Do Hamsters Like Music? The Truth About Hamsters And Music
Are you curious if your hamster like music? As a music lover myself, I often wondered if my hamster can listen to music and noises around him.
Music has powerful effects on the human brain as it is shown to boost brain performance, reduce stress and improve memory.
While searching for music on Youtube, I stumbled upon a playlist created specifically for hamsters. If you wonder whether these hamster playlists are good for your hamster, you’re not alone.
Keep reading as we explore how music affects hamsters, what kind of music hamsters like or dislike, and how loud should you play music for your furry pet.
Happy reading!
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Do Hamsters Like Music?
Yes! Music is found to affect rodents positively. Hamsters are rodents that belong to the Cricetinae family, so this statement applies to hamsters as well.
If you’re wondering whether your hamster shares your love for music, you might be surprised to find that they do!
Researchers from the University of Tokyo found that rodents bopped their heads along to different types of music played at different tempos.
These rats have a mini sensor strapped to their heads and were found to be synchronizing their head bops with clips of music from Mozart, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and Queen!
Nevertheless, just like humans, different hamsters react differently to music, so it’s possible that some might react to music while some are indifferent toward music. Try playing different kinds of music and watch how your hamster reacts!
What Kind Of Music Do Hamsters Like?
Do hamsters like music? Yes, they do. But what kind?
Research shows that these music genres – classical, jazz, and ambient music will most probably calm your hamster and make them happy.
It is also especially useful when your hamster is subjected to a new environment such as moving to a new cage, moving to a new house, or even having a new pet at home.
Classical Music
If you search for song playlists for hamsters on Youtube, you’ll most likely see classical music appearing at top of the searches. That’s because most hamsters appear to be calm when classical music is played to them.
This statement is data-backed as it’s found that music can counteract the negative effects of maternal separation in rats, reducing anxiety and stress-related behaviors.
Pro tip: Try playing classical music when your hamster shows signs of stress such as cage biting, scratching, gnawing on themselves incessantly, and excessive salivation.
This works wonders for my hamster! He never fails to calm down whenever I play his favorite Mozart sonatas.
Jazz
Jazz is known to evoke happy and calm feelings in listeners so it’s no wonder that this relaxing music genre has soothing effects on hamsters. Jazz music promotes calmness as it activates the alpha brain waves and reduces stress levels.
Ambient Music
Ambient music is instrumental music that aims to relax and calm the listeners without specific melodies or rhythms. Ambient music evokes a calm atmosphere when it’s played, effectively soothes your hamster when it’s feeling stressed.
What Music Do Hamsters Hate?
These are the music genres that will possibly irritate your hamster. These music genres are characterized by their energetic and vibrant rhythm which includes high-pitched screams, loud drums, and crescendos.
Metal
Metal music is often associated with loud guitars, chaotic music arrangements, aggressive vocals such as screaming as well as strong drumming beats.
It’s no surprise that hamsters are not fans of high-pitched metal music as they are sensitive to noises and sounds.
Rock
Rock music originated as rock and roll in the United States and is often characterized as loud and energetic.
The vocals in rock music are often performed energetically (involving screaming and shouting). The instruments used in rock music such as electric guitars and drums can go up to 115 decibels.
Such loud music will stress your hamster and make them feel uncomfortable. So, next time you’re playing rock music in your room, remember to turn down the volume or keep your hamster away in a quiet place.
Hip Hop/ Rap
Similar to rock and metal music, hip-hop and rap music has a rhythmic beat and often has DJs scratching the turntables or even beatboxing. These sounds have a higher frequency and will damage your hamster’s delicate hearing.
It’s best to refrain from playing hip-hop and rap music in front of your hamster. Remember, just because you enjoy listening to it doesn’t mean your hamster enjoys it too!
Benefits of Music To Hamsters
Improved spatial and auditory learning
Personally, I love listening to music while studying or working on my assignments. Music helps me to focus and I’m able to complete my work faster. Your furry friend might benefit from listening to music too!
Rodents who are exposed to music are found to have enhanced learning abilities – they can complete a maze test faster than other rodents.
Lowering blood pressure
If you’re a fan of Mozart, here’s something you need to know. Mozart’s music is found to reduce the heart rate of hypertensive rats. Isn’t that cool?
Music therapy is also found to expand blood vessels and thus regulate the blood pressure of your hamsters.
Reduced anxiety-related behavior
Do you turn on Spotify when you feel edgy and restless? Does music make you feel calmer right before a nerve-wracking presentation or an exam?
Turns out you are not alone! Researchers found that rodents exposed to Mozart’s sonatas have lower anxiety levels compared to white noise and silence.
Dangers of Music To Hamsters
Slow Down Wound Healing
It is found that noise stress will affect the rate of wound recovery in rodents. This study exposed the rodents to rock music for 24 hours and scientists concluded that short-term exposure to noise stress slows down the recovery process in wounded rodents.
