Why does my hamster keep nibbling me

If you’re the proud pet parent of a little hammy who you love more than anything, but they keep trying to attack you every time you go near them, then you may have found yourself asking the question ‘why is my hamster biting me?’

Believe it or not, this is a more common phenomenon than you might think and it doesn’t necessarily mean your hamster is aggressive or that you’re not doing a great job of being a pet parent.

Even if you’ve invested in one of the best hamster cages, filled it with plenty of toys for your little one to keep themselves occupied with and you provide them with a nourishing and delicious diet, your hammy may still lash out when you come near them.

The good news is, that most of the time the reasons why your hamster is biting you are quite easy to figure out, and even better? It’s fixable! That’s right, armed with a few tips and tricks you can put a stop to your body being used as a chew toy and develop a loving and peaceful relationship with your pocket pet.

Below you’ll find five of the most common reasons that hamsters bite, as well as a range of tips and tricks you can use to help put an end to this unwanted behavior once and for all.

There are several common reasons why hamsters bite and being aware of them can help minimize the risk of your hammy lashing out when you come near them.

1. Type of hamster

Believe it or not, the type of hamster you have can actually play a part in how likely they are to bite you. Dwarf hamsters are more inclined to bite than Syrian hamsters and this is because of their smaller size. They tend to be more defenseless than their larger siblings because they can’t move as quickly and therefore feel more vulnerable.

Dwarf hamsters are also known for being more territorial than Syrian hamsters when it comes to their habitat, so biting could be a way of them trying to protect their home from what they see as an invasion. That’s not to say that a Syrian won’t also bite, but they’re not as hyperactive as Dwarf hamsters and are known for being friendlier. 

2. It doesn’t mean they’re aggressive

If your hamster is biting you, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve just struck it unlucky and got a nightmare for a pocket pet, but that’s not necessarily the case. Biting doesn’t automatically mean your hamster is aggressive.

Something that you might not know is that hamsters don’t have particularly strong or coordinated forepaws, so they tend to rely heavily on their dexterous jaw to move objects around. If your hand is in their cage, they could well be biting you simply as a means of trying to move your hand out of the way.

3. They don’t like being handled

Some hamsters simply don’t like being touched or handled in any way and may bite if you try to pick them up, not because they’re aggressive (as mentioned above), but because they’re feeling stressed or frightened. It’s important that you respect your hammy’s limits and don’t try to push them past what they’re comfortable with.

4. Your scent

One thing that a lot of us who own pocket pets may not be aware of is just how much our scent can act as a trigger for biting behavior. Hamsters have a very acute sense of smell and if they pick up any residual smell of food on your hands or the scent of another hamster, this can cause them to bite.

5. They may be injured or unwell

It’s possible that your hamster has taken a tumble off their exercise wheel and sprained their foot or is just feeling a bit under the weather. Not all injury or illness is obvious and it could be that you’re touching them somewhere that hurts. If you suspect your hammy may not be well, make sure you take them to the vet straight away for a check up.

How can I stop my hamster from biting me?

If you’re getting bitten every time you try to go near your hammy, then you’re likely desperately in search of some tips and tricks to help you get closer to your pocket pet without the risk of injury. And the good news is, there’s plenty you can do to reduce the likelihood of your hammy lashing out.

1. Build trust slowly

It can be tempting to want to rush right in there and smother your new hammy with love, but just like we humans can take time to warm up to strangers, our pocket pets need that same time to warm up to us. 

If your hamster is a new addition to your family, give them some time to get used to their environment and adjust to the changes. Don’t try and handle them at all during the first week, but do stay close by. 

You may find it helpful to sit by the cage and talk to your hammy so that they can get used to the sound of your voice. Placing a tissue or one of the best hamster toys in their cage with your scent on it can also be a great way of getting them used to you. 

2. Use treats

We’re not sure about you, but food will get you almost anywhere with us and the same often applies with our pocket pets. We mean, seriously, if someone offered you your favorite treat, how could you not fall in love with them? It’s impossible!

Vegetables and nuts are a great treat choice, although don’t overdo the latter given how high in calories they are. Hold out the treat and allow them to nibble it, but don’t try to touch them as this could scare them and cause them to engage in the very behavior you’re trying to get them to stop.

3. Don’t disturb them if they’re sleeping

Trust us, you do not want to wake a sleeping hamster. In fact, we can’t think of many pets or people that enjoy being woken from a deep slumber to be held or played with, it can cause a major cause of the grumps and could well lead to you being bitten.

4. Be gentle

It’s important that all your movements when you’re around your hamster are calm, slow, and gentle. If you’re wanting to initiate contact, proceed at a cautious pace. Take some time to sit by the cage first and perhaps let your hammy smell your hand before you touch them. 

The best way to try to get your hammy to engage is to hold out your hand and let them come to you. If they hop into your palm, great, if they won’t come near you, don’t try and force it. Let interactions happen naturally, on their terms and at their pace.

5. Wash your hands

Always, always, always wash your hands before you go anywhere near your hamster. Remember, they have an acute sense of smell and will pick up on the scent of food or other animals. 

