A frequent question for hamster owners is why did my hamster bite me. In this article we will take a look. Hamsters are some of the best furry friends for any home. They are a popular pet for adoption in many locations due to their ability to provide the ideal amount of companionship, love, and affection. These pets are considered to be easy to care for and have fun with, great for those looking for a new addition in their household. They are great with people most of the time and there are many different kinds for each family to choose from depending on their needs. But, while they are ideal for many people as pets, they can also develop bad habits like anyone else. 

One of these is biting. Biting isn’t necessarily the most harmful thing from a pet as small as a hamster and will not cause lasting damage but that doesn’t stop it from being painful or irritating at times. It can make spending quality time with your hamster hard as holding them will be made more difficult – one of the most important forms of physical contact and bonding.

Many people want to know the answer to the question: why is my hamster biting me? And how to teach them to unlearn the bad habit that they have picked up.

Why do Hamsters Bite?

Before we start to talk about how to stop your hamster from biting, we need to get into the reasons why they are doing it. The reasons are very important as diagnosing them can help you better understand your hamster, therefore, allowing you to work to solve the problem. It will be beneficial to both parties to try to better communicate. 

Hamsters are generally active and playful, saying that though they also can get scared like any of us. If they are not used to being handled by people this may be their way of lashing out. Often it’s just a reaction spawned from fright. This can be true when someone first adopts a hamster and they are not used to their new family yet.

Another reason a hamster may be acting in a way to lead to the search “My hamster is biting me” is they could just be startled. Abrupt movements and noises can cause a hamster to react negatively. Their eyesight is not as good as other animals so they may not see you coming.

The last reason we will cover about why your hamster is biting is that your hands may smell of food or other delicious treats. It can be something as simple as a family member holding the hamster after eating. We all can’t resist good food, and the same is true for hamsters. They will react in a positive manner to the food, not the person holding them. 

Stop your hamster biting

Once you figure out the answer to: why my hamster bit me? The end goal of any of this is to eventually stop your hamster from biting. It will usually be a process that can take time depending on what the source of the issue is, the reason we talked about how diagnosing the problem can be helpful. There isn’t one size fits all but these are some of the tried and true methods to work with hamster’s that bite.

One of the most basic ways to stop your hamster from biting is to just allow them time to get used to you and their new home. Change can be scary and a hamster may need time to adjust to their move. Even the most gentle and kindhearted of hamsters can need a moment to catch up. You and all the members of the household will want to spend some quality time with your hamster. Remember to be gentle and calm. This will hopefully give the hamster a chance to further adapt to its new surroundings.

Another option is to try to prevent yourself from startling the hamster when it is asleep. A startled hamster will usually react negatively and that can be the most basic of causes. Individuals should try being slow and not doing anything too abrupt while in the hamster’s presence.

Finally, try washing your hands before you pick them up. This will help if they are being attracted by the scents of food. Pet owners should especially be sure to do this when they know they’ve been handling food whether that be to cook or eat dinner.

Is the biting over?

Despite the fact that biting isn’t too dangerous from a hamster, it is still something most people want to avoid at all costs. Diagnosing the problem and working through it are vital to finding a solution. Hopefully, with the right considerations and steps, you can work with your pet to break the habit they have acquired.