Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 06:29 pm
Hamsters are active and run and play all the time, but sometimes they get bored.
Hamsters are mostly alone in cages, and if they don’t have enough entertainment and toys, they will get bored.
They are active at night when they enjoy eating and using their hiding places, exercise wheel, and tunnels to keep them occupied and not bored.
Of course, we, the owners, have an obligation to play with them, which will show them how much they mean to us and of course make our little furry friends happy.
All of these things affect a hamster’s overall life in a cage and help keep them from getting bored.
If hamsters don’t have enough fun they will get stressed which is not good for their health at all, because stress leads to diseases in our little friends.
If they don’t have enough fun, they will bite the bars of the cage and try to escape, because they won’t have enough activities.
Do hamsters get bored in their cage?
Yes, hamsters sometimes get bored in their cage when they don’t have enough activities.
Hamsters are not really as smart as some other animals like guinea pigs and mice, but they are still smart enough to know when something is boring.
The cage is still a closed environment and can cause boredom in hamsters if they do not have enough entertainment and activities.
Especially Syrian hamsters require more attention and opportunities for entertainment, you should provide them with as many objects and toys as you can so that they do not get bored.
All hamsters like a big cage and lots of toys so they don’t feel trapped in their cage and have something to do all the time.
After all, hamsters that are in a cage spend their whole life in it, and therefore, in addition to food and water, objects and toys are their way of entertainment and daily living.
If the hamster does not have enough props, it will become nervous, stressed, and bored.
What are the signs when a hamster is bored in its cage?
Hamsters show emotions when they are happy and when they are sad, for example, hamsters who have a rich enough environment to play are happy, while those who do not have as many activities and opportunities are sad and bored.
If we do not pay attention to whether the hamsters have the necessary objects and toys, they will show the following signs of boredom:
- too much grooming
- eating too much
- nervously pacing back and forth in the cage
- biting the bars of the cage
- monkey barring
- they will spend most of their time sleeping
- they will try to escape all the time
- lethargy
All these signs mean that the hamster is bored in its cage and that we need to do something to enrich its life in the cage.
What to do so that the hamsters in the cage are not bored?
When the hamster is happy, it is a sign that he likes his environment and has enough fun and activities that fulfill him and help him to be healthier and live a longer life.
When a hamster is bored it can get sick from nervousness and stress and die sooner.
So here are some things you should do to improve the lives of the hamster in its cage and certainly not to be bored.
An exercise wheel is the most important
The exercise wheel is the main item in the hamster cage that every hamster should have.
The hamsters run on it every night for 5-6 miles, which helps to keep them from getting bored, to have more fitness, and of course to be healthier.
Running is a natural way of life for hamsters who constantly run in the wild, so the wheel is a major factor when living in a cage.
Hamsters will spend several hours every night running on it so they won’t get bored.
When they get tired, hamsters will look for additional activities for fun and play, but the wheel is the main toy for hamsters.
The exercise wheel must be large enough so that there are no problems with the hamster’s back since they will spend several hours each day on it.
Hamsters can like the exercise wheel so much that they sometimes know how to use it to sleep on it.
A large cage
In order not to get bored, hamsters need to have enough space in the cage.
1000 cm2 is recommended for Syrian hamsters, while 800 cm2 is needed for dwarf hamsters. The bigger the cage, the hamster will have more space to run and play and not get bored.
A large cage along with toys, hiding places, and an exercise wheel is a great way to keep your pet from getting bored.
Hamsters should have tubes in their cages
Tubes, like the exercise wheel, are inevitable decor in the hamster’s cage, if you don’t want them to get bored.
The tubes help the hamsters to have enough occupation and feel similar to being in nature. Instead of sniffing and tunneling in nature, hamsters will do the same in their cage tubes.
The tubes should be large enough and wide enough for the hamsters to enter and exit them without problem or jamming, as well as have adequate ventilation.
The tubes need to be changed at certain times or their arrangement and placed in the cage to make it more interesting for the hamsters and of course not to get bored.
