Hamsters are such interesting pets to own. They can be a lot of fun to observe, and playing with them can be entertaining as well.
Sometimes the behavior of the hamster might not make sense to you. You might wonder why your hamster does certain things.
For example, if you see your hamster is standing there and just staring at you, you might be wondering what that could mean. Why would your hamster stare at you like that?
Read on to learn about why hamsters will sometimes just stare at people. You’ll get a lot of information about hamsters that will help you to feel like you understand them better.
Staring Is a Pretty Normal Thing
Before going further, you should try not to worry too much about your hamster. Staring is actually pretty normal behavior for them.
It’s very likely that your hamster is staring at you for a normal reason. It doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong with the hamster.
Of course, hamsters will start staring for many different reasons. If you’re new to caring for hamsters, then you might not know too much about hamster body language.
Hamsters might stare at you in an effort to communicate something. You should be able to get pretty good at figuring out what the hamster wants when you’ve been taking care of it for a while.
Below, you’ll find information about why hamsters sometimes stare at their owners. This should help you to better understand what is going on.
Curiosity Sometimes Causes Hamsters to Stare
You’ll find that hamsters are very curious little animals. Sometimes hamsters might choose to stare at you because they wonder what you’re doing.
They just want to get an idea of what is going on with you. So a hamster might choose to look intently at you for a little while.
It could be that the hamster wants to get your attention as well. Hamsters bond with their owners and they like spending time with them.
Many hamster enthusiasts have noted that hamsters will act angry if they are ignored. If you don’t pay attention to your hamster and it keeps staring at you, then you might see it show signs of anger or annoyance.
Happy Hamsters Will Also Stare
It’s also very normal for happy hamsters to stare at their owners. If your hamster seems to be pretty relaxed and it’s staring at you, then you probably don’t need to worry.
The hamster is just checking you out and having a good time taking it easy. You can tell if the hamster needs something by paying close attention to its posture.
When the hamster has a relaxed posture, then the staring likely doesn’t mean much at all. It’s just chilling out, and the staring isn’t something that you need to be concerned with.
Hopefully, your hamster will be happy and satisfied most of the time. If you’re doing a good job caring for the hamster, then it’s likely that this will be the case.
Hamsters Have Good Senses
Some people underestimate the senses of their hamsters. Hamsters have very good senses, and this means that they can smell and hear things from quite a distance.
A hamster might hear you coming down the hall and it’ll start staring in your general direction. It could also smell you coming and will start staring.
This ties into the curiosity of the hamster quite nicely. A hamster wants to know what is going on.
It’ll definitely start staring when it smells you coming or hears you walking. The hamster will also stare at other things, people, or pets.
The Hamster Could Be Hungry
Hamsters are going to get hungry from time to time. If you have pet dogs, then you surely know that dogs will tell you when they’re hungry.
A pet hamster is going to try to tell you that it wants food by staring sometimes. When a hamster is hungry, it’ll be happy to see you.
The hamster understands that you bring it food. You also likely give the hamster treats from time to time.
When a hamster stares at you intently, it might be hoping that you will feed it. It could even be asking you for a treat.
Try giving your hamster a treat or feeding it dinner. If the hamster reacts in a happy fashion, then you’ll know that the staring was likely an indication that it wanted food.
Looking for Predators
Since hamsters are prey animals, they are hardwired to be on the lookout for predators. In the wild, hamsters have to be wary of many different predatory animals.
If a hamster is staring in a certain direction, then it could very well be looking out for predators. It might even be concerned by some type of noise that it heard.
Since hamsters can hear so well, they might be able to hear predator animals that are outside of the house. Sometimes this might put the hamster in an alert start.
If the hamster is staring at you, then it might be looking out for you. Many hamster owners say that hamsters form close bonds with their owners.
Some have suggested that a hamster staring at its owner can sometimes be attributed to it watching out for predators on your behalf. It’s an interesting thing to think about, but it’s nothing you need to put a lot of thought into.
Just know that hamsters will sometimes stare in certain directions and get nervous due to the presence of predators. If the hamster hears a dog barking outside, then that could easily trigger the hamster and make it appear to be frightened.
Looking for Other Threats
Hamsters will also be on the lookout for other threats. If a hamster senses a strange presence, then it’ll stare to try to determine if it is in danger or not.
Someone new entering your home could be perceived as a potential threat. Likewise, another pet in the home could be seen as a potential threat.
It’s easy to understand why hamsters would be scared of cats and dogs. They’re predators that could easily harm the hamster.
