Hamsters are adorable animals that make great pets because they love to play and are the cheapest pet you can own.
However, they can be quite a handful to care for. Hamsters can be destructive and can cause a lot of chaos and destruction around the house.
So, why is my hamster is shaking?
It might be difficult to notice if your hamster is sick because of how small they are and the difficulty in handling them.
However, you should still pay close attention to your hamster if you notice any abnormal behavior from your pet like trembling or shaking when touched.
Below are some of the possible reasons why your hamster is trembling or shaking.
Let’s start now.
Is It Normal For Hamsters To Shake?
Contents
Hamsters are cute and cuddly mammals that make great pets.
Unfortunately, they often suffer from health problems and behaviors that make them hard to keep as pets.
Hamsters generally shake a lot, which can make them look odd and uncomfortable.
However, shaking is perfectly normal for hamsters and shouldn’t be treated medically.
Shaking helps a hamster expel excess energy, which is essential for keeping hamsters happy and healthy.
If you’re concerned about a hamster shaking a lot, you should look into giving it more toys or exercise time.
Why Is My Hamster Is Shaking?
Medical Issues
My hamster is shaking due to medical issues.
Hamsters need exercise to stay healthy, but getting stuck in a cage all day can be very boring. As a result, my hamster shakes its head a lot while it’s in a cage.
This shaking will be greatly reduced when my hamster gets regular exercise and eats a healthy diet.
Hamsters Shiver In Sleep
Hamsters shiver in their sleep to keep themselves warm.
This is an adaptive behavior that hamsters inherited from their wild ancestors, which needed to keep warm during hibernation. When hamsters are awake, their body temperature is around 25 degrees Celsius.
However, when hamsters sleep, their body temperature may drop down to 18 degrees Celsius or more. To compensate for this drop in temperature, hamsters shiver continuously.
They shiver by rapidly contracting and relaxing their muscles about 30 times a second! This may sound bad, but hamsters aren’t actually cold after sleeping, as their body heat is conserved.
In fact, hamsters are most comfortable when sleeping at a temperature around 30 degrees Celsius!
Too Cold In the Cage
Hamsters are cuter than mice but just as cute.
However, hamsters love to be warm and hate to be cold, so their cages need to be well heated or cooled to avoid health damages.
Temperature fluctuations inside the cage can lead to shivering, which is involuntary movements caused by changes in the body’s temperature.
Shivering is the body’s reaction to cold or fear. Shivering can weaken the immune system and can lead to other health problems.
Furthermore, body temperature can drop on cold days, which can freeze hamsters to death.
To prevent these health problems, hamsters should be housed in cages that are well insulated and heated or cooled to an appropriate temperature.
Communicate
Hamsters are nocturnal rodents that are generally considered cute and cuddly.
However, did you know that hamsters also communicate using sound? It’s true!
Hamsters communicate using vocalizations and vibrations called “bouncing.”
When hamster are anxious, they will shake and vibrate violently.
When hamster are excited, they will shake their tails rapidly.
When hamster are expressing dominance, they will shake their back legs. Hamsters shake to communicate when they are in danger.
Hamsters Often Shiver After Bath
Hamsters shiver after a bath because being cold causes their muscles to contract.
This increases blood flow to their muscles, which warms them. In this way, shivering is a natural way for hamsters to keep warm in cold temperatures.
Shivering also helps hamsters conserve body heat and avoid hypothermia. However, not all hamsters shiver after a bath.
Hamsters that shiver after a bath are more sensitive to cold than others, which means they’re more likely to shiver in other situations, such as during winter or sleeping.
Stress, Annoyance, or Fear
Hamsters are very cute animals.
However, they are also very naughty. Hamsters shake when they are stressed, annoyed, or scared.
Stressed hamsters shake vigorously and shake more often, while scared hamsters shake gently and shake less. Annoyed hamsters shake gently and shake more, while violent hamsters shake vigorously and shake more often.
Hamsters shake when they feel stressed or scared because they are often afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms.
Additionally, stressed hamsters shake because they are afraid and stressed about food shortage.
Therefore, if you’re buying hamsters for your children, you should make sure they can handle hamsters.
Show Dominance
Hamsters are one of the cutest mammals in the world.
They are also very smart and sociable animals, as rats are super social. Hamsters shake their hind paws to show dominance to other hamsters.
This shaking helps them assert their dominance over other hamsters, making them more confident and self-assured.
Hamsters shake their paws to assert their dominance to other hamsters.
Hamsters shake their hind paws to show dominance to other hamsters.
This shaking helps them assert their dominance over other hamsters, making them more confident and self-assured.
How Do I Stop My Hamster From Shivering/Shaking?
Make sure you’re not overfeeding your hamster or giving it too much attention; this is when most nervous behaviors occur, especially when a hamster is in a new environment or with new people.
Also, if you are giving your hamster treats, make sure it doesn’t have any caffeine in it.
They are frightened by sudden noises such as thunder and fireworks, so try to calm them down by speaking in a soothing voice.
Make certain that your pet’s cage is kept clean and that there are no wires or other sharp objects that may injure them.
Warm up your hamster’s cage with a heating pad or a heat lamp on its lowest setting.
Hair dryers may also be helpful but be sure not to get too close because the air is hot enough to burn you.
If your Hamster shakes or trembles, they may be cold, so make sure they have a warm place to sleep and hide.
Do not start introducing your Hamster to strangers until they are 6 weeks old.
If your Hamster does not react to your efforts to pick them up, they most likely do not like to be picked up and would rather be left alone in their safe space.
Obtaining the appropriate medicine in a humane way is difficult, but necessary if your hamster is sick or injured.
Also Read: Why Is Hamster Peeing In Ball?
Conclusion
It is critical to keep an up to date vaccination schedule for your hamster if you want them to live a long and healthy life.
When hamsters are pleased, they are vocal about it by chattering their teeth.
It is your responsibility to care for them properly through responsible pet ownership which includes providing a proper diet, a clean living environment, proper socialization and handling, appropriate vaccinations and parasite control.
If you are concerned or your hamster has an unusual behavior or symptom, it is best to visit a veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical causes for the symptoms you are seeing.
