Hamsters are active little pets that love to explore and play. Understanding your hamster’s natural behaviors and providing activities to engage in those behaviors is important for their health and happiness. Here are some common hamster activities to know about:
- Foraging and burrowing – Foraging for food and digging burrows comes naturally to hamsters. Recreate this in their habitat by providing ample bedding they can dig and tunnel through. Scatter their food so they have to forage for their meals. You can also hide treats in toilet paper tubes for them to find.
- Chewing – Hamsters love to chew and gnaw to wear down their constantly growing teeth. Ensure plenty of chew toys in their habitat like untreated wood blocks, cardboard tubes, and mineral chews. Rotate new chews regularly to keep it interesting. Avoid plastic toys as chewing these can be harmful.
- Climbing – In the wild, hamsters climb plants and burrow walls. A habitat with platforms, ladders, and tubes allows for climbing exercise. Just be sure to avoid steep drops as hamsters can injure themselves from falls.
- Running – Hamsters are active animals that enjoy running. An exercise wheel lets them get their ya-ya’s out whenever they please. Choose a solid, appropriately sized wheel to prevent back arching.
- Nesting – In the wild, hamsters build nests out of materials like grasses and leaves. Providing shredded paper or cardboard lets your hamster engage in this natural nest-building behavior.
- Interacting – Hamsters are often most active at dawn and dusk. Spend time interacting with your hamster during their awake hours. Handling trains them to become comfortable with human interaction.
By engaging your hamster’s natural behaviors with the right habitat enrichment and playtime, you can keep them active and happy!
