While watching online videos of screaming hamsters may be amusing for some, a hamster screaming can be pretty alarming and ear-piercing for anyone close. Luckily, these tiny furballs don’t often yell when in conducive environments. If the hamster screams frequently, pay close attention to its body language to determine the cause of the uncharacteristic behavior.
Typically, hamsters will scream when they are scared or spooked. If the hamster is unfamiliar with you, another person, or another pet, it may become frightened and cry out. Hamsters will also scream while they sleep if they are stressed from their environment, dreaming, or in pain.
This article will explain why hamsters scream and what you can do to ease the distress. Let’s get started.
Why Do Hamsters Scream in Their Sleep?
Hamsters may often scream in their sleep if stressed or sick. Many believe hamsters also cry out from having dreams or nightmares while they sleep. Or it could be as simple as they become startled by a loud noise or sudden movement.
Hamster Dreams or Nightmares
Hamsters typically make subtle noises in their sleep. But like humans and other animals, they can also cry out while they’re dreaming.
Hamsters are territorial animals, so it’s possible that they’re dreaming about defending their territory from an intruder.
Another reason for screams during sleep is dreaming about being chased or attacked by predators. Some experts believe that hamsters can experience nightmares, which could result in loud, random screams during sleep.
Sleep Screaming From Stress, Sickness, or Pain
If the hamster is in an unhealthy state due to stress, sickness, or pain, it may scream while sleeping.
Stressed hamsters will appear nervous, spazzy, or distressed while awake. The hamster may pace the cage floor, climb the wall, or run aggressively on the exercise wheel. Hamsters can also bite or scratch when stressed and terrified.
Another common reason why hamsters scream is that they are in pain. If your hamster is screeching, there might be a deeper issue. Chances are your little furball might scream when in great pain as a result of severe injury or illness.
If the hamster is in a loving environment but still screams persistently, then it is probably unwell and needs immediate attention. Animals get stressed and agitated when sick, just like humans. So, it’s best to talk to your vet about the screaming behavior to address the underlying tissue as soon as possible.
Hamsters Will Scream When Startled
With poor eyesight, hamsters can’t see well and rely on other senses to understand their surroundings. Things like loud noises, sudden movement, or an unfamiliar scent can be enough to startle your hamster while sleeping, and it might respond by letting out a screaming cry.
Such screams are usually short-lived, as the hamster will get back to sleep upon realizing there is no issue or threat at hand.
Why Do Dwarf Hamsters Scream?
Dwarf hamsters, like other hamsters, scream when they are scared or feel threatened. This is especially true when you first get the hamster, as it’s probably not used to having much human interaction. They also scream when stressed, like in a new environment or when in pain.
A startled or scared hamster might make a loud scream similar to a human baby’s. This sound is a defense mechanism designed to confuse predators and scare them away. Other noises they make include purring, humming, and clicking noises.
Why Do Syrian Hamsters Scream?
Like other hamsters, Syrian hamsters scream to alert others of impending danger. New people and environments like cages can also make them feel terrified and stressed. They will also scream in their sleep in case of nightmares or if they are stressed or in ill health.
Usually, hamsters don’t scream for no reason. Most of the time, a crying Syrian hamster feels threatened.
Screaming is a natural defense mechanism designed to scare predators away. Hamsters have a pair of pouches in their cheeks called a labial pouch. This pouch stores food and will expand if the hamster feels threatened.
The pouches may create an impression that the hamster is screaming, but it is preparing for a fight by increasing its oxygen supply.
Other Reasons Hamsters Scream
While you may hear your hamster screaming while sleeping, there are a few other reasons they create the same alarming vocal response during their active times.
Hamsters Scream To Alert Danger
Hamster ”whining” is usually a sign of fear. As they are running on a wheel, hamsters often emit piercing screams. They do this to warn each other of impending danger, such as a predator approaching.
The screams can be startling, but remember that hamsters are nocturnal, so they likely have little experience with humans and may be very frightened when they hear someone approach their cage.
And because they have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell and hearing to detect danger, they can be spooked or scared easily by sudden movements or sounds.
Loud music, yelling, and sudden movements may create a stressful environment for a hamster.
Anxiety: Stressed and Agitated Screams
As with many humans, hamsters will get vocal when they are super stressed and become anxious and agitated with their environment. Other hamsters in the cage or pets like dogs and cats curiously sniffing the cage will cause the hamster to become stressed and feel unsafe.
Keep an eye on how the hamster reacts as daily life unfolds in your home to understand what triggers the screaming reaction or behavior.
The Hamster May Have Hurt Itself
Hamsters have poor depth perception and often run into objects right in front of them. And since hamsters are highly active at night, their poor eyesight can create a challenge in recognizing objects in the dark.
If you hear the hamster cry out, ensure it hasn’t hurt itself by colliding with a toy, exercise wheel, or anything else that may be in the cage.
The Natural Screams of Pleasure
Hamsters will also make a variety of sounds when in heat. So if your hamster starts crying out for no other reason, it may be mating season.
Even if you only have one hamster, it’s searching for a mate and calling out, hoping to get a response. If you notice that the hamster is making a variety of noises and crying out, it may mean it’s ready to mate.
How do you know if a hamster is in heat? You can’t really tell for sure, but some signs will help you figure it out. Females will display more odd behavior during the mating season versus a male, so you should watch for these signs indicating the female is ready to mate:
- The female hamster will be more playful and may start playing with her cage mates more often.
- She may start rolling around in her cage more frequently (this may indicate that she is moving her uterus around).
- She may spend more time looking at or sniffing objects (like bedding).
- She may start pacing around her cage more often, especially at night.
If a male hamster is already in the cage with the female, she may be more responsive to his courtship behavior.
How To Help a Screaming Hamster
To reduce the stress on the terrified hamster, you must remove it from stressful situations. If the hamster is screaming when someone approaches the cage, it may have had very little interaction with people and is being handled. Also, the hamster could have been neglected or abused by another owner if you bought it from someone.
Watch their body language to understand better what is spooking them and making them cry out. Here are ways to help out your screaming hamster.
Limit Interactions with Other Pets
The hamster may feel threatened and scream if other pets, such as cats and dogs, come close to the cage.
The only time a hamster should scream is if it feels threatened. If you notice this behavior, you should move the animal to another cage or move the enclosure to a different location.
A new hamster should be given enough time to acclimate to its new environment. This means keeping all family pets away from the cage and introducing them gradually until the hamster gets used to other animals.
You might have to keep your hamster separated from other pets altogether if it becomes irritated or frustrated when in the same room.
Consider Separating Cagemates
Most hamsters are solitary creatures, and they will become stressed if they are kept in groups. So, if the screaming hamster is with a group of other hamsters, it might be best to keep them in separate cages.
Put the stressed hamster in its cage where it won’t feel stressed or threatened by the hamsters. Alternatively, you can invest in a large enough cage to accommodate the needs of the cagemates.
But if the dominance-related fights continue to increase, you’ll need to get each hamster its own cage.
Final Thoughts
Typically you hear happy little squeaks and subtle noises from hamsters as they scamper about their cage. But there are times hamsters will make a screaming sound, especially if they’re startled or feel threatened. Hamsters also scream in their sleep while having dreams or nightmares.
Watch the hamster’s body language to better understand the reason for this behavior. Ensure the hamster is in a stress-free environment with no other animals causing it to be agitated or scared. If the hamster appears “off” or sick, take it to the vet.