Why does my hamster like to put food in his wheel and run on it?

[Crystalroborovski]

I have a random question (it's not a concern or anything I was just curious). So Tangerine has got this habit of putting the small pellets of his food on his silent spinner and then running on it (he's done it 2-3 times.) I woke up a 3:00 in the morning last night to hear a rattling noise. I checked on the boys and Tangerine had put food on his wheel and ran on it. I fell back asleep and was woken up again at 6:00 by the same rattling. Only tangerine does this and he only picks the noisiest food to do it . I thought this was strange as he is a very shy hamster and gets startled by even the smallest noises. Why is he doing this?

[cypher]

lol! it's just something they like to do, they can get very attached to their wheels & probably see it as a safe place to put good things, plus they can have a snack on the run!
I think the worst I've had was a walnut in the shell rattling around in the wheel, woke me up even though I'm not in the same room! I love the way they look at you so innocently when you get up to see what all the racket's about

[Crystalroborovski]

Haha yes, I got up to see what they boys were up to last night an Tangerine looked at me like "what?"
It's so annoying but cute at the same time :P

[karlh]

I have had up to 5 Campbell boys at one time. Generally 4, as the odd number has created problems. I had to install 4 wheels, as they become very territorial about them. Somehow, they always agree among themselves which wheel is whose. They run independently, or sometime all of them in one wheel. Amazing to watch... At times, one would peek out of his wheel to see if the coast is clear and quickly run to another wheel to have a quick spin and return to his wheel. This could go on for a while.
As for food: long time ago I use to give them whole Brazil nuts to munch on. But they would haul them to their wheel and run and run. Creating a racket during the night... I give them chopped up nuts now .
If is gets too much, I just remove the offending nut(s). Why they do it? Who knows... very much like stuffing their pouches with dry food to eat later, although there is always food around. I guess, they don't have to move - just pat the cheek and get a mouthful of nuts.... some of them use to empty their pouch in my lap, as if giving me a snack...

[Thin Lizzy]

You think that's noisy? Mine would take their whimzee toothbrush or crocodile on it and then attempt to run lol!
They do some crazy things but, it's so funny to watch.

[Purplemonday]

Haha I had a rotastak cage with a wheel thst comes out of the side of the cage through a tube and my hamster would put bedding, food, and even urinate in there and run around. It was so gross and noisy!!! Hamsters are weird sometimes lol

[Drago]

Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy

You think that's noisy? Mine would take their whimzee toothbrush or crocodile on it and then attempt to run lol!
They do some crazy things but, it's so funny to watch.

Duncan does this every time I give him whimzees! I take it out and he'll promptly carry it right back on his wheel. Our hams can be such crazy little guys lol

[DennisJones]

HAHAHAHAHAHA I cannot wait!

My wife always complains she is kept awake by the near constant "wiiiiirrrr" when he gets his daily cardio in. I however sleep right through :P

[Hamsterita]

My hamster also did that. Thank god he stopped! It was really annoying, because his cage is in my room and he woke me up.

I think they do that because they feel that it's a safe place. I noticed that he usually did that after my partial cleans in his nest, so maybe he didn't like his hoard to be disturbed and he thought that the wheel was a better place to keep it. Or maybe he just enjoyed getting me out of my nerves