Hamsters are so cute and adorable you just wanna gobble them up. However, there’s a much higher chance of things happening the other way around. Anybody could cry after being bitten by a hamster. Even though it might not be physically painful, the shock alone can make you cringe.
Hamsters are typically highly friendly and cuddly. However, they have been known to bite if provoked. Fortunately, it is possible to teach hamsters to stop biting. Once you are aware of the many causes of your pet hamster’s bites, you may take precautions to stop it from happening again.
5 reasons why hamsters bite and how to stop it
The first step in stopping your hamster from lash out is understanding why they are biting. There are a variety of causes for hamsters to bite, and each one may be avoided. A more calm and healthy connection will result from finding the source of your hamster’s hostility.
- Your hamster is hungry
A hamster may bite you if it’s feeding time, which is one plausible explanation. If it has been a few hours since you last fed your hamster, it can be in great need of food. They have been known to eat voraciously.
Your hamster might assume you are holding food for it if it detects food on your hands when you approach. And biting may result from this.
Your hamster is letting you know that he is hungry, not that he is upset. Despite the fact that this isn’t an overtly hostile act, this behavior is inappropriate and has to be changed.
- What to do:
Be sure to fully wash your hands before handling your pet hamster. Any fruity soaps and strong-smelling items should be avoided. This will prevent your hamster from smelling any food and attempting to eat your fingers.
Another trick is to establish and closely follow a feeding plan. Establish the daily feeding requirement for your hamster and stick to it. Even if you’re giving them treats, make an effort to give them on a regular timetable.
And don’t try to handle or touch your hamster if they are in the middle of eating. It’s polite to avoid disturbing any animal when it’s eating, including your hamster.
- Your hamster is scared and irritated
In general, hamsters are friendly and enjoy cuddling. However, when they are afraid, they may become agitated and hostile.
How can you tell whether your hamster is afraid, though? How they respond to you when they see you around will reveal this. They must have been startled by you in some way if you notice them giving you a worried expression. They’ll be on the lookout for your movements and might start looking about for a way out.
Even if your hamster is used to being near you, you might still frighten or anger them. Perhaps you startled them out of their sleep, and they became alarmed. Or possibly they were enjoying some quiet time by themselves until you shocked them.
They may become enraged as a result of these activities and may strike out.
- What to do:
Move carefully and quietly rather than quickly while approaching your pet hamster. They will feel more confident that there is no impending danger if they do this. Your hamster will feel more secure and at ease if you do this. Additionally, they will respond to you more positively if you approach them with treats.
- Your hamster doesn’t like the attention
No matter how hard you train them to be nice, some hamsters just don’t appreciate getting a lot of attention. There isn’t much you can do to alter the unique characteristics of each pet. Some hamsters may even attempt to bite its owner or anyone else holding them!
- What to do:
Be kind to them even if you have a hamster that isn’t very friendly. Allow your hamster to become used to you. When you approach it, be considerate and gentle, and have some snacks on hand.
Stop playing if your hamster decides to bite you. This will serve to further emphasize the detrimental nature of biting. You have a higher chance of holding your hamster and a lower risk of them biting the more comfortable they become with you.
The most important rule in this situation is to let your pet adjust on its own without smothering it in affection.
- Your hamster is telling you to be more gentle
For the majority of animals, biting serves as a form of defense, and hamsters are no exception. Their innate response to being threatened or afraid is to bite. Being a prey species, they bite to defend themselves, which is how this behavior originated.
Your hamster could feel as if it is being attacked if you handle it rough. And they can begin to chomp down out of instinct.
- What to do:
Always hold your pet hamster with the gentlest touch possible. Don’t grasp your hamster as soon as you are prepared to hold it for the first time. Instead, begin by giving it a head pet.
Slowly try to hold your hamster in your hand while maintaining a relaxed grip if you feel that it has warmed up to your caressing. Simply let your hamster go if you realize that they don’t enjoy it. Repeat the procedure after a while to gauge whether they have warmed up to you. Once it sees you as a kind and caring buddy, your hamster is probably not going to bite you.
- Your hamster notices an unfamiliar scent
This typically occurs when exposing your hamster to new individuals. Hamsters have an incredibly keen sense of smell, so they can detect an approaching stranger at a distance.
Your hamster may bite aggressively if someone they don’t know tries to touch them because they believe they are being assaulted.
- What to do:
When people first encounter your hamster, resist the want to let them pet and hold it. Instead, just allow people to observe from a distance as you manage your pet. Before feeling secure near a person, your hamster needs to see them multiple times and get used to their scent.
You shouldn’t start letting people hold your hamster until after it has gotten used to them. Just make sure they’re doing it carefully.
Preventing hamster bites
You must use due caution to avoid being the focus of hamster aggressiveness. Fortunately, using all of these safety measures is common practice when handling smaller animals.
The best way to handle your hamster is to be kind and move gently. And the bulk of hamster bites will be avoided as a result. Every now and then, they might unintentionally nip. But if you adhere to these straightforward precautions, you can handle your hamster without worrying about negative consequences.
If you want more helpful advice on looking after your hamster, including tips on food, toys, accessories and accommodation, add a comment below to let us know!
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