since we can't speak to our hamsters it's important that we learn their body language
in order to figure out what they're trying to tell us
if you're new to owning hamsters you may
also be unsure if a behavior is normal or not
so today we're going over 23 behaviors your hamster may display
the first behavior is bar biting
and this behavior is often acknowledged as a
normal hamster behavior when in fact it's actually just a commonly seen behavior due
to misinformation when it comes to caring for hamsters properly
bar biting is when a hamster is excessively chewing at the metal bars of a wire enclosure
this is a stress and boredom behavior
typically caused by lack of enrichment and or a too small of an enclosure
sometimes bar biting can become a habit of your hamster trying to get your attention to take them
out or if you've previously fed them treats or food through the bars
but regardless of the reason when your hamster is bar biting you need to figure out the cause and find a solution
as continued bar biting can cause broken and misaligned teeth
the best solution if your hamster is bar biting is to upgrade their enclosure
and as well as get rid of using wire enclosures altogether
the next behavior is monkey barring
this is another stress and boredom behavior usually related to
lack of enrichment and too small of an enclosure
this is when the hamster is climbing the bars of
the enclosure and hanging off of them
this isn't just a hamster climbing to get to another level
they are actively climbing all of the bars hanging off of them trying to find a way to escape
monkey barring is a dangerous behavior because hamsters are not actively good climbers often times when
they are hanging off the top of the enclosure they will just let go and this can cause injuries from falling
once again just like bar biting it would be in the best interest of the hamster to upgrade
the enclosure and not use a wire enclosure
cage pacing
this is another stress and boredom behavior
but typically found in hamsters who are living in aquariums
now this is when the hamster is pacing
back and forth in the aquarium this behavior also is typically seen in a lot of zoo animals when
they are stressed and bored as well
Wall scaling
this is another stress and boredom behavior
but typically done in aquariums due to the fact that there are no bars for them to climb
so instead the hamster is jumping up against the glass aquarium
it's important that if your hamster is displaying any of these stress and boredom behaviors
you jump to action to find a solution
whether that be upgrading the enclosure or providing your hamster with more enrichment
to keep them busy
back flipping and stargazing
this is when a hamster is uncontrollably doing backflips
or spinning constantly in a circle
this is seen to be a neurological disorder
but also could possibly indicate your hamster has an ear infection so when you
notice this behavior it's important that you go to your vet immediately
hissing and screaming
when a hamster hisses or screams at you this is a very defensive hamster who has
been scared or spooked in some way
when they do hiss and scream it is a very unsettling noise
and it usually is a bite warning so do not stick your hand any closer
open mouth
this looks like a hamster who is hissing or screaming at you except no sound is coming out
typically this may happen if you accidentally startle spook or scare your hamster
and it's usually a bit of a warning that they potentially are going to bite next
squeaking
some hamsters are more vocal than others and you may notice
that they seem to talk a little bit more than your average hamster with little squeaks
sometimes if you have multiple hamsters in the same room
this may be hamsters trying to kind of
do a little mating call or communicate with each other
but if you notice that your hamster has never squeaked before and all of a sudden they're
making squeaking noises this could indicate that something is wrong or that they're in pain
teeth chattering
now there are two different types of teeth chattering and they both mean different things
the first one is a very very harsh teeth chattering sound
and this typically would happen when you do something your hamster doesn't like
like if you decide to wake them up during the day
they likely are going to be a little bit upset and you'll notice that they're going to make that harsh
teeth chatter noise because they're unhappy
the second type of teeth chattering is a very very soft
teeth chatter and this typically would happen
when your hamster is just maybe grooming themselves or they're eating their favorite food
this indicates that they are happy
the next behavior is freezing
this is when a hamster is previously doing something and all of a sudden they freeze
in time like a statue
or like they've just had a war flashback
usually when this happens it's because something has either caught their eye or they've heard a certain sound
and they're trying to assess the situation as to whether or not they need to be afraid and run away
grooming
hamsters keep themselves clean by grooming very similar to cats
you may notice a hamster cleaning their entire body very thoroughly
you may even notice them nibbling at their coat and washing their own feet
