Why is my hamster so aggressive and biting me when I reach into his cage?

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  Answered By Rebeccah Wood

  Licensed Veterinary Technician, Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist

  Published on May 7th, 2018

  Hi there, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 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 your presence in small steps, and always reward with something yummy. Eventually, he'll become more comfortable with you, and maybe even crawl into your hand! I know how hard it is to resist cuddling these cute little robo hamsters, but if you want him to like you and not chew on your fingers, patience and consistency is key. I hope this helps, and good luck!

  

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