Preventing stress in hamsters is ESSENTIAL. It can be a matter of life and death if your hamster is stressed, so it’s a really important part of their welfare that you create a calm and comfortable environment for them. Here are a few things you can do to help keep them stress free and happy.
Keep them in a quiet room
If your hamster is in a loud room then they’re not gonna be happy. Put them in a room of the house that has the least amount of noise. Remember that your hamster is nocturnal and isn’t going to be happy if they can’t sleep because of all the noise from people, the TV, and the general going’s on in a household. If your hamster can have a nice long uninterrupted sleep, then they will be a much happier hamster when they’re naturally awake.
Give them a large cage!
Many hamster cages are just too small for hamsters. Not only will they be frustrated and stressed in a small cage, but it can cause behavioural problems such as bar chewing, hyperactivity and aggression.
A hamster in a small cage is more likely to trash their cage every night as there just isn’t enough room for them to act out their normal behaviour. Hamsters are so, so active and need at least 450 square inches of unbroken floor space, and if you have a female hamsters it is advised to go even bigger!
Hamsters also need cages that have depth! There must be at least 6 inches of substrate for them to burrow in, as this is their natural behaviour, so it must be catered for when choosing their cage.
I recommend getting your hamster a large cage, such as the Savic Plaza or Aivituvin. If you’re into your DIY then a really great option would be to get an ikea detolf or a bin cage and create a tall standing mesh lid. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to do this and owners have created wonderful cages using these methods. For more on this read my other post on Why Your Hamster Needs a Large Cage.
Leave them alone to settle in
If you’ve only just recently brought you hamster home then it’s crucial to give them some time to adjust to their new surroundings.
To take them from one environment to another can be so stressful for them because they are prey animals. Any new smells and sounds will ring as a threat to them, until they learn otherwise.
When you bring your hamster home for the first time it will be useful to leave some of their old nesting materials in their cage with them for a source of comfort, as its the only smell they know and recognise.
Give them at least a day to settle in before you go in to see them. However do not start to handle them when you do this, as you’re still unknown to them and they will likely bite you. Just go into the room, sit next to the cage and speak to them whilst handing them a treat. If they don’t take the treat from you, then place the treat infront of them and wait for them to take it. Keep doing this until they’re comfortable with you, then you can move on to handling. Check out my other post on Taming And Handling Your New Hamster! for more on this.
Fill the cage with more to do!
Hamsters get bored easily so it’s really important to fill the cage with as much as you can, and also because they are prey animals a crowded cage means they’re easily able to hide from predators.
Add various nesting materials and items to nibble on, like cardboard, it’s such an inexpensive item but your hamster will love shredding it up!
Try giving your hamster a really thick layer of substrate in the cage, such as Carefresh, this will allow them to burrow and make tunnels, which is what they do in the wild. Provide Bendy Bridges, sand baths, hideouts, Seed Sticks and you can even add in various Platforms which attach to the cage (just don’t put the platform too high!).
Scatter feeding can be really good as it provides them with a foraging instinct, which is what they would naturally do in the wild!
They get cabin fever!
No matter the size of the cage, your hamster will still want to get out. No animal wants to be stuck in the same space all the time so make sure you get them out regularly to provide them with an extra bit of love and happiness.
Having time out of the cage will make the bond with your hamster grow even stronger, but remember to do this only when your hamster is fully comfortable with you and for short periods of time. If your hamster is nervous then give them more time before you decide to get them out as this step can cause further stress, which you definitely don’t want!
You’ll know when your hamster wants out of the cage, as they’ll be trying to get themselves out of the cage door, or they’ll be sitting by it waiting for you to open it.
Set a routine!
Animals love routine, and so will your hamster! If you pay attention, you will notice that they all have their own routine. For a hamster, they usually wake up around the same time and groom themselves first, then they will get a bit to eat and some water, then start to explore their cage and run the wheel! not every single hamster does it in this order, but most do, so make sure you learn your hamsters routine.
When you go to see your hamster, make sure it’s during THEIR waking hours (they’re grumpy if you wake them up so please don’t do this), and be sure to see them at the exact same time every single day, this way your hamster will remember the time when you’re visiting and you may even find them sitting there waiting for you to come and see them!
When you find your hamster waiting for you at the same time every night, that’s when you know they are completely happy with their surroundings and feel safe in their environment! Always bring them a little treat to say hello and try not to let them down if they’re waiting on you.
Stop full cleaning!
Unless it’s an absolute must, then don’t full clean your hamsters cage very often if you can help it.
Hamsters heavily rely on their sense of smell for all things and to take away their smell in their cage by regularly cleaning everything will only cause more stress.
Of course it’s important for them to have a safe and clean home, but spot cleaning is the best way to go.
Clean their wheel, food storage areas and where they go to the toilet, often. Clean their hideouts, water bottles and bowls. They are the main places that need to be clean. Make sure to use a hamster safe Cage Cleaner and use your own initiative when it comes to cleaning the rest of the cage, but I would say spot clean daily, full clean monthly.
When you do full clean, always put some of their old nesting material back into the cage to provide them with their scent.
Get a calming kit
Another option to help their senses feel calm is to use Pet Remedy Bonding Kit, which can tackle stress and anxiety by working alongside the brains natural messengers. This kit provides wipes and a spray. You can spray a small amount around the room and use the wipes on your hands before handling. You can also use the wipes around the cage and claims to be safe to use on parts of their body, such as their chest and behind their neck.
