Why does my hamster bite?

The most common causes

• Fear: it is a prey animal, and a big hand swooping from above is what a bird of prey would do.
• You woke it up: it sleeps by day, and a hamster pulled out of sleep defends itself.
• Your hands smell of food: its eyesight is poor and it goes by smell, so a finger can pass for a snack.
• It has just arrived: in the first days everything is new and it is on the defensive.
• It was held badly or for too long: if it feels trapped, it bites to be let go.
• Something hurts: a once-tame hamster that starts biting may be ill or injured.
• It is guarding its territory: some bite if you reach into their house or larder.

How to stop it biting

1. Let it settle in: do not pick it up for the first few days; just talk to it near the cage.
2. Wash your hands with unscented soap before touching it.
3. Pick your moment: at dusk, once it is awake and active.
4. Rest a still hand in the cage with a seed or a bit of vegetable on your palm, and let it come to you.
5. Scoop it from below with both hands cupped, low down or sitting on the floor in case it jumps.
6. Short sessions of a few minutes every day: consistency matters more than length.

What to do if it bites you

• Do not drop it or shout: a fall from your height can badly hurt it, and the fright deepens its fear.
• Put it calmly back in the cage and try again another day, one step further back.
• Wash the bite with soap and water; if it swells or keeps hurting, see a doctor.
• Never punish it or blow on it: it does not understand and only learns to fear you more.

Nibbling is not biting

Sometimes a hamster nibbles gently to explore: it is testing what your finger is. That is different from a defensive bite, which is quick and hard. If a hamster that never bit suddenly starts, check that it eats and moves normally, in case something hurts. Non-stop bar chewing usually means boredom: it needs a bigger cage and more to do. More signs in how to tell if a hamster is happy.