How to calm down a stressed hamster? As you all know a hamster is a small and cute animal that has to be nurtured with great care. Hamsters get stressed by very small things, due to which their behavior changes. Being a pet owner, it becomes your responsibility to keep them away from stress and feed them good food so that their health remains good. There are many reasons for stress, which we will read in the article below, so that you can find out why your hamster is stressed and for what reason. Many animals try to hide so that they cannot interact with people, then you will see some different symptoms in your hamster from which you can know that it is suffering from stress such as hiding, not eating, hair loss, And so on. Here’s everything you need to know to understand, identify and relieve hamsters’ stress.
How to calm down a stressed hamster?
– Give your hamster some time.
Sometimes, when your hamster is stressed or scared, it just needs a little space. In such cases, even attempting to calm your hamster down can make the situation worse. Instead, you should leave it alone so that it can calm down on its own. It may just need some time to adjust to the new visitor, the smell, or the situation. All hamsters calm down on their own time, so do not rush otherwise, you can make things worse, due to which the hamster may become more aggressive.
– Be calm and gentle when handling the hamster.
Whenever you handle an animal, try to remain calm otherwise it may bite you. Your hamster can read your feelings, especially when you are touching him. Handle it gently to avoid frightening or hurting under pressure. Never handle your hamster when you are angry or find yourself under stress because you may encourage your hamster to share those feelings. Always handle the hamster only when you want to play or roam with him so that a good relationship between the two of you remains.
– Keep your hamster out of the cage more.
Keep your hamster out of the cage as much as possible so that he can move freely. How happy would you be if you were living in a small room and never had to leave it? Maybe not very happy. Well, this is essentially the situation your hamster is living in. Its whole world is a small circle that you have given to it. If it spends too much time there, it is going to become irritable and stressed.
– Keep your hamster away from loud noise.
Hamsters are naturally timid and wary. In the wild, they have to be on constant alert in case a predator suddenly appears. As such, they are constantly on the lookout for any danger signal. Loud noises can represent dangers to a hamster’s mind, increasing their overall stress level. If there is a lot of noise in your house, then it is possible that your hamster will always be under stress so, try to move your hamster to a quieter area of the house that doesn’t see much traffic so it can have a more peaceful existence.
– Be careful when introducing new people.
As you all know that there is a lot of stress when meeting any unknown person, so in the same way, the hamster is also not comfortable meeting anyone, due to which his behavior changes. Make sure you are very careful and methodical when introducing your hamster to new people and animals, take your time to prevent any accidents from happening.
– Establish a routine.
For hamsters who are prone to anxiety, a daily routine can help keep them calm by repeating everything in such a way that the hamster gets used to it and is comfortable. This includes things like planning daily exercise at the same time every day or eating at consistent times. Try to put a good routine in the hamster so that he eats and sleeps on time, which will directly affect his health. The hamster’s bedtime should be at the same time each night, not the ever-changing light cycles that may prevent your hamster from adopting a specific sleep routine.
– Massage your pet.
As you probably know, a massage will relax and calm even the most anxious human beings – did you know it works wonders with hamsters too?! Anxiety often causes muscle tension and massage therapy is one way to reduce stress. Start at the neck and work your way down with long strokes. Try placing one hand on the hamster while the other acts as a massage. Over time you may even be able to identify where your hamsters put their stress and work on just that one particular area.
– Music therapy.
Music therapy has been proven to be beneficial for both humans, as well as our cute hammy friends. The power of music can be calming and relaxing while you’re home, in the car, or away from your pet. Music can also alleviate noise sensitivity by blocking the street or scary noises that bothersome hamsters and create anxiety.
Symptoms of Anxiety in a Hamster-
- Hiding– A hamster that refuses to come out of hiding is showing you that they are afraid. They feel that something dangerous awaits them outside their safe place. The hamster may occasionally stick its head out to get to a different vantage point and see if the danger has passed.
- Aggressive– Hair loss in a hamster can indicate stress, so you should keep an eye on whether the amount of hair loss is decreasing or increasing. In some cases, a stressed hamster will pull out its hair, creating bald spots on its skin. First make sure that if the hamster is suffering from chronic stress, the hamster will lose its fur or appear more oily hair.
