Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 06:30 pm
Hamsters can often be unpredictable in their actions and do things contrary to what we think. For example, instead of sleeping in their bed, they use other places to sleep like the exercise wheel.
We immediately wonder why hamsters make such changes, and what is the reason for their thinking.
Why does my hamster no longer want to sleep in its bed?
Hamsters do not sleep in their bed because they may not like the design, size, or material of their bed. Sometimes hamsters may not want to sleep in their bed if they don’t feel safe enough, or they may simply want to sleep somewhere else.
In today’s article, you will find out why hamsters do not sleep in their bed, why they sometimes use it for another purpose and their thoughts about sleeping on other surfaces.
Why does my hamster no longer want to sleep in its bed?
Hamsters sometimes change where they want to sleep and may refuse to sleep in their bed. In order for them to sleep in their bed, they should have similar characteristics as they would in nature.
The greater the similarity, the more the hamsters will want to use the bed to sleep and will not look for another place in the cage.
So let’s read about several reasons that can play a significant role in whether hamsters will use or avoid their bed and look for another suitable place that best suits their needs.
Bed size
Although we may think that the hamster’s bed is beautiful, they still see a bed in another different way. Hamsters want their bed to be comfortable and safe to sleep in.
They want more space or enough space to make a nest with their bedding and to be able to store food so it can always be close to them.
Hamsters think differently and they think about food and safety all the time because that is their nature of behavior and survival instinct.
Apart from that, they want the bed to be comfortable and large enough, to be a perfect hiding place from predators so that they can sleep peacefully.
Too much light around the bed
Hamsters do not like too much light around their bed. They like dim light the most, so they are mostly active at dawn and dusk.
If their bed or hiding place is exposed to light they will not want to sleep there and therefore they avoid the bed and will look for another place to sleep, such as in the tubes in the cage where it is darker.
When they are in the wild, hamsters spend most of their lives in holes, where they eat and sleep, and therefore a dark place is their obvious choice.
Rough bedding
Hamsters will not like their bed if the bedding is rough or too low, they want deeper bedding. Hamsters want their bed to be both comfortable and deep enough for them to be safe and easy to dig deep into.
It is best to use soft paper-based bedding for the hamster’s bed, while pine and cedar bedding should be avoided.
When the bedding is not comfortable for the hamsters they will not want to use it for sleeping, they may also choose the exercise wheel as their bed.
The most important thing is that the bedding for the bed is soft and deep, so then the hamster will enjoy his sleep.
Insufficient ventilation
Hamsters need sufficient ventilation and airflow.
Indeed, they are used to breathing in tunnels and hiding places, but they still need to have normal ventilation so that the odors from the level of peeing and pooping can come out more easily since they use their beds for such a purpose.
Better ventilation allows them to have a better temperature in their bed so that they are not too hot in the summer.
And if you buy them a bed such as a plastic hiding place, they may not be good enough with one small opening and insufficient ventilation, which the hamster will immediately notice and avoid sleeping in the bed.
He will then look for an alternative to other places where he will feel more comfortable and have better airflow.
Predators and noise
If you bring other pets into your home, the hamster may simply feel threatened by predators and they will no longer want to sleep in the bed, they will look for another bed to be safer.
If there is too much noise around his bed it will annoy him and he will refuse to sleep in it.
The hamster will find a bed that will provide the best isolation from sounds and noise in one of the tubes in the cage.
Hamsters can repurpose the bed for another purpose
Hamsters do not like to sleep in their bed because they sometimes know how to repurpose it for other things.
They may use their bed to store food or a litter box.
Therefore, let’s read in detail about such purposes of the hamster bed.
Food storage
Hamsters constantly store food because they have a natural instinct to always have food reserves, that’s how nature taught them, although in reality there is no need for such food storage in a cage.
They will stuff their cheeks with food and store it near the bed or in the bed itself.
Sometimes they may move their sleeping place and fill the bed with supplies and food storage, it is individual for each hamster, and we cannot know in advance what your pet may do.
The hamster does as he thinks is best, although his safety and having a sufficient amount of food is always in the first place.
Toilet
Hamsters poop everywhere and they can use their bed for that purpose and sleep somewhere else.
