Hamsters are adorable, and with their sweet button noses and tiny eyes, they can win your heart over with just a look. However, it may get kind of creepy when your hamster starts staring at you all the time. So, why is this?
Your hamster stares at you because it’s hungry, curious, or showing affection. However, it may also be staring at you because it hears something or sense a threat. Hamsters are known for being very aware of the world, so staring is a practical way to take in the sights around them fully.
Th rest of this article will further discuss why your hamster is staring at you and go over some other common behaviors you may see in your hamster. Let’s get started!
5 Reasons Why Your Hamster Stares at You
Staring is a very common behavior in hamsters and can occur for various reasons. Most of the time, your hamster will stare because its taking in the world. Hamsters rely heavily on their senses of both sight and smell.
Usually, when a hamster is staring, it’s hyper-focused on one thing or another. This may be a simple thing, such as food, or a more concerning threat, such as a nearby predator. They may even be hyperfocused on you if they’ve built a strong bond with you over time.
Let’s get more in-depth on why your hamster is staring at you in the following sections.
1. Your Hamster Is Hungry
Ah, food. It’s the life-giving goodness for all organisms on Earth, and your hamster knows this too well. Hamsters are hungry almost all the time.
A hamster’s stomach is really small, as you can imagine. They eat a meal and are usually ready for another within only an hour. While you probably have hamster food readily available in its cage, when your hamster has been outside the cage for a while, it may not know how to tell you that its hungry. Instead, it may simply look up to you for long periods.
Your hamster may get extra hungry when it’s been engaging in a lot of exercise. It’s best to put it back into its cage after an exercise session so that it can replenish its energy with lots of food and water.
Along the same lines of direct hunger, your hamster may also want a treat. If you’ve been feeding it other things such as fruit, cabbage, or carrots, your hamster has probably come to expect this.
In this case, the hamster may not be that hungry but instead may just be experiencing a “craving,” for lack of better words. This is a very common reason why hamsters stare at their owners.
If you’ve ever owned a dog, you probably know what “puppy dog eyes” are. Dogs have a specific look of longing that they often give their owners when they’re desperate for “just one bite.” Hamsters also have this same look and will stare at you in longing if they think you may give them a treat.
How can you resist?
2. Your Hamster Is Curious
Hamsters are enormously curious about the world. Because they rely heavily on their senses of sight and smell, it’s not uncommon for them to be caught gazing at something or someone they’re curious about.
For example, your hamster may be curious about a conversation you’ve started having. When new noises pop up (which I’ll discuss in a moment), it can make them all too aware.
Your hamster may also be curious about new facial expressions you’re making, the tone of voice used to speak to them or another person, or certain gestures you’re using.
Additionally, your hamster is more likely to stare at you out of curiosity if it has already built a bond with you. The more trust that you’ve built, the longer intimate stares you’ll get.
3. Your Hamster Loves You
One of the primary ways that hamsters show affection is through staring. While many people assume that hamsters will display similar behavior to cats or dogs, such as cuddling against the person, more often, they will engage with you through their eyes.
The key to knowing whether or not your hamster is staring at you out of love is to look at its body positioning. If your hamster is in a relaxed state, most likely, its staring at you because it feels affectionate towards you.
This is especially likely to be the case if your hamster has had a significant amount of time to bond with you. As I mentioned in another section, the deeper the bond, the more staring you may experience.
Hamsters can show affection by cuddling next to their humans. However, they’re easily frightened, which is another reason they rely so much on their sense of sight. When a hamster is cuddled against you, one wrong move could send it into terror. However, if it keeps its eyes on you, it’ll feel significantly safer.
4. Your Hamster Hears a Strange Noise
Hamsters have fantastic hearing. They can hear so well that they may notice sounds that aren’t even perceptible to our human ears, like the sound of a bird flapping its wings outside.
One of the common behaviors in hamsters when they hear a noise or feel threatened is known as “freezing.” This can manifest as staring at a specific person or object, which is what appears to be staring out into space. The freezing mechanism is built into your hamster and isn’t anything to be concerned about. However, it can be somewhat strange to experience the first couple of times.
When a hamster is staring at you because it hears a strange noise, you may notice that its eyes flick around the room and then back to you repeatedly. Usually, this indicates that your hamster feels safe with you, but have also noted that there’s some other noise or presence nearby.
While it might come across as slightly creepy, just know that this is a natural response in your hamster, and there’s nothing to be concerned about.
5. Your Hamster Senses a Predator Nearby
This goes back to a hamster’s “freezing mechanism.” However, it will be far more amplified if the hamster senses or sees a predator than if it simply hears something out of the ordinary.
This stare is probably the most “creepy” stare you may get from your hamster. You’ll probably be able to tell that its mind is focused on something else, but it won’t be moving. The hamster may not move its eyes at all. Instead, it will hyper-focused on you.
Again, this may be because the hamster feels safe with you or because you were the thing it had its eyes upon when the freezing happened.
Hamsters are known for being easily frightened, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they begin to panic when a predator is nearby. Don’t worry, though; this should pass within a few minutes.
The main thing you’ll want to pay attention to differentiate this from other staring situations is the posture of your hamster. If it senses a predator nearby, it will tense. You’ll notice that its muscles seem bunched, and its nose may twitch frequently. Your hamster may also begin to shiver during this time.
Final Thoughts
Staring is a very common behavior in hamsters, and it can happen for a myriad of reasons. Usually, it’s because they have sensed something out of the ordinary, such as an unexpected noise or a predator nearby. If your hamster is relaxed and staring, it’s usually because it feels safe or bonded with you. Hamsters may also stare if they’re hungry or want a specific treat.
For hamsters, staring is a means of communication. It’s nothing to be concerned with. Simply let your hamster stare to its heart’s content.