Hamsters will sometimes remain still and stare intently to try to identify threats. Once the hamster senses that it is in danger, it’ll be ready to run away and try to hide.
If you notice that the hamster tries to hide in the cage, then that’ll show you that it is worried about something in the house. It could even be scared of a person if the person is moving quickly.
Feeding Hamsters Properly
Now that you know the basic reasons why hamsters stare, you might benefit from getting advice on how to feed hamsters. Hamsters will stare when they get hungry or when they want you to give them treats.
You don’t want to feed hamsters more than you’re supposed to, though. Overfeeding a hamster can be very bad, and you want to make sure that you feed the hamster the right types of food as well.
Generally, it’s recommended that you feed hamsters store-bought hamster preparations. You should be able to get everything that you need from a local pet store.
If you don’t have a local pet store, then you can always purchase hamster food online and have it shipped to your home. Just make sure that you buy food that is meant for hamsters specifically.
Some newcomers make the mistake of thinking that hamsters can eat food that is meant for mice or rats. This isn’t the case, and you need to order hamster-specific food to give them the nutrients that they need.
Most hamster owners will choose to feed hamsters pellets. The pellets will contain a mixture of different foods that combine to give the hamster the nutrients that it needs to stay healthy.
It’s also good to give your hamster fresh foods as treats on occasion. You’re just not supposed to give the hamster treats too often.
Hamsters will love eating whole grains, fresh veggies, and fruits as treats. There are also store-bought treats that you can give hamsters, but you must only give the hamsters these types of treats occasionally.
It’s possible for hamsters to get diabetes, and this is why you must avoid feeding them too many sugary treats. If you keep this in mind it’ll be easy to avoid such complications.
Keeping your hamster healthy by feeding it mostly hamster pellets should be simple. If you mix in special treats every so often, then the hamster will remain happy for sure.
Keep Other Pets Away From Hamsters
You read that hamsters are scared of various types of predators. It’s possible that you might have some predators in your home that will keep your pet hamster feeling frightened.
Many hamster owners will also own dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are among the most popular and common types of pets.
It’s fine to keep dogs and cats in the same house as hamsters. However, it’s going to be important to put the hamster somewhere safe where it won’t be bothered by the dogs or cats.
Most hamster enthusiasts choose to keep the hamsters in a cage in a room that the dogs and cats don’t have access to. For example, you might keep your hamster cage upstairs in your bedroom, and the dogs and cats won’t be allowed in that room.
This is a good situation that will make it easier to keep the hamster feeling safe. The hamster might not even ever have to see the dogs and cats if you keep them from going into the upstairs portion of your home.
It’s just recommended to try to keep the hamster from being stressed in your home. You don’t want the hamster to feel like your other pets are putting it in danger.
Hamsters Wanting Attention
Earlier, you read that hamsters will sometimes stare when they want attention. There is more that you should know about this topic.
People sometimes keep more than one hamster. You might have two hamsters in the same cage.
Multiple hamsters can get along in the same environment, but they are each going to think of themselves as the dominant and most important hamster. Each hamster is going to want to get attention from you, too.
If you don’t give one of the hamsters enough attention, then that can lead to problems. This is why it’s best to ensure that you have enough time to spend with your hamsters before purchasing them.
When a hamster stares at you in an effort to get your attention, it’ll be angry if you ignore it. The hamster will usually start trying to get your attention in other ways.
It might start making squeaking noises or other types of noises to see if you will pay attention to it. It’s also normal for hamsters to try chattering their teeth to get the attention of their owners.
If all of the hamster’s efforts fail, then it’ll be quite annoyed. The hamster might be very upset by you ignoring it.
The next time you go to handle the hamster, there is a good chance that it will choose to bite you. If you wish to keep this from happening, then try to pet your hamsters and give them enough attention.
Try not to give more attention to one hamster than the other either. Always be careful when handling your hamsters, too, since dropping them could be very dangerous.
Final Thoughts
Knowing more about why hamsters stare will help you out a lot. You won’t feel like you’re in the dark about what is going on.
There are quite a few reasons why hamsters might start staring at you. They could just be curious or they might be looking to get something to eat.
Often, hamsters will stare in certain directions when they’re looking out for threats. You’ll likely get better at determining why your hamster is staring over time.
Just do your best to meet the hamster’s needs. Be sure to feed it a healthy diet and try to give it enough attention.
If you do your best to be a proactive and caring hamster owner, then everything will likely go smoothly. You’ll be able to enjoy your pet hamster and you can have lots of fun together.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.