Greedy little Sweet!

[jayne]

I just wanted to ask if anyone elses hamster does this.

For the past week or so, when i've filled up Sweets food bowl, she has went straight over stuffed her cheeks and went into her house to empty and hide it. She will then come back out and go back to her bowl and fill her cheeks to the brim again....she will continue with this until the bowl is empty only after filling it up 30minutes before

She seems to be hiding it all in her house and i'm confused as shes never emptied out her bowl so quick

Can anyone advise me if this is normal or is she up to something?

Also, drifting off the subject, she was hiding in her little bridge last night and she went mental with what i can only described as 'sneezing'. It was a similar way to when we go to sneeze and then cant let it out, if you understand what i mean I know, its so difficult to describe but i'm trying my best She kept on cleaning around her face and making this noise, which i've never heard before, i thought she may have caught my cold While she makes this noise, her head moves like ours does when we sneeze, i so wish hamsters could talk so she could tell me what was wrong or what she was doing.

Again, if anyone can suggest what this may be it would be greatly appreciated

Jayne :P

[souffle]

All our hamsters empty their bowls into a place of their choice Thats what they are best at in life...hoarding! Sounds perfectly normal and is a sign of being nice and settled.
As for sneezing, yes they do it occasionally. They can, like us. get dust and things in the nasal passages causing irritation to which sneezing is a reflex action. They wash because it tickles. Sneezing can also be causes by respitatory infections such as human colds and also bacterial infections but this will be accompanied by illness and a discharge from the nose usually. If she seems well check your bedding is dust free or dust extracted and I would assume it was just a bit of dust up her nose! Hamsters can catch human colds and these can make them very ill. You should never handle your hamster when you have a cold or breathe on or near them. Better a few days without coming out than catching a cold. If no one else is available to feed for you then wash hands well and pop food in from a scoop quickly till you are better.

[Minicooper]

Thats just like hammis! When I put food in her bowl, she quickly comes and puts it all in her cheeks and runs off with it to find a place to hide it. (Which is normally in a corner downstairs or in her house)

I seem to have got a Viral Inflection at the moment so I try not to get in contact with hammis as much as I would do if I didnt have a cold. I still clean her out, etc, but I try not to handle her that much while I have it. Hammis sneezes sometimes, its like breathing/sneezing sound.

[jayne]

Thanks for your replies!

I have just got rid of the cold but while i had it really bad i never touched either of them and let my partner take them out. I dont touch the food either, it gets poured into their food bowls I'm aware that they hoard, hence their name, but i was just curious as they have never took ALL their food out the bowl so quickly and wondered if it was normal.

With the 'sneezing' i just thought as it was a noise i had never heard her make before there was something wrong The floor covering is megazorb and i use shredded toulet paper for the bedding. Dont think this is the problem though as Sour doesnt seem to be having any problems.

I will keep an eye on her anyway