Are Hamsters Sensitive To Sound?

As with any pet, you need to understand your hamster’s personality to tell if they are experiencing stress. Hamsters are intelligent animals and have their way of communicating their needs with us if we pay close enough attention. You may notice your hamster exhibiting stress behaviors, perhaps making you question if hamsters are sensitive to sound.

Hamsters are highly sensitive to sound as they use hearing to compensate for their poor eyesight. Prolonged or sudden loud noises can cause these small pets extreme stress and send them into flight or fight mode, causing them to hide or become aggressive.

In this article, I will explain a hamster’s keen sense of hearing and further detail the impact loud noises can have on your pet. I will also discuss the signs of stress a hamster may show and what you can do to keep your hamster safe from loud noises.

Will Loud Noises Scare a Hamster?

Hamsters have a keen sense of hearing and, therefore, will quickly be scared of loud noises. It’s essential to clearly understand how your hamster’s sense organs contribute to its safety. Knowing how hamsters operate can help you protect them from stress.

Because Hamsters have very poor eyesight, they compensate with their hearing. They use their hearing to sense danger and predators around them.

Hamsters can pick up sounds that humans cannot even hear, so they are easily more sensitive to noise than we are. Hamsters can register sound at 96 to 46,500Hz, whereas people hear at a frequency of only 64 to 23,000Hz. The hamster’s extended hearing capacity shows higher sensitivity to sound than we possess.

When a hamster hears a loud noise, they become startled and freeze. They stay still and listen for potential danger. Because hamsters are creatures of prey, they are on high alert at any unusual sound they hear. This high alert system instantly puts hamsters into flight or fight mode.

What Are the Effects Loud Noises Can Have on a Hamster?

Loud noises can have many harmful effects on a hamster. Whether being exposed for a prolonged amount of time or it’s a quick and sudden loud noise, it isn’t good for your hamster’s health. Let’s explore how excessive noise may harm your tiny friend:

Loud Noise Can Damage a Hamster’s Hearing

Constant exposure to loud noises can cause your hamster to develop tinnitus. This condition is hearing damage that causes continuous ringing in the ears. Prolonged exposure to loud noise can also result in hearing loss.

Since their safety largely depends on their ability to hear very well, a hamster losing its hearing puts them at a significant disadvantage against predators.

Loud Noise Can Cause Your Hamster Stress

Every loud noise causes your hamster to experience stress instantly. Whether it be from watching a nature documentary on television, a sudden sneeze, a quick laugh, or even playing your favorite song, your hamster will be on edge and left feeling extremely anxious.

Having the volume of your television or radio too loud doesn’t help your hamster feel safe and secure in its habitat. This issue may cause your pet to burrow itself in its cage or become very skittish and aggressive towards you when trying to pet it or pick it up.

Loud Noises Can Weaken Your Hamster’s Immune System

Being in constant fear will result in an elevation in your hamster’s stress hormones. Stress hormones such as cortisol can weaken its immune system and make your hamster susceptible to illness and disease.

It’s necessary to keep an eye out for any changes in its behavior. Your hamster’s health may decline and cause infections such as ‘wet tail,’ often brought on by stress. Stress can also cause a hamster to die unexpectedly.

What Are the Signs of Stress in a Hamster?

When a hamster is stressed, there are always signs. Though not all hamsters show stress in the same ways, it’s essential to pay attention to any changes in behavior or health. It’s best to make any necessary changes to get your hamster back to feeling safe and secure in its living environment.

Signs of stress in your hamster due to excessive noise include the following:

Hiding and burrowing itself in its cage
Biting the bars of its cage
Climbing the enclosure in an attempt to escape
Emitting strange noises such as screaming or hissing due to fear
Hair loss
Constant scratching
Tensed muscles and possible shaking when afraid
Aggressiveness
High-energy behaviors
Digging constantly or other repetitive behaviors

If your hamster is showing any of these signs, it is trying to tell you it is highly stressed out and needs your help. As responsible pet owners, we owe it to our hamsters to keep them safe from harm and help protect them from external stressors.

How Can You Keep a Hamster Safe From Loud Noises?

If you have noticed that your hamster is frightened and unable to calm down, follow these tips. In this way, you can offer your pet a sanctuary that provides them the security it needs to feel safe and worry-free.

Keep Your Hamster’s Cage Away From High-Traffic Areas

Make sure your pet’s cage is away from areas of the home where people are constantly walking by, talking loudly, taking phone calls, and opening and closing doors. Opt for rooms in your home with minimal human traffic to give your hamster the quiet space it needs.

These high-traffic areas will expose your hamster to stress by loud noises. Keeping them away from places like this will protect their delicate sense of hearing from being damaged.

Don’t Keep Your Hamster’s Cage Near a Television

Keeping your hamster’s cage near a television will keep your hamster in a constant state of panic. Hamsters are always ready for flight and fight, and the noises from the television may startle them into these responses.

The tv can be loud, and usually, where the television is, more people gather. Hamsters need a quiet area away from all of the extra noise and away from too many people.

Move Your Hamster’s Cage When Vacuuming

When vacuuming the room where your hamster resides, it’s a good idea to temporarily move its cage to a room further away before getting started. Vacuum cleaners are much too loud for the sensitive ears of a hamster. Moving the hamster will protect its ears and keep it feeling at ease.

Use a Low Voice Around Your Hamster When Possible

When you or your family is around your hamster, use soft or low voices as much as possible. Keeping your voices low will allow your hamster to enjoy the gathering of people and not feel stressed out by the crowd.

It’s easy to get carried away when socializing with others and get loud at times, whether it be laughing, shouting, or speaking at a higher volume than you mean. Just try to be mindful of where your hamster is and move your pet temporarily to a different area of the house during the gathering.

Final Thoughts

Hamsters are genuinely amazing creatures who have an extraordinary sense of hearing. Their ability to hear things even humans can’t hear is fascinating in and of itself.

As pet owners, we need to consider their tiny ears in our daily lives and choices and be mindful that however loud something is to us is much louder for them. A hamster’s tendency to scare easily due to its sensitivity to sound should be something we strive to avoid to protect our loveable pets from the loud noises that cause them stress.

Are Hamsters Sensitive to Sound?