Why is my hamster always sleeping and not active during the day?

Thank you for using PetCoach. It is important to remember that hamsters are nocturnal animals. That means the majority of eating drinking and activity will be done at night. She is also stressed by the change in habitat and abnormal activity. Try to minimize handling for the next few days, especially during the day time when she should be asleep. Here are some articles that may give you some more information. If she is not active at night or eating or drinking, then I would recommend a veterinary visit tomorrow. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/owning-a-pet-hamster https://bellevueanimalhospital.com/veterinary-services/exotic-avian/hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information-for-hamsters/ https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/hamster-basic-info-sheet.pdf

If she will allow, check her teeth for overgrowth or misalignment. Make sure her cage is warm enough and away from high traffic areas, strong drafts/vibrations and loud noises. Monitor for loose droppings, lethargy and a decreased appetite. Although most hamsters are more active at night, this may simply be her personality. An exam with your veterinarian is always recommended to make sure she isn't sick or injured.

It sounds like Buttercup is quite the energetic hamster. Some hamsters seem to have lots of energy and will spend many hours climbing, chewing, exploring their cage. Others will be lazy and sleep a lot. Hamsters are nocturnal so they are naturally more active at night. It may disrupt your sleep if you can hear him, but I am not worried about his activity level - this is normal.

Pompie is probably not as active as usual because of his new surroundings. Hamsters can be very prone to stress when their environment abruptly changes. He is most likely being more active when he is home alone and at night time because he feels safer. Since he is eating and drinking normally, I would not be too concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Its hard to say if Pepper is sick without more information. You are correct that most hamsters are active at night time. They usually like to run in their little wheels and scurry about the cage. You need to watch for any signs of diarrhea or wetness around the rectum. When Pepper is awake, are his eyes open or half closed? Is the food being moved around? Many hamsters pack the food to their nest to eat later. Also, offer the pellets as well as the seed mixture. When he is awake, is he active? Most pet stores have a health warranty on their little critters. If you are seeing signs of illness, call the store to ask about having Pepper checked out.

Hi! Daisy sounds like a very healthy, normal hamster! Hamsters are crepuscular, which means they will be most active at dawn and dusk. Hamsters are also prey species, and have an innate drive to avoid predation. Daisy’s instincts tell her to be still and/or hide if she suspects she may be in danger. The abrupt switching on if the lights likely startles Daisy and until she can assess the situation to be sure she is safe, she will freeze to avoid detection by a possible predator, just like you said. So this is just natural self preservation instinct, and nothing to be worried about. However, it may be a bit stressful to Daisy, so try to minimize how often you turn the lights on during the night. If you’d like to observe her in the dark, consider getting a red or blue light bulb (from petco or other pet store, often in the reptile section) that will allow you to see her, but should disturb her.

It does not sound like Moxie really has a problem. She could be more active during the day because people are around more during the day. She also could be falling over more due to balance than an actual health issue. I think that I would continue to monitor moxie. If she is not eating, drinking or acting ill I would recommend taking her to a vet for an exam. Hope that helps