why is my russian dwarf hamster biting me when i try to catch him?

Question

i have a russian dwarf hamster and now he is starting to bite me when i try to catch him .i have tryed puting my hand and letting him crawl to my hand but he just comes up and bites my finger if any one knows why is my hamster doing this pleace tell me or if i can do somethign about it . and thanx

Answer 1

There could be a few possibilities. .How long have you had him? if he's new, he might just need some time..New pets are often scared for a while and it takes a lot of time, patience , and persistance to get them to come around.

Have you hurt him recently? If he's not new, maybe the last time you picked him up or handled him, you accidently hurt him and he remembers this, so he sees your hand as a threat, so he bites you to keep you away.

Do you smell yummy? If your hands smell like food, he might think youre a snack. Their eyesight isnt so great but their sense of smell is amazing. Try washing your hands with unscented soap before sticking your hand in his cage.

Keep putting your hand in his cage, but the next time he bites, dont freak out and pull your hand away (easier said than done, I know, so maybe try making a fist..it hurts a little less when they bite your fist, than it does when they bite your fingers). If you pull your hand out every time he bites he's going to learn that to get rid of you, all he has to do is bite you.

I recently got a new hamster and he's not tame yet..While I was holding him he bit me, but I continued to keep my calm, and hold him, because I didnt want him to learn that I'd put him back every time he bit me.

It might take some time because from what I've seen, dwarf hamsters are more fiesty than regular hamsters..but I think he'll come around.

Maybe for a while you can just try giving him treats instead of picking him up. Give him a yummy treat and after he takes it, keep your hand in the cage. He needs to learn that you're trust worthy..talk gently to him while youre doing this, if he bites, dont yell or scream, or jerk your hand away, because this will cause him to be even more afraid of you.


I hope he comes around soon, Good luck!

Answer 2

As wonderful as dwarfs are, they can be just as confusing. The difference between dwarfs and syrians are that dwarfs will turn "wild" again after long periods of no human contact. Syrians will stay tame, but dwarfs need daily attention to remain tame.

Dwarfs are also very cage territorial. Place a coffee mug in the cage and allow them to climb into it. Then pull them out with the cup. Chances are that once they are in your hand, they will calm down and not bite.

Join the group that I posted or just browse through the site for excellent information. Their tips on taming are wonderful and have helped many. Good luck.

Answer 3

I have had three of them and they were all like that no matter how much you handled them. They are fine once they are out of the cage but when you are trying to catch them they bite like crazy. So we use a fish net to catch them. It does not hurt them and you do not get bit.,

Answer 4

From experience.....Best thing for you to do is to keep on handling him, the more, the better, but do it gently so that he does not feel threaten. Usually when hamsters bite, it's because they have been mishandled.

Answer 5

Also, you might have the scent of food on your hands. Try washing your hands before handling it as well

Answer 6

hamsters dont really like being handled are you sure it is male as it could be having a phantom pregnancy.

Answer 7

Its afraid of you.