Hamster learns foreign language?
Ratgirl
More of my ponderings for you ...... okay, so you know I have rats right,
well when I call them I use their names and then make a kind of 'tut tut
tut' noise, like a happy rat chatter, and mostly they chatter back to me :-)
...... sorry, I'm wandering off again, back to the plot ...... now when I
call anyone I automatically make that noise, and I also do it with Mr.
Hammy. Now I've heard Mr. Hammy make this kind of noise when he's had a
shock and is a little frightened, and I became worried that he would think
it was a 'scared' noise, and not good. However, he started to make this
noise back to me when I call him out from his bed for a treat. I thought
maybe he was doing it because he didn't know who had woken him and he was
scared, but he always comes straight to me, with no other signs of fear and
I think if he was really scared that he wouldn't come out at all ....... he
seems to be using it as a 'greeting' noise rather than a 'scared' noise.
So, I've been pondering over the question - Has Mr. Hammy picked up a
little 'rat language' from me? I'd be interested to know what you think.
Ratgirl. XX
MiHoSwEeTi
not scared:)
christine miho
http://community.webshots.com/user/miho176
Atsukomiya
read/heard for the last couple of years from some sources (including people
here) that 'teeth' chattering means annoyance for a hamster, whereas it means
joy for a rat. As long as hamsters goes, this theory has been proven correct
to me. (Never had a rat before.) I got only 2 hamsters (both syrian) so far
for the last 3 years, but they would chatter their teeth when they are feeling
not too happy. My current hamster (Fuku-chan) is a little bit more skittish
than former one (Popo) was, and he (Fuku-chan) chatters his teeth often. He
has become tame and does not jump, bite,or run away anymore but he chatters.
If I chatter to him, he sometimes chatters back to me, meaning "stop that
annoying noise, will you?" It's not a sign of being scared, it's just annoyed.
I can tell what my hamser is thinking/feeling these days. (People may laugh,
but I'm serious. Of course I am not psychic, just after spending a lot of time
with him, observing him a lot, I can see how he is feeling. He has a very
expressive look also.)
If I make some noise around his cage or talk to him when he is asleep, or when
he is getting ready to sleep (or take a nap during the human night time), he
would chatter to tell me "can't you be more quiet?" Even when he is up, if he
is feeling lazy and I try to get his attention (talking loud with silly tone or
sing to him or whatever.... ) he would say "I'm not feeling up to that right
now" by chattering. If I have some treat, he would go "what... (very annoyed
chattering) what do you want....huh..?(teeth chattering) ....you better have a
very good reason to wake me up.....ah...? ...oh.. something smells yummy....ok
then I'm coming"
It reminds of me of the time when Popo nested under the kitchen cabinet. She
made herself completely comfortable back there and started sleeping. When I
put some long stick to poke around, all I got back was an excessive chattering
sound..... what a memory....(She eventually came out after 12 hours or so :-)
Of course, every ham has a different character and Mr. Hammy can be an
exception. He may have become bilingual.
:-)
Ako
Ratgirl
mihos...@aol.comnojunk wrote on 6/4/03 9:19 am:
> I don't see why not:) If he's coming to you when you call him, obviously he's
> not scared:)
That was my logic too :-)
Ratgirl. XX
Ratgirl
this once when the flash on the camera got a bit much for him. His face
looks the same too, little 'puffing' cheeks :-) When he's coming out to see
me though he runs straight over chattering, when he did it at the camera
flash, he cowered while he was doing it ........ hamsters, go figure !!
Ratgirl. XX
in article 20030406060901...@mb-fp.aol.com, Atsukomiya at
atsuk...@aol.com wrote on 6/4/03 11:09 am:
TheHamsterLog
him, and when i clean his cage he can be vocal. he's such a particular hammy.
ako, it's so nice to hear how you and fuku-chan are getting along - makes me
smile.
jimmy ^_^