You have decided to adopt a little ball of fur, like a cute little hamster that makes the whole family happy, especially the children. Despite all the precautions you have taken, your rodent bites you. There are several possible reasons for its bites.
Biting: a defense system
Your hamster needs time to adapt and the main cause of a bite is a response to stress. Especially the roborovskis who are much more fearful and less sociable than the Russian or golden hamsters.
There are several reasons for a bite:
- Perhaps you disturbed and surprised him while he was sleeping peacefully or eating. As he was not expecting it, as a protective measure, he defends himself by a little cry and by biting, in order to push you away and to protect himself.
- He does not know your smell yet and he can smell on your hands the smell of food or the smell of another hamster, knowing that this animal species is solitary.
- It is so small that by taking it you may have hurt it, you must take it with care, because it is a very fragile animal.
- A hamster is a rodent, so its teeth grow continuously and it needs to file its teeth. Therefore, it often bites everything it finds, pieces of wood, its plastic hut, but also your fingers.
Learning to domesticate your hamster
To try to gain the trust of your pet, which is not an easy thing to do, take the time to discover it, to tame it. Get him used to your presence little by little, by staying close to him and talking to him gently.
He will eventually get used to you and will become aware that you are his caretaker, by giving him food regularly. He will recognize the sound of the seeds, when you put them in his bowl. He will immediately approach it to make his feast, without paying attention to your hand, if it does not disturb him to eat in front of you. Some hamsters prefer to hide during their meal.
Then, try to touch him gently by caressing his back. And as time goes by, it will get used to the contact. From time to time, you will have to put your hand flat on the bottom of the cage with a little food, so you can see its reaction.
If after a while, he comes to get the food without biting you, then put only your hand, so that he can go up without fear. He will certainly go for food, but he will not bite your fingers anymore. Do this several times and then with your other hand try to stroke him gently. Get him used to having him between your two hands as a little hiding place.
Each hamster has its own character and way of functioning, so it is very important to discover its little personality. Some hamsters, depending on the breed, will be more reluctant to be touched, so it is important not to insist if it is not inclined to be touched. Above all, make sure you respect the animal.
