I don’t remember what first compelled me to weigh Flamey. I just remember thinking that maybe it was a bit ‘extra’ to be weighing my hamster? After all he was 6 months old, full of beans and didn’t sit still for more than two minutes. But weigh him I did. Religiously. And I kept track of all his weight information. Sure it seemed excessive, but little did I know how vital that information would come to be later in his life.
So. Here’s an ultimate guide, every question you might possibly have about weighing your hamster, why you might want to and what to do if you notice any problems with your hamster’s weight along the way.
Why you should weigh your hamster
There are quite a few reasons why you might want to weigh your hamster, including:
- It can be an early indicator of health problems
- Tracking their growth and development
- Make sure they’re reaching milestones at the right rate
- It helps to make sure your hamster isn’t over or underweight
When Flamey first got sick, I took him to the vet and I was able to show them his weight history which they said was very helpful. Over the next month or so, Flamey began to lose weight, relatively drastically, because I had been monitoring his weight for so long I knew something was up immediately and it meant I was able to seek extra help and advice early on in his illness.
According to the Nancy L Anderson in a journal article on Pet Rodents for the National Library of Medicine:
“An accurate weight in grams is extremely important for evaluating an animal's body condition, calculating drug dosages, and monitoring treatment.”
How to weigh a hamster
So now we’ve agreed to weigh our hamsters, we’re left with the tricky question of how to do that when most of them won’t sit still for more than a few seconds!
So here’s a tip that may work for very new hamster parents. If you start weighing your hamster when they’re very young and you do it regularly, they tend to get quite used to it and that definitely makes the weighing process easy. I started weighing Flamey when he was four months old and I weighed him once a week by popping him in a ramekin with some oats….
I’m aware not all hamsters fit in a ramekin and some are less patient than Flamey, so here’s some excellent anecdotal advice that I have gathered from around the internet:
- Put a treat on the scale, tare the scale (to set it to zero) and then put your hamster on who will hopefully sit to eat the treat at which point you can weigh them. Try using a treat that they can’t just pouch and walk off with like a piece of cucumber.
- Use a dish or container that’s harder for them to get out of. So with Flamey’s ramekin, I used to put the ramekin on the scale to weigh it, then put flamey in and weigh him and the ramekin together, then I’d subtract the weight of the ramekin to be left with Flamey’s weight.
- Buy a scale with a large dish that’s harder for your hamster to get out of. I weigh Flamey on a flat digital kitchen scale, but you can get bigger scales with dishes on top which would likely make it harder for your hamster to climb out when being weighed.
Note - if your hamster has food in their cheeks when you weigh them it might make them seem heavier than they actually are!!
What kind of scales should you use to weigh a hamster?
Broadly speaking there are two kinds of scale, digital and analogue. Digital scales give you a read out on the screen, analogue scales have a dial. Hamsters are quite wiggly, so analogue scales tend to be very difficult to read, because as your hamster wiggles, so does the dial. Digital scales are more accurate and they’re able to cope much better with a moving subject.
Another good reason to use digital scales is that they have a ‘tare’ function. This allows you to put something on the scale and set the weight to 0 so that the weight of what you’ve put on the scale isn’t counted. You can do this with an analogue scale too, there’s usually a dial you can turn to set the dial to 0 once something is placed on the scale, but it’s a lot more faffy than pressing one button, and you have to re-set it manually after.
Using the tare function, you could put your hamster weighing receptacle on the scale (so I could put Flamey’s ramekin on) then tare the scale, then put your hamster in the receptacle (ramekin) and the scale will just read the weight of the hamster. This saves you from having to do any maths.
When you’re looking to weigh your hamster you want a scale that can weigh in grams or ounces because hamsters don’t weigh that much so you want to avoid measuring in large increments. For most people a cheap digital kitchen scale will do, you can pick these up for less than £10 in most supermarkets or on Amazon or anywhere that does home wares.
Why it’s important to measure your hamster’s length as well as weight
The length of your hamster gives you an important indication as to whether your hamster is over or under weight. Because weight varies depending on age, breed, gender etc, considering their length as well tells you whether they’re within the correct range. For instance, if your hamster is on the heavier end of the average hamster weight, but they’re also longer than an average hamster, they’re likely not overweight, just large for their breed. By the same token if your hamster is heavier than average, but also shorter than average, the chances are your hamster could do with losing a couple of grams.
