Is my ham unhappy? 😢 Is this behavior normal?

Question :confused:

I’m a first time hamster owner and am not very familiar with their behavior outside of the textbook information. I’m worried that my hammie isn’t doing well in her new home…

I feel like I never really see her doing anything. I never see her outside of her burrow even when she’s awake, and I feel like she’s always asleep. I only ever see her pop out if I’m doing something in the cage and causing movement. She’s definitely eating, but I’m really worried that she’s not drinking. The water supply I have goes down a tiny bit, but I’m worried it’s not enough. I also never see (or hear) her on the wheel or playing with toys or sprays.

I feel confident that the cage set up is enriching. She has a nice big 12 inch wheel, multiple types of bedding (paper, coconut chips, and a sand bath), about 8 or 9 inches of bedding, lots of sprays, multiple food and water bowls, several hides and ladders and such, and she gets some time with me outside of the cage every once in a while.

She doesn’t act particularly scared. She’s actually quite docile and will eat from my hand and let me pet her as long as I’m gentle. And from what I can tell (but again I’m not very well versed) she doesn’t appear to be sick or have any injuries. But is this normal behavior? Does she maybe just happen to be up and about the few hours I’m asleep or out of the house? Is there anything in her habitat I can do to help?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks

Posted Jun 23, 2025, 4:18 AM UTC

02
Loading comments…