is my hamster healthy?

Question

i just bought her.

shes verrry fat and cute :] but she keeps her eyes somewhat closed, but i know they aren't stuck. is she just sleepy?

i know theyre not stuck because in the car i looked at her and shecan open them just fine. also, she went to sleep in the corner when she has an igloo in her cage. so i had to PUT her into the igloo so maybe she'll get the habit.




does this all sound normal for a new hamster?
my last one wasnt like this..

Answer 1

Bless.

She sounds ok, maybe a little nervous and timid, which is why her eyes are closed alot. The stress /excitment of being in a new home will probably cause her to sleep alot ( they sleep all day - mine likes to sleep most of the night too lol)

If your using very fine sawdust, the dust particals could be irritating her eyes, But just keep a check on her the next few days, and if your still unsure, get her checked over by a vet.

Answer 2

I have two male hamsters, in seperate cages, can't put them together, the older one has tried to kill the younger one. When we got them they were fat as well and lazy. Then once they got used to their cages they started climbing up the bars and hanging upside down and chewing on them. They eat all the time and when it is hot they wont sleep in their little homes, they have tvs they sleep in, but when it is cold they will either sleep in them or they will tunnel and make a warm bed under the bedding. Just keep an eye on the hamster and if she isn't better, take her to the vet. if it is really a she, she could be pregnant..That would be pretty cool. If she is and gives birth, make sure she had plenty of food or she will eat the hamsters. I had one a long time ago that gave birth and did horrible things to her babies, I will spare the details.

Answer 3

Hamsters are nocturnal and the sun light may bother their eyes. Make sure to keep her out of direct sunlight during the day. Also keep her away from air vent, doors, fans, AC units and windows. If she's very fat and you just bought her, she may be pregnant. I just wanted you to be prepared for this just in case. You will know in under 2 weeks since they carry their babies for 16 days.

Every hamster will behave differently. We have 19 Syrians and they all have their own personality. Some sleep all day and are up all night, some are up all during the day and night running their wheels are wanting to be played with. A few are odd and sleep all night, but are up during the day. Some are bar chewers and some aren't. Some are energenic and others just lay there when held. My daughter's 3 1/2 yr old (very old) male acts like a juvenile, while a 18 month old male we rescued just lays on your lap and does nothing. His dwarf room mate has to nip is butt just to wake him up all the time to do anything. It's quite funny to watch. This little 3" dwarf trying to get a 6" Syrian male hamster to "move it" in the cage. Usually he wakes up and moves to another spot in the cage and goes back to sleep. He never had access to a wheel or much play time, he was used by the former owner only for breeding purposes. When they felt he was too old for their purpose, they called me up and handed him over and told me he was of no use to them any more. It made me mad, so I got him away from their hands. He is now loved and never to be breed again.

Answer 4

Don't force her to use the igloo. Sometimes, they just want to sleep outside of them. Doesn't mean they won't sleep in one.

Consider a basic health check by a vet (which I recommend for ANY new pet, soon after purchasing).

Answer 5

i would say your hamster is fine but mostly they sleep in the daylight hours and party all night but they do sleep in certain places and use the bathroom in a certain place if you just purchased her she's just getting use to the cage and sometimes they do get a cold in their eyes if this happens you will be able to tell just keep clean with a warm damp cloth ,besides the food that you buy at the store give it small pieces of fresh veggies they will like that as a treat ,mine love apples ,but they will sleep where ever they feel safe you can move them as often as you like but it will do no good .they like bedding to hide in and will place it where they want . but good luck with your new pet if its still acting strange to you in a few days take it to a vet just to be sure but give it a chance to get used to its new surroundings first.

Answer 6

hamsters sleep a lot in the day time unless you are playing with them. if you don't already have one get her a wheel to run in . She'll do plenty of running when you are sleeping. She'll open her eyes when she wants to.

Answer 7

Heh, is she an only hampster? She might be pregnant. Hell i thought mine was fat (i have 3 hampsters) then last night i looked into the cage she was all skinny and then i peeked into her box thingy and now we have 8 hampsters.
xD

Answer 8

I'm sorry. I just don't believe hamsters are worth a plug nickel. Get a real pet.