What Can My Hamster's Behavior Tell Me About Him?

Is your hamster burrowing in bedding?

Is your hamster watching you with its ears erect?

Is your hamster grooming himself?

Does your hamster keeps his ears forward with cheek pouches puffed up and mouth open?

Does your hamster empties his cheek pouches quickly (he may also get startled when you approach)?

Is your hamster standing on hind legs with his dukes up (he may chatter his teeth)?

Does your hamster creeps slowly along the sides of his cage?

Does your hamster freeze in place?

Is your hamster shy and always hiding?

Is your hamster squeaking?

Is your hamster unresponsive or lethargic?

Is your hamster biting or nipping you or another hamster?

This behavior means a hamster is happy and just digging around playing or searching for a possible snack it may have buried earlier.

A hamster's behavior like this means it is just a bit curious about what is going on and in a calm way.

Hamster that is grooming is seeking reassurance and is feeling rather content with everything that is going on.

Ears forward with cheek pouches puffed up and mouth open means that your hamster's frightened. Try to remove the stressors that are causing this behavior.

When a hamster empties its cheek pouches quickly it is a sign that he is insecure about the current situation and is likely to flee and hide. Getting startled when you approach is another sign that your pet is feeling insecure and unsure of what is going on at the moment.

A hamster with this body language is telling you it feels threatened and might get aggressive if you don’t back off. Lying on his back with incisors showing is one more sign of a frightened and threatened hamster that doesn’t want to be messed with.

Your hamster is unsure of his surroundings, or he’s trying to find his bearings on where he is at.

When hamsters are afraid, they might be playing dead by lying down and freezing in place.

This behavior occurs when a hamster is stressed by something or someone (loud noises, aggressive hamsters, over-eager children).

Squeaking can mean your hamster is doing a mating call, feels uncomfortable, is mad, or even frightened. It can also mean nothing at all.

Unresponsiveness and lethargy are signs that your hamster has an illness or an injury.

This is a sure sign of a hamster that is frightened and defensive. It shows you have not built up enough trust with it yet.

When a hamster repeats a behavior over and over again it is an indicator that he’s not well mentally. A monotonous life causes this mental disorder in an inadequately sized hamster cage. Consider a larger cage or some enrichment toys.