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Old 11-23-2018, 03:55 AM   #1
ToastieHammy
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Join Date: Jul 2018
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Question 3 months and still biting me!

Hi all,

I'm sure this question has been asked many times in the forum but I feel like I've tried everything! I've had my female syrian for 3 months now, previously a stray (she's estimated to be around a year old), she's settled in well and has a large cage (120cmx60cmx60cm). She's not afraid of my hand and will come up to it for treats and take them off my palm, however, after taking the treat she'll sniff around and bite my fingers. Sometimes this is a nibble which is fine, but most often it's a bite hard enough to draw blood. When she does I just pull away as calmly as I can, hoping she'll eventually learn if I take it away she'll realise she won't get anything out of it, but she has yet to stop! She'll also bite my fingers before taking the treat and even if there are no treats on my hand (and there hasn't been any food/treats on it). I always wash my hands before with unscented soap and rub them in the bedding. I also regularly use a playpen (maybe 2-3 times a week) but this has the opposite effect of her not being interested in me at all and just spending 10 minutes trying to escape.
I feel very frustrated now as I know it's something that I'm doing wrong that's causing her to not make progress, and I'm gradually getting more scared of her which I really don't want!
Any other tips you can give that might cause a break through would be great!!
I'm also taking her to the vets this afternoon as I've been finding spots of blood on her bedding, so wish me luck for that as well

Thanks
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Old 11-23-2018, 05:18 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

Sorry to hear you've not made progress with your girl biting, it does sound as though you've been really patient & tried everything, I'm not sure what else to suggest except maybe using gloves, I'm not a fan of gloves tbh but if nothing else is working it might help to get her used to being handled.
I hope everything goes ok at the vets, sometimes biting can be a sign of pain or illness so that may be (or equally may not!) something to do with it, I hope they can find out where the bleeding is coming from & get her better.
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Old 11-23-2018, 07:22 AM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

I'm sorry but I had to laugh at her being described as a stray It brought visions of a roaming hamster invading dustbins for food. I know what you mean - it's a term used for homeless pets and cats and dogs are classed as strays when homeless but presumably you got her from a rescue? (Although there are stories of hamsters being found in the street or elsewhere).

I am just going to link the biting and the reason for the vet visit - if she is unwell or in pain that can causing biting sometimes. I hope she is ok and your vet is good. If you're not happy or don't think you've had a proper diagnosis then find an exotic vet in your area. If it's something like pyometra it needs diagnosing properly and quickly and treatment started.

From what you describe re the biting I think it may be because your hand is in the cage. Some hamsters just hate a hand being in the cage and see it as an invasion. It's also normal for them to spend trying to escape from a playpen rather than interacting.

She may be hard to fully hand tame, or ever be fully hand tame, as she is older and we don't know her past - if she has ever been roughly handled or hurt by humans she may have developed an aversion to hands. Or just never been fully tamed as well. It is possible to get past this but it takes time and patience for the trust to build. Three months isn't very long. It took two months for us to tame our ferral pet shop baby hamster! But once he was tame he was lovely - although even then he didn't like being held for long but would sit on you for a few minutes for a strong.

They tend to bite when a) they're frightened or b) they're in pain. The little nips may be to tell you to take your hand out of the cage and the bites because you didn't! Plus some fear possibly.

It can get nerve-wracking and stressful so wear gloves and take the handling really slowly. I would stop offering treats on your hand and go back to offering them through the cage bars (if you have cage bars) and just talking to her so she gets more and more used to your voice and presence as non threatening. Also do the tissue trick - with a large cage she may need more of your scent actually in it. You tear off some sheets of plain white toilet paper and put them down your bra or up your sleeve and leave them there for a couple of hours or more, then tear them into strips and put them in a pile somewhere in the cage (not inside the house but maybe nearby) so she can forage nesting material from them - they sometimes pouch nesting material or just drag it to the house. Then your scent will be in her nest and she will associate it positively.

For taming I would use the bathtub for now rather than the playpen. She has a large cage and a playpen area is quite substantial. The bath is more limiting - yes she'll still probably just slither up and down the side trying to escape but it's a more enclosed narrow space and you can gradually get her used to touch in there.

Wear the gloves and let her run around in the bathtub with a couple of toys and occasionally try a gentle stroke on the back with one finger while she's in there. If she turns to bite, or bites, then leave it awhile and try again later. Next session try using an old toothbrush to gently stroke her on the back. Eventually - quite soon possibly, she will get used to the feeling of a stroke on the back and stop bothering to jerk round and threaten to bite or actually bite. That is big progress. She is getting used to trusting touch.

When she accepts a stroke on the back with one finger and doesn't jerk her head round, move onto cupping a hand under her while she is walking around. So your hand comes from her side, palm up and slightly cupped and slide it under her, lift her no more than a cm but don't hold her and let her walk off again. When she accepts this, lift your hand a little higher next time but let her walk off again. After that you should be able to hold her/pick her up, but keep it short at first just a few seconds and a stroke and put her down again.

Best way to pick her up is each hand coming from either side palm up and cup her with both hands. They seem more relaxed that way.

When she is hand tame she won't try to wriggle out of your hand or "ping" two feet in the air. Best to handle her low over somehting soft at first -eg over the sofa or bed (blocked off at the edges in case she tries to escape or jump off - I used to roll up a blanket on te edge of the sofa, then I could pick up our hamster before he managed to get over it - or put a tube or ball in front of him so he walked into that instead.
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Old 11-23-2018, 07:24 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

Just to add - when they are tame and well used to you, she may accept a hand in the cage but may follow it round anxiously to see what it is doing in there. It can help to do any spot cleaning while they're in the cage so they can see what you're doing, or if they return to a changed cage it can cause some mistrust for a while and stop them wanting to come out.
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Old 11-23-2018, 10:49 AM   #5
ToastieHammy
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

Thanks for your suggestions! Unfortunately I don't have a bath tub but will try and make the playpen as enclosed as I can. In the end I'm happy as long as she's happy, so if she never gets fully tame I won't mind!
The vet couldn't find out where the blood was coming from after sedating her and didn't find any signs of pyometra, so she's given me antibiotics and anti-inflammatories until I go back to see the exotics vet on Tuesday. She didn't seem too worried as there's been no change in behaviour and she's been eating and drinking normally, so hopefully whatever it is will clear up with these meds. Will see what happens!!

Thanks again, will continue to be patient with my little ham!
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Old 11-23-2018, 01:32 PM   #6
ToastieHammy
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

oh and also yes she was a rescue and they said they found her as a stray but didn't give me any more information than that, but they even said they've found 'stray' hamsters on buses!!!
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Old 01-05-2019, 04:34 PM   #7
daven
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

How have you got on with this, ToastieHammie?

I'm only 10 days into hamster ownership but experiencing exactly the same as you in terms of my hamster seeming very bold around my hand and happy to investigate, but also very keen to nip.

I think perhaps I'll try her on an outing to the bath tub!
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Old 03-06-2019, 12:08 PM   #8
ToastieHammy
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Default Re: 3 months and still biting me!

Oh gosh I am so sorry I never saw your reply daven! I read your recent thread and it seems like you're having some good progress, I'm so glad it's going well for you! Unfortunately even this far down the line I haven't had any success on my end, I'm not giving up in the hopes something will eventually work! I hope things continue to go great with your little ham
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