Weight Gain
Do you know that short-term exposure to a high level of noise stress increases weight gain in rodents?
If you stay near the streets, refrain from placing your hamster’s cage near the window or balcony.
A study found that environmental noises such as car honks, bells, and random street noises increase the stress levels in your hamsters, thus inducing weight gain as well.
How Do I Know If My Hamster Likes Music?
Now that we’ve learned about the benefits of music for your hamsters, you might wonder what are the signs that your pet likes music.
After all, not all hamsters are the same. Some might show interest in music while some might be indifferent to music. So how do you tell if your hamster enjoys the melodies you play at home?
Pay attention to your pet’s behavior when you start playing music. You might notice your hamster being more energetic and playful.
As discussed earlier, some hamsters might display negative behavior toward certain music genres such as rock and metal music.
Your hamster might start to act aggressively toward other hamsters or attempt to hide by burrowing in the cage. They might even display their displeasure by making high-pitched squeals – a sign that they are anxious or in distress.
When Should You Play Music For Hamsters?
Play music at night when your hamsters are active.
Hamsters are crepuscular animals. What that means is they are usually active at dawn and dusk. Crepuscular animals are active during twilight and sleep most of the day.
Hamsters have a keen sense of hearing so they might be awakened by the music if you play it during the day, thus disturbing their sleep pattern.
Interestingly, music is found to have positive effects on baby rats so it might be beneficial to expose your hamsters to music from a young age.
Nevertheless, you need to pay special attention to the volume of the music since baby hamsters are tiny and fragile. Loud music might damage their hearing ability so it’s important to play music at a reasonable volume.
It is also beneficial to play music to pregnant hamsters as music has a positive effect on postnatal behavior. Mother rats are found to lick their babies more frequently if they listen to music when they are pregnant.
Baby rats nurtured with high levels of licking behavior by their mothers are found to have lesser stress and anxiety levels when they grow into adults.
How Loud Should I Play Music For My Hamster?
Hamsters are very sensitive to sounds and noises since they are capable of hearing high frequencies – their hearing capabilities are from 96 Hz to 46,500 Hz.
For reference, humans have a hearing range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. That means your hamsters can hear many sounds and noises humans can’t hear so it’s important that we know what is safe for them and what is not safe for them.
Even though there is no scientific evidence showing what level of noise is safe for hamsters, it is recommended to play music at the levels that are safe for humans to listen to, which is around 60 – 80 decibels.
Personally, I would prefer to play music below 70 decibels as anything above 70 decibels is perhaps too loud for your pet hamster. After all, we play music to promote the general well-being of our hamsters, not to irritate and annoy them.
Tip: It is important to experiment with the music genre and volume your hamster is comfortable with. Start slowly by playing quiet music such as classical and jazz and slowly explore different music genres with your hamster.
Your hamsters will let you know which music they like – they will appear calmer and reduce their negative behaviors such as squeaking, hissing, and hyperactivity.
Calming Music For Hamsters
Since we’ve discussed the many benefits of music to hamsters, you might be eager to try playing music to your hamsters now.
Check out my hamster’s favorite Youtube playlists below – it never fails to calm my hamster whenever he’s stressed by external stimulants such as loud dog barks, car honks, and thunderstorms.
FAQs
Do Hamsters Listen To You?
Yes, hamsters can listen to you. Even though they are small animals and aren’t necessarily as intelligent as other household pets like dogs and cats, hamsters can recognize sounds.
They thrive on human interaction and often will seek it out with the person they trust the most. Hence, it’s extremely important that you interact with them and gain their trust gradually.
Can I Play Music In The Same Room As My Hamster?
Hamsters gets agitated and stressed whenever they hear loud noises and high pitches. It’s best to place their cages in a quiet place, it should be away from busy rooms and not near a TV or music system.
What Is A Hamster’s Favorite Music?
As discussed above, not all hamsters are created equal. Some hamsters enjoy music while some hamsters despise it.
Nevertheless, judging from most hamster owners’ responses, hamsters are most calm when classical music is played to them.
What Sounds Do Hamsters Hate?
Hamsters hate high-pitched sounds and screams as they have a high-frequency hearing range – up to 46,500 Hz. This includes human’s whistling, birds chirping, and mosquito buzzing sounds.
Make your hamster’s environment more comfortable by eliminating these sounds from their cages as it will create anxiety and stress for them.
Final Thoughts – Do Hamsters Like Music?
Music does wonders for your hamster’s health and is beneficial to them if they are exposed to music moderately.
However, it is important to take note of the volume and genre of music played to your hamster as loud and screechy music will elevate their anxiety levels, making them energetic and behave more aggressively.
Now that you know music is beneficial to hamsters, try playing some music to your pet and observe its behavior. Have you ever played music to your hamster? What are their reactions?
Share in the comments below what types of music and playlist your hamster loves the most!
