Alright so i have a hamster named Furby. So cute, but once, he bit me the first week i got him. It's been about a week and three days now and I don't know if i should take him out of his cage, brush him, and wash him with his Care-clean Wipes from SuperPet yet?!?! Will he try to bite me again? Some people say that when they bite it means its a kiss...is that true? And, what should i do to pick him up with out him jumping out of my hands or scratching, biting, etc.? I want to get Furby a playpen that are at petstores for ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc but i don't know if i should get it...should i play with Furby in that? I really need help about Honey-bear hamsters since i want him to be happy and healthy and have fun all the time...so anything you know about hamsters (and my brother is getting a dwarf hamsters so tell me all about them too) please tell me! Thank you sooo much!!
Thanks soooo much,
Noel L.XOX %26lt;3333
Answers:
Well, your hamster was not giving you a love bite. He was probably rightened since he was new to his surroundings and you may have moved too fast for his liking. Try to find out what kind of treats he likes, for example, sunflower seeds or carrots. If you feed him some of those by hand every day, he will start to associate your hand with treats. When you pick him up, move very slowly as to not scare him. You should hold your hand flat and gently scoop him up. Make sure he knows where you are so he doesn't feel threatened. Try not to chase him around the cage at all, because that will scare him more. If you are uncomfortable with picking him up with your hands at first, try scooping him up with something else like a cup or a piece of cardboard. Also, make sure you wash your hands well with just water to get any other scents off that may aggitate him. If you smell like food, he may take a bite of your finger to see what it tastes like!
About the play pens, they are fantastic ideas! Your hamster needs to be allowed out of his cage. You should purchase a medium sized ball for him to roll around in as well. Make sure that when you put him in his ball that he doesn't have access to stairs, otherwise he could fall down and be hurt, and make sure there are no electric wires for him to gnaw on.
If you want to make your hamster as happy as possible, you need to give him lots of attention and toys to entertain himself with. Hamsters are nocturnal, so they sleep during the day and are awake at night. This means your hamster might be grumpy during the day, but if you play with him during the day and leave him alone at night, you can actually train him to sleep at night instead. To keep him entertained when you can't play with him, you should give him a big range of toys to play with, but these don't necessarily have to be expensive. Nice homemade toys can be as simple as a toilet paper roll or some crumbled up printer paper [without ink]. You can give him blocks of wood to chew on to keep his teeth from being overgrown, or you can even make him a little wooden hideaway.
A variety of diet may help keep him healthy and happy too. You can try feeding him some vegetables such as carrots and lettuce [not too much lettuce though or he will get diarhea] or some fruits like strawberries or grapes and even some unsalted nuts [sunflower seeds are usually the favorite]. Timothy Hay is also a great thing to provide your hamster with. He can chew on it to keep his teeth worn down and he can also use it to make himself a nest. Make sure to get Timothy Hay though, not Alfalfa, as Alfalfa is very rich in nutrients and can make him overweight or sick if he is fed too much.
Hope this helps some, be sure to research more online and read some books! Good Luck to you. =]
Bites are not kisses. Animals don't kiss. He probably bites because he's scared.
ahh yes the first time hamster own..they look so cute and cuddly, but fingers beware...
in order for him to become more tame you will need to handle him...this of course will be difficult and slightly dangerous.
always make sure he knows and sees you are going to be touching him, if you startle him, he will bite. (**it's NOT a kiss**)
hamsters don't need to be cleaned with wipes, and i really advise you don't use them. hamsters groom themselves and if they have chemicals on them and then lick themselves, he could get very sick.
to pick him up, that varies with you and the hamster, you can try to coax him into your hand and then lift him a little, enough so you can cup your other hand over top. you can also try to grab him under his armpits, but make sure to support his bottom. if you are really having trouble being able to pick him up, your can grab him by the scruff (like you can with cats) altough you will need to grab alot of his skin, he's got lots of extra, don't worry. and when scruffing him to make sure you have a good hold, he should have a big open-mouth smile. (**please scruff with caution**)
as for a playpen, i think he'd enjoy it, just make sure the bars are small eough so he doesn't go through them, and be sure to watch him at all times when he's in the pen, so he doesn't get lost.
Hi! Let's give you and Furby some therapy. When he bit you he probably got scared of you and wanted to defend himself. To teach him how to behave his furry little self when he bites you, you lightly tap him on the head and say "no". You can still do things with him using this simple method. You also might want to invest in pet gloves, used to handle animals like that. They have them at most local petstores. No, your theory is not true. Abite is a bite, and a lick is a kiss. Sometimes licking leades to biting, so you might not want to encourage that. To pick him up, put uour hands around the little fuzzball and cup them, forming a little wall. Then, slide your hands up where he will step on them. After that, put one hand on top of him while you get him out of the cage to keep him from jumping. Last but not least, hold him in your hand against your chest. Put one hand on top and make a small opening. It is fun to see their little pink noses poke out. Dwarf hamsters use the same care, but you need to be a little more careful with them since they are so small. Hope I helped and good luck!
