Lessons Humans Can Learn From Hamsters

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Image © Damian Cugley; Flickr.com

When our family adopted our first hamster, we knew we'd learn a few things. But we were thinking more along the lines of hamster care and responsibility. Throughout our time in caring for various hamsters, we have actually learned quite a bit more. Humans can actually learn many important lessons from hamsters. Here are my favorites and what I feel are the most important things hamsters teach people.

Store Food for Later Use

If you've ever had a pet hamster, you likely noticed that they'll take their food from the dish and find a place in their cage to store it. Each time a hamster is fed, they will move some or most of the food into this storage area. Some people store up extra food for emergencies. Yet others do not. What will you do if there is an emergency, such as a natural disaster? What if your family suddenly loses a main income source? Are you storing food for later use? If not, take a lesson from the hamster and start building up your food supply. Stockpiling can be squeezed into any budget.

Exercise Often

We’ve rescued many hamsters, over the years. One noticeable similarity is that they all exercised several times per day. I don't know how on earth hamsters run on the wheel so fast for so long. But they do it. Hamsters also like to climb the cage, run around the cage, climb on people, run through obstacle courses, and so much more.

Each moment they are awake, hamsters are doing something active. Leading an active lifestyle is good for a hamster's health. Staying active is also healthy for you. So, take another lesson from hamsters and stay active. Spend less time on your couch and more time doing activities that get you moving. From yoga, to racing with the kids in the backyard, to hitting the nature trails, swimming at the local pool, and more, there are plenty of ways to stay active.

Sleep is Important

Our hamsters like to sleep. They sleep a good portion of time throughout the day. While they are extremely active during their waking hours, hamsters sure know how to nap. Although hamsters are classified as nocturnal, they also have some diurnal tendencies. We often rescue hamsters when we have room and have had experience with several. One thing I noticed with all of the hamsters right away is their sleep pattern. Every hamster we have adopted breaks up their days and night into sections.

They're usually active for two to three hours. Then, they'll sleep for about the same amount of time or longer. This cycle repeats itself throughout the day. While most people cannot follow that exact schedule, it’s important to take a lesson from hamsters about how important sleep is. Refresh your body each time you do something strenuous. If you work hard, you need to get proper rest afterward.                   

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network