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Pebbles82 · 05-07-2019, 01:45 AM

It sounds like he feels threatened by your hand in his territory. Have you recently cleaned him out. If his hoard or nest was removed he may see you as a thief! Best to just spot clean mostly. The nest and hoard can be left alone for quite a long time unless pee'd in, and then try and leave a bit of the old nest and hoard behind that is dry. Sorry if you already know that. Big weekly cleans stress them as it removes all their scent from the cage which they mark as their territory. Better to do "partial" cleans. eg substrate one week, wheel another week and any toys a different week again. But you can easily go 6 to 8 weeks without changing the substrate if you have enough in there and just spot clean the pee area (or use a litter tray which you empty every few days).

Probably best to do taming out of the cage and get him out by letting him walk into a tube with a treat at one end. Then put both hands over the end of the tube while you lift him out and put the tube down into something like a large box next to the cage and let him walk out. You can then transport him in the box somewhere safe to let him out for taming. The bathtub is a good place if you have one.

If you have a hamster ball you can just put one end of the tube in the ball and he'll walk in, then pop the lid on and you can carry him in the hamster ball to the bathtub, put the ball down in the bathtub and let him out again.

Once he is tame he shouldn't run at your hand, but still best to not clean out too much. Also disinfecting the cage isn't necessary unless there has been illness or disease, and best to avoid any cleaners that are scented as that can affect them. Just warm water is fine for the base.

05-07-2019, 01:45 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Hi - My hamster is lunging at me 😫 It sounds like he feels threatened by your hand in his territory. Have you recently cleaned him out. If his hoard or nest was removed he may see you as a thief! Best to just spot clean mostly. The nest and hoard can be left alone for quite a long time unless pee'd in, and then try and leave a bit of the old nest and hoard behind that is dry. Sorry if you already know that. Big weekly cleans stress them as it removes all their scent from the cage which they mark as their territory. Better to do "partial" cleans. eg substrate one week, wheel another week and any toys a different week again. But you can easily go 6 to 8 weeks without changing the substrate if you have enough in there and just spot clean the pee area (or use a litter tray which you empty every few days). Probably best to do taming out of the cage and get him out by letting him walk into a tube with a treat at one end. Then put both hands over the end of the tube while you lift him out and put the tube down into something like a large box next to the cage and let him walk out. You can then transport him in the box somewhere safe to let him out for taming. The bathtub is a good place if you have one. If you have a hamster ball you can just put one end of the tube in the ball and he'll walk in, then pop the lid on and you can carry him in the hamster ball to the bathtub, put the ball down in the bathtub and let him out again. Once he is tame he shouldn't run at your hand, but still best to not clean out too much. Also disinfecting the cage isn't necessary unless there has been illness or disease, and best to avoid any cleaners that are scented as that can affect them. Just warm water is fine for the base.