Do you want to buy a hamster, you and your children want to keep a hamster, but you wonder if it is the right choice for a pet.
Will the hamster be able to understand you, will you be able to connect with him?
No, hamsters do not understand what you are saying to them, but they understand your tone and voice. Yes, you can connect with the hamster, although he does not understand what you are saying to him, through your actions he will know about your feelings towards him.
Hamsters will respond to you through their body language, and therefore you should also know their way of expressing feelings so that you can connect with them more easily.
In today’s article, you will find out whether and how hamsters can understand human language, whether they can understand human emotions, and similar questions related to today’s topic.
Does my hamster understand me when I speak to him?
No, hamsters cannot understand you when you speak to them. Hamsters cannot understand you, but they can understand your body language and the tone of your voice.
Your gestures make it easier for your hamster to understand what you want to say since he cannot understand the language you speak.
However, experts say that hamsters can understand some words if they are trained on certain words for enough time.
However, the hamster cannot fully understand you when you speak to him, so your voice and body language is the best way to communicate with your pet.
Does my hamster understand affection?
Yes, hamsters understand their owners’ affection for them.
In fact, the hamster enjoys it when someone shows him attention and affection, especially when it is from his loved ones, that is, from the owners.
Over time, the hamster grows and starts to love its owners and will show its love to them more and more.
Just be careful when the hamster gets your affection, that you do not betray him, that is, you should not force him to change his affection towards you.
If the hamster notices certain changes in your behavior, it will get angry and become aggressive or it may even be depressed.
That is why it is very important that your behavior towards him will always be the same, that is, as the hamster has already learned the way how you treat him.
So here are some ways to show affection to your hamster so that he can feel happy and know that you love him very much.
Living conditions
Provide the hamster with the best conditions in its cage, the better the conditions, the happier the hamster will be.
He should always have enough food and clean water as the basic things that your pet needs.
Pay attention to the position of the cage, to be precise, it should always be placed in the right place, so that it should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Always have enough ventilation in his cage, which means don’t cover him or in any other way reduce his ventilation and airflow.
The temperature in the room where you keep the cage with the hamster should be between 65-75F so that it can be comfortable and pleasant.
Because any temperature higher or lower can create health problems and danger of diseases.
The size of the cage
Hamsters need enough space to move and run around the cage, the cage should not be smaller than 2 square meters.
If you have two hamsters then you will need a much bigger cage so that they can feel comfortable and that fights and aggression do not occur between them.
When the hamster has a large enough cage it will be happy and have more space to explore and have enough activities like running on the wheel, climbing stairs, and going through tunnels.
Enough toys
Hamsters in the cage should always have a food bowl and a water bottle, but these are not the only things, there are also other accessories that they should have in the cage.
Hamsters are known to love to explore whether they are in nature or in a home cage.
The more fun and activities the hamsters have, the better it is for them, and the happier and more satisfied they will be.
So provide them with enough toys and props:
- running wheel
- climbing stairs
- tunnels
All these accessories are important for hamsters to be healthy and happy and to be able to move around the cage sufficiently.
They spend a few miles every night only on the running wheel which helps them to be in top shape and less likely to get sick.
Hamsters need a calm environment
Hamsters need a quiet environment where there are no other pets such as cats and dogs that can scare the hamsters.
Hamsters are very timid, they are mostly prey animals in nature and therefore they are very afraid.
They will not feel comfortable and happy if there are other pets or unfamiliar people near them.
Hamsters consider loud noise, TV, and other loud noises that can only disturb them and cause them stress and fear, which leads to the appearance of diseases.
How well do hamsters understand human emotions?
Hamsters cannot understand human emotions. Hamsters do not know when we are happy or sad, they do not know if we are angry, etc.
They can notice a certain change in your behavior, but they cannot know what it means, whether we are showing happiness or sadness.
Hamsters can pick up on changes in your body language and the way you speak to them specifically by your voice.
Can my hamster communicate with me?
Hamsters can communicate with humans using their body language and behavioral changes.
Hamsters cannot speak or understand people’s words, but they will tell you certain messages and feelings with their body language.
To know how to understand hamsters, it takes more time to learn their signs, that is, their behavior.
Does my hamster have feelings?
Yes, hamsters of course have feelings, you just need to know which sign on their body that shows. They have their own ways of showing when they are sad, cheerful and happy, nervous, etc.
