Teddybear Hamster Behavior

Question
I have a male Teddybear hamster that is about 6 months old. He has been acting strange lately and I am not sure if this is normal behavior, but he gnaws on the bars of his cage,Shivers occasionally, Sleeps and eats a lot more than usual, and stares into space. Is this normal behavior???

Answer
Hi Hailey

I'm not sure if there is anything wrong with your hamster. A lot of hamsters gnaw their bars - their teeth grow continually and it is important that they are able to keep their teeth short. Therefore it is important to make sure he has plenty of things to chew - there should be some hard biscuits in his dry mix (if not you can give dog biscuits), you can also buy toys that are edible (snack shak) which are quite good.  It is worth checking his teeth every couple of weeks to make sure he hasn't broken one - sometimes this can happen if they keep chewing the bars, and in cases like this it is necessary to trim the other tooth so that they can eat properly otherwise the other teeth will overgrow and cause lots of problems.

The fact that he is sleeping a lot doesn't surprise me.  Some hamsters can become quite lazy when they are settled and it could just be this.  Also, male Syrians tend to sleep a lot more than females.  Also, the fact that he is eating well, again doesn't sound like there is much to worry about.  When a hamster is ill they tend to drink a lot and any increase in water consumption should be investigated.

I'm not sure about the shivering - usually if there is a problem the hamster will show other signs of ill health - i.e. they have a cold, look ill, sit hunched, eyes are runny etc.  

A lot of hamsters seem to stare into space for some strange reason.  I'm not sure it means anything as such.  Remember that their eyesight is incredibly poor and they rely very much on their sense of smell or hearing and it could just be that he is trying to focus on a sound.

Based on what you've said I wouldn't think there is anything wrong.  However, if you notice him not eating, drinking more, diarrhoea/constipation, looking dull, sitting hunched, or shivering a lot more then I would definitely be tempted to get him to a vet.  If you are worried at all, then a vet should be able to put your mind at rest. Hopefully he is fine and he is just settling into a routine now that he is adult.

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila