How hard do Syrian Hamsters (Golden Hamster) bite?

Question

Do you bleed and can you get infected?

Answer 1

Depends on how mad you make them.  had them just nibble so you know you were bit.  also had one bite through my nail and hang on till shock loose flying accross the room.

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Answer 2

well, when syrinnans bite its more of a hard pinch with a bit of bleeding, but wen dwarveds bite it feels like a razor IT HURTS!! and yes, it CAN get iinfected but if yuo use something such as wich hazel or peroxide afterwards to disinfect it and yuo bandage it with polysporin, theres like no cance of infection =] and yes, most times you do bleed but not badly =]

Answer 3

Mostly hamsters only nip but if they are scared bad, they can bite for self defense. Since they have sharp teeth, the bite can bleed. If you ever have such a bite, just wash it with soap and water and apply a mild disinfectant. Caged hamsters do not carry any harmful diseases (unless they got something when they were in contact with wild animals in the outside), so unless you suspect something specific, there is no cause for worry.

Answer 4

hamsters usually give a quick hard nip. just enough to make u bleed. but my hamsters have never made me gush, just a little trickle. so thats what would likely happen to u if u were bit. and if u wash the cut and put antibiotic cream on it u are totally fine. infection is totally unlikely. dont worry to much about the biting and infections, ull be fine.

Answer 5

Depends on the hamster.. and why he's biting.

My lil guy lkes to nibble on my fingers sometimes if I've eaten something recently, but he knows it's me and just gives cute and light love nibbles.

If you startle them or they're scared they can bite fairly hard. Not enough to rip your finger off or anything, but enough to draw blood. No worse than getting a shot at the doctor's office maybe?

Infection shouldn't be a problem, as they're clean animals if kept properly. But as a general life precaution you should always treat a cut or bleed with antibiotic/disinfectant ointment and a bandaid... never a bad idea.

Some general tips though...

Dont handle your new hamster right away. Give him a good few days, or even a week to get used to his new environment.

When you do handle him eventually, start slow. Put your hands near the cage, let him be curious and smell them. Move deliberately and slowly, no fast motions (keep in mind they're prey animals in the natural world).

Use soothing words... coo at him. Pet his back with your finger first, let him slowly get used to your touch.

Make sure your hands are clean and free of food odor (I can only do that with mine because he's been well trained already).

Keep his cage clean. Plenty of food and water. Tons of toys for him to play with. A busy/sated hamster is a well adjusted hamster.

Be consistent and show patience and before you know it you'll have a little best friend who prances about when you come home looking for love and affection.

If you havent bought one yet, I'd advise going to a reputable pet store and picking one thats a bit older (not a baby)... they've probably been handled already by the store employees, so won't be quite so jumpy. Make sure the eyes are bright, the hair full and silky (no patches or discolorations), and the nose looks "normal" (not dried out or runny).

Good luck! :)

Answer 6

They bite pretty hard

and if you lift your hand

they will hang from it and not let go

so the best thing is let them touch the ground and they will get go

Yes, deffinatly you can bleed

And yes you can get infected, so right when you get the bite, use alcohal on it

Good luck :D

Answer 7

Hard enough to make you shake them off.

Yes, you can bleed.

I don't know about infections - growing up I just cleaned it well, put on antibiotic cream/bandaid.

You will learn when they are about to bite and avoid it. They will get better at being handled the more you play with them.

Answer 8

yes it will bleed, and yes any open wound can get infected.  how hard do they bite depends on your individual threshold of pain and where exactly they bite you.