Does your Hamster act like it has feelings? Is this normal or not? In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know.
It has been proven by scientists that hamsters do have feelings. They can experience good moods and bad moods just like us. The emotional state of this little creature determines their outlook on life. Thus, a happy hamster is more optimistic than one in a bad mood.
Do hamsters have feelings for their owners?
Hamsters have feelings for their owners, but unlike other pets like dogs, this little creature has a subtle way of showing affection for its owner. Therefore, you rarely know your hamster has feelings for you, even when they do.
Hamsters enjoy being around their human parents, and they can build a strong bond with them. They have a high power of smell, and with that, they can connect with people and fish out strangers.
They often feel uncomfortable around strangers, but with their high sense of smell, they can recognize the scent of anyone who spends more time with them and create a better bond with them. Like most pets, Hamsters are also coachable. Thus, you can train them to feel more comfortable around strangers and trust more people.
You can make your pet have better feelings for you by socializing with them. Hamsters have a terrible vision; therefore, they can’t identify you by sight. However, when you socialize with the pet, it’ll identify you by your voice and scent. Therefore, you should hang around its cage and keep your hand in the cage for a while.
If you do, the pet will perceive your scent, and if you keep to this for a while, it’ll soon identify you and feel comfortable around you. You should also speak gently when around the pet so it can identify your voice as well. Another good way to make your hamster develop feelings for you is to feed it often and run your hands over its fur.
Do hamsters get sad?
Like every creation with emotions, Hamsters get sad too. If the pet found something it doesn’t like, it might become sad. However, you may be unable to identify a sad Hamster by just looking at its face as in humans.
You can tell if a hamster is sad by looking for specific signs and symptoms, including:
- Lethargic
- Biting its cage
- Climbing its cage
- Loss of appetite
1. Lethargic
If your pet begins to engage in repetitive behavior, including sleeping, eating, drinking, and sleeping again, it may be depressed. A happy hamster will explore its cage and move around energetically. However, if it lacks these and looks dull, it may be sad.
2. Biting its cage
Your pet can become unhappy if its cage is too small. How you’ll realize this is that they may begin to bite the cage and try to escape. Once you see this, it may be time to get a bigger cage to make the little creature happy.
3. Climbing its cage
Hamsters often hang at the top or climb the bars of their cage when they’re bored and sad. It is also a sign that their cage is too small. Hence, when you find the beautiful little one climbing its cage, you may be looking at a sad pet.
4. Loss of appetite
Loss of appetite is just another sign that your little animal isn’t happy. However, sometimes, this may also be a sign of other health issues. Thus, if you rule out the possibilities of other health issues when the pet couldn’t eat, it may be sad.
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Do hamsters cry?
Hamsters do cry, but unlike humans, they don’t shed tears. This beautiful pet makes sounds like screams, squeak, or squeals when they’re in pain, frightened, or stressed. Thus, if your pet makes such noises, it may indicate injury or illnesses.
Hamsters are not designed to shed tears. Therefore, even when they cry, their eyes are dry. They express shock, sadness, or pain by screaming or making specific noises. These sounds of distress indicate that something isn’t right with your Hammie.
You may find a little fluid around their eyes sometimes, especially in older Hamsters. You shouldn’t confuse this for tears. It could be a result of irritation in the eyes, perhaps due to foreign objects like dust. It could also be residue from their sleep.
They may also have fluids in their eyes due to conjunctivitis, often accompanied by swollen, red eyes. Your pet can also have a watery eye if the environment humidity is high.
Some of the reasons why hamsters cry include:
- Attention-seeking
- Distress
- Anxious and unfamiliar
1. Attention-seeking
Some hamsters cry to attract your attention. This may happen if they are left alone for a while. If your pet cries because it needs your attention, it is a good sign that you’re doing something right, and they recognize you. A Hamster crying to seek attention will stop crying once you check on it.
2. Distress
Your pet might begin to cry loud out of distress. Such a cry is usually harsher and longer. This may happen if it is ill, harmed, or injured. There may also be a scary object around them, like a cat or other pets.
