Do Hamsters Make Noise? 5 Things to Consider

Pets are now parts of almost all households. This is because people have realized the emotional stability and physical fitness that pets will help them achieve. Though you have several alternatives for pets now, several elements will guide your choice.

One of these is the noise level you expect from the pet. After all, you would not want to pick a pet that disturbs your neighbors or keeps you up at night because of its noise.

Most people settle for hamsters believing that they will not make as much noise because they are tiny animals. However, hamsters are quite noisy more so at night. The noise in this instance is often from the hamster wheel on which the hamster will spend most of its time.

Other than this, the most common noises that your hamster will make are squeaks, hisses, chirps and grinding of their teeth. These noises are quite common when the hamster is startled, frightened or agitated.

Below are some guidelines on noise in hamsters to help you understand these amiable little creatures.

Why do Hamsters Make a Lot of Noise at Night?

Hamsters are nocturnal, or more specifically, crepuscular animals. This means that they are most active in the evenings rather than during the day.

The behavior reflects their natural habitat in which they do most of their work at night to avoid the many predators to which they are prey.

In captivity, your hamster will still spend most of the day asleep then wake up in the evenings to work out on its exercise wheel, enjoy time playing in tunnels and eat. The nighttime noise should, however, not stop you from getting a pet hamster.

This is because you can minimize the distraction from the noise by placing the pet cage away from sleeping quarters or spending a lot of time exercising the hamster so that its energy is spent and it falls asleep quickly.

Why do Hamsters Chirp and Squeak?

A little chirping and squeaking might sound adorable and be nothing to worry about but could, in fact, be your hamster’s way of communicating something sinister to you.

Squeaking in a hamster could be an indirect response to being frightened when held by rough hands or being picked up roughly. In most cases, the squeaking will stop when the hamster is adequately tamed and has become used to being handled.

Your hamster might also squeak when it feels irritated or falls ill. Nonetheless, in most cases, hamsters will squeak when happy.

A high-pitched chirp from your hamster could sometimes indicate apprehension, more so when it is in a new environment. When you have two or more hamsters in the same cage, chirping might just mean that they are fighting for dominance.

While fighting among hamsters is normal, you should consider separating the animals into different cages if you notice signs of physical harm like bites.

Why do Hamsters Make a Clicking Noise?

You might have lately noticed a clicking sound much like a clock or sparkle bomb around your hamster cage. This comes from your hamster’s bruxing.

Bruxing is a rather strange habit that involves the constant rubbing of your pet’s upper and lower front teeth to generate a clicking sound. This is nothing to worry about because the sound indicates that your hamster is pleased or content.

Why do Hamsters Make a Hissing or Screaming Noise?

When your hamster hisses, it is usually uncomfortable with some of its living conditions. In most instances, hissing follows a hamster’s introduction into a new cage or the presence of another pet.

A hamster might also hiss when it finds its living environment cramped or is frightened by the presence of a toy in its cage. They will often climb the wire cage and try to escape.

In most cases, hamsters will scream at someone or something out of fear. A few hamsters who have been mistreated by their owners in the past through rough handling will also scream or even bite when someone handles them incorrectly.

Though hamsters often run away when confronted, they might sometimes fight and let out a scream in the process. Screaming is also a typical sign of pain in hamsters.

Why do Hamsters Make a Sneezing or Coughing Noise?

Hamsters will cough or sneeze for much the same reasons as humans. These include:

• Exposure to irritants like annoying smells, pollen or dust.
• Hamsters might be allergic to certain smells, chemicals and foods.
• Common cold.

Any degree of sneezing or coughing in your hamster will need immediate attention from a veterinarian. This is because it could be a sign of a serious health condition.

Do Hamsters Make any Noise When Breeding?

Yes, hamsters do make some noise during their breeding seasons. In general, the noise at this time is less than in other instances. It has been described as a squeak, often by the female calling out to the male to mate.

The male will sometimes squeak in response to the female’s mating call as it looks for a way to get to the female. The male should be taken at this time to the female hamster’s cage and the mating closely supervised. The supervision guarantees that the female hamster does not attack the male after mating.

Conclusion

When you are well-versed with what your hamster is trying to tell you using different sounds, you can enjoy an amicable relationship with it. Even so, remember that hamsters, like humans, are unique.

As such, what a sound means in one hamster might not be the same in another. The above tidbits are general guidelines on what specific sounds mean in most hamsters. However, spend time with your pet to understand what it wants to communicate with different sounds.

Though they are not renowned as the quietest among pets, hamsters are not the noisiest pets either. They are just sending a message through noises because they cannot vocalize like parrots and humans.

Learn to interpret the sounds from your hamster because they reveal your pet’s mood, needs and health. When you can correctly interpret the sounds, your hamster will undoubtedly be closer to you.