Is my hamster getting ready for "Hibernation"? Andd if he is, when do they do it?

Question

Ok, so my hamster has been hiding his food allot for like to weeks, i would refill his dish thinking he has eaten allot, but then i realised he starting hiding it in his bed, then the idea came that i thought that he was hiding it for hibernation?

So what i really want to know...

Is he getting ready for hibernation?

And if so.. when does he start and finish?

Answer 1

its not ever gonna hibernate ok

Answer 2

Hamsters are hoarders by nature, they don't hibernate unless the temperature is very low (which you should not try). They're always hiding things in special places in the cage. That has nothing to do with hibernation, it's just what they do.

Answer 3

Despite other comments, hamsters do hibernate in heat, and also when cold.

However, your hamsters behavior is normal, my hamsters have done exactly the same.

He is most likely not about to hibernate.

However, if he looks like he is dead but breathing very slowly (during night when he should normally be active) he is most likely hibernating. If it is in summer, it is due to heat and you should put him in a colder room, not near direct sunlight for him to cool down. However, if this happens in winter it is due to cold. DO NOT put him in the microwave to warm him up. Heat up a hot cushion (not ridiculously hot, just warm) and let him be on that for a while, he will soon warm up.

It does not sound like your hamster is about to hibernate.

Answer 4

Lol pet hamsters don't hibernate! He's just a hoarder. He's hiding food and making secret stashes. Unfortunately, that is an annoying and wasteful habit that he needs to stop. What I would do is feed him critter cubes. They are a lot bigger and healthier for him. Because they are so big, you only have to give him a few a day. So he has less food pieces to hoard... easier cleanup!

Answer 5

no hamsters do that anyway that naturaly store food its wat they do they can stil hibernate though if it gets to cold then they will

Answer 6

hey hamsters do this anyway and they generally dont hiberate if ur looking after them properly i.e in a cage with warmth and food etc

x

Answer 7

Hamsters don;t hibernate unless they get really cold, and then hibernation is very dangerous.

What your hamster is doing is normal, all hamster do it. They hoard their food, sometimes when you think their asleep, take a look through the little door in his house/nest and you'll se him probably eating. My hamster used to nest in his tube because he was weird and we woudl see him eating the food he's hoarded. Its just what they do. Hamster have cheek pouches and what they do is they stick all their food in them and take it back to their nest.

There is no need to refill his bowl everyday, we used to feed our hamster every 2 days because they always had food in their nests, water however needs to be changed daily.

So don't worry about hibernation, your hamster is just being a hamster lol :)

Answer 8

He'll start to pack his entrance to his bed with nesting material too.

Answer 9

i dont think hes hibernating, hamsters do that all the time!

and dont be fooled if hes sleeping alot lately, they are usually nocturnal creatures...

Answer 10

domestic hamsters don't hibernate. he is just storing his food. it is a natural instinct. hamsters naturally do this. its so the food is hid and no other animal knows where it is except him. that's why. he is just protecting his food. even though he doesn't need to. my hamsters did the same thing. dont worry.

Answer 11

Not likely, I have kept Hamsters since I was 4 and every single one of them has done that out of habit. Mine will empty his food bowl in 10 minutes. If I kept refilling it he'd have his whole house over flowing with food. It's their instinct to store food, it's just something he's gradually developed. When my hamster was a baby he would sit in his food bowl and only eat the food he wanted then when he finished growing he picked upt he habit of storing it, most of mine have done that.

If he was going into hibernation I think the opposite might be true. I've only had one that went into hibernation and she just ignored her food entirely. Scared me half to death when I went to investigate why.

It had happened because our heating broke down in the middle of winter so for three days she just slept.

Hamsters won't hibernate unless it's very cold and most homes don't have a significant temperature drop to trigger it.

Edit: Yes he'd be fine to hibernate, if he does go into hibernation don't move him or suddenly wake him it can cause them to go into shock. Just provide some extra warmth and they'll slowly come to.

Answer 12

He's not hibernating, he's just dead

Answer 13

Hamsters wont hibernate unless they get very cold, they will move stuff around always its just there nature. Just make sure he has enough water food and bedding and he will be fine, also make sure he isnt in a direct draft.

Answer 14

Hamsters usally hide food around the cage. Its normal and i don't think that your hamster will be going into hibernation in the summer....

Answer 15

This is normal hamster behavior.  Your hamster is just storing all of the food he can instinctively because in the wild they don't know when the next meal is coming.  So, no he is not getting ready to hibernate.