mouthing syrian?

adrien · 08-12-2018, 09:28 AM

when i took my new hamster home, the woman at the store warned me he was a biter. i was pretty unconcerned, since i love rodents and i have no desire to stress him to the point he bites me.

my other hamster, a roborovski is quite nippy, so i'm used to that, too. he does it to ask for more treats or just to test if my fingers are tasty.

my syrian, however...

i started handling him a few days ago, and he doesnt seem distressed, and also, he never does this when he IS distressed (in fact, when he's distressed he'd rather climb me or just go hide?), but every now and then he'll wrap his mouth around my fingers. he is not biting, and it's not really nipping, either. it's a very deliberate and slow wrapping of his mouth around whatever. he'll look me in the eye while he does it sometimes.

i'm not sure what to make of it, because even if i set him down or something, he'll keep doing it until i gently blow on him.

has anyone else ever had a hamster that does this? i'm not terribly concerned, but i am a little confused.

cypher · 08-12-2018, 11:18 PM

I don't know how common it is as it's not something I've seen mentioned much but I have had hams do this sometimes, not sure what it's about really but maybe they want to pouch a finger & take back to the nest with them!

Scarlett Empress · 08-13-2018, 10:23 AM

My Syrian girl Smokey used to mouth me - usually when I was holding her and lowering her into her cage through the top door. I think it was because she didn't quite trust me not to drop her! She was nine months old when I adopted her and had previously belonged to two little girls so maybe they used to drop her. It was definitely never a bite, just carefully placing her teeth around a finger, so it sounds a lot like the way your boy is mouthing you. Does he do it when you are holding or carrying him?

She also occasionally took hold of a finger briefly if I was doing something she didn't like, such as tidying up her cage! Again, it was never a bite - I would barely feel it - I think it was just her way of telling me off!

adrien · 09-18-2018, 10:25 AM

thanks for the responses! he has stopped doing it. he's very clever, and will not nibble me even if i forget to wash and smell like food.

i talked to a friend who has a chinchilla, and it sounds like he was doing it to tell me to stop whatever i was doing. i wasn't sure, because the pet store worker informed me quite firmly he's a biter, but he's never bitten. it doesn't seem like it's a stress or distress reaction, but rather something he does when he's ANNOYED of all things, thus the confusion.

all is well!!

Pebbles82 · 09-18-2018, 11:31 AM

They are just telling you they don't like something I think - a gentle warning. Or maybe just trying to pouch the finger as Cypher said! I wouldn't blow on a hamster though - it doesn't train them in any way and is unpleasant for them and they may see you as something hostile for doing it. I just say "no"! Naughty. Tone of voice.