when i pet my hammy in the cage he turns to my finger and goes on his back. i quickly yank my finger out before he bites it. Am i over reacting? i didnt really mind at first but i think its something i would like to understand. i dont just want to leave it for a while before it becomes an un trainable problem.
~Does this turning on his back towards my finger mean he will bite if so how do i make him more comfortable with it or should i give up and not pet him in his cage?
~or is it nothing and he wont bite (theres some other reason for him turning towards me)
thankyou.
this is my first hamster, ive had him since febuary (2007)
he is a syrian/teddybear hammy
Answers:
If your hamster bites you don't yank away and cry otherwise he will learn that if he doesn't want to be held or played with all he has to do is bite. Well, as for the turning on the back problem I don't know much about. I he stands on his hind legs or squeaks that means he's upset and wants you out. If your hamster bites you that means he upset (obviously) for some reason. Whether it is that you are too rough when you handle him or too loud try to be gentle and quiet. If you want to play with him and he's sleeping, leave him alone (you wouldn't want someone to bother you if you were asleep) or tap on the cage gently and whisper to him but don't rattle it about and yell at him otherwise he will be mad. Give him some time to wake up and get ready. Hope I answered your question!
If he rolls on his back this should indicate submission. BUT he may be submitting to you and then biting to defend himself because you did not stop "attacking him" after he submitted. Stroke his belly and see what happens. It only hurts a little to be bit.
You need to establish trust by handling him gently and safely EVERY time.
sounds like you just got a bad one, call a friend who has a pet snake, and try again, i would go to a small pet shop where there is less risk of the animal having been mistreated. If you are afraid of your pets' behavior, maybe you should consider a male rat, which is the best rodent pet.
you have to handle these babies. I would get some gloves on and just hold one for at lest 1 hour a day! get him use to you and when he stops biting the glove then hold him with no glove. this takes time!
Most hamsters do bite.. never sen one that did not.
Many of my friends have had them and always seem to have that problem!
considering i have had many hamsters i do know what this means. now there are to types.the first type is playful/submissive. my hamster and guinea pigs play all the time. i supervise. but the guinea pigs come chasing after her and she gets on her back that means submissive. she is letting the guinea pig now the piggie is top animal. and she does that when she is playing to she rolls around on her back. now the second one is they nible your fingers to get to know you. wierdly enough it is true. so she/he may be getting to know you. and possibly 3 she is frightened by you. to resolve these. 1 she isn't going to bite you that is good. 2 let her mible your fingers. if she is doing what is possible she won't bite hard. like a puppy teething. if 3 hold her with gloves everyday. and when she bites hard yell ouch. so good luck
oh and TRboi that is sick biting can be fixed easily.
Sounds like a normal hamster to me. It sounds like he wasn't handled very much since he was born.
I once had a homicidal hamster. She lived a long life and was happy as long as she wasn't disturbed. If I so much as touched the cage she would flip out. My new mouse is a different story, I can play with her and pick her up and feed her by hand. She loves attention. Each one is different.
First of all, please don't listen to this person that said feed him to a snake. The hamster has to get use to you and he will warm up to you in time. I have 2 hamsters and it took them both a little while to let me handle them without worrying about getting bitten. Also, hamster bites can hurt badly, it just depends on the hamster and how threatened he feels by you. Try picking him up at his own pace or handing him a piece of food through the cage for him to begin to trust you. If it looks like he is going to bite you, then don't pick him up because he will become defensive. Eventually, you will notice that the hamster is gradually warming up to you.
Hate to say this, and some people will give me the thumbs down, but hamsters are one of the most nasty creatures I've ever worked with. I worked at a pet store, then as a vet tech, for 6 years. I refused to hold a hamster. But, work with it, carefully, to try to tame him. It is possible.
he probably will bite u ,let him bite you but be gentle when holding him. he may learn there is no danger from u and stop biting,but hamsters are really not smart enough to train. their brains are only as big as a sunflower seed.
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