Well I got a bear hamster about 4 months ago from petco. I bought him because all of the other hamsters had been beating him up, he had cuts and his ear had a bite mark that went all the way through. He was okay in the store, very nice, so I bought him. When we got home, I tried to pick him up to put him in his new cage, and he bit me REALLY HARD. I mean like blood streaming down my finger hard. Of course, I thought it was simply because he was scared. So I put him in his cage. I held him the next day, and the next for about a week. Then, out of nowhere, when I was holding him, he bit me AGAIN. I didn't know what to think, so I ignored him and put him away. The same thing again about a month and a half later. I don't know what to make of it. Every single time though, its just on the very end of my fingertip, and blood all down my hand. Has anyone ever encountered this before? Any suggestions to make him stop biting me and be more social?
2007-03-24 16:11:37 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
also, his fur grows LOTS and so he looks really funny, and it looks like he needs a hair cut....they cant be groomed or anything like that can they?
2007-03-24 16:41:14 · update #1
wear gloves?
2007-03-24 16:16:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I completely agree with the answer from "washu". Its gonna take alot of time and patience to tame him. I too have a syrian (teddybear hamster) and their nature is to actually be very laid back and calm, especially the males. He is a year old and never bites. He even sits by me or my husband on the sofa and snuggles in for a snooze! Be patient, calm and treat him like you have only just got him again. So start off with gentle talking, letting him smell the scent of your hand, offer him some treats, dont pick him up, let him come to your hand. Also remember any sudden sound or movement can scare them, so while he has bitten you and you cant think of anything that has scared him, the world looks a much more
different place to a hamster.
But dont give up. Make sure you have contact with him everyday, and I promise your patience will pay off. They are wonderful little things, but with any animal, they need time, care and understanding. He belongs to you, so you have the responsibility of looking after him and ensuring he has a good life
2007-03-24 21:40:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most small rodents will bite. If you bought it as an adult at Petco it is probably that he was not hand raised as a baby. Meaning it had little or no human interaction while growing and thus does not like being handled. Animals must be trained from very young not to bite and to trust people. Also, in the wild being lifted is a traumatic ordeal, as it means they are being lifted away by a predator. It could be that you lift it to quickly or move suddenly and spook it. If it continues to bite, try not handling it and instead let it roam freely in it's cage or a plastic ball made to allow your small pets to roll safely around your home. (keep cats and small dogs away as they could trigger stress or heart attacks in small pets)
Before you purchase or adopt an animal always, always do your reasearch! Find out what animal suits your lifestyle and personality the best. How much time you have to spend with it, and how it likes to be handled. (or not)
2007-03-24 16:34:23 · answer #3 · answered by Washu 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had Teddy Bear hamsters when I was growing up. They do bite once in awhile like that. I found that if you wash your hands with no soup before handling him it will help cut back on the biting. I was also always putting my hands in his cage for one reason or another & before I would lift my hand out I would pet his head so that would help him keep accustoom to my scent. They need constant handling to stay social.
2007-03-24 16:44:12 · answer #4 · answered by tymaboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to pick him up when it's quiet in the room, gloves might be needed, I had biters and non biters and the more quiet and darker it was, the less they bit. I just picked the up and let them calm down before I would touch them. You can comb them a little. Some of my hamsters like sitting on my belly with my hands cupped over them. I guess they liked the warm and dark place.
2007-03-24 16:59:12 · answer #5 · answered by redd headd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He bit you because he is a rat and thats what rats do. The best way to stop that is to get him a friend. Ball Pythons are very friendly to hamsters, as are Constrictors.
2007-03-24 16:52:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our Teddy undergo hamster purely bit whilst he grew to become into worried, however the bite wasn't something substantial. He purely looked as though it may want to get his evaluate the time of. No blood grew to become into ever drawn from a bite. i think of it grew to become into extra of a nibble then something. stable success with yours! BTW, did you call it yet??
2016-11-23 13:44:18 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This sounds like a very special case and i don't think there'll be many who know the answer to this. i suggest asking a vet or an animal behaviorist.
2007-03-24 16:17:57 · answer #8 · answered by Winnie C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Haley..sorry i didn't read your whole question but thanks for the advice..you seem like a good friend:) Just to let you know,i live in California but i am originally from the Middle East
2007-03-25 08:55:13 · answer #9 · answered by cloud16 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have hamsters and one of them used to do that. but now there used to me because when i pick them up i hold out food/treat and they just clime up to my hand
2007-03-24 16:40:37 · answer #10 · answered by Erika H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