GRRRRR! He hates me!!!!

[Addie]

Grr, my hamster T.O. Absolutley hates me! I can barely get my hand out of the cage with his food bowl without blood dripping down my hand!!!! UGGGGH! And i am trying to keep him warm by putting a blanket over his cage, and he ripped the stuffing out! I can't hold him, change his bedding, what should i do? RABID HAMSTER!!!!

[Flatcoatluver]

oh i am sorry i can't help very much but what if you war gloves? or maybe i am wrong and he might be able to rip thrw that my hamster never would rip the golves.

[Jessika]

How long have you had him?? New hampsters shouldn't be handled for AT LEAST a week after they're brought home so they can adjust to their new environment. That having been said, some hampsters are just "meaner" than others. While working at PetCo I always HATED picking up hampsters for customers who wanted to buy them because I got bit so many times I just started using a cup to scoop them up in when a customer wanted one or to clean out their cages. A glove might work but depending on the thickness they might be able to bite through them too.

[buckner]

I see the problem. You're invading HIS home. What would you do if a giant hand came through your bedroom window? Your instinct is to protect yourself by any means.

I'd suggest teaching him that you = food. Does he get playtime outside of his cage? Say, letting him roam around on an enclosed desk area around his cage - have his cage door open and let him come out when he wants to. Let him get used to you. Don't try to teach him that you're good by sticking your hand in the cage with food.

How long have you had him? He may just be scared because he doesn't know the scents and where he is. Again, think about it as if YOU were in his place. You'd be scared too.

Keep us updated, and share pictures!

[Addie]

I have had him for uhhh, probably 6 months now...He used to be nice until his mate died. He used to let me hold him all the time. He just recently got moved into a new cage... maybe that's why.

[Jessika]

I have had him for uhhh, probably 6 months now...He used to be nice until his mate died. He used to let me hold him all the time. He just recently got moved into a new cage... maybe that's why.

That could be exactly why -- a change of environment. How long ago did you move and/or change cages?? Every time after a "major" change like that you need to give him time to adjust. That's like you packing up all of your belongings and moving to a new house!! It's a little stressful on him.

PS: Please tell me you didn't have two adult hampsters together in the same cage...

[CathyBogart]

PS: Please tell me you didn't have two adult hampsters together in the same cage...

Now that depends entirely on the species. Syrian hamsters shouldn't be kept together, but my guess is that Addie knows this and her hamster is one of the species of dwarf hamsters who are quite happy in groups.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to intorduce an adult to a new cagemate, so your hamster is probably going to be single for the rest of its life.

I agree that its world has been turned topsy turvy by two major changes recently and he's probably FREAKED OUT! Give him some time, bribe him with (Healthy!) food, and maybe use a cup to scoop him out for awhile. When I worked in a pet store I found that to be one of the more effective ways of handling jumpy or stressed hamsters.

[Addie]

actually, yeah, he was in a cage with another adult hamster, i mean, they grew up together...but his cage was changed because the other one was too small, and i did this, maybe a month or two ago, well, a bit before snickers died, but Donovan was a female, and t.o. is a female i think, but i don't know because i can't hold him, so he could be a female...They never fought...but my dad hasn't turned the heat up in my room so i put sheets over his cage so he can sleep without being disturbed by the cold air, and i try to pull the sheets out from the bars and he get sooooo mad ad darts around the cage...hmmmm, maybe he's just mental...I am NEVER getting a dwarf hamster again!

[areias]

I am NEVER getting a dwarf hamster again!

Hamsters can be strange creatures...when I worked in Petsmart people would come up to me and ask if they can see some of our friendly hamsters. I actually laughed and asked if they were looking at the right species.

I remember one lady looking at hamsters to replace her child's deceased one. She pointed out a very pretty darker looking one...and I told her that it actually went after me earlier that day. She ended up purchasing the hamster. Two days later, it was back in the quarantine room....

[Jessika]

Hamsters can be strange creatures...when I worked in Petsmart people would come up to me and ask if they can see some of our friendly hamsters. I actually laughed and asked if they were looking at the right species.

I remember one lady looking at hamsters to replace her child's deceased one. She pointed out a very pretty darker looking one...and I told her that it actually went after me earlier that day. She ended up purchasing the hamster. Two days later, it was back in the quarantine room....

Oh yeah I hear you there. When I worked at PetCo I don't think we had ANY friendly hampsters unless they were ones brought in by customers and returned because they were pregnant or whatever, and the babies would be handled by humans from such a young age they were a lot more friendlier than ones that came in on trucks and such.

[.sarah]

Jessica, hamster isn't spelled with a p! hehe

I'm sorry to hear about the meany! I was lucky, my hamster is SOOO nice. She'll let you play with her all day and won't ever bite! So sweet

[Addie]

That's what Snick was like before she died...I could hold her and play with her and everything...but she is on the bridge now...I was talking to a teacher today in school, and i said "Do you remember 2 years ago when the hamster got out of Mrs. Sterns room and was walking around the school for a week?" Well, she remembered and i told her she died and she said her legacy carried on...well, last week, a hamster that looked almost exactly like her came up as pet of the day and i like burst...

[king2005]

When buying a hammy you have to be picky. I only bought the ones that would let me hold them in the store. Our first hammy, Sarah, she was the best hammy on earth. We woke her up all the time to play with her & she would get excited & hop onto our hands & play with us. We made lego houses & she played in them with us.

My sister got a dwarf & he was the meanest thing ever. I ended up using a work glove to pick him up. after a while he fell in love with the glove & was great when handled with the glove, but not bare hands.

our 2ed hammy was 1/2 evil. You could be holding him & out of nowhere he would attack.. Only once did he get me good. I freaked & shook my hand, he flew & was just find. Me on the other hand was bleeding quite baddly. The bugger bit right through my thumb (under the nail & out the otherside).

I just learned to disslike Hammies. You cannot tell when they will attack, but atleast a dog will warn you when its angry.

[Addie]

yeah, but i have had hamsters my whole life and i don't just don't like them because of 1...I mean i got TO and Donovan from my friend...so i felt bad for them and took them...

[clarebear]

Im sorry if this advice is late but Im a newbie.

I had a hamster called Socks and he had four white feet (thats why I named him Socks LOL).

He was the loving hamster ever! I mean, he let me kiss him on his nose! touch him even hugged him!.

I miss him so much, he died a few weeks after my dog died. A very bad year for me in 2000.

Just give him time, maybe he thinks your fingers are nuts??? LOL