In the spirit of New Years, did you know that background music can help keep your hamster calm during fireworks?!
But what kind of music? Maybe...
Pop?
Jazz?
Classical?
Zoomusicology
Study of animal reactions to sound and music across species — although work is mostly on larger mammals or birds, not hamsters yet.
However, some informal studies have been done by hamster enthusiasts and here’s what they found:
Rodent studies suggest music affects behavior
Music exposure changed anxiety-related behaviours, improved learning, altered physiology, and affected brain chemistry (most with classical music).
Hamster owners sometimes report that certain types of quiet, calming music (like soft classical or ambient) seem to soothe their pet, while loud, fast, or chaotic music makes them freeze, run away, or act stressed.
What do I recommend?
I recommend a few things!
I think it makes sense that just like humans, classical music is more likely to calm your hamster down, but I personally like a white noise machine!
White noise creates a constant sound floor, so quieter or intermittent noises don’t stand out enough for your brain to register them.
- Without white noise: silence → door creak (big contrast, brain alerts you)
- With white noise: steady hiss → door creak (low contrast, brain shrugs)
So I say, go white noise!
If you do play something other than classical or white noise, make sure you keep it at a low enough volume as not to startle your hamster!
