Is my hamster over her wheel?

Question

My hamster is not going in her wheel as much as she used to, and she seems to be putting on a bit of weight.

There is no chance she is pregnant, but she seems to be doing some strange behaviour like nesting in different parts of her cage and sleeping alot more.

Do you think she is bored? What can i do to make her a little bit more active? She has loads of toys, but i rotate them so that her cage isn't over crowded.

Cheers Guys x

Answer 1

give her a boyfriend  

Answer 2

get her a friend put more tubes in the cage.buy a hamster wheel put her in it every day for about 20 minutes

Answer 3

She might just be getting old.  The older hamsters get the less active they are.  If you want you can put her in a bigger cage.  I would not suggest giving her a "friend", since hamsters tend to be...cannibal-like.  You wouldn't want that.

Answer 4

Yup, shes pregnant.

Answer 5

Tunnels lots of them and wide ones for her big bottom *giggles*

Answer 6

well she probably is over her wheel but maybe she just wants a new one or she is eating to much and now she is to lazy to run on in also try getting her a hamster ball because its an activity for them and dont get her tubes because if shes lazy now she will never use them so that would be a waste of money

Answer 7

Do you have a hamster ball??? Hamsters love them! And they are great for their excersise because they are constantly moving! Just go to petco and get one of these: http://www.petco.com/product/101969/Supe...

Just put the hamster in the ball and twist the lid in place. Also for added safety it's good to put a strip of masking tape over the lid to hold it firmly in place so if the lid ever cracks or untwist the hamster won't be able to escape because the tape will hold it together. Our hamsters would escape everynow and then from the balls so we put tape over lids to prevent it. Once there in the ball let them roll around for about 10-20 minutes or until the hamster stops rolling around. It's great fun excersise for the hamsters, they always loved their balls. Also we always blocked off one main room for them to roll around because sometimes they would roll off into some corner and get stuck or we couldn't find them easily. So just give it a try and see how it works out for your hamster. Good luck!!

Answer 8

Did the wheel come with the cage?  If so, usually the wheel is too small for a fully grown hamster and you will have to go out and buy a bigger wheel to replace it with.  She will then start going on it again and the extra exercise she gets from it will help her to lose weight which in turn will make her more active which in turn will make her more inclined to go on the wheel and so on and so forth....

Also, make sure that you bring her out of her cage to play each day.  A hamster ball for her to run around the house in is a good idea (only put her in it for about 10 minutes (20 max)).

As for the nesting in different parts of the cage, don't worry - hamsters do sometimes take it upon themselves to change things around.

She's probably sleeping more because she's growing up and settling into more of a routine.

Answer 9

Is she getting old?  It might be natural that she gets less active and gains a little weight as she gets older.  The exercise ball might be a good idea, but not for too long, as she might tire herself out.  Or how about a free run on the floor?  (in some kind of playpen of course)  My hamster runs really fast when I put her in the playpen, and it is good exercise for her.  She can't really run in her cage, except for the wheel.  Good luck!

Answer 10

OMG!! my hamster is doingthe EXACT same thing! and i know not to put another hamster in there if its the same breed because they will fight untill the othe rone is dead to see who is dominate, its the same for guinea pigs and probably much much more. so id say get a new wheel and have her in a hamster ball for a while.

>>>>AND I HAVE A QUESTION I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF SOME PEOPLE WOULD ANSWER BECAUSE IM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HER!!<<<<<

Answer 11

Get a lot of tubes, tunnels, for her to go in. She might need a new wheel, happens to some hamsters. Dont use their old wheel, and then when you buy a new one, good as new. Get a couple toys too. Maybe an igloo for her to sleep in. Im not aware any vets take in hamster, so if you are really concerned try calling a vet and see if they know what to do without having to take her in. Good luck with your hamster:)

EDIT: Ok, 1 more thing everyone who says get another hamster for her IS TOTALLY WRONG! If put together, even siblings, they will fight till DEATH just to see which hamster is more dominate!

Answer 12

As mine got older it tend not to use its wheel as often, it could just be her age.

Answer 13

As hamsters get older, they slow down, but to get her more actinve, you may want to put her in her ball and have her run around for half an hour. Make sure she when you're done, put her in her cage and make sure she has enough water. You can also give her a measured amount of food each day, ONLY if you can remember! I can't do that, because I couldn't remember to do that every day. if she is a dwarf, then you can give her a teaspoon everyday and if she is a syrian, then you can give her a tablespoon.