Why is my hamster biting me after having babies? How to stop it?

Thanks for reaching out about Princess and including photos. Hamsters can be touch, socially. Continued de-sensitization might help, but also by looking at the photos, your access point seems to always be from above. A large human hand coming down to grab from above can be scary. If you use a cup to scoop her up (gently) and then place her on a flat surface, is she still aggressive? Maybe she is defensive of her enclosure, and might be more timid when out. Lastly, having her spayed might decrease aggressive, but a big surgical procedure. Good luck.

It is possible that Khaleesi has hurt herself in the new enclosure. I would recommend giving her a few days to get settled to the new cage. Sometimes a change can cause stress and will make hamsters more anxious and scared. This will change their behavior. If in a few day Khaleesi does not seem more settled I would recommend taking her to a vet to make sure she does not have an injury. At anytime if she stops eating/drinking I would take her in sooner. I hope that helps

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! It is important that you do not disturb Snow, as even a small amount of stress can cause her to neglect or even canibalize her pups. If this is her first litter, she may be a little confused and not necessarily know what to do. I recommend moistening her food a little bit with water and placing it closer to the nest, without disturbing it. This will provide her with some extra hydration. This moist food should be changed daily to avoid mold from growing in the cage. The pups should start eating food on their own by the time they are about 3 weeks old, and can be removed from the cage at this time. I hope this helps!

Other hamsters in the environment can harm and bite babies, so it is best to make sure mom and babies have an entire cage to themselves. If mom isn't caring for the babies even after a reduction in stress and removal of cagemates, there could be something wrong with her or the babies, and a vet visit may help check for illness. You may also need to begin to supplement feed the babies with a KMR formula if they aren't getting enough from mom. Hamster babies mature very quickly, so lots of care is needed to help them pull through. Looking up "hand rearing hamsters" may point you to some useful links about how much to feed, how often, and the right environment for care.

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! Hamsters are pretty aggressive naturally, as they are commonly a nocturnal prey species. They also make burrows and nests, so it may be why Eggnog is destroying his toys. You may have to move very slowly with Eggnog, offering treats through the cage and even just approaching slowly and standing near his cage to start. I hope this helps!

Hello, I'd recommend leaving Nibbles alone for at least one week after she gives birth. However, eating young is very common in hamsters and may not be preventable. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Typically no, the mama hamster will not harm her babies. To be sure, keep a close eye on her in the first few days after giving birth. Make sure she is nursing her babies and that she has plenty of food and water to drink. If you become concerned that she will hurt the babies or if she is not feeding them, then you will need to separate them from her to keep her safe. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

Hi there, and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Hamsters can be fearful little dudes, and biting is their natural reaction to a threat. You are a giant potential predator to little Sharky, so you'll need to be patient and compassionate while he gets used to you. Make sure that he feels comfortable in his cage by providing lots of places for him to hide and nesting/burrowing material. Give him a couple more days to adjust to his new surroundings without being bothered, then start slow by introducing your hand into the cage where he can see it. Leave it there for a minute, then put a treat in the cage. Repeat this for 10-15 minutes every day. He'll start to associate your presence with a positive event - a tasty treat. After a few days of this, put your hand in the cage with the treat in it. Even if he doesn't come up to your hand, remove your hand after about a minute, and leave the treat behind. Hopefully, he will start approaching your hand. Again, association is everything - increase y

Hamsters can be weaned from mom around 3-4 weeks of age. This may be a good idea if they are overgrooming or "bothering" her. The hair loss may also be due to stress. You should also separate male and female pups (hamster babies ) from one another since hamsters can breed as early as 3 weeks of age. If the hair loss persists or if the hair does not grow back, have the mother examined by your veterinarian.

Thanks for reaching out about Hammy. The gestation period of hamster is 16-18 days, so she isn't pregnant if you've had her for 30 days. It sounds as if she is nesting and defensive. Even without being pregnant, she can go through hormonal periods. It is also possible for rodent to have a condition called "pseudo-pregnancy" where hormones make her body believe she is pregnant, and she will nest. Rodents are induced ovulators and don't come out of estrus (breeding mode) until breed. The more you handle her to less scared she will be, but use a bowl or thick towel to gently scoop her up for handling. Be careful as they can obviously bite. If she appears sick or lethargic, seek an examination with a exotic animal veterinarian. Good luck.