20 Common Signs Of A Happy Hamster (Happy Hamster Behavior)
Every hamster owner always wants to know the signs of a happy hamster, this is because hamsters are not easy to get happy or pleased.
Hamsters are small rodents that can make great pets.
They’re popular for a number of reasons: they’re cute, low-maintenance, and easy to care for.
But how do you know if your hamster is happy? Here are some signs that indicate your hamster is living the good life.
One way you can tell if the hamster is really happy is by looking at their cheek pouches.
Healthy hamsters have soft, plump cheek pouches that are a light pink color.
Signs Of A Happy Hamster (Happy Hamster Behavior)
Here are some common signs of a happy hamster, which are as follows:
A happy hamster will take treats without fear
Because hamsters have weak eyesight, gaining their confidence requires relying on their senses of smell and hearing.
When a happy hamster knows your voice and smell, he or she will become eager.
When a hamster takes a treat on your hand without attacking your hands, this means they are happy and comfortable with you.
Put treats or a safe hamster fruit in your palm and carefully drop it into the cage.
Make sure you wash your hands first to get rid of any leftover food odors.
Stay still in the cell and wait for your hamster to come to you; don’t move your fingers or chase them around.
They will interact if your hamster is ready; otherwise, let it alone for the time being.
A happy hamster will climb on owner’s body or palms fast
When your hamster runs up to you and wants to engage with you, you can know they’re pleased and happy.
So if you’re strolling past their cage and they start sprinting up to you, that’s a great indication.
It might indicate that they’re content enough with themselves to want to connect and play with you.
When they come up to the side of their cage that you’re on as soon as you go by, you can know they’re attempting to do this.
So, if your hamster is pleased enough to come up to you and play with you, you should offer them what they desire.
Once you drop your palms for them to climb, a happy hamster will climb on in a flash and may attempt to keep climbing on you.
A happy hamster is open to engaging and interacting with owner daily
A contented hamster would relish the opportunity to engage with its owner.
Because it takes a hamster some time to get acclimated to you, this is more prevalent in hamsters that have formed a relationship with their owners and are more comfortable with their surroundings.
Whether you’ve had your hamster for a while, a nice way to determine if they’re pleased is if they freely get into your hand and start crawling all over you.
Because hamsters are prey animals, it takes a lot of bravery and comfortability for them to do this, this is a fantastic method to tell whether they’re happy.
A happy hamster grooms itself openly
The first sign that your hamster is happy with you and the environment you provided is if you notice them grooming themselves openly.
Happy hamsters will groom themselves frequently and openly, indicating that they are at ease and content with their surroundings.
When they exhibit this sort of behavior, it may be a very favorable omen.
The reason for this is that they feel safe enough in their cage and around you to be vulnerable.
So if you notice them cleaning themselves, especially in an open section of their cage, you’ll know your tiny friend is contented.
A happy hamster will eat and drink comfortably
This is one of the best signs of a happy hamster because they will eat or drink with you standing and looking at them.
An unhappy hamster will always hide to eat or play when its owners are not looking or around.
So if you find your hamster eating even with your hands in their cage it’s a good sign the are happy and comfortable having you around.
A happy hamster will sleep anywhere in the cage
Another good sign of a happy hamster is that the hamster knows no boundaries because they feel too comfortable and safe.
A happy hamster will sleep in any part of its cage, not minding or fearing predators.
Hamsters naturally have a section of their territory marked as a bedroom, but if your hamster is happy, he doesn’t care where he sleeps because it’s safe for him.
So, when you come back and see your hamster sleeping anywhere in its cage without hiding, then the hamster is happy.
A happy hamster will get some exercise
Even if you aren’t looking, or you are looking, a hamster who is happy with everything around them will exercise a lot.
The reason for this is because happiness may provide a hamster with a lot of energy, and they’ll need the means to expend that energy.
There are a variety of options available to them to aid with this, and one of the most frequent is to run on their exercise wheel.
You’ll watch them run for a few minutes or perhaps for an extended amount of time.
However, whether your hamster runs for a short period or for a long time, it’s a fantastic method to see if they’re content.
A happy hamster is always very active at night
Have no concern if your hamster is up and racing around their enclosure at night—this is a sign of a happy hamster.
This implies they are more active at night and less active during the day. They are quite active and will work out for three to four hours each night.
A happy hamster is always stretching even if you are looking
Looking into your hamster’s cage and seeing them stretch is an excellent method to know if they’re happy.
A hamster who is content and calm enough to feel vulnerable will stretch very far.
This is something you’ll see them do once they wake up from sleep or at odd moments during the day, depending on how they’re feeling.
When your hamster starts stretching while you’re around, you’ll know they’re having a good time.
Because a hamster that isn’t at ease with you or his surroundings won’t reveal this level of vulnerability until he or she is content.
A happy hamster will act like a popcorn
This is a strong sign that your hamster is enjoying its environment, this happens when you change a hamster’s bedding.
You will notice your hamster running around and standing on its hind legs constantly like popcorn.
This usually happens when the hamster has a new environment or toy, new treats.
Here you will just see your hamster running around like he just won an Olympic Gold Medal.