Here are the average lengths for the three most common species of hamster, but if you have a hybrid or a different breed, you can just use Google to find the average length for your hamster. Remember that a young hamster will naturally be shorter!
- Dwarf Hamster: (3”) 7.5cm - 10cm (4”)
- Roborovski: (0.7”) 2cm-5cm (2”)
- Syrian: (5.5”) 14-19cm (7.5”)
- Chinese: (3.1”) 8-12cm (4.7”)
How much should hamsters weigh?
A hamster’s weight will vary depending on their breed, age and sex. This is one of the more frustrating questions to answer because when you look it up online, nearly every article gives different weights.
I have taken these weights from Wikipedia because there are citations that lead to scientific journals to back these up:
- Winter white Dwarf 19-45g in Males and 19-36g in Females. Winter white dwarf hamsters tend to vary their weight quite dramatically throughout the year, generally they’ll be pudgier during summer and leaner in the winter.
- Syrian Hamster 100 to 150g though from breeders they tend to be heavier 175 to 225g.
- Chinese Hamster 30-45g
- Roborovski 20-25g
If you have a different breed, you can look up average weights for them on Wikipedia.
how often should you weigh your hamster?
There is no hard and fast rule on how often you should weigh your hamster. You may find that if your hamster is healthy, you can weigh them every 2/3 weeks to get a good understanding of how their weight changes. If your hamster is unwell or if they are getting older, it’s best to weigh them more often.
When Flamey was diagnosed with his tumor I began weighing him once a week and this was actually really helpful to me. Flamey has gotten really weird with food. Sometimes he won’t eat any hard food at all and I have to feed him baby food and Emeraid. Every now and again he refuses the Emeraid and starts eating hard food, but I have no idea how much he’s eating and what kinds of food he’s eating. Monitoring his weight tells me if he’s getting enough food and allows me to respond appropriately.
Most hamsters always have something in their cheeks! So it is better to weigh them often to account for that!
Keeping track of your hamster’s weight
It’s super easy to keep track of your hamster’s weight. Just use whatever note taking app you usually use for your day to day notes. I am a huge fan of Notion, I have pages in there for just about everything in my life! On Flamey’s page I have a 2 column table where I record his weight and the date it was taken.
If you don’t really use a note taking app you could try adding the weight to your calendar so you can scroll back through and look at it when you need to.
You could even just write it down on paper and keep it somewhere. It really doesn’t have to be an exact science, but it is worth writing down so you can refer to it when you need to.
When should you be worried about your hamster’s weight?
As we’ve seen, it is quite difficult to really pin down what an average weight for your hamster should be. This is where regular weighing comes in handy. If your hamster is within the range of the ‘average’ weight for their breed and they’re within the average length for their breed, it’s not generally a cause for concern. If they’re slightly heavier and slightly longer than the averages, it makes sense so it’s likely to be fine. And the same if they’re slightly under weight but also shorter.
The real indicator that you should be worried about your hamster’s weight is when it changes drastically. If they are continually losing weight between weighing sessions it’s definitely cause for a checkup. Similarly, if your hamster is putting on weight between weighing sessions and they’re approaching the higher end of the average scale, it’s either time for a check up or for a reduction in fattier snacks.
Naturally young hamsters will put on weight as they reach adulthood and older hammies are likely to lose or gain a bit of weight as they get older. Also winter whites will vary their weight throughout the year. Pregnant hamsters will also gain weight throughout the pregnancy. But outside of this, treat consistent weight loss or consistent weight gain as something that should be investigated.
Here’s where Flamey’s weight started to take a nose dive. He had been to the vet on the 22nd Jan and the weight against that date is the weight he was in the vet’s office. But by the 18th Feb I could see we had a problem and you can see I stepped up his weighing sessions as I began to keep a closer eye on things.
How to help your hamster lose weight
The best way to help your hamster lose weight is to make sure that they have a balanced diet. On average a hamster’s diet should have 15-18% protein, 6-12% fat, 10-15% fibre.
