Can Hamsters Jump? (What It Means When They Do)

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Hamsters are remarkable in many different ways. You can have a good time watching these little animals in your home.

Keeping hamsters as pets should be a rewarding experience. You want to make sure that you’re ready for them before buying them, though.

Learning about hamsters helps you to understand what to expect. For example, you might be wondering whether these little animals are capable of jumping.

Are hamsters known to jump, or are there situations that will cause them to jump?

Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about hamsters and jumping. You’ll be much more prepared for what to expect if you decide to buy a pet hamster.

Hamsters Can Jump

You might notice your hamster jumping from time to time in the cage. Sometimes hamsters like to jump, and they might be seen doing so for various reasons.

Hamsters are known to climb in the cage, and some like to climb more than others. You might even see hamsters trying to climb and jump out of the cage.

Of course, you should have a lid on the cage just in case. You don’t want to make it possible for the hamster to escape the cage.

Having an enclosed cage is best for the safety of the hamster. You don’t want other things to get in the cage that might be able to harm your poor little pet.

Jumping isn’t always an action that indicates that hamsters are trying to escape, though. Some hamsters just jump around a bit for fun or because they want to get exercise.

Not All Hamsters Like to Jump

Now you know that hamsters can jump, but this doesn’t mean that all hamsters like to jump. There are some hamsters out there that are really athletic and seem to love jumping and climbing around.

Others will be a bit on the lazy side. These hamsters might sit around and do nothing all the time.

In a way, this isn’t too different from people. Some people are athletic, while others simply aren’t.

All hamsters are capable of jumping, but not all of them will jump very often. You might see certain hamsters jumping more often than others.

So keep this in mind and don’t be too disappointed if your hamsters appear to be a bit lazy. You can still try to encourage it to be active by giving it toys to play with.

Activity is important for the health of the hamster. Hamsters that gain too much weight can experience a variety of different medical problems, and this is why you must avoid overfeeding them.

You Can Train Hamsters to Jump On Command

It’s interesting to note that you can train hamsters to jump on command. You’ll need to put some effort into it if you want to do this, but hamsters are good at learning little tricks.

Typically, people teach hamsters tricks by using food as motivation. They give the hamster a treat when it performs the desired action.

This basic principle can be used to teach hamsters to do many things. Hamster owners often start by teaching their pets to stand on command and then progress to more complex tricks.

Eventually, you can get your hamster to jump on command by training them to do it. You can say the word “jump” or perform some type of action to get the hamster to jump.

There are even people who have trained hamsters to jump through little hoops. So you now see that hamsters can jump and they can learn to do it as a type of trick.

This doesn’t mean that teaching a hamster to jump will be simple. It’s not a fast process, and you might not wish to bother with this unless you’re really committed to the idea.

How High Can Hamsters Jump?

Different types of hamsters can jump to different heights. It should be noted that even hamsters that can jump the highest aren’t great jumpers when compared to mice.

They don’t have legs that are as good for jumping as mice or rats. Even so, they can jump and some of them do a pretty good job of it.

A dwarf hamster should be able to jump at least seven inches into the air. Dwarf hamsters have been seen jumping as high as eleven inches.

Syrian hamsters are even better jumpers and have been seen jumping higher than fifteen inches in the air. If you want to own a hamster that’s a really good jumper, it’d be wise to go with a Syrian hamster.

Will They Jump Away From You?

When you’re handling a hamster, you want to make sure to keep it safe. You don’t want the pet to be in your hands one moment and on the floor the next.

You should know that hamsters can and will jump away from you. So you should keep the height in mind when holding a hamster off of the ground.

Sometimes hamsters jump when they’re getting scared or stressed. If you don’t handle the hamster the right way, it’ll be more likely to try to jump away from you.

Focus on handling the hamster the right way to limit the problems that you’ll have with jumping. It should be easy enough to avoid serious issues as long as you’re putting in the effort.

Why is My Hamster Jumping Up and Down?

It’s thought that jumping up and down could indicate that a hamster is bored or stressed. There could be a few things going on that are making the hamster jump up and down.

Does the hamster have toys to play with? The pet might need more stimulation in the cage so it can feel comfortable in its living environment.

If the cage is too small, the hamster might jump as a way to try to escape the cage. It could be jumping up and down in hopes that it can somehow get out of its cage.

Some pet owners say that these animals will jump up and down when they’re curious. So it could be that your hamster is curious about something that you’re doing or something else that is going on in the room.

Can They Get Hurt Jumping From Heights?

Yes, hamsters can get injured if they jump from too high up. Don’t put your hamster in a position where it can get injured.

Ideally, you don’t want your hamster to jump from heights that are greater than one foot. This means dropping your hamster while standing and holding it is not a good idea.

It’s fine to give hamsters cages that have multiple stories, but you don’t want the cage to be too tall. Keep this in mind to protect the hamster.

Planning ahead makes it much easier to keep these little pets safe. Now that you know they can get hurt when falling from too high up, it’ll be easier to make good choices.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of reasons why hamsters might start jumping in the cage. It can be a way for these pets to exercise, or it can indicate that they’re feeling stressed.

Some hamsters are really good jumpers, while others are a bit lazy. If you want to buy hamsters that are really good at jumping, Syrian hamsters are known to jump rather high.

You can train hamsters to teach them how to jump on command. This does take quite a bit of effort, but it’s something that can be done with patience.

Jumping isn’t always going to be a good thing. Sometimes these pets will jump out of your hands if you’re not careful while handling them.

Do your best to keep such things from happening. You don’t want the hamster to get hurt, and it’s important to make the pet feel safe while being handled.

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