20 Signs of Hunger in Hamsters? Let’s Discover

Hamsters need to eat and drink water regularly to get the nutrients that help them stay healthy and live longer.

If hamsters do not eat enough it is not good for their health and they can get diseases and health problems.

That’s why all of us who keep hamsters should make sure that they always have enough food and water in their cage.

In today’s article, you will find out what are the signs when your hamster is hungry, how often we should feed them, and other questions related to the topic.

What Are the Signs of Hunger in Hamsters?

The main signs that hamsters are hungry are when they run towards you when you approach their cage, become lethargic, eat leftovers of food around the cage, and eat the bedding.

When hamsters are hungry they may even start eating each other, which can happen if they have no other choice.

When hamsters are hungry, they bite the bars of the cage because they are nervous and become very aggressive, which is not good at all because it causes stress and the danger of worsening their health.

20 signs why hamsters are hungry

Hamsters don’t need to be hungry, so you need to know all the possible signs when your pet is hungry so you can react immediately and give them food.

Insufficient physical activity

When hamsters are hungry they do not have enough energy and therefore they stop or reduce running and playing in the cage.

When hamsters are hungry, they will not use the exercise wheel, they will not want to climb the frames in the cage, and they will avoid entering the tunnels and using the toys in the cage.

Hamsters never sit still, so if you notice that he is not active, give him food immediately, especially if this happens for a long time, because he may want to rest a little, but if he does not want to run and play for a long time, then he must be hungry.

If you give him food and he doesn’t want to eat, then it could possibly be a disease and you should take him to the vet.

Hamsters lose weight when they are hungry

When hamsters start to lose weight it means they are starving. This is especially true for larger hamsters like the Syrian, while small dwarf hamsters are harder to spot.

When hamsters starve, it only takes two days to notice that they lose weight.

If you suspect that the hamsters are losing weight, you need to weigh them every day and you will notice a difference in their weight.

in such situations, it is necessary to immediately increase their daily dose of food so that they can regain their weight and not starve.

They bite the bars of the cage

When hamsters are hungry, they will desperately try to eat and bite anything that is near them, such as the bars of the cage.

When they all the time bite the bars of the cage, it means that the hamster is too hungry and is trying in every way to get food.

If you notice that they are constantly biting the bars of the cage, give them food immediately because starvation can only cause them stress and make them sick.

Hamsters become lethargic when they are hungry

When hamsters are hungry, they don’t want to run and play because they don’t have enough energy.

Hamsters won’t use the exercise wheel when they’re hungry, and they won’t use other things like tunnels and explore the cage all the time.

When hamsters are lethargic they will constantly sit in one place with no interest in doing any activity, but after we give them food they will regain energy and start running and playing as they do every day.

They will not pick the food

If your hamster is hungry it will not choose the food it will eat everything.

When he has a choice, he will of course eat the food he likes the most, but when they are hungry, they will eat what they like the least.

After a few hours of starvation, hamsters, like any other animal, will eat any food without waiting for you to give them their favorite food.signs of hunger in hamsters

When hamsters are hungry they will not sleep enough

As we know, hamsters sleep during the day, and at night they start to explore the space and run on the exercise wheel, as well as other activities through the tunnels and hiding places.

But when a hamster is hungry it disrupts its regular sleep cycle and it will not want to sleep during the day.

If hamsters do not sleep during the day, it is not good for their health, because they will be exhausted and will not be able to run and play at night, and your pet may get sick.

When hamsters are hungry and do not sleep during the day, it is a sign that you need to add more food. Then when the hamsters are fed, they will normalize their sleep again and everything will be fine.

They groom less when they are hungry

Hamsters enjoy grooming and are therefore known for their hygiene.

But when the hamster is hungry, he will neglect this habit of his, because he will be more busy looking for food and will not groom himself.

If you notice that the hamster has stopped grooming then it is obviously hungry and needs more food.

When hamsters do not groom themselves, except that they may be hungry, it may also mean that maybe they have an illness and need to be taken to the vet.

They will eat any leftover food in the cage

When a hamster is hungry for several hours it will start looking for food all over the cage to satisfy its food needs.

He first eats the food that is stored in his cheek pouches, then he eats the food on the plate, and when there is nothing else to eat, he will look for food around the cage.

Hamsters always do this search for food when they are too hungry and have nothing to eat, they will desperately look for food.

When hamsters are hungry then they empty their cheek pouches

Hamsters are known for always hoarding food, whether they are in the wild or in a cage at home.

They always have excess food in their cheeks because they are afraid that they might go hungry.

When their cheek pouch is empty then it means your pet has eaten all the food it has stored and will run out of food.

If the hamsters have enough food on the plate or around the cage they will not starve.

If one or more times your hamster has been starving for long periods of time, he will collect even more food in his cheek pouches in the future because the bad experience will force him to do so.

They drink more water

When hamsters are hungry they may start drinking more water.

When they don’t have enough food they will drink water to feel full, although of course this is only short-term and the lack of food will be present again until we give them enough food.

When hamsters drink a lot of water it can also be a sign that they have a certain disease such as adrenal disease and must be taken to the vet.

Constantly Sniffing the Air

When hamsters are hungry, they will constantly sniff the air in search of food, because that is what they do when they are in nature and looking for food.

Their sense of smell is very good and when they are hungry they will try to find food by smelling the air.

When hamsters sniff the air, it can also be a sign that they do not have enough nutrients in their diet and it needs to be improved.

They eat the bedding

When hamsters are hungry, they don’t choose what to eat, so it can honestly happen that they start eating the bedding.

