For hamster owners, there is nothing cuter than a hamster. Everything related to these furballs is adorable, from how they chew to how they run on their wheel.
These little actions make these tiny creatures the best pets for you and your family. Owning a hamster for the first time is a whole new experience. Most of the time, you are laughing at the sweet little actions of your newly bought pet. The rest of the time, you are trying to figure out the meanings of the strange behaviours of your hamsters.
To clear these confusions, we have addressed some most commonly asked questions by hamster owners.
Stay with us till the end so you can be aware of the challenges you may face in the future. Without any further delay, let’s jump to today’s questions:
My Hamster Is Sleeping Without Bedding
When you buy a hamster, you invest in it emotionally and financially as well. You do all the legal work and buy a comfortable place with all the luxuries. Sometimes, your beloved pet refuses to sleep in that comfortable bedding and instead chooses to spend the night outside.
Same is the case with your hamster? If yes, then don’t panic first of all because that’s okay. There could be numerous reasons behind this behaviour, and most of them are serious.
It could happen when the temperature inside the room is too warm. When the body temperature of the hamster rises above a certain level, they sleep in the open to normalize it. The temperature could be average for you, but don’t forget that fur covers your hamster.
Another reason is that the bedding is wet. Hamsters can first pee inside the bedding and then refuse to sleep there later.
What Should You Do?
Check if the bedding of your hamster is wet or dry. If the bedding is wet, then clean the bedding immediately. In the second case, try reducing the environment’s temperature and let your hamster cool down.
My Hamster Is Always Chewing On The Cage
Some behaviors of the hamsters don’t make any sense to us humans, and some behaviors of humans make no sense to hamsters,. For instance, many hamsters destroy their cages by simply chewing them all the time. For new hamster owners, this behaviour is quite bizarre.
Logically speaking, chewing upon anything, whether it’s a cage or anything else, is quite normal. It is because the teeth of the hamsters never stop growing. To keep their teeth in shape, hamsters chew on anything solid and sustainable.
What Should You Do?
Buying an organic chew toy for your hamster is the best thing you can do here. Be very careful while choosing the chew toy because some toys on the market are not very healthy. The best rule of thumb is going for toys made up of organic stuff.
My Hamster Keeps Stuffing His Cheeks All The Time
Some people buy hamsters only to see the sight of them stuffing their cheeks. It is one of the most adorable elements of their personality. But sometimes, new owners start worrying when their hamster stuffs his cheeks all the time.
Is your hamster showing the same behaviour? Are you worried that they have gone mad or what? If yes, then you are worrying about the wrong thing.
The meaning of this behaviour lies in the primitive nature of the hamsters. Naturally, they live in places where food is not abundant. On top of that, in nature, hamsters are prey animals. It’s in their instincts to store food in the pockets found in their cheeks.
What Should You Do?
Absolutely nothing! Because if your hamster is stuffing food in his cheeks, this means he is safe and sound. You should be concerned and take him to the vet when he stops doing this. For now, you are all set.
My Hamster Hides Under Bedding
Another typical hamsters behaviour that confuses first-time hamster owners is hamsters hiding under their bedding. It usually happens when you put your hamster in a new cage.
To understand the meaning of this behaviour, you need to study the history of hamsters.
Hamsters are prey animals, and their survival depends upon the skill of hiding in the wild. For centuries, hamsters have survived due to this instinct of hiding.
Hamsters are born with this hiding instinct, and due to this, they hide under their bedding. It usually happens when the place is unfamiliar to your hamster. If the hamster continues this behaviour, they are probably afraid of something.
What Should You Do?
If your hamster has just come or you have shifted them to a new cage, you should wait some time. If your hamster keeps showing this behaviour, check if something is terrifying them. It could be anything from your cat or dog to your toddler.
My Hamster Stays Up All Night
Hamsters stay up all night because they search for food after the sunset in nature. They have evolved this way to keep themselves from the predators that hunt in the day. They travel here and there in search of food all night.
There are other animals as well which are active at night. Scientifically, these animals are called nocturnal animals.
What Should You Do?
There is nothing you could, and you should do in this case. It is how the mechanism of hamsters work naturally. Any change in this can severely affect your hamster’s mental and physical health.
My Hamster Hibernates
Is your hamster showing signs of hibernation? If yes, this is not a good thing, and you should become very conscious. In the wild, hamsters go into a state of hibernation when the temperature drops below a certain level. However, if your hamster shows signs of hibernation in a warm environment, they are most likely ill.
What Should You Do?
First of all, you should check the temperature in your hamster’s cage. If the temperature is below 20℃, immediately shift the enclosure to a warm place. If the temperature is above 20℃, visit the vet without delay because these are signs of serious illness.
My Hamster Has No Energy
The following behaviour under consideration is the lack of energy in the hamsters. As discussed earlier, if they are not energetic in the day but are active at night, that’s normal. If they are neither lively at day nor night, something is incorrect.
Lack of energy is an obvious indication of illness in the hamsters. Different types of diseases can cause this condition.
What Should You Do?
You can’t take this lightly hence you should visit the vet immediately.
My Hamster Isn’t Eating
Hamsters love food more than anything. It is why they store it everywhere, from their cheeks to their bedding. If your hamster is not eating correctly, this is undoubtedly an alarming situation.
Many factors can lead to this condition in the hamsters. Most terrifying is that their body is not healthy. Something inside their body is not correct. Therefore, they are not able to eat food.
They could also be terrified of something. When hamsters are frightened, they stop eating and hide.
What Should You Do?
In this case, we suggest you rush to the vet as soon as possible instead of handling the matter yourself.
My Hamster Isn’t Drinking Water
Dehydration can cause some serious medical complications in hamsters in real-time. If your hamster is not drinking water, this is not good news. There’s definitely something wrong with your hamster. Either your little furry friend is in shock, or he is ill.
You cannot take any of these situations lightly as they can be fatal for your hamster.
What Should You Do?
If you want to see your hamster in the best shape again, then it’s time to visit the vet. With the cooperation of the vet, you will hopefully overcome this challenge soon.
My Hamster Is Losing Hair
Hamsters are not like dogs, and they don’t shed their hair naturally. It happens when your hamster’s diet isn’t meeting the nutritional needs of your hamster’s body. You can’t just ignore this condition because the following stages are much worse.
What Should You Do?
At this point, you have to rely on the expert, which is the vet. Visit your vet without wasting any time, and they will devise the right diet plan for your hamster.
My Hamster Breathing Heavily
Have you seen your hamster panting? If yes, then sorry to say, but these are not good signs. In most cases, hamsters breathe hard when suddenly shocked by anything. Attack from a pet dog, cat, or loud noise can easily scare these little creatures.
It could also indicate that your hamster is fighting some disease.
I wrote a full article about that topic – Is It Normal For Hamsters To Breathe Fast?
What Should You Do?
You should wait for a while first. Like half an hour or so and then check if the hamster’s breath has normalized or not. If their breathing is still not normal, it’s time to start the car and head towards the vet.
Conclusion
Keeping a hamster is an entirely different experience from owning a dog or a cat. Dogs and cats are hunting animals, whereas hamsters are prey animals. There are many behaviours of these tiny creatures that can be confusing for the new owners.
We have discussed in detail 11 strange behaviours of these tiny creatures. Some of these behaviours are due to their instincts and are perfectly normal. The rest of these behaviours could indicate serious mental or physical illness.