Are you hearing clicking noises coming from your hamster cage, are you wondering what these noises mean, is your hamster bruxing?
What is bruxing? How to tell? Should you be worried?
I will cover this and more below.
What Is Hamster Bruxing?
Hamster bruxing is the noise your hamster makes they grind or crunch their teeth together, what is a sign that your hamster is happy.
Many people confuse hamster bruxing thinking their hamster is showing signs of aggression, this is not the case as I will go into below
Is A Hamster Bruxing Bad For Them
If a hamster is Bruxing it is actually good for their teeth as it grinds then down and prevents them from overgrowing, which could leave to health issues if they grow too long
When a hamster is bruxing you will hear clicking or grinding noise as they are rubbing or chattering their teeth together. he can also sound like a cat is purring.
if you do hear these noises do not worry as everything is fine with your hamster.
Why Is My Hamster Bruxing?
A hamster will typically bruxing when they are feeling happy and content, this behaviour is the equivalent of a cat purring.
If a hamster is bruxing it is a good sign as they are happy in their environment.
In rare situations your hamster could be angry or nervous and this causes them to grind their teeth which could be mistaken for your hamster bruxing
How To Tell If Hamster Is Bruxing Or Stressed
if your hamster is bruxing they will only grind their teeth and make clicking noises, if they are stressed they will also show additional signs such as making squeaking noises hissing and frequently standing up.
Other signs of a stressed hamster include
- Biting their cage
- Climbing up the side of the cage
- Frequently standing up
- Pacing around the cage
- Making noises such as squeaking kissing
- Looks unsettled
If you noticed the above signs you can try to comfort your hamster by picking them up in their cage and stroke them whilst inside of the cage.
Do not remove them from the cage good add to their stress. also check their cage to make sure nothing is wrong such as no food or water for them.
Why Is My Hamster Making Clicking Noises When Asleep
A hamster will rarely make clicking noises when asleep, if they do make a clicking noise when asleep it is most likely because they are dreaming.
A hamster will also make clicking noises they are relaxed and content which they will be feeling when asleep.
In rare occasions it could be something in the cage that is causing your hamster to make clicking noises when asleep.
For example if you have something with a strong smell like scented bedding this could be causing the hamster to make clicking noises when asleep.
If your hamster is constantly making clicking noises when they sleep you can try to remove objects from the cage that smell such as bedding, food, substrate and so on. then monitor if they stop making clicking noises.
Hamster Bruxing vs Chattering How to Tell the Difference
Hamster body language is something we can pay close attention to. We will be able to spot subtle differences behind their motivations and how they are physically trying to display them.
Bruxing and teeth chattering occur and it can be coupled with any off these actions below:
- Shying away and refusing to be touched
- Ears pointed down
- Squinted eyes
- Not eating
An annoyed, stressed or angry hamster could make clicking sounds or try to stay away from you. If their ears are pointed down and this clicking resembles more teeth chattering sounds, it could be negative.
Bruxing is more positive and the ears will be relaxed. Throughout this entire answer, I realized that it’s all in the ears.
Simply notice relaxed ears pointed upwards to be matched with positive bruxing noises or ears pointed down to be coupled with negative teeth chattering.
Why Is My Hamster Grinding His Teeth?
The grinding of the front incisors in hamsters is a healthy and necessary action. They have to prevent their teeth from growing out of proportion and developing possible dental complications. Grinding of the teeth could also be a negative sign.
- Leave your hamster alone for now. They might be asking for some space.
- Excessive teeth grinding when you are nearby could be a warning sign that they might wish to bite you if you get too close.
- Keep your fingers to yourself at this point.
- Hamsters will grind their teeth or chatter them when they are near counterparts.
These rodents are highly territorial and don’t wish to share any space. A male hamster is more likely to grind his teeth when there is another hamster nearby, warning them to stay away from their space.
What Does Hamster Bruxing Noise Sounds Like?
The most common sound associated with hamster bruxing is the clicking sound you might be hearing. They are using their teeth and mouths to click or chatter.
Clicking could be more positively associated with bruxing while teeth chattering might be more aggressive and a precursor to an attempt to bite at someone or another animal.
Purring is another sound that could be linked to bruxing in hamsters. This means they are content and happy in this situation and you should not feel worried.
Other noises like cooing, chirping and squeaking may or may not be heard during hamster bruxing.
Purring, vibrating and buzzing noises might be hard in positive bruxing situations, but hissing is negatively linked with teeth chattering or aggression.
These sounds could be hard to distinguish by human ears. We know that hamsters can tell them apart much better when they interact with each other because of their sensitive and exceptional hearing capabilities.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
