The Omlet Blog

How to Understand Your Hamster’s Body Language

Hamster stood up on green sheet

Hamsters make excellent pets – they’re fun, cute, and relatively easy to care for. Their cuddly credentials have made them popular pets all over the world. Hamsters bring a lot of joy to a lot of people, but how can we tell our hamster is happy too, or not? Like all animals, hamsters have the ability to communicate with one another and with their owners. They use body language much like we do and can display a range of emotions that include being happy, afraid, threatened, curious, startled, angry and many other emotions.

Stretching and yawning

Yawning is often a sign your hamster is feeling comfortable and relaxed, rather than being very sleepy. If your hamster stretches as he yawns, this is even more proof that he is a very relaxed hamster.

Freezing

This involves your hamster staying in one position, sometimes for a few minutes. Its ears are straight up and he is completely stiff to the touch. There are lots of potential reasons for hamsters to stop moving temporarily: they can freeze both out of fear and surprise, or they can pause their movement so that they can listen more carefully to something that they’re unsure about.

Sitting up on back legs, ears forward

Something has captured his attention. Your hamster is standing on its hind legs to see and hear better.

Grooming

Hamsters spend a large amount of their time grooming themselves. When a hamster grooms itself, washing its feet, hands and fur, it means that he is feeling secure and happy.

Chewing

If your hamster keeps biting the bars of its cage, then there may be some things that you need to do to improve your pet’s life. Gnawing on the bars of the cage can indicate one of a number of things, including boredom, a lack of space, or overgrown teeth.

Biting

Hamsters can bite when they’re scared, when they’re stressed, or when they’re confused. if your hamster bites you, then there’s almost certainly a reason for it. Maybe your hamster is in pain, or simply uncertain how to react to you. Never get angry at your hamster but try to understand the reason behind his behavior.

Ears folded back, eyes half closed

Your hamster has just woken up and is still sleepy. It is best not to take out your hamster out of its cage until it has woken up fully.

Running

Hamsters are born to run. In their natural habitat they can run up to 5 miles per night! It’s therefore important that hamsters kept as pets have the opportunity to run, usually provided by a wheel. Hyperactivity and repetitive behavior, on the other hand, can also be a sign of stress. A stressed hamster will move constantly, run on his wheels quickly, try and climb his cage and appears more nervous and alert than usual.

All hamsters will have their own personalities. Spend time watching your hamster and get to know his personality and mannerisms. As you get to know your pet, you’ll be able to recognize when they are their usual selves, and when they are not. Observing your hamster’s body language is a great way to be more “in tune” with the needs of your pet, which can be crucial to their health and well being. Visit our extensive hamster guide for more information about hamster and tips on how to keep them healthy and happy.

Two children watching hamster in their playpen, Omlet Qute hamster cage behind them

This entry was posted in Hamsters


13 replies on “How to Understand Your Hamster’s Body Language”

Kayden says:

I have only hamster for a few weeks I feel like he likes me but I’m just not too sure she has only bit me twice and I fully understand the reason she did not want to come out of her kids but I met her because she had been in there for a while today I had just come out of school and went to come get her out she was out of her cage and in my hand while I was walking to the living room to sit down with her and watch TV as I usually do we’re having a good time until she walked over to my hand and bit my finger without me even doing anything but now she is lying by my side asleep so I’m unsure if she likes me or not

karieanne connor says:

yes she definetlty likes and loves you some do this to getting to know you mines done the exact same thing its there way of getting to know you she will stop doing the give her time hope this helps you nice chatting to you xx

T.Wright says:

So I only have had my teddy bear hamster for 3 days but i’m not to sure if he is comfortable yet. I bought him chewing toys and I can tell he plays with them because it’s chewed on and scrap and the blocks moved around and i seen that the tissue i left with my scent was in his clubhouse but he buries his self under his bedding a lot and i get nervous because when i’m able to start taking him out i don’t want him to panic

Unicorn Girl says:

My Hamster Henry has never really bitten me before but lately all of a sudden he has! This morning he bit me super hard! I dont know what to do? Im trying to train him but of course its harder than training a dog! What do I do?

molly ashwood says:

Weçve had two hamsters that have died at a young age. They both we’re very active at various times day and night. They have tubes, a wheel, we put them in a ball for exercise. They both constantly climbed back and forth across the bars of their cage. They seemed agitated. We don’t know why. Do hamsters easily have heart attacks? My son just got this one for Christmas two weeks ago.

Bee says:

I have a Russian dwarf Campbell hamster. He is 1month and 10 days old. Suddenly I noticed he keeps jumping at night. He jumps too much and scratches the walls. He keeps jumping on his hind legs more.
In day time he is normal. He sleeps a lot and eats and play with me. can you tell me what’s wrong with him or it’s normal.
In my area there is no good vet/vet for hamster. Please help me what can I do for him?

Jon says:

I have a Robo dwarf hamster, I’ve had him for about half a year and he keeps biting me. I try to warm myself up to him and even though I try to use the food it doesn’t work, so can I get some tips you know hamster owner to hamster owner

Bloom says:

I have a hamster that’s about a year and four months old, He used to be very energetic, and wanted to play all the time, However, Since about Christmas, He’s been lazy and I haven’t heard his wheel ever running, I’m concerned about him, Is he just getting old? Or is it something else? Please help!

Tressa Zapata says:

Keep this going please, great job!

Aimee Mccauley says:

I’ve only had my hamster for nearly two months but she just recently love to crawl up my arm and I don’t know why big I think it’s because we like me or getting comfortable around me

Michelle Morris says:

Biting
Hamsters can bite when they’re scared, when they’re stressed, or when they’re confused. if your hamster bites you, then there’s almost certainly a reason for it. Maybe your hamster is in pain, or simply uncertain how to react to you. Never get angry at your hamster but try to understand the reason behind his behavior.

Kerry Emma Dibben says:

Mt hamster is really tame she knows my voice she is 3 moths old now and I know when she wants play time every time she starts to bite her cage then I know it is her play time and I play with her and she loves going under the saw dust and we play peek a boo she loves it it is my first hamster and I love it she calms me down because of my mental health she makes me laugh and she is learning to sleep through the night and not to sleep during the day it is so interesting

Kerry Emma Dibben says:

I. Am concerned that tiger my hamster won’t drink I feed it to her to get her to drink other wise she won’t do it she relies on me alot I’m scared she is going to get dydrated and I don’t want that for her she is a lovley hamster she helps me alot but this is the first time of experience of my hamster not wanting a drink and especially in this heat I don’t know if I should take her to the vets to be looked at because there could be a reason why she isn’t drinking water and I love her so much I will help her in any way I can but I am just concerned

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