Hamsters’ pouches (cheeks) stretch, and they can hold half a hamster’s
weight in food. Can you imagine what it would be like if your cheeks
puffed up and they were holding half your weight?

Hamsters store food for the winter in their cheeks. Some will wait 2
or 3 days before they eat the food, and sometimes they will just hide
it! They save food because they need to have a lot of food for the
winter or they’ll starve to death. They save it for the winter for
their hibernation. How long is hibernation? Hibernation is about three
weeks! You should definitely expect hibernation if you have a dwarf
hamster. So that’s why they save food in their cheeks—for THE HIBERNATION.
Hibernation is a big word for sleep. Why do hamsters hibernate? Because
they are part of the mammal family and like bears, skunks, and some
reindeers, they must hibernate. So hamsters’ cheeks puff up because
they need a space to help them carry the food that they store and
save for the winter.

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