Hey Noel! u answered my question about hamsters! u asked me 2 answer ur so here i am!! he is till getting to know u...it may take some time. get him out and put him in his ball...use a plastic cup 2 gentaly scoop him out- safest way. check out the handling section of http://www.hamsterhideout.com
its a great web site!!
good luck and i hope i helped!
To pick Furby up all you have to do is get a small cup and scoop him out of the cage, then once you have him out of the cage and into the cup, pour him into your hands! make sure you hold him over his cage in case he jumps out.I'm sure he won't bit you if you do this.Now keep doing this every day until he gets used to being handled.After about a week try picking him up without the cup!When a hamster bites, it usually means he's afraid or upset. They mostly bit if you wake them. As the hamster gets tamed, he might lick or nibble finger if he smells food on it!Hamsters enjoy any toy thats sutable for them.Hamster balls are a fun toy for out of the cage use!
well enjoy your hamster, and good luck!Rember, don't give up.鈾?
the biting, scratching, and trying to get away means he's scared...here's what I know about hamsters...generally European hamsters are the most ideal for the first time hamster owner...teddybear hamsters and fancy hamsters are oh-kay for the first time hamster owner...and dwarfs are very aggressive as well as hard to tame so you should only get them if you've had a few hamsters before (tell that to your brother so he at least knows what he's getting himself into)...remember to keep your hamster(s) separate from all other animals including other hamsters! when hamsters are put together after they reach a certain age (about 3-4 months old) they will fight to the death (so keep yours separate from your brothers-they don't want to play) ... now as far as your hamster biting you, you need to tame him
first BEFORE going near the hamster WASH YOUR HANDS because hamsters have a very good sense of smell and any smell on your hands can cause them to bite you...so always wash your hands before going near them!!
to tame hamsters start by putting your hand in either cage but not touching them-put a treat on your palm and see if they come get it...do this everyday about three or four times a day for five to ten minutes each time...after about five or six days try petting your hamster : hand him a treat and when he's eating stroke his back or head gently with your finger...do this for about a week several times a day...after that try to lift him very gently
hand feeding hamsters is the best way to tame them...it teaches them your hand is a good thing by associating your hand with the treat...also if your feed your hamster fresh cabbage this can prevent the deadly wet-tail which is most common in new hamsters and is primarily caused by stress
I have had seven teddybear and fancy hamsters in the past; right now I have one Dwarf hamster and one European (which I had to rehabilitate because before he came to me he was neglected)...all of my hamsters have been trained using this method and they all learned to climb into my palm when I put my hand in their cage, whether or not I gave them a treat...
remember that consistency is key...if you go a few days with out handling your hamster he may start biting again---hamsters need to be handled daily...however you need to tame him rather then just reaching in and grabbing him because if you don't tame him not only will he bite you but he will also get scared and stressed out everytime you touch him-stress is the main cause of the deadly wet tail...just be gentle, take your time (patience), be consistent (handle several times a day -everyday), and try not to stress him out
good luck
ps buy him the play pen---he'll love it!! also I recommend a roll-a-bout ball so he can roll around the house; a titer-toter for inside the cage is fun and a wheel is a must (most pet stores won't sell you hamsters unless you have a wheel for them to exercise)...hamsters require daily exercise to stay fit...they are very active animals!
they also require chew toys to keep their teeth short and bedding to sleep in
while he is getting used to ur hand try using a glove to pick him up for a few weeks so if he bites he wont hurt u. mabe when he stops biting the glove start petting him with ur bare hand while he's in the cage then once he's used to ur hand u can try taking him out for short periods of time so he gets used to being handled. just remember to do things gradualy with him. also ur hamster is probably biting u cuz hes scared. just give him time to get used to ur hand. hopefully this helps
ps my friend has a dwarf hamster that she takes out of the cage with glove all the time so he doesnt bite her
Hamsters don't kiss you!! I would just let him sniff me and if he tries to bite pull your hand away and then if he doesn't bite try petting him so he gets used to people touching him and when he gets used to that try picking him up and then just take it in stages and then when he is used to you put him in a ball to roll around in and then i'd try to wash him then I would get the pen for him. Dwarf hamsters are a little more cautious and alittle more ruff and tuffand don't want to be played with as much and they'd rather be in thier cage rather than in your arms!! I have had 2 hamsters in my lifetime!!
If you want to hold him, put a cup into his cage and when he goes into it you can put him in your hands.
yes I suggest you wait another week
Maybe he smells something on ur fingers? Give him treats from ur hand thats how i tamed my hamster. Soetimes there is the occasional hamster that is just mean. But keep working with him everyday and it should start warming up to u.
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