Hamsters Hiding Their Food? Is It Normal?
Hamsters, or more specifically, Syrian hamsters, are also known as saddlebags. This is because they can carry a lot of food on their cheeks. And once you place the food bowl in front of them, they will start stuffing their cheeks with food and running away.
So, why are hamsters hiding their food? Hamsters mainly hide their food because of their natural instinct. In the wild, they are used to foraging for food and bringing everything to their home to stash for future needs. Pet hamsters still have that instinct, so they do the same.
Learn more about this behavior of hamsters in this article.
Hamsters Hiding Their Food: Why, When, and Where, How Much?
![Hamsters Hiding Their Food](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Hamsters-Hiding-Their-Food-1.jpg)
We’ll explain why, when, where, and how much food hamsters hide. So check them out.
Why Do Hamsters Hide Their Food?
To understand why a hamster hides its food, you need to know their survival instincts when they live in the wild. Hamsters are nocturnal animals and they come out for food in the evening. These small rodents run very fast to cover a large area. And they are always afraid of being hunted by many predators.
So, their natural instinct is to gather as much food as possible in their cheeks and run back to home to store the food. As hamsters have become pets roughly one hundred years ago, they still have the same instinct as wild hamsters. Now you may understand why they hide their food. Check the following reasons to know more.
Storing Food for the Future
Hamsters know that food is scarce and winter is a hard time for them to forage for food. Before winter, they try to stockpile as much food as possible in their nests. There are separate areas in their nests for stashing food for the future.
Even if your pet hamster always gets enough food, it won’t understand the changed situation. It will always try to hide some food to survive when food is scarce.
Storing Food for Eating Safely
The world outside their nest is full of predators in the wild. So, hamsters can’t eat peacefully outside their nests. They tend to carry everything home and eat in a safe environment. Pet hamsters imitate this behavior even if they don’t face any predators.
No matter how much food you give them, they will snack on some stored items whenever they feel like it. This is why they might hoard food even before consumption.
Hiding Food to be Relaxed
Even if a hamster gets enough food every day, he won’t be satisfied unless he can take some food to the stash area. It gives him anxiety and stress. These little creatures can’t take too much stress and can develop serious issues.
Having enough food in their secret storage gives them a sense of safety and keeps them relaxed. Once a hamster hides enough food, it will come out happily and start playing around.
When Do Hamsters Hide Their Food?
There is no specific time for hamsters to hide their food. The moment you provide them with food, they will start hiding regardless of the season. Even if they are familiar with their feeding schedule, they hide food from the food bowl every time.
Where Do Hamsters Hide Their Food?
In the wilderness, hamsters made separate areas for sleeping and stashing food. But they might not have that chance in captivity. So, they will mainly hide food near their beds. They can also try to cover food stashes with their beds so that no one can steal their food.
The hiding area is commonly in the lower part of the cage, where they can find the food later easily. Corners inside the cage are frequently used for hiding foods. Hamsters like to keep food close to their beds so that they can have a bite anytime they want.
How Much Food Do Hamsters Hide?
These little creatures can be greedy when it comes to hiding foods. They tend to hide as much food as possible. Every time you give them some food, they will load their elastic cheeks and wander away. After some time, they will get back to hiding more food. And this cycle will continue no matter how much food you give them.
They tend to eat foods that can go bad right away. For example, hamsters won’t store hard-boiled eggs or cooked chicken. But if you give them nuts or cheese, they will most probably store that.
Should I Prevent My Hamster from Hiding Food?
![Should I Prevent My Hamster from Hiding Food](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Should-I-Prevent-My-Hamster-from-Hiding-Food.jpg)
Many owners might wonder, is it normal for hamsters to hide their food? They even try to limit food supply to prevent hamsters from hiding their food. But it can be risky.
Hamsters are usually happy when they have enough food in their hideouts. But if there is a shortage of food and they can’t take enough food to their hideouts, they will become anxious and stressed.
This anxiety can cause issues like losing furs, wet tails, etc. So, you should never underfeed your hamster to keep it healthy and happy.
FAQs
You might want to check out the answers to some frequently asked questions about hamsters hiding their food.
Do hamsters hide food in their mouths?
Yes, but temporarily. As hamsters tend to gather as much food as possible before returning home, they hide food in the mouth. Once they get back to their home, they put that food in the storage area.
Why do hamsters cover the food bowl?
If hamsters find taking bits of food to their hideout difficult, they will try to cover the whole food bowl to ensure they have enough food for the future. Often, they will hide food bowls with their bedding so that no one can see them.
Should I clean my hamsters’ food stash?
You might want to clean your hamster’s cage from time to time. But completely removing the food stash of your pet can be risky. Your hamster will feel anxious and threatened if you remove all the food.
Conclusion
Seeing your hamsters hide their food can be unusual. But you should not stop them from doing so as hoarding is their natural instinct. Every time they see food, they will try to hide some food for future needs or eating it when they need it.
Having enough food in their hideouts keeps them relaxed and happy. And that food stash comes in handy for them when they wake up at night and want to have some food without getting out of their bed area. So, it is completely normal for hamsters to hide their food.