Do you have a hamster at home? If so do you know how fast a hamster is? The answer might surprise you. Read this article until the end and you can learn more about your lovely hamster.
Table of Contents
How fast is a hamster?
Hamsters can run as fast as 3 to 6 miles per hour. This is the average speed of the hamster be it a dwarf hamster or a Syrian hamster. Having said that, it is noteworthy that the fastest of all the hamster species are the Syrian Hamsters. So, if you are one of those lucky owners of a Syrian hamster, you need to keep this in mind and be prepared for it.
Even though I stated that hamsters can run 3 to 6 miles per hour, it would vary depending on the hamster species. Therefore, you cannot expect two hamsters to run at the same speed. Hamsters, on the other hand, can run 3 to 6 miles per hour on average. So, if you’re curious about how fast a hamster can run, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we have looked more into this aspect.
Why do hamsters run so much?
Hamsters are such energetic creatures by nature. Having said that, there are some other reasons which could factor into this. Hamsters are prey animals, which means predators hunt hamsters. So, to defend them, they tend to run away whenever they feel like they are under threat. If you are a hamster owner, you might be surprised at how fast your hamsters move in the opposite direction. Besides, you would have noticed how fast their reflexes are too. In fact, these two facts are some simple parts of how they react to things instinctively.
Additionally, as stated above, these animals have high levels of energy which they opt to burn out as much as they can. This is exactly why you need to provide a hamster running wheel for the hamsters. They are so fond of doing exercise. If I further elaborate on why the hamsters run so much, there could be several reasons which would contribute to this and they are as follows.
Lack of exercise
If you happen to spot your hamsters running so much, you need to first figure out whether the hamsters are getting sufficient exercise or not. Besides, check whether there is a proper running wheel available in the cage too. If they still seem to be running around in the cage even though there is a wheel, you can consider providing other toys and tools for them to engage in the exercises.
Try introducing a hamster exercise ball for them to play with. We are certain that it will be so much fun for them to play with it. In addition to that, you could consider providing them with other toys such as ladders, tunnels, and many more.
Restlessness
Hamsters are also a set of animal creatures who feel certain emotions just like humans do. Hamsters cannot remain calm and relaxed in a cage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You should take the hamster out of the cage for about 15-20 minutes every day.
They would love to spend some time with you and interact with you. That would make them less restless and less stressed. However, I suggest you train them and make them socialize with you so that they will be comfortable with you. It would undoubtedly make them calm, happy, and relaxed too.
Heat
If the hamster you have is a female, and if she keeps running so much, chances are that she is in heat. Suppose that it doesn’t have a male hamster, then it is very likely that it would keep running so much and behaving erratically. Female hamsters who are in heat will tend to run around in circles. Besides, they would tend to bite the bars of the cage and be over-hyper etc. So, if you are certain that your hamsters are in heat and they tend to run due to that, you can ignore that completely.
Illness
If the hamsters are running excessively, it could be a sign of illness. If we especially consider elderly hamsters, they may probably go through strokes, and due to that, they would tend to run frantically. Furthermore, if they are exposed to excessively hot environments, they may suffer from strokes and run frantically.
In addition to strokes, hamsters may run so much due to vertigo conditions too. It is a condition that could cause discomfort in hamsters. If you spot them being dizzy or moving back and forth when sitting, it is very likely that they are suffering from a health-related issue. So, if you come across these signs, it would be best if you could consult a vet doctor and get their opinion.
How many miles do hamsters run a night?
To simply answer the question of how many miles hamsters run each night, they would run up to 9 km per night. It is approximately 5 1/2 in miles. Hamsters are an energetic and active set of animals as they have to forage for food when they are in the wild. It is their instinctive behavioral pattern. This is why you need to consider providing a hamster wheel for them to play with. It would keep them happy and active too.
If the hamster runs so much in their wheels, you need to ensure that its back is not hurt when they finish doing it. Furthermore, you need to ensure that you have placed the wheel on a flat area so that it can run freely without any trouble. In addition to that, make sure that the wheel doesn’t contain any rugs, as if it does their legs may get caught in those and they may end up with injuries.
Why Hamster runs all night?
Hamsters usually run for miles when they are in their natural habitats. They will tend to run so much when they are going in search of food. So, domestic hamsters are no exception to the hamsters in the wild. So, if you happen to keep the hamsters in the cage 24-7, it would be problematic for the hamsters and make them stressed and restless.
How do the hamsters run at night?
Hamsters were such great fans of running on hamster wheels, and they would use hamster wheels to do their running at night. These are nocturnal animals, which literally means they are active at night. However, when the hamsters are running on the wheels, it would be so loud, which you would find very disturbing when you are trying to sleep at night.
As such, I suggest you keep the hamster cage somewhat far from your bedroom. Having said that, do not ever try to take out the hamster wheel from the hamsters, as that would make the hamsters stressed. Ultimately, it would result in an unhealthy hamster. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your hamsters have sufficient food and water for them to consume too. That way, it would keep them hydrated when they run on the wheels.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How fast can a dwarf hamster run?
Dwarf hamsters usually run at a speed of 3-6 mph (5–9.6km) hourly. If you allowed them to run free, it would help them to improve their body health and keep them fit. Keep in mind that dwarf hamsters would be most active during the night, just like the other hamster species.
How fast do Robo hamsters run?
Robo hamsters are fast-running animal species as they are extremely active. There are hamster owners who believe that they can run as fast as 100 miles per night on their wheels.
Conclusion
To recap, hamsters are speedy animals. One might find this activity very surprising, even though it is their instinctive behavior pattern. They are predator animals, and they have naturally adapted to moving fast and running fast as their natural defensive mechanism.
So, when you breed hamsters at home, you need to make sure that you try to keep them as close to your sight as much as you can. If they manage to escape from you, regaining control would be a nightmare. So, I hope you found this article very informative and useful and that you were able to enhance your knowledge in this regard.
Hello, my name is James and I’ve been caring for tiny pets for over 14 years with a passion. I enjoy passing on my expertise to other individuals in order for them to have the same amount of enjoyment as I do.
