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Old 06-24-2020, 06:35 AM   #1
peculiarplanets
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Netherlands
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Exclamation Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

Hi! It's been a while since I posted. Busy life and all that. Anyway, Sock is recently displaying behaviour that worries me a tad. He's a dwarf hybrid of about 6 months old.

Recently I've noticed that he seems a bit lethargic. He often wakes up once or twice during the day to get something to drink, which is normal for him. But today after his drink he started biting bars. I put in a tiny bowl of water for him, which he seemed to enjoy, but after that he went back to bar biting. He has an Alaska cage, so the size is fine. He also doesn't like leaving the cage, because usually he doesn't want to get on my hand and when he does he wants to be put down a few seconds later. My other hamster Jupiter (female Syrian) only bar bites when she wants to leave the cage, so that's the only reason for bar biting I'm familiar with.

Also about the lethargic thing: I've now twice found him snoozing in his wheel in the evening and once he was hiding his head under the flat end of a willow bridge. He used to run for hours on end but now I only hear him running in his wheel on occasion. He also looks grumpy? If that's even possible for a hamster. He's not aggressive or anything. Like he doesn't bite me. But I just worry. I'm wondering if maybe the heat has made him like this? Because temperatures have been rising. Anyway, as always I'd appreciate your input!
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Old 06-24-2020, 10:52 AM   #2
Ria P
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Default Re: Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

I'm lethargic myself because i can't stand the heat. Even Syrian Henry who has a habit of barricading himself in his house behind a 2in thick substrate wall has started to chuck substrate out of his front door. Yes, i think the heat could have something to do with your dwarf's lethargy. You could keep a couple of ceramic mugs in the fridge then put a cool one in his cage and alternate.
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Old 06-24-2020, 10:54 AM   #3
peculiarplanets
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Default Re: Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

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Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
I'm lethargic myself because i can't stand the heat. Even Syrian Henry who has a habit of barricading himself in his house behind a 2in thick substrate wall has started to chuck substrate out of his front door. Yes, i think the heat could have something to do with your dwarf's lethargy. You could keep a couple of ceramic mugs in the fridge then put a cool one in his cage and alternate.
Thanks for the tip! Do you think maybe he's biting bars because he's bothered by the heat?
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Old 06-24-2020, 01:52 PM   #4
Ria P
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Default Re: Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

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Originally Posted by peculiarplanets View Post
Thanks for the tip! Do you think maybe he's biting bars because he's bothered by the heat?
I don't know why he bites the bars. One of my hamsters does sometimes for a short time and i have no idea why. Seems to be a bit of a habit and its easy to distract him away from the bars.
I have a dwarf who won't come onto my hand but will walk into a mug so i can get him out of his cage which is something you could try as well. I put my dwarfs on my lap and they climb all over me but they don't usually sit still for long enough to stay on my hand. Maybe Sock wants out but hasn't got the patience to bother with us humans much which would be quite hamsterlike.
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Old 06-25-2020, 01:57 AM   #5
peculiarplanets
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Default Re: Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
I don't know why he bites the bars. One of my hamsters does sometimes for a short time and i have no idea why. Seems to be a bit of a habit and its easy to distract him away from the bars.
I have a dwarf who won't come onto my hand but will walk into a mug so i can get him out of his cage which is something you could try as well. I put my dwarfs on my lap and they climb all over me but they don't usually sit still for long enough to stay on my hand. Maybe Sock wants out but hasn't got the patience to bother with us humans much which would be quite hamsterlike.
Will definitely try that! Right now he's trying to sleep I think, because in the past hour he has changed spots three times. I'm guessing he's trying to find the coolest spot. Somehow Jupiter is unbothered by the heat because she's sleeping in her burrow. Maybe when Sock is in a good mood tonight I'll try the mug thing.
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Old 06-25-2020, 04:45 AM   #6
Ria P
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Default Re: Dwarf hamster lethargic and biting bars

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Originally Posted by peculiarplanets View Post
Maybe when Sock is in a good mood tonight I'll try the mug thing.
You can tempt him into the mug by putting a mealworm or something in it.
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biting, cage, bar, lethargic, hamster, drink, dwarf, put, wheel, end, recently, bars, snoozing, temperatures, rising, evening, found, reason, input, leave, bites, familiar, thing, heat, aggressive

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