It is best if the hamsters use the toilet in the corner of the cage, but this is not always possible, because they will poop wherever they get to.
You can also train your hamster to use the toilet in the corner of the cage, but for that, you need more time and the question is whether you will succeed in getting your pet used to it, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
However, hamsters will use the bed as a toilet if they think it’s convenient for them, and you probably won’t be able to stop them from this habit.
Hamsters can change their waste location and it does not necessarily mean that the bed will always be the place to poop.
What to do so that hamsters do not repurpose the bed?
It is a little more difficult to change the opinion of hamsters because when they set their mind to something, they will do it, but it is still not impossible.
You just need more patience to get your hamster not to use the storage bed or anything else.
To succeed you will need to provide them with a really great bed that they will not be able to refuse and will be happy to sleep in.
Here’s what to do to succeed.
Less food storage
In order for the hamster not to be able to use the sleeping bed to keep and store food, you will need to give it less food, thus there will not be large enough amounts to store in the bed.
Just be careful not to let the hamster starve, because that would not be good at all, certainly not the goal you want to achieve by reducing the amount of food.
In addition, you will enable the hamsters not to eat food that has started to spoil and they will not be in danger of insects, cockroaches, and other bugs in the cage.
Wherever food has been stored, clean the area and put new and soft bedding.
Make him another toilet
When hamsters use their bed as a toilet then you need to add another bed.
First, remove the bed that he uses as a toilet, thoroughly clean the place and put new bedding in the same place, be careful not to leave odors from his waste that attract the hamster.
Then put a new bed or hiding place where you think it would be comfortable for the hamster.
So that he does not use the new bed as a toilet, find a place where his new toilet will be and put some of the soiled bedding that was previously his toilet.
The smell will attract the hamster to use the new toilet, and hopefully this time the bed will be for him to sleep in, separate from his toilet.
Read more: Why Hamsters Love to Sleep in Tubes? Let’s Discover
How to provide a great bed for hamsters?
Hamsters know very well what they like especially when it comes to their bed.
To provide a comfortable bed for hamsters, you should make sure that it is large enough, has soft and deep bedding, and has normal ventilation.
Here are some ideas for a comfortable bed that hamsters will not be able to resist.
Read more: Why Your Hamster Is Sleeping On Their Wheel? Let’s Discover
The comfort of the bed
In order for the hamsters’ bed to be comfortable, it should remind them of nature.
Therefore, the bed of the hamsters should be deep enough with soft bedding, be close to food and water, and be a little far from the toilet.
When hamsters are close to food they feel more secure and will not be nervous.
The light in the bed should not be too direct, it is best to be less bright so that the hamster can feel safe.
It is desirable that the bed of the hamsters has two openings for entry and exit, so that again they will feel safer and will always have a place to exit and escape from predators, although they do not need this in a cage.
Read more: How To Change A Hamster’s Sleep Schedule? Let’s Find Out
You can buy or make a bed yourself
Initially, you can buy a hamster bed from a pet store, which is usually made of wood or some other natural material that is not dangerous for hamsters to chew on.
If you decide to buy a bed, look for one without a bottom so that you can put it on top of the bedding, which the hamster will like even more, because it will be able to bury itself in the bedding, which will provide it with greater security.
Bottomless beds are easier to check for hamsters by easily lifting the bed.
If you are not able to buy a bed, you can make it yourself at home from an overturned basket or a cardboard box, just make an entrance and exit on the box and your hamster bed is ready.
The most important thing is that there are no toxic materials on the bed that could harm your pet, such as glue or something similar.
Read more: Why Is My Hamster Sleep More Then Usual? (Find Out Now)
Conclusion
Hamsters sometimes don’t want to sleep in their bed anymore due to various reasons such as discomfort, too little bedding, too much light or they simply want to sleep somewhere else.
Hamsters know how to use the bed to store food or to use it as a toilet.
They may sleep in the bed for a while and suddenly they don’t like it anymore and start sleeping in the play tubes or on the exercise wheel.
To prevent this from happening, they should always have a comfortable bed with plenty of bedding and a place similar to their sleeping place when they are in nature.
Their bed should be safe and with less direct light for them to feel comfortable and secure.
