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Old 09-03-2017, 11:55 PM   #1
AprilPearl
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Question So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

I have noticed that Quigley always fills his left pouch first. And, if you give him a treat and both pouches are empty, he will put it in his left pouch. This leads me to believe he could be “left-pouched” in the same way humans can be “left-handed”.

Has anyone else observed a preference for using one pouch in their hamsters?
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Old 09-04-2017, 02:40 AM   #2
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

Mine are generally too greedy to favour just one pouch I think
Sometimes Zen seems to use mostly the right but I can't say I've noticed any of them really using one side in preference to the other or both!
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Old 09-04-2017, 07:26 AM   #3
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

Jessie will always use her left cheek pouch first but some of my others will just take it as it comes. Matthew is a funny one though... he'll take it in turns so if he puts a seed in his left cheek pouch first then the next seed will go in his right, then the left, then the right again.
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Old 09-04-2017, 08:23 AM   #4
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

I've never really thought of this! I don't notice which pouch Kopi and Duncan use first, but I'm definitely going to keep an eye on it. I know many animals have a dominant side, so the idea isn't all that far fetched!
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Old 09-04-2017, 11:08 AM   #5
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

I haven't noticed a preference with Willow. But then again she doesn't pouch much, so her pouches hardly get any bigger.

I will be watching as best as I can now to see.
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Old 09-04-2017, 11:27 AM   #6
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

Cant wait to try out this theory on my lot!
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Old 09-04-2017, 07:57 PM   #7
Thin Lizzy
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

I decided to watch Master Harvey a few times and it was his right pouch he filled first.
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Old 09-04-2017, 08:20 PM   #8
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

Celica seems to also fill her left pouch first I'm not sure with Yamagi cuz he rarely pouches his food.
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Old 09-05-2017, 01:21 AM   #9
AprilPearl
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

Interesting to hear that some hams seem to have a preferred pouch and others do not. Someone should do a study on this lol.
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Old 09-05-2017, 02:13 PM   #10
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Default Re: So hamsters have a dominant pouch?

I have always wondered this myself to as I noticed it with Sherbet as she always tended to favour her left pouch over her right- as she would stuff this pouch completely before she used her right pouch. Although I haven't really noticed it to much with Pumpkin as she doesn't really use her pouches often.
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