Waking Your Hamster Gently
Talk to him softly. Try waking your hamster with the sound of your voice. Go near his cage and begin speaking softly. You may even try humming or singing until he is awake.
Offer him a treat. Another way to rouse your hamster is to offer him a treat. Try holding a treat out where he is sleeping (close enough for him to smell it) and allow this to draw him from his sleep. You may use a small piece of a vegetable (like carrot or broccoli), or a store-bought hamster treat.
Blow in his face. If your hamster is sleeping out in the open, another option is to gently blow in his face. Of course, you do not want to startle your hamster, so begin with a mellow release of air, and increase in intensity until your hamster begins to wake.
Avoid poking him. Whatever you do, avoid jabbing or poking at your hamster. This is not an effective way to wake him up because he will immediately become defensive. If he is roused in this way, he will not want to be held or to play.
Move slowly. Remember, the point is to wake him without scaring him, so avoid swift or jarring movements. Instead, whenever you approach your sleeping hamster, move slowly. This allows him to wake gently and in a good mood.
Altering Your Hamster’s Environment
Make the room dark. Hamsters begin to wake up and move around at dusk and dawn (or twilight). Thus, you may be able to wake your hamster by dimming the lights in your room. If you can make it dark enough, your hamster should rouse in response to the change in light.
Change the temperature. Another idea is to alter the temperature of your hamster’s environment. Hamsters sleep more when it is cold, and wake when it is warm. You can try warming up the whole room (by turning up your heat or using a space heater), or warming only your hamster’s cage (by using a heat lamp or heating pad).
Jiggle his food bowl. You can appeal to you hamster’s sense of hearing and desire for food at the same time by reaching into his cage and jiggling his food bowl. Place a little bit of fresh food into his dish and move it around (making a subtle noise) until he wakes.
Lift up his hut. Often hamsters will sleep inside of a hut (or enclosure) within the cage. One method for rousing your hamster is to simply lift up his hut. You may to choose to lift up the hut and move it to another location in the cage (exposing the hamster), or simply lift it up and put back down (which may rustle him enough to wake him up).
Tap lightly on his cage. You can use soft noises in conjunction with vibration by tapping lightly on your hamster’s cage. Using your finger, gently rap on his cage (near where he is sleeping) until your hamster is awake.
Training Your Hamster to Wake at a Certain Time
Understand that hamsters are “crepuscular.” Hamsters are commonly (though mistakenly) called “nocturnal,” when in fact they are “crepuscular.” Whereas nocturnal animals are most active at night, your hamster will be most active during twilight hours (dusk and dawn). Understanding this about your hamster will help you better understand and cope with his sleep patterns.
Track your hamster’s schedule. If you would like to train you hamster to wake up a bit earlier (so that you can spend time with him), the first step is to track his schedule. Spend 3-5 days writing down precisely when he is asleep and awake.
Feed him at the same time each day. Once you know your hamster’s schedule (specifically what time he wakes in the evening), begin feeding him at this time each day. For example, if your hamster wakes each night at 8:30pm, begin feeding him at 8:30 on the dot. Do this for at least one week before moving on to the next step.
Begin moving your feeding time back. Begin moving the feeding time back in 15-minute increments. For example, after the first week, you’ll begin waking your hamster up a bit earlier by feeding him at 8:15pm. Continue this until he begins waking at 8:15 on his own (this should take about one week). Then, begin feeding your hamster at 8:00pm, and so on.
Be patient. This technique needs to be done subtly, over time, in order for it to work. So be patient through this process. Once again, understand that it is your hamster’s innate nature that causes him to wake at dusk and dawn. You are not going to alter that overnight. Furthermore, you’re never going to change it completely. At best, you may be able to train your hamster to wake one hour earlier than he did before.
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