How intelligent are hamsters?

BrainGirl · 12-13-2013, 06:08 PM

I've heard that the average dog has the intelligence of a 2 year old child and the average cat that of a 6 month old baby, but where do hamsters fit? When I say intelligence, I don't just mean being able to solve problems, but where they are in their understanding of their place in the world. A baby for example does not have a sense of self and "other". They acquire that knowledge sometimes after a year of age. Do hammies have a sense of self?

Reason I ask is that every time I offer Bonnie a treat, she comes forward and reaches around the treat to sniff my hands before she accepts it. It's like she's checking to see who is bringing her food, maybe even thanking me for it. That's completely different from my cat who doesn't seem to understand that the food is coming from me in any direct sense. All she understands is that when I'm around and if she screams loudly enough sometimes food appears.

I know my cat doesn't exactly set the bar very high (she's the least intelligent cat I've ever known) but I really do think that Bonnie (and hammies in general) is at a higher developmental stage, maybe even close to that of a dog.

Clairealex · 12-14-2013, 06:02 AM

That's something I've often thought about. My Chub will stand up in his cage for attention when he hears me in the room, but won't do the same for my boyfriend, because he knows he gets treats from me. So he's realised there's a difference between the two humans who look after him, and that one of them gives him something that the other doesn't. I think this is a sign of intelligence, more than routine or conditioning. He makes a choice to behave one way when he senses my scent or hears my voice, and has understood that the behaviour doesn't result in the same outcome for both.

I think they're far more intelligent than they're given credit for.

Syrian Hammy · 12-14-2013, 08:24 AM

If Shadow is awake and someone goes up the stairs he'll hide under his fiddle stick bridge until I speak to him there he'll realise it's me and come out. Ruby will also nip people she doesn't know.

**DrKMcK** · 12-14-2013, 08:37 AM

Hamsters are definitely smart enough to recognize different people. They have favorite people and people they clearly don't like

. They know the sounds of food bags and bins opening mean it's time for new food and they will run to a special spot when they want to come out to play. An escaped hammy is smart enough to be able to get food and water and survive for amazing lengths of time. Never underestimate what a hammy can do. But we must never forget that, no matter how smart we think our little furries are, or how amazing the adventures of various hamsters can be, they really do depend on us for their needs. But...think about this...how smart are rodents that they have evolved to be so cute and adorable that we humans have taken them in and care for their every need. Pretty smart if you ask me

BrainGirl · 12-14-2013, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrKMcK

...how smart are rodents that they have evolved to be so cute and adorable that we humans have taken them in and care for their every need. Pretty smart if you ask me

LOL! More like manipulative

I'll have to bring someone over when Bonnie's asleep and see if she'll come out of her nest at the sound of a stranger's voice. She hasn't been here long and I don't know if she's attuned to my voice or just voices in general. Maybe she's just a gregarious hamster

Scrubby · 12-14-2013, 12:43 PM

I'm not sure about where they stand but I do know they are actually very clever indeed, at least my Scrubby is. She is a very tidy hamster and if she poo's in her house, she'll throw it out when she's awake and if I give her food which she doesnt want to eat yet, she'll take it down to her food bowl and pop it in. she knkows when things are happening and knows if it's me or my brother holding her. She surprises me a lot with her intelligence.
Also my friend has a cat and a hamster and the cat pushed the cage off her dresser and the hamster got out, managed to escape the cat and had the sense to hide behind the dresser - probably to only place the cat couldn't get to in the room - and stayed there until she got home and found him.

BrainGirl · 12-14-2013, 04:09 PM

Aww! I love your Scrubby photos

She's got lovely ears and so bright and alert!

Scrubby · 12-15-2013, 12:17 AM

Thank you

I must say she has won a couple photo competitions with these pictures.
Pretty little hamster

SinNyx · 12-15-2013, 04:10 AM

I think they are more intelligent than people give them credit for, like most animals!
As mentioned, people think dogs have the intelligence of a two year old child, but...to question that...I did watch an interesting documentary where a man who had a guide dog did say, would I trust a two year old to walk me across a street safely and guide me all these years?
I think animals deserve more credit, hamsters especially...just because they are small, I think they are very intelligent, and yes, manipulative

BrainGirl · 12-15-2013, 08:25 AM

Oh for sure! I had a German Shepherd many years ago. I took him on vacation with me to the family cottage and I used to feed him in the bedroom. One day after putting down his food bowl I happened to be coming in just as he was coming out and he gave me what I can only call a look of disdain. His bowl was empty but on the floor were 3 neat piles of kibbles. I had a funny feeling about those piles so I counted them. Every single pile contained 21 kibbles! To this day I have no idea what he was trying to tell me

As for the intelligence "rating", I always thought it was based more on that sense of self I mentioned and how it compares to psychological development in infants.