Do Hamsters have a dual personality?!

[Pebbles82]

Charlie seems to have two different kinds of 'awake'. I guess this is the same for all Hamsters, but we don't get to see them during the night when they are awake. With having flu I have had to get up some nights, or sit up late, and I find it really quite weird that Charlie is not the same as he is in the evening! It's like he has been hypnotised or programmed to run in his wheel and ignore people! In the evenings you get a lively cheeky, interactive Hamster trying to work out how to get out of his cage. In the middle of the night he is like a Zombie Hamster - totally focused on running in his wheel and sitting cosily on the floor of his cage doing nothing. One night, because I was awake until about 3am, I decided to see if he wanted to come out in his ball. He just looked at me as if to say 'who are you, Stranger', hid behind his wheel for a bit then just got back in it and started running again.

So - I know they are used to being on their own at night - but you think they would want to get out of the cage, given the chance.

[Mousenibbles]

My Ham definitely has different kinds of awake, depending on what time of night- nothing to be concerned about though!

[cypher]

All of mine seem to have different behaviour in the evening & morning, Flynt's the most noticeable he really doesn't want to know in the evening but in the morning can't wait to get to me, he's like that if I get up in the middle of the night too. The other hams aren't quite so obvious about it but there is a difference.

[Pebbles82]

Yes, I guess all hammys are the same like this. So either they just really like to have their own space sometimes, or they have some kind of biorhythm (whatever that is), kicks in at night, or they really aren't interested in us at all except when they are absolutely desperate to get out of the cage, or they have two things going on - part of them has got used to being tamed and attached to humans and part of thing still reverts to some kind of genetic programming behaviour. Probably this last thing. Sorry to be so deep, I just find it interesting!

[cypher]

It is interesting, mind you I find just about everything about hamsters interesting!
I've noticed with mine they seem to have certain spots in their cages where they tend to sit when they want some space, if you notice that it makes it easier to know when to interact & when to leave them alone.
I guess they're not too different to us in some ways like that :p

[Pebbles82]

Ooh yes - Charlie does have a spot! I think he is getting a bit tamer - definitely interacts with me more. I am itching to get a bigger cage, but can't - he has only just settled into this one.

[velma]

I'm glad you've said this. Hector, my robo, is more receptive to being played with in the afternoon than late evening. He definitely has a dual personality:-)

[starshme]

I think my dwarf has about 7 personalities and only one of them will tolerate me at the moment. ;)

[Pebbles82]

I think my dwarf has about 7 personalities and only one of them will tolerate me at the moment. ;)

Lol! I've recently discovered that Charlie likes nursery rhyme songs so I put those on when I want to lure him into being interactive! I have a bit of a giggle when 'Run Rabbit Run' comes on.

[Skeever]

Yup, like everyone said. My hams are weird though, in that they seem to have no interest in escaping, unless its the need to come out and waddle around exploring.....That introvert mode makes it damn near impossible to get them to come out though.....you can almost hear the squeaky "Leave me alone!!!! No no no no no no no !!!" as they try to get in somewhere I can't see them so I'll think they disappeared and I'll wander off.... :p

[Pebbles82]

Yup, like everyone said. My hams are weird though, in that they seem to have no interest in escaping, unless its the need to come out and waddle around exploring.....That introvert mode makes it damn near impossible to get them to come out though.....you can almost hear the squeaky "Leave me alone!!!! No no no no no no no !!!" as they try to get in somewhere I can't see them so I'll think they disappeared and I'll wander off.... :p

You know the more I think about it, they are like children - they will do the opposite of what you want! I have only had Charlie out of the cage to run free in the room twice, and it was so stressful! I thought I had made it Hamster proof but he decided to hone in on the underneath of the gas fire! It's disconnected, but he could still get underneath. He took no notice of me whatsoever - except once when I said NOOoo come out of there - he actually turned round, looked at me and walked back. So he just wants to run away when he is out of the cage, but weirdly doesn't try and get out of the cage door if it is open. You must have a nice homely cage Skeever, if they don't want to come out! Must get that run sorted.

[spyro87]

My hamsters are also very strange... and some definitely have more than 2 personalities going on!!
Take Humfry for example, last night, he was clearly after attention around the 3am mark, but when I got him out? He jumped! made a break for freedom! and leapt back into his cage like "unhand me you shadowy demon of the night!" he then did the strangest thing - something I have NEVER seen Humfry do, he cowered and hid away. I am not sure how, or why I scared him so much last night, but apparently I did!

As for the others, yes, I agree, hypnotised. I shine my phone torch occasionally to see them the other side of the room - I feel like a prison warden sometimes and the urge to shout "CellHam #456742 Show me some skin!!" becomes quite overwhelming xD
But they're usually there, running on their wheels, or sitting around grooming or chewing mindlessly on whatever they can find.
However, at the moment I'm enjoying getting to see an unusually active Honey who is insisting on blocking up her wheel with bedding - she clearly has WAYYY too much time and waaaaay too much bedding! It's been fun though these last few insomnia filled nights watching her drag tons of bedding and deliberately dump it under her wheel and around her wheel...
She's trying to stop it turning, so she can climb up it I'm sure! Little minx >_<

[MylosMom]

LOL, spyro87! Yes, being I have Mylo in our bedroom & tend to be up throughout the night with insomnia, I see many different sides of my guy. I recently bought him a larger more traditional wheel (he had a saucer before) & I swear he can run for an hour straight! Though, if I approach the cage with a flashlight he immediately jumps out & wants to play. He actually has amazing energy at odd hours than he does when I take him out at 10, & I feel like I am missing all the fun. He is a master architect, & each morning it is fun to find out what he has changed and where he has decided to nest. Last week he insisted on removing all the "legs" I was using for his shelves. They have been there for months and now he can not stand them. If I put them baxk, they are removed the next morning. A book could be written on the secret life of hamsters. :)

[MylosMom]

Oh, Mylo also knows that he can wake me up by banging his water bottle against the glass. So if he impedes his wheel in his construction, he wakes me to fix it. Just call me jeeves.

[spyro87]

A book could be written on the secret life of hamsters. :)

Oh, Mylo also knows that he can wake me up by banging his water bottle against the glass. So if he impedes his wheel in his construction, he wakes me to fix it. Just call me jeeves.

Hahaha it's be a best seller! HC should start one and have a fantastic collaboration including Skeever & others who can put their unique spin on it. It'd sure be off the shelves in day!
:D

Ohh yes Humfry & Charlie both summon me by biting the metal sticky out bit on their water bottles -.-
Jeeves indeed. Were well trained eh?

[starshme]

TeeTee just hangs out at the top of her ramp when she wants to come out. Now that I have a spazzy dwarf, I can see how tame she actually is. The other Syrian is still twitchy but getting there. He definitely doesn't want to play in the afternoon, though.

Skeever, I'm going to be jealous if you found talking hams here. ;)