is not too far away.
Can You Watch TV with Your Hamster?

Watching TV with your hamster may be a bad idea that can put the little pet rodent into a lot of distress. The noise from the TV can be crushing to the hamster’s tiny but sensitive ears even when at low volume by human standards.
Also, be mindful of what TV program you watch in the presence of the little guy. How do you expect your buddy to react when he hears the sound of a traditional hamster predator such as a Fox on TV while you’re watching Discovery Channel together?
Can Loud Noise Lead to Hamster Deafness?
Studies have shown that acute exposure to loud noises can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus in hamsters. This is consistent with humans and other animals where deafness from exposure to loud sounds is common.
Hamsters are born with a mediocre vision and rely on their sharp ears to survive. Losing the sense of hearing can affect their quality of life significantly. Protecting your hamster from loud noises is your responsibility as a parent.
What Type of Music Do Hamsters Like?
Hamsters have shown interest in classical, pop, and rock music. Apart from the genre, the playing volume may determine the pet rodents’ ability to enjoy because they hate all kinds of loud, blasting music.
If you’re thinking of soothing their ears with good music, perhaps paying more attention to the playing volume than the genre may be smart.
Do Hamsters Ever Get Used to Noise?
Hamsters can only get used to noise when they’re born deaf or after suffering deafness from exposure to loud sounds. Sound volume no longer matters once these creatures have lost their sense of hearing.
If your hamster does not get scared from loud noises anymore, that could be a sign of deafness and a quick visit to your vet should be a top priority.
Conclusion
Hamsters can eventually die from loud noises although it may not happen immediately or directly. Loud sounds can trigger fear in these little creatures triggering heart attacks or strokes resulting in death.
Shielding your hamster from loud noises should always be a priority and placing their cages in largely abandoned areas of the home such as basements can be a great start.
Soundproofing the hamster’s cage or cage area, putting your smartphone always on silent, and playing games with headphones are additional measures that can protect your little guy from loud noises.