My hamster keeps biting me for no reason. My brother gave him to me because my brother didn’t want him anymore. When he began to bite me, I started to put on gloves because I looked up online how to have a hamster not to bite and it said to use gloves because it might be your scent. All of the sudden he started biting me with the gloves on and they were clean. Also I was holding him correctly. How do I get my hamster to stop biting me? Please help. I’ve tried everything!

A.

You didn’t specify whether your hamster is a dwarf or Syrian, and that does make some difference. Dwarves are slightly more inclined to bite than Syrians, at least at first, perhaps because they are simply smaller and more defenseless than the heftier, faster Syrian. There’s more about the specific behavior of dwarf variety hamsters further on. But what you need to know is that hamsters don’t have to be biters. You can help them break the habit.

It’s important to understand that biting doesn’t necessarily mean your hamster is aggressive. The fact is, the hamster’s jaw is much stronger and more dexterous than his short, rather weak and uncoordinated forepaws. A hamster can build an entire home with that jaw! So if something is in a hamster’s way, or just looks like it might be bothersome for some reason, it is more likely he will grab it and move it aside with his jaws than with his paws. It comes down to physique.

Beyond that, habit takes over. The hamster may have learned to see human interference as some sort of obstacle or hassle, and responds immediately by, very effectively, “making it go away” using his teeth. Putting on a glove is of no help because, frankly, glove and skin are the same thing to a hamster, but gloves may seem more frightening. The hamster won’t learn anything from the presence of a glove.

Scent is, indeed, something any hamster is acutely aware of, but it’s only likely to lead to a bite if you smell like food, or perhaps another hamster. That’s why it’s critically important to always wash your hands with scent-free soap before handling a hamster. At the same time, you actually want your hamster to recognize your ordinary, natural “people scent,” because you want him to know you won’t hurt him and that he need not be concerned for his safety.

Let your hamster get used to your scent. Artem Sapegin/Hemera/Thinkstock

So what you’ve got to do is get your hamster used to that scent, and to being around you. It’ll take five to fifteen minutes per session, and you’ve got to practice this at least once a day until you break the biting cycle: Put your hamster on a big, flat surface. A bed or couch is perfect for this because it bears your scent strongly (hamsters are extremely sensitive to smells—their olfactory sense is far, far stronger than any other). Let the hamster wander freely, but every now and then block his movement with the back of your hand. There are two reasons for this. First, hamsters instinctively dread being grabbed. They’ve got an inborn image of teeth and talons, and our fingers are not that greatly different. Second, you don’t want to give your hamster any kind of “edge” to pick at. The back of your hand or your wrist are a large, broad, flat-ish surface. There’s nothing to grab onto, and nothing to bite, and there’s nothing to suggest to your hamster he’s going to be grabbed.

If the hamster seems a little inclined to bite, very gently, calmly, and softly blow in the direction of his face. He won’t especially like this, but if you do it gently he won’t take it too hard, and it’ll distract him from any biting impulse. It’s a gentle method of discipline that really works. (Never be aggressive or forceful with a hamster—never yell, and never, ever strike a hamster. They don’t “get” that they did anything wrong, and they just think you’re trying to attack. That’s the surest way to make them respond aggressively.)

Patience is the key to this technique, and eventually you should be able to sit on the couch or bed with your hamster and have him travel around and over you out of sheer curiosity and playfulness, with no impulse to bite or react to you in any particular way.

Of course, you may be having trouble simply removing your hamster from his home to put him on the bed. A number of techniques can help, but one simple tool that you may find does the trick is a “scoop” made out of a 2 liter soft drink bottle. Remove the label, wash the bottle, and trim off the bottom so that it is mostly an open scoop shape. It may take several tries to get the shape just right. The cut plastic can have sharp edges, so cut it along round lines to eliminate sharp corners. There’s no need to sand or treat the edges, but do exercise caution when using it. When you hold your hand beneath this “scoop” the plastic quickly warms to the touch. When you place it before your hamster he will see your hand, feel its warmth, but there will be no direct contact, and no edges (fingers) to pick at. Don’t attempt to literally scoop the hamster, but hold your hand and the scoop still, beneath and in front of the pet. Curiosity will likely bring the hamster inside it in short order. You can hold him in this scoop for some time to acclimate him to being held without consequence.

As mentioned previously, dwarf hamsters have particular behavioral tendencies that are worth noting. Even more than typical Syrians they can be extremely territorial about their habitat. Extending a scoop of some kind instead of hands to lift them out may be all it takes to restore their sense of order in the world. The most territorial of dwarf hamsters charge the cage bars or door when you approach, or dart to attack hands reaching in. For these hamsters, their stress can be greatly lessened by keeping your hands out of their homes while the hamster is in it.

Of course it’s important to remember to be sensitive to any hamster’s overall sense of well-being. Never “sneak up” on him. Always show your hand to him from the front, while speaking to him gently. Let him awaken fully before trying to hold him, and don’t disturb him when he’s eating, or fixing his nest. Hamsters are naturally curious. Let that work to your advantage. And again, we cannot emphasize this enough: Patience, patience, patience. It will take a while for your hamster to “unlearn” biting behavior, but once it happens, you need never worry about it again. Good luck!

By: Martha Boden

Featured Image: katfox.art/Shutterstock.com