14 Signs a Hamster is Hungry
The signs that your hamster is hungry are no different from those of other animals, here is the list of behaviors and indicators that your hamster is hungry and the daily rations of food you give him are insufficient:
1- A hungry hamster will eat on the spot
When you give food to your hamster and it will immediately start eating on the spot instead of filling its cheeks first, know that this is a sign that the hamster is too hungry.
This is not a sure sign of hunger, but a hamster that is not hungry tends to put what you offer him in his cheeks and ask for more treats or seeds.
Showing such eagerness to eat is a sign that the hamster has no food supply and is indeed very hungry!
2- A hungry hamster will not stockpile food
Generally, hamsters stock up on food, in a room or several in their burrow if they live in the wild and in their nest when they are in their cage.
If you clean your hamster’s cage and you don’t find a stock of food in his nest, you should know that your hamster is not eating enough and that his food ration should be increased.
3-You’ll know your hamster is hungry if it loses weight
If your hamster is hungry all the time for one reason or another, it will start to lose weight, in this case you need to increase its food ration or because its food is not varied ( lack of protein or minerals…)
The lack of weight can also cause a disease such as intestinal obstruction, or just stress because even if you give food to your hamster he will not come out of his nest to eat because of the stress and the feeling of insecurity in his cage!
4-A hamster that is hungry will be seen more often in the daytime
In fact, the hamster wakes up during the day several times but when he has a stock of food in his nest, he will not go out in his cage and you will not see him very often during the day.
If your hamster goes out during the day, goes back and forth in his cage and rummages in his litter box, you should know that he is hungry and does not have a food supply.
5-Your hamster will be less active
When a hamster is hungry, it will have less energy to expend. You’ll notice that he doesn’t climb on his wheel very often, and he won’t inspect every corner of his cage.
The only activity that keeps him busy is digging in his litter box and looking for something to quench his hunger.
6-Your hamster will run to your hand every time you put it in the cage
Your hamster will show more interest in your hand as soon as you get close to his cage and he will quickly come and inspect your hand when you bring it close to his cage to see if there is anything to eat in it!
If your hamster starts sniffing your fingers, biting you if he feels food, then disappearing faster than he appeared to go digging elsewhere, know that he is hungry and he is disappointed that you did not bring him something to eat!
7-A hamster that lacks food will often try to escape from its cage
In extreme cases, hamsters that don’t get enough food may make more attempts to escape from their cages. They will actually go looking for food elsewhere in the house.
Be aware that hamsters also escape from their cages because the cages are often too small (less than 1000 square inches) for these types of animals.
8-You’ll notice him scavenging his litter box more often
One of the signs that a hamster is hungry and doesn’t have enough to eat is when he spends most of his time rummaging in his cage and turning over his litter box and completely abandoning other activities like sand baths, the wheel, toys except for chew toys…
9-It may show more aggression than usual
If your hamster is hungry and this is repeated over a long period of time, be aware that your hamster will blame you for its lack of food and may become aggressive towards you.
A hungry hamster can easily start biting your fingers, especially if it smells food.
A hungry hamster may growl, stand on its hind legs and show its teeth.
10- A hungry hamster will walk all over its cage
You’ll know your hamster is hungry if he spends more time chewing on the cage, decorations, toys and chew toys. All the decorations will have traces of his incisors, even the plastic objects.
Also expect him to develop bar biting behavior.
11- Hamsters will fight each other
If you have two or more hamsters in the same cage and they lack food because their ration is insufficient or one of them stores all the food and leaves the other without eating, know that your hamsters will often fight for a seed, a piece of vegetable … etc
12- Temporary curiosity
If your hamster is hungry all the time, he will also show his curiosity towards you, your hands just when you arrive in front of his cage.
Once he sees that you don’t have any food in your hands, he will quickly move away from you and go back to rummaging elsewhere.
13- A hungry hamster will eat more hay and litter
If your hamster is hungry and you don’t give him enough food, he will eat more hay even if it has almost no nutritional value for him (just for the fiber).
But since the hamster is hungry and there is only hay in his cage, he will eat it, he will do the same with the litter in the most desperate cases.
14- A hungry hamster will squeak
Hamsters may squeak for other reasons such as to show anger or when they feel pain or fear.
Hamsters will also squeak when they are hungry and can’t find anything to eat or what’s left in their cage is not to their liking.
So when you hear your hamster squeaking, it is sure to be hungry or craving a treat that it is used to having.
Frequently asked questions
How to prevent your hamster from running out of food?
A hamster needs at least 10% to 15% of its own body weight in daily food.
Hamsters need about two tablespoons of dry food per day for Syrians and lactating females
And one tablespoon of dry food (cereals, seeds and dried vegetables, pellets, etc.) for dwarf hamsters.
You will also have to give them an excellent balanced food, which will also contain fresh food, proteins, dry herbs …etc.
Do I have to refill my hamster’s food bowl every time it gets empty?
You will surely say to yourself that you have to do that otherwise your hamster will starve!
No, you should only give food to your hamster once every 24 hours at least, even 36 or 48 hours if your hamster is old and does not eat too often.
You should know that even when your hamster’s bowl is empty, his nest is surely full of food.
how long does it take for a hamster to starve ?
Axolotls can go up to 3 days without food, and even a little longer if the hamster is healthy and has some fat reserves.
In the wild, a hamster that is hungry and can’t find any food will go into torpor and hibernation and may stay alive for a week by slowing down its metabolism until it can find food.
Hamsters in captivity do not know how to hibernate and are never ready, so avoid putting them in this situation of lack of water, food or exposing them to very low temperatures.
I give my hamster a lot of food but he is always hungry?
When your hamster is getting thinner and shows signs of hunger even though his bowl is always full, you should know that he is either sick or that his food is not well balanced!
You have to remix the seeds of your hamster and remove all the seeds he doesn’t like
Give protein food like cooked egg white or yolk, worms, dried meat …
Your hamster can also die of hunger if it has digestion or teeth problems.
