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Is this a sign that my hamster wants to go back into his cage or is just trying to explore?

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I hold him and every once in a while he nibbles the palm of my hand or my fingertip. just a little nibble that i can barley feel, does it mean he wants to go back into his cage or is he just trying to figure out if im solid or something?

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  1. Nicole has got it right.

    The only thing she didn't mention is that hamsters are short sighted so they tend to taste anything just in case it's food.

    That's why it's not a good idea to poke your finger into a hamster's cage, it looks too much like a carrot stick.


  2. hes probaly hungry

  3. he just experimenting

  4. Hamsters divide the world into 4 parts,:

    - Food,

    - bedding,

    - rocks

    - things trying to take their food

    Right now he's trying to classify you, to figure whether you're food or an odd rock that moves.

  5. he is just getting used to you and having a little explore hope this helped :) !!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. he thinks your hand is food. You might of handled food before you held him and you have the smell of foodon your hands~

  7. i had 3 hamsters...i think he just likes the smell of your skin

  8. You must smell like food because my hamster does the exact same thing if i just ate something. Just wash your hands a lot after you eat and then hold your hamster see if he still does it. Hope this helps! :)

  9. Just exploring and getting to know you. :)

  10. he likes the smell of ur hand.

  11. It's probily just the salt on your hands. becuase your skin is naturally slightly greasy which is salty.

    =]

  12. all of the above

  13. If you are the kind who occasionally feed him treats from your hand or hold the food in your hand to make him feed from your hand, then you can expect this behavior. Since you feed him, he associates the smell of your hand with treats / food, so every once in a while he nibbles lightly on the surface of your hand to check if you are holding some food for him or trying to nicely tell you to feed him some treat :-)

    It is completely normal for hamsters to do that and it does not mean he wants to go back to his cage or he is trying to bite. It is something like a friendly peck that he is trying to give you since he trusts you implicitly.

  14. Some hamsters just don't like people to hold them. I have 1 hamster that is just like yours. My other hamsters is okay with the handling but only that particular hamster r not. She will nip my palm.. not painful but she will just nip alot until i feel itchy and have to put her down. She do loves to explore.. every hamsters do.

  15. He's trying to figure out if your solid. Maybe you have the smell of food on your hand. Wash your hands good before holding him.

  16. It could mean a number of things~

    First off:

    He's exploring you.  He wants to know if he can eat you or taste what you've touched.

    Secondly:

    I don't know if hamsters do this, but chinchillas do the same thing when they're trying to groom you.  Which means they love you and just want to help care for you.  ^^

    Thirdly:

    It could mean he's trying to tell you what you're doing, he doesn't approve.  He doesn't want to bite you, but he's warning you.

    I highly doubt that means he wants to go back into his cage, either way.  Most hamsters, when out of their cage, love the freedom and drink it up.  ;P

  17. my hamster sometimes gives me a small bite to say she wants to go back in (sometimes like a warning nibble).

  18. he's just exploring. hamsters do that, i had one until it died :'(

  19. do you wash your hands before? my hamster does this if I dont wash my hands realy good. he'll just nibble me like 'mm, what yummy food is this? oh god.. it's her hand!" lol.

  20. He's just exploring. He wants to find out if you are something he can eat, or maybe he likes the smell of your hand. He might think its food. Wash ur hands ALOT before holding him. I have a hamster and when I hold her she nibbles my hand. They r just exploring. But I might be wrong. Try looking it up. HOPE THIS HELPS!

  21. he likes the smell of your hand and thinks it might be edible lol, I have had several hamsters and they all would do this from time to time, it doesn't mean it wants in the cage, it is just letting its curiosity out :)
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