Why Do Pet Hamsters Play Dead?

1 Why Pet Hamsters Play Dead

1. Why do hamsters play dead?

Actually, playing dead is an instinct of hamsters. When it feels that the surrounding environment has dangerous factors, the hamster will protect itself by playing dead. This self-protection awareness is usually instinctive. Hamsters are very timid; when suddenly stimulated by a very loud sound, they like to play dead. Some hamsters also play dead because there are too many companions in the cage and they are very nervous. There is also a situation where the hamster sleeps too deeply and does not wake up even when the owner moves it, as if playing dead. Actually, these situations are normal reactions, but if the hamster playing dead is caused by external stimulation, the owner should promptly remove the external factor to avoid excessive stress on the hamster.

2. What to do when a hamster plays dead?

When the hamster is playing dead, the owner can take the following measures to deal with it:

1. Hamsters are social animals and need a certain amount of social interaction at ordinary times. If it is playing dead, the owner can let another hamster play in front of it. The playing-dead hamster will slowly wake up after hearing the movement and play with its companion.

2. Some hamsters are also easy to tease when playing dead. The owner only needs to tease it a few times to wake it up, which shows that the hamster’s awareness of playing dead is not very strong. In this case, the hamster may wake up by itself after a while.

3. The owner can also put some food the hamster loves next to its nose. When the playing-dead hamster smells the food, it will wake up and eat by itself. Or spray a little toilet water in the air; the hamster will sneeze when it smells these more stimulating odors and naturally will not continue to play dead.

4. Actually, it is normal for a hamster to play dead, and the owner does not need to worry too much. If you want to test whether the hamster is playing dead, you can put a small piece of tissue paper on the hamster’s nose. Even if the hamster is playing dead, it will breathe, so it is easy to see.

Hamsters playing dead is also out of self-protection. If you don’t have to wake it up, the owner had better not disturb it; it will naturally wake up when it feels the danger is gone. If you want to continue learning about hamster care, you can also consult an online pet doctor.