This is a way they say thank you for whatever you provided for them that makes them happy.
A happy hamster is always excited when you come near the cage
A happy hamster enjoys running about, playing, stretching and yawning, and grooming themselves when out with you.
When they hear you arriving or approaching the cage, they become happy and proceed to greet you while waiting for you in the entrance cage.
Hamsters are naturally solitary creatures, although they like human companionship.
Yes, it may take some time for a hamster to feel at ease and bond with you, but once they are accustomed to stroking your hamster’s fur, they will want all the attention they can receive.
A happy hamster won’t hide when its owners is around their cage
So, if you stroll past your hamster’s cage and they remain around rather than running away and hiding from you, you know they trust you and are content to be near you.
It might imply that they feel quite safe and comfortable in your company and like having you close by.
That is a really excellent indicator since only a happy and comfortable hamster would exhibit this sort of behavior towards its owners.
A happy hamster responds fast to its owner’s presence
When a hamster feels at ease with you and pleased, he or she will typically reply quickly when you speak to them.
That doesn’t imply they understand what you’re saying when you speak to them, but it’s more probable that they enjoy the sound of your voice.
When they’re happy, they’ll reply swiftly to you in general.
Even if you don’t talk directly to them and instead just approach their cage, you’ll find that they’ll come to visit you.
They’ll generally come out of their houses or stop what they’re doing just to interact with you because it’s something they like doing.
A happy hamster love stuffing their cheeks with food
We’ve all seen cute movies of hamsters filling their mouths with food, and this is totally natural behavior.
Hamsters transport and store food in their cheek pouches.
It’s also worth noting that hamsters may carry up to 50% of their body weight in their cheeks.
Hamsters utilize their cheek pouches to move food, bedding, and, on rare occasions, their young.
In the wild, after filling their cheek pouches with food, they will return to their burrow or specific hiding area and empty the pouches into their food store.
A happy hamster play with its bedding a lot
Hamsters enjoy having a lot of piled-up bedding to play with and burrow in when they want to.
It’s one of the things they love performing on occasion. Therefore if your hamster is playing and burrowing in their bedding, it’s a positive sign that they’re content.
Hamsters can shift their bedding around for a variety of reasons, but it is typically done to help them feel better when they are down.
Therefore if you notice your hamster moving about in their bedding or creating a tiny nest out of it, that’s a positive sign.
Perhaps this is one of those small things that hamsters like performing when they are pleased and happy.
A happy hamster love yawning
Yawning? It indicates that they are quite calm and at ease.
However, this is one of the many actions that a hamster does that might have various meanings.
They will yawn when they are pleased, but they will also yawn when they are anxious or even furious at something.
So knowing when a hamster is anxious or not might help you tell the difference.
Check to see if your hamster is also stretching to determine if they are yawning because they are pleased.
Because a hamster in good spirits will generally perform both at the same time, with no symptoms of being overly agitated.
A happy hamster love playing with lots of toys
Another method to determine whether your hamster is happy is if you notice them playing with their toys on a regular basis.
If they aren’t playing with their toys as often as they used to or have stopped playing with them altogether, they may be bored.
Hamsters are quickly bored, therefore it’s a good idea to rotate new toys into their cage so that they may play with them.
That way, they’ll constantly have something fresh and exciting to engage with and chew on, which will keep them happy and prevent them from becoming bored.
A happy hamster regularly shows curiosity
It’s a positive sign that your hamster is pleased if you discover that he or she is highly interested.
Hamsters are inherently curious creatures, so if they exhibit any signs of interest, you can be certain that everything is OK with them.
Curiosity can lead them to enthusiastically explore various sections of their cage as well as any new toys you offer them to play with.
Hamsters, on the other hand, are prone to be terrified. As a result, you must be aware of when their interest indicates that they are content.
What you’ll observe is that they won’t show any symptoms of being afraid or anxious while they’re getting their natural curiosity out of their system.
A happy hamster is always active and busy
When you see your hamster is highly active and lively throughout the day, it’s a very excellent indication.
A happy hamster might have a lot of energy that he or she will want to release.
As a result, they’ll want to run around and play as much as possible in order to expend as much energy as possible.
If a hamster is unhappy, he or she will not do this as often and instead may be very slow to move or may not want to move at all.
A happy hamster does not show signs of boredom
A happy hamster doesn’t show any signs of boredom, frustration, anxiety, or aggression towards its owners.
Biting, scratching, and unnecessary chewing are all signs of boredom in hamsters, and if your hamster is happy you won’t see much of these signs.
Always keep an eye on these signs it will help you dictate when your hamster is not happy.
Read more interesting topics about hamsters:
Wrapping up on signs of a happy hamster
One question that you may have is: what are the signs of a happy hamster?
It’s important to know and recognize these signs in order to provide your pet with the best care possible.
You’ll be able to see physical changes in your hamster, such as their weight, fur, and eyesight.
Other signs include affectionate behavior (such as grooming, head swaying, and food begging), playing (for more than 30 minutes), and running on wheels (for more than 30 seconds).
You can also hear vocalizations such as squeaks or chirps.
It’s not always easy to tell whether your hamster is happy or not, but by watching for these signs, you can make an educated guess.
