Hamsters like to hide their food, burrowing it into the ground or into their cheeks. Their sharp, curved teeth allow them to grind down their food and their strong cheek muscles allow them to store quite a bit of food in their cheeks.
In some species of hamsters, the cheek pouches can extend as long as four inches when they’re full of food.
So many hamster owners have always been confused why their little pet keeps storing food in its cheeks, some are even keen to know how much food can a hamster store in its cheeks.
The number of food hamsters can store in their cheeks is actually pretty astonishing; they usually carry one-third of all the food they eat in one day at a time, so they can haul up to 50 seeds or pellets at once, which is up to 20% of its body weight.
Why Do Hamsters Store Food in Their Mouths?
Hamsters store food in their cheeks because it’s good for them. Unlike you, who might be able to eat your entire meal at once and then go on with your day, hamsters need to save some of their food for later.
This is because hamsters’ stomachs are tiny and can only hold little food at a time, making them unable to hold back when they’re hungry. In order to make sure they don’t starve, they store extra food in their cheeks when they have more than enough on their plate (or in this case, paws).
They also use this technique as an easy way of carrying things from one place or another: When a hamster has just finished eating some delicious carrots out of his garden but wants to take some back inside his home for later consumption.
He may find himself walking across an empty field that doesn’t have any trees around where he’d place the leftover carrot pieces safely away until he gets back home again with another mouthful of veggies.
How Long Do Hamsters Keep Food in Their Cheeks?
Hamsters will keep food in their cheeks until they get back to their nesting area.
Hamsters are very territorial and they don’t like sharing their food with other hamsters.
When a hamster finds a food source, they will store it in their cheek pouches and bring it back to their burrows where they can eat in peace. This is why many people think that hamsters are hoarders.
If you ever see a hamster with its cheeks bulging out, it means that it’s storing food for later use.
The pouches allow them to carry food back to their nests where they store it for later consumption. Pouch size is directly related to body size so bigger hamsters have larger pouches than smaller ones do.
How To Empty Hamster Cheek Pouch
If your hamster has food stuck in his cheek pouch, follow these steps to help him out:
1. Get a small, blunt object
Get a small, blunt object that will fit into the hamster’s mouth. This can be an item from around the house that you don’t need anymore or a wooden toothpick. If you don’t have any of those things on hand, a pencil or pen may work just make sure it’s not too sharp.
2. Place your hamster on a flat surface
Place your hamster on a flat surface and hold him gently by supporting his body with one hand while putting your other hand under his chin. This helps keep him still so he doesn’t hurt himself while you’re helping get rid of what’s stuck in his cheeks.
3. Using the blunt object as leverage
Using the blunt object as leverage, push down lightly on each side of your friend’s mouth until food falls out onto its paws or tail.
If this doesn’t work for whatever reason (due to injury), try using just one finger instead; do not put pressure directly on top of where food may be lodged inside without first trying alternative methods first though because doing so could injure your pet.
4. Cheeks massage
This is a good way to stimulate the cheek pouches, and also to get your hamster used to it. Put your hamster in a safe place (such as a small box), then gently rub its cheeks just below the eyes with your finger.
This will encourage them to fill up their cheek pouches with air, which will make them feel happy and relaxed, as well as encourage them to do it on their own more often.
5. Saline solution
The next thing that you can do is fill up your hamster’s cheek pouch with saline solution. The reason why you should use saline solution is that it will help loosen any debris that may have been stuck in the pouch.
Once it has been loosened up, it will be easier for you to remove it from its home so that you can clean it properly.
Is It Dangerous for Hamsters to Store Food in Their Cheek?
It is safe and healthy for hamsters to store food in their cheeks.
Hamsters have cheek pouches that enable them to store food and take it back to their burrows. These pouches allow hamsters to store large amounts of food for later use.
Hamsters will usually carry their food home in their cheeks, and then eat it later when they are safe in their burrows.
Hamsters also have a long lifespan, so storing food can help them survive during times when there is no food available.
This enables them to live without having to constantly move around looking for new sources of food, which would put them at risk of being caught by predators or other animals that might want to eat them themselves.
Conclusion
It turns out that hamsters have cheeks for a reason, they’re built to store food. Hamsters are adept at hiding food from other animals, and their large cheeks help them carry plenty of food at once.
So, while hamster cheeks can hold quite a bit of food, they won’t necessarily hold as much as you might think.