Excessive "hamstering"/ emptying and refilling cheeks - any ideas why?

njwilde · 04-13-2013, 11:57 AM

Hi guys,
I know my Eleanor is the nuttiest hamster I ever had but for the last three days she has gotten me a bit worried whether she has gone mental or if I can do something.
On a few occasions a night she puts ALL her food and treats in her cheeks until she is actually square and unrecognisable and her eyes look like they pop out. She was always a good hamsterer but it just seems over the top. In addition to that she then goes on her wheel or climbs around the cage and as she is clearly too heavy, she plunges down a lot

then she empties her contents back into her food bowl, just after a few minutes to go back there and stuff it all back into her cheeks and then the whole story goes again. She will then empty it into her usual treat corner and then stuffs herself again etc. I am very puzzled about this, has anyone ever heard of this behaviour? The first evening I just found it funny but now I am a bit confused and slightly worried if she is going insane

Homunculus · 04-16-2013, 02:48 AM

Well...i'm not intirely sure but i'm guessing she's super bored? What kind of hamster is she? Maybe she's a dwarf and needs companion? Because most dwarf hamsters can live in pairs :P Also what size cage does she live in? Maybe her cage is too small, and she's run out of things to do and places to run or dig. And how many times do you take her out for exercise? Most hamsters will become like this, if you don't take them out for exercise in their hamster ball or exercise pen. II take mine out about 3 times a week. Sometimes more. I hope Eleanor will be alright

**Axeria** · 04-16-2013, 06:35 AM

I would NOT introduce another hamster to her if she is a dwarf, it is true that dwarfs are more sosiable but you can risk hurting her or the other hamster if you just introduce her to a complete stranger. If you want a pair then pleeeaase buy some who are from the same litter and used to live together from the start. And even then it is no guaranty that they will stay together... If she is a syrian then you probably know that she is not to be paired

I too think she might be bored? It would help us to know shat size of cage she has, if she has a big enough wheel , if she has toys and how much you have her out of the cage each day

maybe a run around in a hamster ball to release some energy would help?

I bet you wil get alot of good answers from people more knowledgable than me

Good luck!

Xx

njwilde · 04-19-2013, 02:32 AM

Thanks guys, and sorry I did not specify, she is a Syrian. Thankfully her crazy behaviour has stopped after three days but it did make me wonder as I think she is the most spoiled hamster as far as cage size, toys, time etc I ever had. It's all the things I thought of but she is in an Alaska cage and comes out between 1 and 2 hours every day which is a lot more than I did with my other hamsters just due to her demanding nature. From her time out with us, there 's ball time 2 x 1/2 an hour. I also have her out with the guinea pigs as they get on and she can have a run in three different rooms in the house ( monitored by me though). In her cage she has a big flying saucer and ladders, tunnels, cardboard boxes, various sticks to gnaw on and every time I clean her cage or go to pets at home she gets a new toy. Her behaviour did sound like boredom but I think it's fair to say I am really trying hard to give her a varied life

Any other suggestions are still welcome though. She is the craziest hamster I had and I love her to pieces so I hope this weird behaviour was just a one-off!

Zebbie · 04-19-2013, 03:48 AM

I assume that there is no way she could be pregnant? In the couple of days before giving birth Mama hamsters can get a bit frantic like that as they feel they need to get a big hoard together and dig a nest and so on to prepare for the babies.
Could she smell another hamster - or even a dog? She might also feel unsafe and be trying to move her hoard away to a better place where the other hamster couldn't find it.

souffle · 04-19-2013, 06:09 AM

It sounds as if she is a bit hyperactive when she is on heat. This is common in syrians. They tend to run frantically and try and find a mate. It is hormone related.
Otherwise she may have had a bit of a fright over something and this has made her a bit unsettled. Anything could cause it - a loud bang, the vacuum, the wind...!!

**DrKMcK** · 04-19-2013, 11:34 AM

I also thought..."in heat". I've had hammies hoard and re-hoard like that too. For some reason, known only to my hammy, protecting the food was high priority. Then they calm down like nothing ever happened.

njwilde · 04-20-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

It sounds as if she is a bit hyperactive when she is on heat. !

Hehe, she certainly is, her bar biting is awful then as well when she is on heat, when not she only does it when the lights are on.

And no, unless some strange hamster invaded her cage she cannot be pregnant

Thanks for all your suggestions, I am a bit more reassured now

. I also thought of distress maybe because of the mice in the same room but they ve been there two months before but maybe they were particularly smelly in that week

Gazmo · 04-25-2013, 04:44 AM

my hamster does that when i clean her bedding, i thnk shes confused where her food store is gone :L