This must be done because after a certain time the hamsters will remember their arrangement and it will become boring to them, so change the order and place of the tubes from time to time.
The tubes, besides enriching the life of the hamster and making it not boring, also help them to store food and sleep in them as protection from predators.
Read more: Why Hamsters Love to Sleep in Tubes? Let’s Discover
Hiding and climbing objects
The more objects there are in the cage of the hamsters, the more they will have something to do and not be bored.
Hamsters enjoy climbing various obstacles and ladders which keep them entertained and you can be sure that they will not get bored.
Buy props, ladders, and other items that will enrich their daily life in the cage.
They especially like to climb up and down stairs or climb down frames and similar objects.
This activity is great for the mood of the hamsters, they will not be bored and they will not climb the bars of the cage monkey barring.
You only need to make sure that their bedding is always deeper or at least 6 inches so that they don’t get hurt if they fall while using such items.
Toys to keep hamsters from getting bored
So that the hamsters don’t get bored, you need to change their place once a week.
Another thing to do is to provide enough chew toys to help keep hamsters from getting bored, while also helping to reduce their ever-growing teeth.
The more toys they have for their teeth, the fewer hamsters will bite the bars of their cage. The less they bite the bars, the less likely they are to break or damage their teeth.
Pet stores have a wide selection of wooden and plastic toys that are great for chewing and entertaining your pet.
You can also add some accessories like paper or cardboard that your pets can use and it will be even more fun and certainly less boring.
Read more: Can I Let My Hamster Run Around My Room? Find Out Now
Finding food is fun for hamsters
So that the hamsters don’t get bored, you should give them some surprises with the food.
Sometimes spread food all over the cage for them to have something to do, that is, to search and collect the food.
With the help of their senses, they will find the food there is no doubt, but it will be fun for them and they will not be bored.
They will enjoy filling the pouches in their cheeks and then carrying them for storage in the bedding, tubes, or other places in the cage.
This fun game with food is very interesting for hamsters because they will behave like when they are in nature and when they search for and store food.
Free roaming so the hamsters don’t get bored
One of the most desired activities of hamsters is of course if you give them free roaming. Free roaming is when you let your hamsters out of the cage to run and play around your room.
Hamsters will be very happy if you let them out of the cage, and most of all make sure that they will not be bored.
You can allow the hamsters free roaming once a day for about 30 minutes so they can run and play with you or alone in your room.
Just be careful when you let them into your room that there are no other pets and make sure that the hamster doesn’t escape somewhere because then it will be difficult for you to get it back.
Hamsters are very resourceful and they will explore and look for a way to escape the room.
A ball
A hamster ball is a good solution to allow your hamster to have more activity and not get bored.
The advantage of the hamster ball is that the hamster will not be able to escape if you let it around your room.
Just make sure it doesn’t go somewhere where it can fall with the ball and get hurt.
Make sure that the ball has enough ventilation and air holes, and get a lighter ball so that the hamster is not too warm inside.
The hamster ball should be used occasionally as a solution so that it does not get bored, although it is not the best solution, because when it is in a ball you cannot communicate with your pet.
Play with the hamster
In order for the hamster to not be bored, we as owners need to play and communicate with our pets.
It is necessary to take your pet once a day to play with it, petted it, and hold it in your arms.
When you play with your hamster, it will be happier and less boring, so practice spending some time with your pet.
Read more: What is Monkey Barring in Hamsters? And How To Stop Them
Conclusion
Hamsters that we keep in a cage after a certain time can become bored, which can cause nervousness and stress in them, which leads to the appearance of diseases.
So that they don’t get bored, we need to constantly enrich their lives in the cage with new activities, toys, and objects.
Hamsters especially love having an exercise wheel that keeps them occupied and entertained all evening long.
Free roaming is another activity that will help the hamsters not to get annoyed and bored.
Finally, hamsters love new things, activities, toys, and anything that can help them be happy and satisfied and certainly not bored in their cage.
