Hamsters are extremely low-maintenance pets that are great for those who want to love a furball but don’t have the time for potentially time-consuming tasks like daily walks and potty breaks. They’re also pretty independent, too, and don’t mind (they actually enjoy) being left alone. But is leaving your hamster all alone for a week actually okay?
You can leave your hamster alone for a week as long as you ensure that your pet will have enough food and water, as well as plenty of exercise. Hamsters are independent animals that do not mind being left alone, but it’s best not to leave them alone for more than a week to avoid problems.
To help you make your hammie’s time alone a safe and happy one, read through the rest of the article to find out how long you can leave a hamster alone, how to make alone time safe, and what to do as soon as you’re back.
How Long a Hamster Can Be Left Alone
A hamster can be safely left alone for two days up to a week–but not any longer. Because of their independent personality and preference for a solitary life, hamsters are not clingy animals and do not need as much human interaction as other pets. Only make sure they have enough food and water.
They also manage to feed themselves as long as you provide them with enough supply. Their normal eating habits that involve gathering and hoarding make them great at coping when left by themselves. You don’t have to worry about your pet going hungry even if you leave it alone for a few days because they actually use their cheek pouches as food storage.
So, if, in a worst-case scenario, you leave your hammie alone a day longer than planned, chances are it still has food stored in its cheek pouches, and its reserves will get it through the day.
Despite this, however, responsible pet owners should never leave their hamsters longer than planned, especially since that means your pet won’t have enough food and water. Moreover, leaving your hamster alone for extended periods may create a dent in the bond that you’ve strived to create with it.
Some hamsters are particularly independent and need much more time to develop a bond with their humans, so leaving them alone for very long may reverse the progress that you have made.
How To Give a Hamster a Happy Alone Time
Although hamsters are solitary animals, they can form a bond with their humans. They can get used to your presence and even enjoy you hanging around, giving them treats, and even carrying them around throughout the house for a fun time outside of the cage.
So while access to food and water will always be one of your major concerns when leaving your hammie alone at home, there’s also the possibility of your pet missing you when you don’t show up for two or more days straight.
Aside from these, there’s also the concern that your hammie may get into an unsafe situation–such as escaping from the cage or the cage getting knocked over by a large pet.
Here are a few tips on how you can keep your hamsters safe, happy, and busy while you’re away.
Prepare It for Alone Times
If you have spent a lot of time bonding with your pet, you should allow it to get used to you being gone every now and then–especially if your job or activities take you away from home quite often.
Sudden changes in your routine can affect your pet, so the last thing you want to do is be gone for a week straight unexpectedly after bonding with your hamster for months.
To help your hamster feel comfortable when you’re away, you can simply encourage it to be its normal independent self by not being too clingy towards it from the get-go. If you know that you’ll be gone for trips once in a while, you would want your hamster to get used to your absence as early as possible.
You can do this by limiting close interactions, like picking up your hamster or carrying it around in your pocket. You can spend time with your hamster, but make sure that you allow it to enjoy being solitary at the same time.
The more your hamster enjoys time alone, the less it will mind your prolonged absence.
Make Sure There’s Enough Food
One of the most important things to do when leaving your pet alone is to ensure it has enough food for the whole time you’re gone. Add up the amount that your pet needs per day and multiply that with the number of days you’ll be away–that’s how much food you need to put in its feeder.
Automatic feeders are your best friend on these occasions, too, because they help ensure the freshness of the food pellets, as well as allow your hamster to take only as much as it needs for the day without spoiling the rest of the food for the following days.
To be safe, you can also provide a little extra so that in case your trip gets extended or you get home later than planned, your hamster will have enough supply to thrive.
Provide Enough Water
Energetic furballs need lots of water! So if you don’t have a water bottle installed already, do so before your trip, making sure to give your hamster a few days to get used to drinking from the bottle before leaving it alone.
A hamster water bottle is preferable over a bowl because it ensures that there’s no spillage and your hamster gets as much water as it needs every day. It also keeps the water clean and prevents it from getting mixed with the food pellets.
No Fresh Foods
It may be tempting to give your hamster a slice of fresh fruit or a chunk of raw vegetables before leaving. But it’s best not to do so. There is always the possibility of your hamster not finishing the food soon enough and it rotting inside the cage.
This can not only make the cage dirty, but it can also be harmful to your hamster’s health and even invite nasty creepers into the cage.
Take Precautions Against Escape
If your hamster is an escaper, you’ll want to make sure that it doesn’t get out of the cage while you’re gone. You can do this by choosing a cage with bars that are not too far apart–the narrower the gaps, the better, as hamsters can be incredible escape artists! They can fit through tight spaces without a problem.
So if your hamster has escaped from the cage that you’re currently using, purchase a new one that’s more appropriate for its size.
Also, make sure that the cage is not placed at the edge of a table or anywhere it can fall from. Your hamster’s enthusiastic playing could tip the cage off and cause it to fall–injuring your hamster in the process.
Have Someone Visit
If you have friends who like hamsters, you can also ask them to drop by at least a few minutes every two days. This way, someone can check your hamster for any signs of concern, like not enough food or injury. If your hammie also likes being around humans, the presence of a familiar face may also be enjoyable.
Conclusion
Hamsters are incredibly low-maintenance, solitary animals that can handle themselves pretty well, even if you’re away.
But because they need to be fed daily and are quite vulnerable to injury and easily tempted to escape, it’s advisable not to leave your hamster for more than two days unless you absolutely have to.