- Constipation– Stress can cause the hamster to become constipated, which can change its behavior and make it struggle to defecate. Do not let constipation remain for more than 1 day otherwise, it may cause more problems.
- Not eating or drinking-If the hamster is under stress, it will stop eating and drinking at that time, which is not much to worry about, but if it is more than 1 day then you should take it to the veterinary hospital immediately.
- Breathing heavily-If you ever notice your hamster gasping for air, make sure you give him a rest. Normally, when a hamster is under stress, it becomes short of breath and has trouble breathing. Then you take the hamster to fresh air and leave it on the ground.
- Not moving-Hamsters that are very frightened may exhibit classic deer-in-the-head behavior in headlights. Instead of running to hide, they will freeze. Some hamsters can even level themselves on the ground. In severe cases, this can shock hamsters and cause them to become unresponsive.
Causes of hamsters’ stress-
Loud noise-
Loud noises are a common cause of stress in hamsters because they have very sensitive hearing which can cause problems. Any type of loud noise is not good for the hamster such as television, loud music, radio, thunderstorm, etc. If you live in a traffic place, then try to keep the hamster in a room where there is not much noise.
Leaving hamster at home-
There are a variety of reasons why you have to leave your hamster at home alone for extended periods: new job, going back to work after the birth of a child, day trip out to go shopping, and so on, but for a hamster that is used having company at home may act out from separation anxiety.
Unfamiliar surroundings–
Whether it’s changing homes, rehoming a hamster after the loss of a loved one, or bringing a hamster home for the first time after adoption, new places can worry any hamster. You may see a hamster acting out (such as peeing or throwing up in the house). This creates problems especially at the time of adoption because everything is new for the hamster, which takes time for them to adjust.
Continuous changes-
While it’s nice to change and rearrange things or decorate differently, your pet probably isn’t a fan. When too much change is taking place it can put them under stress. The things he gets used to, then if that thing is removed, then the behavior of the hamster may change, which gives him stress.
Lack of space-
Due to lack of space, the hamster can also become stressed, such as if its cage is too small in which it cannot move around comfortably and it stays there all day, then obviously everyone can go into irritability and stress. Try to get a bigger cage for the hamster and keep him out of the cage as much as possible so he can move around.
Travel-
Occasional travel doesn’t cause much problems for the hamster, but if you’re constantly traveling then the hamster may get sick. The hamster will stop eating due to stress and will not be able to enjoy the trip as much as it does during normal days. If you have the option of keeping the hamster in the house, then prefer to keep it in the house so that the hamster will stay healthy.
Isolation-
Hamsters are very mischievous animals who like to play all day long. If you leave them alone at home or cannot play with them, then you can use toys to keep them busy. There are many ways to keep a hamster busy that you can use.
My hamster is stressed after a vet visit.
No pet enjoys going to the vet. It will be painful, and there will be a lot of intrusive provocations and blows. The worst part is that the hamster will not understand what is happening. Do not constantly take your hamster to the veterinary hospital, as much as possible take care of it at home and feed it healthy food. Constantly interacting with the doctor can make the hamster irritable and stressed. There are several ways that will help your hamster cope with stress, such as playing with the owner or toys, exercising, and eating a healthy diet.
My hamster is Stressed Because I Got Another hamster.
You also need to make sure you have enough space for two pets. Forcing two hamsters into a small hutch will stress both. They will probably take this concern out on each other. Hamsters love company, especially of their kind. This does not mean that a new pet will not cause stress. Unless two hamsters are tied, they will be rivals. Introduce the animal slowly and steadily, and watch for signs of jealousy. If you want to have two pets in your family, then check the behavior of the first hamster so that you can know whether he will be able to adjust or not.
When do you need to get help?
If your hamster hasn’t eaten anything for more than 10 hours, it should be taken to the vet immediately. You can tempt them to eat a piece of their favorite dish, or some delicious leafy greens to taste. Sometimes it may seem that the hamster is not eating when in reality you have not noticed the munching. However, if they don’t eat their favorites, you can be sure that something is wrong.
As long as your hamster is alert, and is eating and defecating, the situation is not too dangerous. Your hamster will recover over time and get some rest from you. However, if the hamster becomes unresponsive or refuses to eat, you will need to seek emergency attention.
