Hamster energy

Question
I had my hamster for about a year now and recently seen a change in his behavior. Usually he sleeps through the day and eat and run on his wheel at night, but lately he eats and sleep through the day and night and will not get on his wheel. The only time I ever see him run now is when I take him out and put him in his ball. He eats and drink fine and is the only one I have. Is there something wrong with this change of behavior or is he just sick of running?

Answer
Hamsters are funny little creatures. With rodents of any kind it is hard to tell what is normal vs being sick. The rule of thumb is that if they  are eating, drinking, and using the bathroom as normal then it is just a phase. You may want to look into some of these things that may make him less active due to changes he doesn't like.

-changes in bedding that he doesn't like

-changes in in his cage. If you have moved or changed something that makes him not wish to play.

-changes in a new pet? Do you have another that maybe his not liking or feeling left out because of

-changes in his food

Any of this things can make him be upset or less active. The other reason may be his weight. Does he seem to be gaining a lot of wait? This will definitely cause him to be lazy. Make sure he isn't getting too many treats or food high in calories. Make sure to stay away from sweets and your hamster should have a tbsp of food daily along with fresh fruit, veggies, and protein enriched food that you alternate. I included two websites that give great list for foods that are good/bad for hamsters and their daily value for you to look at. I hope that this helps and if you feel that he gets worse or stops eating/drinking them immediately take him to vet. Thank you.


http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUniversity/FoodList.html

http://www.hamsterific.com/Nutrition.cfm