Is my hamster stressed or excited

[Lexijade12120]

Okay so ever since I got Tofu he has a problem staying still when I let him out of his cage. So much so that I had to get a pen to keep him in while he’s out to avoid him getting away. When I put him in the pen he zooms everywhere and looks either super excited or super stressed. My last hamster was really chill when I took him out of his cage. He usually starts by just walking around, but eventually starts the zooming again. I’m worried he’s getting stressed when I take him out? If so, how could I help him become more comfortable being out of the cage.

[Amethyst_ice]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Is Tofu a syrian or dwarf and how old is he?

Some hamsters are naturally more activ and likes to explore. You could try add some more covered toys like tubes and boxes in the play pen to see if that calms him down. Does he show any other signs he is stressed? If not he may just be having a great time!

[Lexijade12120]

Originally Posted by Amethyst_ice

Hello and welcome to the forum

Is Tofu a syrian or dwarf and how old is he?

Some hamsters are naturally more activ and likes to explore. You could try add some more covered toys like tubes and boxes in the play pen to see if that calms him down. Does he show any other signs he is stressed? If not he may just be having a great time!

He’s a Syrian about a year old. I don’t think he shows any other signs of stress besides maybe jumping a little when I go to touch him. I will try putting some more toys in his pen tonight to see if that helps.

[mangoandmimi]

I generally take zooming around unnaturally fast as a sign that they're stressed and want to go back to the cage, at least with dwarfs anyway but it can be a bit difficult to tell! As some hams do get very excited about out of cage time. If there's a way that he can get in and out of the cage himself probably if it has a front opening and the cage is on the floor then you may be able to tell. When you put him back in the cage does he return to normal or go back to the nest? I noticed some of my hams have raced around some more or gone back to the nest after a stressful situation.

[herbi7]

How big is the play pen? Do you take him òut at a regular time each day and for a regular amount of time? I think zooming around in a hyper way is usually stress. If you provide lots for him to explore in the play pen and just leave him in for a few mins and remove him when he starts seriously zooming and then gradually up the time out he will get used to things and calm down. If he doesn't it may be that he just needs to run more and needs time out in your room not just the play pen but he may also need time to get used to where he is and what the routine is to feel calm. Once he is calm he should potter around with some running and some stopping. My Syrians have needed between 1 and 2 hours a night to feel fulfilled and be calm