The more you learn their way of expression, the easier it will be to know how the hamster feels in a certain situation.
When you understand his signs well, it will help you to know when he is sick, or when he is afraid of something in the environment.
So let’s read together some of their ways of behaving and showing emotions through their body language.
Grooming
When a hamster grooms itself and grooms itself, it is usually a sign that it is happy and satisfied.
This means that the hamster has the necessary things like food and water and therefore it is happy and grooming.
Digging through the bedding
If the hamster digs through the bedding, it means that it is looking for some food that it has previously stored or that it is happy and is making itself a shelter.
You can see this behavior of hamsters every day at any time of the day and it is completely normal.
His ears are upright
When the hamster’s ears are upright, it means that it is curious at that moment. The hamster then wants to see to understand what is happening around its environment and therefore straightens its ears.
When stretching
When you see your hamster stretching it means it is happy. He stretches his limbs and other body parts only if he is satisfied with his surroundings, which is certainly a good sign.
Mouth open and ears forward
This means that the hamster at that moment is afraid of something in its environment. It can be for many reasons, such as loud noise, another pet, or unknown people who scare him, and that’s why he shows it with his behavior.
Freezing
When you see that the hamster freezes in one place and does not move at all, then it means that there is some danger nearby.
Hamsters use this way to pretend to be dead to save themselves from predators, this especially helps them when they are in nature.
Hamster chattering with his teeth
When a hamster shows this reaction, it means that it is scared and getting ready to fight someone else in the environment.
The hamster is hiding
When hamsters hide, they may know that they are scared of something in their environment.
But the hiding of the hamster can also mean that it is injured or sick because then it is hiding so as not to show its current weakness.
Hamsters think that predators will attack them when they are injured or sick, so they persistently hide.
Squeaking
When the hamster squeaks then it can have several meanings, it can be a sign of aggression, or fear of the environment and it can be a signal to mate with other hamsters.
The hamster bit me
When the hamster bites you, it means that he is defending himself and that he is scared. This especially happens when you buy a hamster because it needs time to get used to you and the environment.
Will the hamster bond with me?
Yes, hamsters connect with people, it just takes a little time, that is, somewhere around 2-3 weeks.
This can be faster or slower depending on how much attention you give your pet.
When the hamster is brought to a new home, it takes some time to adapt to the new environment, but in any case, it connects with its owners.
Read more: 20 Signs of Hunger in Hamsters? Let’s Discover
How to bond with your hamster faster?
In order to be able to connect with your hamster faster, you need to pay attention to certain things and your relationship with the hamster will be on a higher level in a short time, that is, you will get closer to your pet.
Here are some ways to speed up that process of coming together and connecting.
Gain his trust
When you first buy a hamster he will be scared of the new environment and that is completely normal.
But your actions like giving them food, and letting them play outside the cage at least once a day will help them start to trust you.
The hamster will gradually feel the smell of your hand and will no longer be afraid because they have poor vision, the smell is the one that will tell them when you are coming towards them.
Do not make quick and sudden movements that will frighten the hamster, especially at the beginning, and speak to him in a low tone. All these first steps are important to gain your pet’s trust.
Play with the hamster
The more time you spend with your hamster, the faster you will strengthen the bond with your pet.
He will begin to look forward to your playing with him and will trust you more and more, which will eventually result in trust between you and the hamster.
When you play with him, give him some of his favorite food because all animals can win their hearts and love you the fastest through food.
Do not introduce him to other people at first
In the beginning, it is very important that you, as the owner, play with the hamster most of the time, give it food and water, and that it accepts and loves you through the smell.
If several people want to play with the hamster all the time, he will get to know new smells all the time through his hands and he will not be able to connect, he will be confused.
Read more: Are Hamsters Social Animals? All Answers You Need To Know
Conclusion
Hamsters cannot understand what we say to them, but they can feel it when we care about them. The more we take care of our hamsters, the more they will notice and feel happy and satisfied.
Hamsters show us their signs through their body language when they are happy when they are sad or sick and in similar situations.
It takes time to learn their body language, and of course, it takes time for the hamster to get used to you.
In any case, hamsters feel the love and care you offer them and they will reciprocate in kind through their body language.
Read more: Do Hamsters Get Bored In Their Cage? Let’s Find Out