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Home » Hamster Facts » Why Do Hamsters Eat Their Own Poop?

Why Do Hamsters Eat Their Own Poop?

August 18, 2014 By Sarah Yee 3 Comments

why do hamsters eat their own poop

Hamsters are cute little furry animals that lots of little kids have as pets. They sleep during the day, run on their little wheels, and have a weird little habit….eating their own poop. You may wonder why on earth would they do something so disgusting but the answer is simple. Hamsters are coprophagic, this means they consume their own poop for nutritional reasons.

Due to the way their digestive system is set up, hamsters do not get all the nutrients they need the first time the food passes through their system. So once it comes out in poop form, they eat it again to receive the nutrients their bodies did not absorb the first time.

Although it does seem odd to us humans, it is very normal for not only hamsters but also some other animals to eat their own poop (rabbits do this too!)

Hamsters do not eat all of their poop though, only the ones that can get additional nutrition from. The other type — the ones that you see all the time in your hamster’s cage — is passed out and not eaten.

This coprophagic behavior most often occurs at night and the hamster eats the poop almost immediately when it is passed out. Most owners do not even know that their hamsters do this.

I’ve only seen it once or twice in a few of my hamsters although I’m sure it happens a lot more. Have you seen your hamster eat its poop?

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  • How Much Does a Hamster Poop in One Night?How Much Does a Hamster Poop in One Night?

Filed Under: Hamster Facts

  • N

    Yep. I was really scared when it started doing that. I thought something was wrong but now I know it’s normal. Thanks!

  • :X

    I see my Djungarian hamser eat poops very often. He eats poop directly from his butt 😀

  • Kim Daniels

    I got Campbell hamsters (5!) last week and tonight one was laying on her back screaming (she does it a lot, she’s a drama-queen), and she pooped while screaming. Another hamster came by and plucked the poop right from her butt and ate it. After 20 years of having hamsters I never knew they did this. Learn something every day.

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