Vicious hamster please help?

Question

ive had this hamster for a 7 months now and it was nice and first didnt mind me handaling it or anything but then it started to get to big for the cage it was in so i decided to buy it a new 1 ever since i bought that cage it started biting everyonbe that put there hand in the cage or nere it. its not my first hamster ive had a few befor and this was the only hamster that didnt like me lol. i tried tapping it on its nose everytime it bit me like somone suggested it just bit me harder. anyone know what i can do???

Answer 1

I have to tell you hamsters bite! Nasty rodents why ever are they given to children. If you want rodents that are intelligent, never bite and clean - yes clean - get RATS

Answer 2

Your hamster is upset because you changed its habitat.  You should have just gotten a big enough cage in the first place.  I guess you can either move it back to its first cage or just give it time to adjust to its new cage.  I am very lucky with my hamster.  She is so friendly and has never bitten me but I know that hamsters can be so temperamental.  Just be patient.  Don't tap it on its nose.  It will just bite you more.  Just spend a lot of time with it daily and hopefully it will come around and be nice again.

Answer 3

Hamsters do tend to sometimes be aggressive and temperamental. How long ago was the switch? He could just be feeling insecure in the new environment. I wouldn't suggest putting him back in the old cage, if it was too small. Go slow and work with him gently.

You may need to build up a trust with him again. First thing I would suggest, is to stop hitting him on the nose. Hitting an animal does nothing, and actually breaks the bonds of trust and security. You need to see it from his perspective, he is a small creature, who is now in an unfamiliar place. Something very large is trying to get him out of there, and every time it does(or at least some of the times it does), he ends up getting hit in the face. I think it is safe to say your trust would be a bit shaken. He needs to associate your hand with something good(like treats), not pain or being scared. It may take some time to get him to trust you again, now that he associates your hands with something negative.

However, with all that said, there is still hope as long as you are willing to put in the time and patients. You will need to work with him a few times a day to gain his trust back.

Start by just placing your hand inside of the cage, do not touch him or move the hand(unless he comes over to bite, then slowly move it to the other side). Just leave your hand there, and don't rush this. After a few days, hold a treat in your hand, something he would really want. Allow him to come over to your hand. If he doesn't come over do not try putting it by his face, etc, just wait for him to come to you. Do this until he will come to your hand and take the food. When he takes the food, keep that up for a week or two. You do not want to be touching him at all for now, since you don't want to scare him, your hand only shows him good things. When he is comfortably taking the treats, than you can try touching him with the hand not holding the treat. Make sure he sees you coming first(don't scare him). If he allows this, great... if not, go back to just giving treats.

He will eventually associate your hand being in the cage with treats and good things. If you go slow, it will happen sooner. Do not rush, or else it may frighten him or you'll end up right back to the beginning. The key is to go slow and build back the trust, it takes time to gain trust and it must be on his terms. You may feel the need to sometimes try and touch him or move to quickly, but going quicker will not get quicker results.

Answer 4

Does your hamster only bite when you try to reach into its cage? Some small animals are cage aggressive, but once you get them out, they're fine. It happens, and it's not out of the ordinary.

I would recommend you get your hamster out using a cup. Just scoop him up with a cup/mug and handle him that way. It'll be less stressful on your hamster because you won't be reaching in and threatening his territory. You also won't get bitten.

If he's fine once you get him out of his cage, he's just cage aggressive. You'll just have to work around it and find a different way of taking him out.

Answer 5

Maybe she got bigger so she thought tat it was her huge castle and her territory. she is just adapting to her new cage.

Answer 6

Yes, rats don't ever bite.  I have never heard of rats biting anyone!

Disregard everything above this sentence, because it is NOT true.

Just had to get a little sarcastic.

Anyways.  Move the hamster back into its old cage.  (If you have already gotten rid of the old one, try buying one that is just like it and move him/her into that.)  If the hamster keeps biting after a few days in that cage, I would just put it back into the bigger one.  However, if it stops biting, keep it in the smaller one.

Answer 7

get a pair of gardening gloves and try and pick him up with those so you dont get bitten.

i dont think its got anything to do with the habitat being changed as i have never had this with my hamlets before.

try giving him a treat and then picking him up, i dont know.

good luck though