Do you own a pet hamster? If so, are you wondering how long you can leave a hamster alone, if you have to stay out of the home for a few days? If the answer is yes to this question, you are on the right page as we are going to cover all the important information you should know in this regard.
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How many days can you leave a hamster alone?
In general, do not ever leave your pet hamsters alone for more than 48 hours. You should not leave them alone for more than 48 hours even if you supply them with adequate food and water. Something could go wrong with them and prevent them from getting water and food. For example, they may spill their water and food or get themself injured. Pet hamsters are completely different from wild hamsters. That means pet hamsters need constant care from you and you should be aware of it.
How long can you leave a dwarf hamster alone?
You can only leave the dwarf hamsters alone for 3 days maximum. If you leave them alone for more than 3-4 days they become untamed. This breed of hamsters needs constant care from humans. However, you need to ensure that you supply them with adequate food and water for them. Alternatively, you can get somebody else to take care of the dwarf hamsters. Dwarf hamsters are usually a friendly set of animals who would prefer to stay in pairs rather than stay alone.
What do you do with your hamster when you go on vacation?
Even though you are a good pet parent you sometimes need a break to go for a much-needed vacation. Do not worry, there are ways you can keep your pet hamster alive and healthy when you are away. Such as;
Arrange some proper care for the hamsters while you are away.
It would be best if you could ask someone to check on the hamsters while you are away. It is the most practical and the most convenient thing you could do here. Hamsters are independent and intelligent animals which literally means you don’t need to put a lot of effort to make them live. So, you can simply ask one of your friends who live close by to look after them. And it would be ideal that the person is familiar with hamsters. They only have to replace the water and food for the hamsters and check on their health.
Besides, they might have to clean the cages as well. Further request them to spend a little time with the hamsters and ensure that everything is well with them. If the hamsters get along with them well, you can ask them to bring them to their homes and keep them until you come.
Look for a small animal boarding
If by any chance you fail to find someone who can take care of them while you are away, you could look out for small animal boarding places where you can place them temporarily. Besides, there could also be employees who would pay a visit to your home to check up on the hamsters when you are away.
Check on the hamster’s personality
Hamsters opt to stay solitary. That said, once they get familiar with the humans, they would prefer to be in their human owners company. For example, if we consider dwarf hamsters, they will prefer to have human interactions regularly and only then they will stay tame. Apart from that you need to be mindful of the ages of the hamsters if you have baby hamsters they are still in the growth process and they may tend to have less immunity. Additionally, they would require some extra food too. That means they need much more attention than adult hamsters
Feeding the hamsters when you are away
Feeding the hamsters while you are away is a critical factor. Hamsters are tough little critters. Hence they can manage without food and water for a few days. However,I don’t recommend trying this out with your beloved hamsters. Ideally, you need to give a good meal before you leave the home. I suggest giving them a meal that contains high protein and refrain from feeding with food which has added sugar. When you leave the home, leave food items such as seeds, pellets and mealworms for them.
Ensure that they have sufficient levels of liquid
Hydration is very important for hamsters. Therefore you need to think about it when you are leaving them home. In fact, It would play a major role in their survival. That said, healthy hamsters can stay healthy for one or two days without water. Some people tend to keep filled water bottles in the hamster cages as then it would allow the hamsters to gain water without any issue.
Check on the hamster housing before you go
One might think that it would be better if you could thoroughly clean the hamster cages. However, I don’t encourage doing that as chances are that the hamsters would have probably hid food in their cages and if you remove them it would make them stressed and anxious.
Try to keep the hamsters comfortable when you are away
You might think of turning off the heater or the air conditioner when you leave the home. But think twice about it. You need to provide your pet a comfortable living space. So do not turn off the heater especially in winter. If you do so, the hamster would get sick. Eventually they may go into hibernation. Keep in mind that the ideal temperature for the hamster should be 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Try to keep the hamsters entertained when you are away
Hamsters hate boredom just like us. So, when you leave them alone, they would anyway feel the absence of you and start missing you. Hence try providing them with some stuff that would keep them occupied and entertained during your absence. You can buy them a hamster wheel. However, ensure that you are using the right size hamster wheel. Therefore make this purchase a few days before you leave. Then you can check whether your hamster likes it or not.
Additionally, hamsters prefer to chew on things. It would keep them occupied. Besides, it would keep their teeth in good condition as well. I suggest using pesticide-free wooden chew toys for them. Furthermore hamsters are fond of climbing as well. Thus, I suggest keeping rope toys in the animals’ cages.
Do Hamsters Miss Their Owners?
Hamsters can feel it when the owners are not around. Literally, they will miss the owners when they are not closer to them. However, many hamsters do not show any signs of separation anxiety, but they would be stressed out without human interactions. So, this literally means hamsters can feel it when their owners are not around. On the other hand, if you had taken hamsters every night for a quick snack and for some playtime they would miss the owner a little too much as they are used to it.
Read more about to know do hamsters get lonely?
How long should you leave your hamster alone when you first get it?
I suggest leaving your hamsters alone for the first few days when you newly get them. It will give them some time to adjust to the new environment. Even though your family members are tempted to interact with them as soon as you bring them, they would require some time to get used to the new surroundings and the best would be to avoid interacting with them at the very moment you bring them home.
Can I leave my hamster alone for a weekend?
You can leave your hamsters alone for a weekend. However, it would be best if you avoid keeping them alone for more than 48 hours even if you have provided sufficient food and water. That is because chances are that your hamsters may knock over the water bottles and be unable to drink water and get food.
Should hamsters be alone?
Some hamsters may prefer to be alone. However, not all hamsters would prefer to be alone. Hamsters are territorial and due to that it would be best if you leave only hamsters in one cage. Do not add multiple hamsters in one cage as it may end up resulting in unnecessary fights.
Do hamsters like to be alone ?
Different breeds of hamsters have different requirements. Thus, there could be some subspecies of hamsters who wish to stay solitary whilst relaxing and spinning with their wheels etc. on the other hand there could be some who wish to have some company as they grow. So, if the hamster you have is fond of having some company, try introducing a friend. For example, many dwarf hamsters, Roborovski’s Hamster, like to live in small groups. On The other hand some hamsters such as Syrian Hamster prefer to live in their cages all alone.
Conclusion
Generally speaking, domestic hamsters would prefer to have some connection with people as only then they can stay happy. That is pure because they tend to live in groups when they are in the wild. They would help each other in the wild for their coexistence, especially in harsh conditions. So, if you have to stay away from home even for a shorter period and if you have hamsters at home, you need to plan a safe existence for your pet. To do that you could make use of some of the tactics which we have covered in this article.
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.
