Hamsters don’t make a lot of noise, due to their size, when the room is noisy, you won’t be able to hear your hamster making a noise. However, being observant whenever your hamster squeaks or creates any form of noise is important.
In this article, we will explain the answer to the question “why is my hamster squeaking?”. We will discuss the reasons and solutions. In the end, you will know how to recognise a happy squeak from a distress call kind of squeak.
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WHY IS MY HAMSTER SQUEAKING
There are many reasons why a hamster starts squeaking. Often it’s a sign of distress and needs your urgent attention and help, sometimes, it’s a simple way to show they are happy.
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Want some attention
The simple explanation for why your hamster is squeaking is that they need your attention. It could be because they are hungry, angry, or just need a cuddle. It’s important that you attend to them to see what’s happening and that they are not hurt or in trouble.
Trapped
When a hamster is trapped, it might also squeak. This is often found in baby hamsters as it’s their way to call their mother. In adult hamsters, when they already trust you, it could be because they know there’s someone they can call out for help.
Hamsters who escaped from their cage often get trapped, not usually in a bad way but just because it’s their last resort to find their way home.
TIP: How to find an escaped hamster or why is my hamster not moving
Hurt or injured
Hamsters getting hurt is pretty common. There are many things or reasons that hamsters can injure. Often it’s simply the combination of their fast mobility and bad eyesight. However, commonly, it could be because of a bad toy. For example, if you have an inappropriate hamster wheel or you have a platform higher than 1.5 inches without a soft landing inside the platform.
If you didn’t see your hamster getting hurt but then heard them squeaking, you have to inspect right away what’s wrong. If your hamster is just lying down and won’t or can’t get up, it’s time to go to the vet. Not only an injury is the reason why your hamster is squeaking, stomach pain or general unwell feeling can be the culprit.
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Fighting with another hamster
If you have more than one hamster in a single cage and you are not asking why my hamster is squeaking, the biggest and most possible reason is that they are fighting one another.
This is super common to hamsters that live together. Hamsters are fine to share cages with their parents and siblings for up to six (6) weeks, after that, it’s important that you separate them. Hamsters are territorial, hence, making sure they have their own space is crucial.
If you hear your hamsters squeaking at each other even before the 6-week mark, you have to hurry and separate them. The more you wait, the higher the chance they will fight, hurt each other, or worse – it could be fatal.
Don’t like getting picked up
If you only had your hamster for less than two weeks, we don’t recommend you start holding them. You have to let your hamster settle down and get used to its new home. After that, you can start taming your hamster and introducing yourself or your scent safely.
If your hamster is squeaking every time you hold them, it’s a massive sign that they don’t enjoy what you are doing or the taming process is going too fast or not done properly. However, if your hamster still does this after you tamed them for a while now, you might have to face the hard truth that your hamster doesn’t enjoy being touched and it’s best to just let them live their happy, solitary life in their cage. This is common for the Dwarf Roborovski hamsters.
On the other hand, if your hamster is squeaking when you hold them but it has never happened before, it could be a sign that they are hurting. Perhaps you held them on their stomach or you tried to scoop them up where they had to use their legs – but this action is causing pain (leg injury, stomach injury).
In heat
Once in four days, hamsters are in heat (wow that’s so often!). During this time they can be impatient and really aggressive. Female Syrian hamsters, even produce a strong smell. When a hamster is in heat, they can get really defensive and irritated to the point that every time to try to get close to the cage to change bedding or refill the food bowl, they will squeak and try to attack you.
Happy
Does your hamster have a favourite treat? Perhaps dry mealworm? Every time I shake the meal worm’s packet, my hamster will come running to me and make a single squeak. Even though squeaking in hamsters is often a sign of stress, it could also be a sign of happiness.
You will see hamsters squeaking in happiness when playing, running on the wheel, about to get their treats, and then having a good night’s sleep.
FREQUENCY OF SQUEAK
One of the best ways to see if your hamster’s squeak is a sign of distress or happiness is when you observe how often or how frequent they make the noise.
For example, a continuous squeak, about 3-5 seconds apart can be a sign of trouble. A single squeak is a hamster’s way of saying they are happy.
Have you heard a bird squeak? When they do it too often and the intervals are too close to each other, you can easily say they are more like a cry for help.
HOW TO STOP MY HAMSTER FROM SQUEAKING
You can only stop your hamster from squeaking if you know the reason for it. This is why you have to observe them properly once you heard at least one squeak. If the noise is too often, take a closer look and see if they are hurt or simply in heat or happy.
Give attention
The first thing to do is give attention. Perhaps it’s as simple as being stuck inside their hideout or they escaped and need your help to bring them home. It could also be as simple as needing a change of freshwater or replenishing their dry mixes.
Bring to the vet
If everything seems right (food is filled, water is full, no visible injury), there might be something more serious. For example, a broken leg, stomach pain, or aching tooth, then it’s best to contact the vet. They can check and run tests to see that your hamster is doing okay.
Give treats
Giving treats is a good way to see if your hamster’s problem is as simple as needing extra attention or just wanting yummy treats or if they are actually in pain. If you give them treats and they are able to come to you and the squeaking stops, it’s a sign that they are alright.
However, if you offer treats but they obviously couldn’t walk properly or completely ignores you, this is something you should inspect further.
ALSO READ: Healthy treats for hamsters
Cuddle
Sometimes hamsters just want a nice cuddle, especially during winter, they want to stay warm and get some nice cuddle. Male Syrian hamsters are known to be the ones who love cuddles the most. Female Syrian does too unless they are in heat.
Separate cages
If your hamsters are sharing a cage, perhaps, they never fought and they grew up together, you might be thinking, they are fine together. Here at hamster care, we never recommend housing more than one hamster in a single cage even though they seem to get along so well.
Hamster’s instincts are so strong, that they could be friends today and then the next day, they are fighting for territories. We don’t want you and your hamsters to be in this situation, especially if you are too late to stop the fight and one of them or worse, both of them got hurt so badly.
If you don’t have an extra cage ready to use, you can place one hamster in a secure storage box until you get their own separate cage. We also don’t recommend you stack them on top of each other or side by back as they can smell each other.
CHECK OUT: Suitable hamster cages
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you started looking up “why is my hamster squeaking”, we want to let you know that we appreciate you going an extra mile making sure your hamster is safe and happy. Hamsters can’t express their feeling easily compared to other pets. But having you as their hamster parent, they are very lucky.
A hamster squeaking doesn’t always mean they are unhappy or hurt, but the number one rule is, if you hear it, investigate and give attention to your pet.
I hope you found this why is my hamster squeaking article useful. We always work on giving as much information on hamster care as much as we can. If you have other tips on how to stop or reasons why a hamster is squeaking, let us know in the comment section below.
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Thank you very much, extremely informative!