Some hamster owners say that hamsters should be fed a museli type diet, which is various seeds, vegetables, protein like mealworms etc that the hamster can forage on. Others say that hamsters should be fed a pellet diet so they can’t pick and choose what they eat. This debate could be (and probably will be) a blog post of it’s own so I won’t go into it here.
I did quite a lot of research around what kind of hamster diet is best when I was deciding on what I would do for Flamey. I found that hamsters are pretty good at instinctively seeking out the foods that they need. I have always fed Flamey a museli type diet and until he got sick his weight was pretty consistent.
Reduce the treats
It is hard not to over-treat a hamster. Have you even seen their curious eyes, tiny whiskers and cute tails? It is natural to want to shower your hamster with love and affection. I know. I’ve been there, but if you’re worried about your hamster’s weight or want to help them shed a few grams, you should shower them with wooden chew toys, new hides and snack free toys instead of treats! Or find a super healthy treat like puffed grains!
Keep your hamster active
Give your hamster plenty of opportunities to be active. Make sure they’ve got a wheel and it works well. Most hamsters don’t need encouragement to use a wheel, but if they’re not using it just double check that it is the appropriate size for them and that it works. I went through a phase where Flamey wasn’t using his wheel, when I investigated it further it was because the wheel had a bit of a squeak and it was wobbly. I bought him a new wheel and he went nuts for it! So never assume just because you have a wheel it’s all good.
You can also give your hamster plenty of things to play with. Tunnels to go through, plenty of areas to explore in their cage, lots of digging material. Things they can shred or rip to bits like cardboard tubes, paper towels and dried flowers. These are all good ways to make sure your hamster stays active. One of my favourite things to do for Flamey was to make little bags out of paper and string which I called scrunchy munchers and tie them to his cage. He used to spend ages ripping them apart and he’d get a little shower of seeds in the end for his effort!
Free roam or out of cage time
Giving your hamster some free roam time or letting them out of their cage to play with you, or into a play pen or play area really helps to keep them active. The increased activity is great for them mentally, but also physically. Usually hamsters love out of cage time, they can run about to their heart’s content and explore new things, toys and games, and these things can help keep them active and shed any excess grams.
How to help your hamster gain weight
Over the last 5 months I have had to learn a lot about helping a hamster to gain weight. Unfortunately for Flamey it’s a losing battle. The tumor he has causes him to lose weight pretty consistently. It has been really hard to see him become so bony, but out of sheer desperation I have read my way through the internet and even come up with ways of my own to help him gain weight or at least not to lose it so quickly.
Increase calorie intake
The things that you usually avoid over-feeding a hamster are nuts, sunflower seeds, meal worms, pine nuts. They tend to be higher in fat and calories and ordinarily you’d restrict your hamster with these treats. But when the chips are down and you need your hamster to gain weight, you can increase these fattier foods. For Flamey this has also involved giving him more cheese too.
Increase food intake
When Flamey first got diagnosed with his tumor it had come on the back of a fall in his cage followed by him not eating or drinking for most of the day after. Keeping Flamey alive for the last 5 months has been a bit of a battle of wills. At times he has stopped eating altogether, when this has happened I’ve used Emeraid Omnivore which is a food replacement substitute for exotics. I gave him a syringe whenever I saw him. I took every opportunity possible to feed him. But I also grew aware that food has always been a major source of enrichment for Flamey, so I also set out to think about how I could still give him his favourite foods when he was seemingly unable to chew anything.
I tried so many things, and in the end, it was a combination of baby food and cooked vegetables that kept him going. He’s always loved broccoli, so when I cooked and mashed some broccoli with butter he absolutely loved it and from there our menu grew. I took all of his favourite vegetables and I cooked them and mashed them in various combinations. I added a little butter every time for extra fat and protein and in some mixes I added cheese which he really went nuts for. Each time I did this I froze some portions in an ice cube tray and I now take one out for him every few hours. This has meant he is able to eat his favourite foods even though he can’t crunch them any more.
To increase your hamster’s food intake if they’re struggling to eat, think about how you can soften their favourite foods for them and make them a little easier to eat and more digestible. Baby food is a really good place to start, just make sure to read the labels and don’t get any that contain onions, garlic and other spices that are toxic to hamsters.
