Demolition Hamster

JUDY · 05-20-2019, 12:46 AM

My hamster is just over 10 months old and in that time he has destroyed 8 cages, none of them were small, the biggest two being over 4ft long. He has destroyed his playpen, and has outgrown his hamster harness, he now has one designed for a ferret. He doesn't want to stay in his cage and is always trying to escape, the only time he is happy is when he's having a walk on his harness. He doesn't wan't to spend time with me, but will happily come to me to have a treat or to get out of cage. He is nasty to others but not too bad with me. I can keep him in line even though I had to have tetanus and hemoglobin injections and antibiotics after a bad bite. Sunk his teeth in and wouldn't let go. He is not happy and getting worse, I've had hamsters before and none have been this difficult. I wonder if he has brain damage, he totally not right in the head. Don't want to give up on him and put him down but he is getting worse and nasty. Any ideas please.

souffle · 05-20-2019, 02:00 AM

Do you have any pictures of your hamster? I must say I've never heard of a hamster that would fit a ferret sized harness.
Apart from that we don't advise using harnesses with hamsters as they can easily hurt themselves in these. The behavior you describe is quite rat like in that they are very destructive. He may be better suited to a glass tank type set up. How large is he and what sort of weight?

Ria P · 05-20-2019, 05:13 AM

I'd get him checked out by a vet. Maybe he's in pain. I've never heard of a hamster walking on a lead wearing a harness. Seems unnatural to me. Does he burn off energy on his wheel? I did have a guinea pig once that had a brain tumor and became aggressive because he was in pain.

JUDY · 05-21-2019, 12:29 AM

Since posting on here, Reggae got worse. His new cage was a glass tank with a fiberglass type rails for the doors. Reggae ate through the rails, pushed the doors open and got out. Managed to find him but as he was in my arms, a friend walked in without calling to see if it was ok, stood too close to me and Reggae lunged himself at them with teeth bared. I managed to get him to his cage but he turned on me, I smacked his nose gently and said no and this stopped him. Had another cage ready because I know how he wrecks them, this one was a massive metal and glass one, but Reggae spent all night chewing the metal determined to get out.
Had Reggae checked out by vet, vet said he was enormous, more than twice the size he should have been. The vet said I could take him home but he would have to stay in his cage and be handled extremely carefully as nothing could be done, he would only get worse. He was very unhappy at being in a cage and wanted to be free, but that wasn't an option. The vet said I was lucky. It's only because of the love, care and patience I've shown Reggae, that I was able to handle him, he couldn't be re-homed as he was dangerous.
Sadly the outcome is that poor Reggae was going nuts. Im not joking, the poor little mite was actually going mad. It turns out some rotten breader has tried to cross a large hamster male with a small female rat, and Reggae was the outcome. Not good. He just kept growing, he was already 8 inches long and only 10 months old, he looked the size of 3 grown syrian hamsters. And as time went on he just got dangerous. The vet had to put him down.
I have sobbed and sobbed. I've never given up on an animal before and I feel I've let my baby down. But he was suffering so it was the kindest thing for him. RIP Reggae.

souffle · 05-21-2019, 12:33 AM

I'm closing this thread now as what you are suggesting is impossible. Hamsters and rats are different species and cannot be interbred.
Suspect trolling.