3. Anxious and unfamiliar
Hamsters cry when they’re anxious or in an unfamiliar environment. You may notice this a few days after bringing the pet into the house. They may be scared as you approach them, but this will stop once they trust you and get comfortable around you.
How to keep a Hamster happy
You can keep your Hamsters happy by feeding them healthy meals, keeping their environment clean, spending more time with them, and providing them with a safe and peaceful environment.
You don’t always need a vet to keep your pet happy. All you have to do is to follow some simple tips, and you’ll see your hamster becoming healthier and happier. The tips include:
- Feed it with healthy, nutritious meals
- Provide a stimulating environment
- Provide a safe and peaceful environment
- Spend more time with it
1. Feed it with healthy, nutritious meals
Provide your pet with a healthy, nutritious meal. Feeding it with the right meals will make it healthier and happier. However, you should avoid overfeeding so that it doesn’t become obese, causing weakness and illness. You should also ensure they have access to clean freshwater.
2. Provide a stimulating environment
Your pet’s environment should inspire them to play and become happier. Ensure that its living space is wide enough such that it can run around and have fun. You can also provide your pet with enough things to play with, such as toys and a wheel.
3. Provide a safe and peaceful environment
Keep your pet in an environment free of danger. Like humans, hamsters are happier when they sense no potential danger around them. You should keep their cage in a safe place with moderate temperature. This will make the little pet healthier and happier.
4. Spend more time with it
Spend time to understand your pet better. Different hamsters have different behavior; hence, understanding your hamster’s behavior will help you make better choices to keep it happier. Some hamsters are shy and reclusive. If your pet is like that, it’ll be happier alone and shouldn’t be disturbed unduly.
How do I know if my hamster is happy?
Your hamster is happy if it grooms itself and stretches. Being energetic and active is also a sign that your little pet is happy. It may also play with its bedding, exercise, or play with its toys.
Although you may not see happiness written on your pet’s face, there are signs you can look out for that spells out their beautiful emotional state. Hence, to know if your hamster is happy, you should check for the following signs:
- Curiosity
- Playing with their toys and bedding
- Exercise
- Won’t hide from you
1. Curiosity
Curiosity is a sign that your pet is happy. They’ll explore their cage and try to play with whatever new item you provide them to play with.
2. Playing with their toys and bedding
This is another sign that your pet is happy. It’ll consistently play with its toys and bedding. On the other hand, if it doesn’t play with the toys, as it used to, that may indicate boredom.
3. Exercise
Like in humans, happiness can also trigger extra energy in hamsters. Trying to utilize the extra energy, the little pet may begin to exercise. One of the ways your hammie can exercise is running on its exercise wheel.
4. Won’t hide from you
A happy hamster will not run away or hide from you when you walk past its cage. Instead, it’ll stick around. This means the little creature trust you and is happy to be around you.
How do you know if your hamster loves you?
Your Hamster loves you if they try to show off when you’re around. The little pet stretching and yawning around you or responding well to your petting shows it loves you. Also, if you can easily calm your hamster down, then it loves you.
Like other mammals, Hamsters have feelings, and they do show it. However, you need to be skillful and observant to know what kind of feeling they show at a time. The following are the ways to know if your hamster loves you:
- Responds well to being petted
- It’s easier for you to calm it down
- It won’t try to avoid you
- It’ll stretch and yawn when you’re around
- It’ll try to seek your attention
Do Hamsters Have Affection for Other Hamsters?
Like other animals of the same species, Hamsters do have affection for other hamsters. They are social creatures; therefore, they have affection and get along well with their likes.
You will know that two or more hamsters have affection for each other if they’re comfortable staying together. Although a slight conflict might erupt between them sometimes, they’ll settle and get along again. Hamsters that are affectionate to each other will be comfortable eating and playing together.
You can also influence or hasten the process to make a hamster have affection for another hamster by introducing the two properly to each other. You can do this by keeping their cage very close together or put them in the same cage and create a net barrier between them.
They’ll become familiar that way and will identify each other’s smell. In the long run, they will eventually feel comfortable around each other, and affection may spring up from there.