I’ve shared a few of Flamey’s foods and recipes on my social media channels as we’ve gone along:
Limit stress
Stress can have an impact on your little furball’s diet. Stressed hamsters tend to hide more and therefore eat less. So if you’re trying to get your hamster to pack on a few extra grams, try to keep things nice and calm for them. Ways to limit stress include:
- Providing a quiet environment, so try to reduce noise from TVs or external noise.
- Keeping your hamster at a consistent temperature - more on this in the next section.
- Make sure your hamster has plenty of safe places to hide where they will be undisturbed.
- Don’t make lots of big changes to your hamster’s enclosure.
- Keep their hides clean but do this in stages so they always have somewhere to sleep that smells familiar.
- Keep other pets away from your hamster.
- Make sure your hamster has plenty of enrichment.
- Soothing classical music can also be a good way to keep your hamster calm.
I have a classical playlist that I put on for Flamey if it’s noisy outside or there are fireworks or he just seems a little out of sorts. It’s all calm classical music and it lasts for hours and hours. You can find it on Spotify here if you want to try it with your own hamster.
Keep your hamster’s environment warm
If your hamster’s environment is cold they’ll burn extra energy to keep themselves warm. This isn’t what you want if you’re trying to get your hamster to put weight on.
If you’re familiar with anything else I’ve written it won’t surprise you to know that if you Google ‘Ideal temperature for hamsters’ you won’t find a clear answer. The answers range from 17°c to 26°c. However, hamsters are not all the same. What works for one hamster might not work for another.
The important thing is that you should keep your hamster’s environment warm and a consistent temperature. Hamsters can get a bit stressed when the temperature changes greatly, so the more you can do to keep it the same temperature the better.
In terms of how warm it should be, let your hamster guide you. In the summer I’ve let Flamey’s room get down to 15°c and he’s been absolutely fine. When we have had particularly hot summers and on a few days where I’ve run a heater in his room and found that it’s a warmer day than I was anticipating, his room has gotten up to 22°c and I’ve found that’s too warm for him. He becomes sleepy, lethargic and he tries to sleep outside of his hides. So I let him lead and generally I try to keep his room at 19-20°c and that’s worked for us for the last year or so.
Reasons for hamsters to gain weight
There are a few reasons why hamsters might gain weight which include:
Overfeeding - It’s hard not to shower our gorgeous hammies with treats, but that can cause them to put on a few extra grams!
Lack of exercise - If your hamster isn’t using their wheel or running around their cage enough it might cause them to put weight on.
Health issues - It’s more likely for a hamster to lose weight if they’re unwell, but things like hormone imbalances can also cause them to gain weight. So if you notice your hamster put weight on and you haven’t been overfeeding them and they’ve been getting plenty of exercise it’s time for a vet visit.
Age - Older hamsters tend to either gain or lose weight. If they lose weight it’s usually due to them becoming unwell, if they gain weight it might be that they’re perfectly well, but they don’t exercise as much which leads them to putting weight on.
Pregnancy - If you have a female hamster and they’ve been in contact with male hamsters, or you haven’t long had them from a pet shop or breeder, they might be pregnant.
Reasons for hamsters to lose weight
If your hamster is losing weight, these things might be causing or contributing to the weight loss:
Poor diet - If your hamster isn’t getting enough food or if they aren’t enjoying what you’re feeding them they may well lose weight.
Underlying health issues - If a hamster has underlying health issues with their teeth, infections, tumours, parasites and mites they often lose weight.
Stress - when a hamster is stressed they like to hide away and some hamsters also suffer with decreased appetite when they’re stressed.
Age - some hamsters gain weight when they age, some hamsters lose weight.
When to see a vet about your hamster’s weight
While I’ve tried to cover a lot of things about hamster weight in this guide, it’s really important to know that changes in your hamster’s weight should be taken seriously. If the weight gain or loss is drastic and consistent, you should seek advice from a vet. If a hamster has underlying health problems, it’s likely that weight won’t be the only indicator that something is wrong. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.
I hope you’ve found this article enlightening. Please share comments, suggestions or corrections via the contact methods on my contact page. I’m here to build a world of accurate, well researched and trustworthy information for hamster owners and I’m open to any contributions that will improve this article.
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