If you happen to own a hamster, you may wonder if they can or even should be listening to music? Is it soothing to them, or will it cause them stress and anxiety? Can you even play music in a room they are kept in? Well, here is all you are going to need to know.
So, do hamsters like music? Hamsters do like some genres of music. This includes classical, pop, and some metal or rock. However, loud music should not be playing, where your hamster is present, as loud noises can easily stress out your little pet.
Keep in mind that the music preference of your pet depends on their own unique tastes and preferences.
It is wise to spend time listening to different types of music with your hamster, and with time and observation, you will be confident about what they like and do not like.
Listening to music with your hamster can improve your bond with them and help you to have fun together.
Let us now take a closer look at the most common questions owners have on the subject; including what music is best to play and how loud to play it!
Do Hamsters Like Listening To Music?
Hamsters like listening to music, they like anything that makes them react, and they crave stimuli.
You must be careful with the volume as loud noises can cause a great deal of stress to hamsters, so keep the volume to a low level.
Certain genres of music may disturb some hamsters while it may calm others, to play it safe, you must observe your pet’s responses to different types of music. They can react very differently.
As a general rule, most hamsters enjoy music that is gentle and instrumental; this is true of many animals, not just hamsters. This type of music can help your pet to relax and even soothe him to sleep.
What Music Do Hamsters Like?
As previously mentioned, most hamsters enjoy music that is gentle, instrumental, and generally puts them at ease.
It is no surprise that the genre of music most popular among hamsters is classical music.
Classical music is devoid of any kind of distortion as it is purely instrumental, and the melodies are clear and complex.
Being animals of prey, hamsters are unfortunately not the calmest of creatures; they are always on high alert, expecting danger at every turn.
However, classical music can soothe their senses as well as entertain them.
Classical music is a favorite within the animal kingdom because it helps reduce anxiety as well as stimulates the mind.
This type of music can help in coping with outside stressors like barking dogs, children playing, thunderstorms, and other loud noises.
Classical music also has healing effects on the body; it can relieve pain, aid deep sleep, and lower blood pressure.
Pop music is subjective among hamsters.
What pop song one hamster likes, may grate on another. It is believed that 80’s pop songs are popular with hamsters, because of the catchy beats, repetitiveness, and playful tunes.
Some minimal rock or metal is okay for hamsters during playtime. This type of music can make some hamsters spirited while agitating others.
If you play this type of music, make sure your hamster has toys to hand. Also read their body language, if they’re not happy, switch the music off.
Ultimately, you want to look to play music that is somewhat repetitive in nature, without sharp or sudden changes in pace/complexity or volume.
Suitable music playlists for hamsters include:
- Calm music – This music is ideal hamsters like soothing melodies. Loud noises are frightening to their sensitive ears; they hate loud sounds.
- Music created for anxiety – This type of music helps ease the anxiety of hamsters and decreases their sense of danger.
- Soothing music created for winter – Hamsters tend to get depressed and feel restless in the wintertime, this type of music helps them to get through the dark days.
How Do I Know If My Hamster Likes Music?
If your hamster likes music, they will let you know.
If there is a particular genre or song they like, you will notice that there is a positive effect on the temperament, behavior, and attitude of your hamster.
Positive reactions include your hamster paying attention but remaining calm. Your hamster may fall asleep – that’s a good thing! You may notice your hamster becoming playful but not agitated.
If your hamster doesn’t like music or certain genres, they may react in the following ways: becoming skittish, aggressive, attempting to hide, and they may even make high-pitched sounds to indicate their displeasure.
Some hamsters don’t take notice of music at all, and they may not be aware that music is playing.
If you want to try introducing your hamster to music, there are some playlists on YouTube with countless options available.
Some have proved to be well-received with hamsters, others, not so much.
It is worth giving these playlists a try to see if your pet likes them.
How Loud Should I Play Music For My Hamster?
Hamsters can’t see very well but compensate with keen hearing. They are very reactive to noise.
For this reason, speak softly and never expose your hamster to loud noises like loud music, TV, and barking from dogs.
If you play music or watch a TV program, control the volume around your hamster, these can frighten them, which you want to avoid.
You can help decrease noise by keeping your hamster cage away from the TV or radio.
Make sure that the hamster cage is never in the same room where there is a lot of noise, either by people chatting, pets, TV, or loud music.
Additionally, when you first look to introduce music to your hamster, start slow. Play music quietly, for a short amount of time.
Play the same music around them at first – and start with classical. From there you can venture out to see what they like and what they respond well to.
Finally
Hamsters like listening to music, and it can be good for their mental well-being. However, it does come with certain caveats.
Make sure that the music is at a low volume as you want to promote an environment of calmness for your pet; not stress, anxiety, or chaos.
Classical music is an excellent genre, as the melodies are pure, instrumental, and gentle.
Just be careful with some classical music composers as their music can be erratic, loud, and almost violent.
During playtime, you can introduce your hamster to more fast-paced music like rock, pop, and metal.
Be careful that the music you expose to your hamster is not causing upset.
Check-in on your pet to ensure whatever music you play is having a positive effect on them. Do not push your musical taste on your hamster as their preferences may differ quite considerably.
Always start slow; both in volume, style of music length of time played. From there you can experiment and scale accordingly.
Have fun and take note that hamsters appear to associate certain types of music with their owners. They can even get excited when you play a certain song.
Related Questions
Hamsters are known to enjoy classical music and other similarly related genres. This is because, for the most part, it is calming and relaxing. It is known to help reduce anxiety and stress in rodents, along with other animals. However, you should be careful and aware of certain composers that are erratic or include fast-paced and loud crescendos (the loudest point of the music – typically found at the end.
Hamsters cannot die in the immediate realm of time through loud noises. However, hamsters have sensitive hearing and can respond by becoming anxious and stressed. Over time and if loud noises persist, this can lead to a worsening of well-being and health. In the long run, it can lead to adverse health outcomes.
I am an experienced pet owner with decades of experience owning a number of different pets, from traditional pets like dogs and cats, to the more exotic like reptiles and rodents. I currently own a Cockapoo (pictured) called Bailey. I am also the main writer and chief editor here at Pet Educate; a site dedicated to sharing evidence-based insights and guidance, based on my vast pet ownership knowledge, experience, and extensive research.