I have my hamster- Vladimir Hamsterkov(because she's a Russian Dwarf) for over 5 months now. Every now and then she makes squeaking chirping sounds in the morning when she's eating
I was worried it's a respiratory issue, but I asked the vet and she said she sounded ok! I also switched from paper bedding to hemp bedding. The paper bedding was very dusty, and Hamsterkov seemed pretty happy with the hemp bedding too.
My questions is - what does this chirping sound mean?
Given she only makes the noises every now and then, it would seem unlikely that it is a respiratory issue. Hams do chirp and squeak when they are happy so it could just be she is particularly enjoying her breakfast that day! Keep an eye on her though and if it gets worse or you are still concerned take her to a vet specialising in hamster care. X
If it is only happening when eating I think it is that she is either happy with her food or she could be grinding up something with her teeth before eating.
My Luna did something that I think sounds a bit similar - check out the noise around 41 secs.
She was not ill when doing this, just a happy hamster.
Hi, I was also perplexed when I brought Carbon home and discovered that he's quite a vocal boy! Cadmium never really made any noises until she reached grumpy old lady status and didn't want her meds lol So yes, it can be strange at first, but if she's only doing it around positive stimuli (like food) she's probably just happy, especially as you've had her checked by a vet.
Carbon will squeak about food, about mealworms, about sand... whatever he's particularly enjoying that day
I had a similar experience with my latest hamster, Cocoa. She is way more vocal than the rest of my hamsters were! She squeaked and chattered quite frequently, but now that she's a bit older (I got her in early March) she doesn't make such noises nearly as often.