Can hamsters have a midlife crisis?

[Natasha95]

My Syrian hamster is 8 months old and fully tamed. According to this chart I found online, 8 months makes him 42 in hamster years. He, like most hamsters, has specific spots in his cage dedicated to specific things. For instance, he usually keeps his food storage under his igloo, he keeps his toys in or around his other hideout, and he pees in the back corner.

Lately, he's been acting weird. He's been putting his food in different spots around the cage, and he's been peeing on the second floor between his food bowl and sand bowl. Tonight, I found that he'd moved his igloo to the middle of his cage, leaving out the nest he'd been working on (basically a big pile of bedding and ripped up paper towel) and his food. He also put a toy in there.

I know these don't sound like huge changes, but he's usually such a creature of habit, so it's weird that he's basically rearranging his whole cage. So, can hamsters go through midlife crises? Maybe he just wants a change? Should I be worried?

(For reference, he has the Kaytee Guinea Pig Home EZ Clean System, 30" L X 18" W X 19.5" H, covered in mesh)

[cypher]

I wouldn't say they do no!
It's not unusual for hams to move things around the cage or suddenly change things though, has anything in his environment changed or has he had a big cage clean or anything?
As long as there isn't anything around the cage or in the room that may be upsetting him & everything else is fine, temperature etc then I wouldn't be concerned.

[Pebbles82]

I'm not sure where you found the chart, but generally it's about 40 hamster years to one human year - so your hammy is more like 26! Getting very independent by the sound of it and getting things how he wants.

As Cypher mentioned, cage cleaning can upset their habits. Best to only do partial cleans, and not weekly. You can "spot clean" the substrate now and then and only do a full substrate clean every 6 to 8 weeks or even longer. And then you can keep the clean half and mix it in so it still smells familiar. The wheel can be cleaned at a different time and any toys at a different time again. Also best not to remove the nest and hoards unless pee'd on. If a hoard is dry it's ok although if it starts to get too big you could remove some, but always add some new food in the same place if you have to remove some pee'd on hoard. A litter tray helps prevent on the need for cage cleans too.

This article is very good on understanding Syrian hamster behaviour and what may change their habits or cause unusual peeing patterns

Syrian hamster behaviour

[Fluffagrams]

I am convinced that my oldest Chinese Lord James had a bit of a midlife crisis last year. He is normally such a lazy hamster but for a while he'd got a livelier, had a more mischievous streak as well as having a bit of a loss of condition that could not be explained by anything else.

I think that unless there is any signs of illness or something that could be causing your hamster's habits to change such as the arrival of another hamster, a new cage or substrate and you're not cleaning the cage too often, then this phase may well pass. James's lasted a couple of months and then he was back to his normal self.

[Pebbles82]

Just analysing for a moment Winter is coming - it's cold. The extra hoards are for winter (and maybe to hide a number of different ones in case that cleaning lady nicks any of them). He wants a bigger nest and it doesn't fit in the igloo, so makes sense to leave the nest where he wants it and move the igloo. The igloo is a good place to hide a special thing he can chew on in the safety of the igloo. Not sure about peeing on the shelf between the food and the potty but it sounds like scent marking to deter people from stealing his food. Often they will pee on the food or the hoard, if they suspect it may be "stolen"!!!

[Natasha95]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Just analysing for a moment Winter is coming - it's cold. The extra hoards are for winter (and maybe to hide a number of different ones in case that cleaning lady nicks any of them). He wants a bigger nest and it doesn't fit in the igloo, so makes sense to leave the nest where he wants it and move the igloo. The igloo is a good place to hide a special thing he can chew on in the safety of the igloo. Not sure about peeing on the shelf between the food and the potty but it sounds like scent marking to deter people from stealing his food. Often they will pee on the food or the hoard, if they suspect it may be "stolen"!!!

This is such a great explanation! Thanks!

I spot clean his cage every night and do a full clean every other week. But when I clean his cage, I leave some of his bedding (substrate) so he doesn't stress out, and when I spot clean I'm very careful to keep everything the way it was. I completely cleaned his cage last week, but these changes just started a couple days ago, so I'm not sure if they're related.

Also, in addition to moving things in his cage, he's also been more affectionate when I let him out. He usually just runs around the room and ignores me unless he wants treats or a lift up onto a higher spot. But I've also noticed the past few nights he's been jumping into my lap and crawling up my arms, and it's exciting but so unlike him.

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I'm not sure where you found the chart, but generally it's about 40 hamster years to one human year - so your hammy is more like 26! Getting very independent by the sound of it and getting things how he wants.

Calculate hamster age in human years (equivalence) This is the chart I was using, but 26 sounds way better!

[Pebbles82]

It probably is related to the cleaning. I would do a bit less really - maybe spot clean twice a week and don't do a full clean, just a partial clean. With spot cleaning a substrate clean should only be necessary every 6 to 8 weeks, if he uses his potty. I tend to leave the whole nest alone - unless it is pee'd in - and then replace a bit of it that is dry even if whiffy and put more strips of toilet paper nesting material out in a pile so he can rebuild it. I don't remove hoards unless they are pee'd on or taking over. Most fresh food like veg gets eaten straight away rather than hoarded, but you need to keep an eye out.

He is probably used to the clean outs by now, but it does help not to do it all in one go. Funnily enough Newt has been running up my arm too - although in his case I think it is more he is trying to find somewhere warm and snug - they do notice the cold in winter. He sat on my shoulder under my hair

[Natasha95]

Now he's storing his food where he usually pees and is peeing behind his igloo. That doesn't seem sanitary. Would it be alright for me to move his food and to put a piece of soiled bedding in his old "potty corner" so he knows to pee there?

[cypher]

I would just leave him to it for a while at least, sometimes they pee on food to keep "predators" (us!) away so messing with it could just make things worse, if he does really soak his food then just replace it.