Advice of behaviours

[SenorStrongArm]

Hey everyone! I'm a brand new hamster owner, I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on behaviors that are normal, as well as anything to look out for?

I'm open to all tips!

[Ria P]

Hi and welcome to the world of hamsters.

What you want to do is encourage natural behaviours of nesting, foraging, hoarding and exercising to keep a hamster happy.

To do that you need to give your hamster a big enclosure with deep substrate to burrow in, a big house that's bottomless and sitting on top of the substrate so your hamster can build a cozy nest inside. They often sink the nest into the substrate and keep a hoard closeby or underneath the nest. Leave a big heap of torn into strips plain white toilet paper outside the house for nesting material.

They love to forage for food so its a good idea to put half of the daily food mix into the bowl and scatter the other half around the cage. Hide treats for your hamster to find.

They pouch food and take it to their hoards to snack from it later. Hoards are important to a hamster and they can get cross if we disturb them.

Hamsters run miles in the wilds so a wheel with a solid running surface is important. The wheel needs to big enough so they can run with a straight back.

Avoid stressing your hamster because stress can make them ill. Give them plenty of enrichment, cover and things to do in their habitat so they feel secure.

If there's any specific behaviours you are wondering about, just ask.

Every hamster has their own personality with behaviours that are individual to them which you will find out as you get to know your hamster.

Hope this helps.

[MDMum]

Hello. You mentioned hoards of food are important.
I have a new hamster and am wondering if when I clean her enclosure, and thus move her things and stash, am I stressing her out? How can I miminize that?

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by MDMum

Hello. You mentioned hoards of food are important.
I have a new hamster and am wondering if when I clean her enclosure, and thus move her things and stash, am I stressing her out? How can I miminize that?

The first couple of weeks i wouldn't clean at all to give the hamster a chance to settle in and scent mark.

How stressed a hamster gets from cleaning depends on the hamster and the amount of cleaning done.

For example, i have a very houseproud Syrian who will only pee in his sandfilled corner toilet which is located opposite his house. He chucks his poops and old food out his front door for me to remove. I don't need to clean his nest which is inside his house at all.

Another Syrian has an ensuite toilet because he will not leave his house during the day. I have to remove his toilet for a clean once or twice a week.

I have no idea where our Robo pees so follow my nose. If an area starts to smell bad then i replace the substrate with fresh.

I only do a full substrate change and full clean when a hamster dies or there is a good reason like bugs.

My advice would be to be guided by your hamster and by your nose because cleaning does stress a hamster.

If you do have to remove the hoard because it has been peed on then put down some replacement food otherwise your hamster will view you as a thief who robbed her of her precious hoard.