this is completely normal
though there are some hamsters who do over-groom themselves and this is accompanied with fur loss
if you think this is the case definitely go visit your local exotic vet
itching
just like you and me hamsters also get itches from time to time
a lot of the times you'll see them using their back foot to give themselves a good scratch
this should not be confused with a hamster who is suffering from
parasites or other skin conditions that are constantly itching and biting themselves
your hamster's tail is sticking straight up
this is a behavior commonly seen in female syrian hamsters
usually what happens is the owner goes to pet the hamster and they freeze
and their tail and butt goes up in the air
this is not an indication that your hamster is enjoying you petting their butt
this is a female hamster assuming you are a male hamster trying to mount and then breed with her
female hamsters go into heat every four to five days
and what heat is, is basically just the time that the hamster is capable of breeding
if your hamster is in heat and you pet them and their tail goes up do not continue to keep petting them you are giving them the wrong message
if your hamster is in heat you still are allowed to interact with them just avoid touching
their bottom or back
scent marking
this is when you notice your hamster rubbing their sides on objects all around them
this is mostly seen in syrian hamsters due to their scent glands being located on either side of their hips
they do this to mark things to claim as their own
hamsters in the wild also would do this when they are leaving their burrows
in order to help them find their way back home
some hamsters may scent mark more than others and if you don't notice your hamster scent marking at all
there's nothing to worry about
stuffing their cheeks
hamsters have two pouches located on each side of their cheeks
and these are used for temporarily storing food and nesting
and these can extend halfway down to the length of their body
un-pouching cheeks
this is simply a hamster just emptying out what they've collected either in their nest or another safe area
this is not to be confused with throwing up hamsters are not animals that are capable of throwing up
if you ever notice your hamster un-pouches all the contents of their cheeks
onto you when they are being handled this can indicate that the hamster is uncomfortable or scared
this has happened when i've brought a hamster to the vet and their cheeks were full and they immediately
spit out all of the seeds that they brought
usually, this is trying to distract whatever the
predator is and it also makes them lighter to be able to run away
burrowing
this is when your hamster is digging into the bedding
hamsters are natural burrowers so it's really important that we give them deep substrate
because they can create these really cool long intricate burrows
laying flat on their wheel or in their cage
this usually either means that your hamster is trying to cool down
or they may have just fallen asleep in their enclosure like that
if you notice your hamster doing this just be sure to check the overall room's temperature
and make sure that it is not above 25 degrees celsius (77F)
to prevent heat stroke
your hamster's ears are back and they're close to the ground
this may indicate that your hamster feels nervous if they've just been placed in a new enclosure
or in a open space
they may feel a little bit vulnerable and not quite comfortable with the area yet
yawning
don't be alarmed hamster yawns can be a little bit terrifying sometimes
but this just indicates that your hamster has just woken up or they're a little bit sleepy
nibbling
because hamsters lack good eyesight they depend a lot on their other senses like
their hearing, their sense of smell, their whiskers
and they also use their mouths a lot to test things out to see whether or not they're edible
or whether or not they can potentially bring something back as nesting
so you may notice your hamster nibble you or nibble a little bit of your clothes
this is a normal behavior and usually not something to be concerned about
biting
keep in mind hamsters are prey animals they're only defences
to protect themselves is either hissing and screaming or biting
if your hamster has just bit you
you potentially have done something to upset them spook them or scare them
or they may even be territorial over their area or things
and last but not least licking you
this is a behavior i've been asked a lot about and i don't have too much experience with it
but i do know that some people have hamsters who will gladly lick their hands
this is either down to the fact that you may have some salt content from just sweat or maybe you ate something salty
or your hamster is being affectionate towards you
and those are all of the most commonly displayed hamster behaviors
some hamsters may display more behaviors than others this is completely fine
all hamsters are going to be different
do keep in mind that if you do notice your hamster suddenly changes behavior
that it is important that you visit your local exotic vet
because this can indicate that something is wrong with them
so i will see you guys in my next video
bye