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Old 01-09-2020, 03:00 PM   #1
OliverS
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Default Bitey Little One

Here’s a good one for you.

I’ve recently bought 2 Russian dwarves, as is ALWAYS the case with 2 pets, they’re Jekyll and Hyde. (Really wish I’d have anticipated that and thought of those names before we named them.)

Anyway, one is absolutely lovely, loves being held, walks all over me and she’s just really sociable. The other, well, she’s alright, just VERY bitey. If I try to pick her up, she ‘goes’ for me, not in an aggressive way I don’t think, more threatened. However, whenever I put my hand in for her to walk on, she just nibbles like I’m food, really hurts though. I was able to hold her when we first got her and she bit my Mrs so we put her down. It’s not like she’s aggressive because I can stroke her all I like and she’s fine with that.

Does anyone have any ways to make my hand less like a hamster snack? I’m conscious I don’t want to wear gloves in case she tries to eat them and they manage to chew off some cotton which I don’t want to happen because I know it can be very bad for them.
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Old 01-09-2020, 03:01 PM   #2
peculiarplanets
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

Are they in the same cage together? Sometimes that can be the problem.
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Old 01-09-2020, 03:59 PM   #3
Engel
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

Maybe it's too soon to be handling? Maybe that one isn't keep on being picked up and held?
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Old 01-09-2020, 10:42 PM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

Russian hams can tend to nibble hands quite a lot at first but most tend to grow out of it soon enough, you may find that the biting could be territorial in other words she's not happy with hands in the cage, try using something she'll climb into like a tube or mug or something that you can carry her in to get her out of the cage & begin to get her used to handling in a safe play area, play pen or large bin or whatever you have, & avoid putting your hands in the cage other than for essentials like food & water for a while.
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:25 AM   #5
peculiarplanets
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

I remember with my two previous dwarfs that one of them was bitey at first too. So instead of picking her up, I'd just put my hand in the cage and wait for her to sit on it. When she did, I didn't pick her up, but I fed her a treat. I only gave her a treat if she didn't bite, if she did she didn't get a treat and I'd carefully pull my hand back. You could then see she was confused as to why I left, and after a few times she made the connection between biting and not getting treats. After that she barely bit me anymore.
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Old 01-10-2020, 06:13 AM   #6
OliverS
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

Thank you all. I don’t necessarily think it’s territorial, unless it is when I think it’s because she feels threatened. She’s alright with me stroking her so I’d say it’s not necessarily hands in the cage that’s the issue. I’ll just hope she grows out of it soon enough.

I’ll do that Peculiar Planets, I just need to make sure I’m ready for any pain as I’ve been a bit jumpy before.
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Old 01-10-2020, 08:10 AM   #7
peculiarplanets
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Default Re: Bitey Little One

Quote:
Originally Posted by OliverS View Post
Thank you all. I don’t necessarily think it’s territorial, unless it is when I think it’s because she feels threatened. She’s alright with me stroking her so I’d say it’s not necessarily hands in the cage that’s the issue. I’ll just hope she grows out of it soon enough.

I’ll do that Peculiar Planets, I just need to make sure I’m ready for any pain as I’ve been a bit jumpy before.
Being jumpy can make it worse sometimes. Animals are very good at noticing when you're afraid. I usually use my "stern" voice, aka the one you'd use on little kids doing something that's bad. Sometimes hamsters don't quite get that hands are not to be bitten (or they're biting to test if it's edible). So also make sure your hands are clean so there's no food residue on them. It's kind of like raising a toddler: they learn with trial and error. As soon as the hamster starts to understand that biting leads to bad things (as in, not getting a treat or the hand being pulled away), they'll usually bite a lot less.
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