Mouse-like Hamster Behaviour

Mouse-like hamsters sleep throughout most of the day becoming increasingly active in the later evening in the Summer months, although Autumn and Winter may find them foraging more during the day. They are full of energy and extremely fast, making a solid based wheel a great addition to their cage.

They are excellent both at balancing, climbing and jumping; they use their long, furred tail to balance although it is not prehensile like a Harvest Mice.

If your Mouse-likes have been obtained from a good breeder they can be extremely friendly, as they have a strong sense of curiosity and will want to investigate strange noises or movements. They do not appear to be easily stressed, although they do react to surprises with fast, long jumps so care should be taken when their cage is open least your mouse-like leap out!

Handling mouse-like hamsters does require experience with exotics, since they can be quite unpredictable in their movements as well as being able to make surprisingly long jumps for their size and vertical leaps of up to a foot. It needs a level of confidence and quick reactions.

Mouselike hamsters are not very vocal, although some keepers report high-pitched twitterings.

Mouse-like hamsters can be kept on their own, but company of their own kind is preferable. They sleep huddled together in their nest or shelter, much as they would do in the rock crevices of their natural habitat. They do not appear to enjoy burrowing, although they will dig a little in a sand bath so if kept entirely on a sand substrate this might be different.