Whether the bedding is made of hay or aspen shavings, the hamster will not hesitate to eat it when it is hungry, although under normal conditions it would not do so.

If you notice that your pet is eating the bedding, then in the future, give him more food, because obviously,, the current amount is not enough for him.

When there is more food like pellets, vegetables, and fruit he will stop eating the bedding from the cage.

Not showing any interest

When hamsters are hungry they just sit by themselves without showing any interest in what is going on around their cage.

They are then hungry and do not want to communicate with anyone at all.

When hamsters have no interest in the environment, it is a combination of starvation and weakness, because when they are hungry they cannot be as active as when they are full and have enough energy.signs of hunger in hamsters

When the hamster is hungry, it also eats the toys in the cage

Hamsters have toys that serve to chew and reduce their ever-growing teeth, as well as to keep them interesting and fun in their home.

But sometimes hamsters can start uncontrollably biting all the toys in the cage when they are very hungry and do not have enough food.

They will then chew and try to eat the exercise wheel, tunnels, and hiding places in order to get to the food.

When the hamster is hungry, it squeaks loudly

Hamsters use squeaking when something is wrong in their cage or something bothers them, and it can also be a sign of hunger.

When your hamster is hungry, it will start squeaking constantly and loudly as a sign of revolt because it is hungry and needs more food to eat.

He will continue to squeak until he gets food or someone gives him something to eat, which of course we should not allow to happen.

Fighting other hamsters

When hamsters are hungry they may start fighting with other hamsters.

Usually, dwarf hamsters can live together in one cage, unlike Syrian hamsters, which are always best to live alone, but even this small breed of hamsters that gets along well with each other can start fighting because of hunger.

If two or more hamsters start fighting in their cage then it may be due to starvation.

When they are hungry they become nervous and stressed which will eventually result in them biting each other.

They become aggressive

If the hamster is hungry it may start to behave aggressively toward the owners or anyone else who wants to pet or hold them.

If you try to play with a hungry hamster he may start biting you as a sign of revolt and nervousness because he is hungry.

Even their look can be different from the look we are used to seeing when they are calm and fed.

Hungry hamsters will want to escape from the cage

When hamsters are hungry they will constantly want to escape from the cage.

They will start screaming and looking for a way to get out of the cage so that they can find food for themselves because they are very hungry.

When the hamster is hungry it will then desperately want to get out of the cage and try to find anything to eat outside of it.

If you let them into your room they will run everywhere and start biting everything in their way in order to find food.

When a hamster is hungry it will run toward you

When hamsters are hungry, as soon as they notice you approaching the cage, they will immediately run toward you.

They look forward to you bringing them food, so they will immediately go for your hand if you place it inside the cage.

They know that you always bring them food, so they immediately run to you, and they will do this whenever they are hungry.

Therefore, if you notice this reaction of the hamster, then you should know that there is not enough food or that you will need to increase its daily food dose.

They can start eating each other

When hamsters are hungry they may start eating each other as a reaction to starvation.

this kind of cannibalism between hamsters can be present in all breeds, but it comes to the fore when Syrian hamsters sit together with other breeds of hamsters that are smaller and weaker than them.

Usually, when hamsters eat each other, babies and weaker hamsters suffer first, they are the first to be hit when the hamsters are hungry.

Of course, this scenario is the worst and it is best that this kind of development does not occur at all, that is, the hamsters should have enough food and water.

How often should you feed your hamsters each day to keep them from getting hungry?

So that the hamster is not hungry, it is best to give them something to eat once a day.

This way you will teach them a certain timing for food, because if you give them constant food or several times a day they will not eat all the food, then they will store it in their cheeks or hide it in the bedding.

When they have too much food, it can spoil, especially if it is during fasting, so moderation or once a day is the best daily food routine.

How long can hamsters go without food?

It all depends on their age and their current state of health.

Young hamsters are stronger and can survive longer without food than older and sick hamsters.

But in general, hamsters can survive without food for about 3-4 days, but it is still best not to get into such an unwanted situation at all because without food they can get sick.

Read more: Why Is My Hamster Being So Lazy? Let’s Discover

How much food is enough for the hamster not to be hungry?

In order not to be hungry, the hamster should have enough food, or 1-2 tablespoons are quite enough for a day.

However, it depends on the size of the hamster, its age, and its health condition.

If the hamster is older, it will eat less, and one spoonful will be enough because it is not physically active like younger hamsters and does not use up as much energy.

Read more: Why Doesn’t My Hamster Like Me? Let’s Discover

Why are hamsters sometimes always hungry?

When you give hamsters a lot of food and they are constantly hungry, then the problem is in the choice of food.

If the hamster also shows signs of weight loss and eats enough food, then again the problem is in the food.

These signs show that their menu should be changed, you should add food with more protein so that there are enough nutrients in the diet.

That’s why a varied diet is the best for the health of hamsters and intake of all the necessary ingredients so that they are full and satisfied, you should give them pellets, seeds and vegetables, and fruits.

Read more: Is Digging Normal for Hamsters? Let’s Find Out

Conclusion

When hamsters are hungry, it can be noticed by the signs they show, such as aggression, biting the bars of the cage, lethargy, and many other reasons.

When hamsters are hungry, they are loud and make grumbling noises because they are hungry, and they may bite you because then they are more aggressive.

In extreme cases when hamsters are hungry they may turn to cannibalism or eat each other in the absence of food.

That’s why it’s best to avoid this kind of situation, so always provide your pet with enough food and water.

Read more: Why is My Hamster Bite the Water Bottle? Find Out Now