I got bitten....:(

[haziebabie]

Hi everyone,

Last night I had Mavis out and she was settling in for a cuddle on my lap whilst I was sitting on the sofa. She was happily being stroked when all of a sudden she turned around and bit my hand for what seemed no reason. My only idea afterwards as to what sparked it was the fact I had Wiley (my little boy) out for a cuddle first. Could it have been his smell on my hands?? She really is my most chilled hamster and loves to be handles. She is the one that will happily be petted by visiting children. I was quite surprised she did it. I normally get Wiley out last I guess.

Is that normal..?

[souffle]

I think it is more than likely the smell of Wiley that did it. It is a natural instinct when they smell another hamster to react that way. Sometimes ours will 'chatter' their teeth at us if they smell anoth hamster. We never attempt to pick up a chattering hamster. Just go wash your hands then try again. I am sure Mavis did not mean anything by it. It was just an instinctive reaction when she smelt another ham.

[Zeppelin]

My crew do the opposite and often closely sniff my hand and start licking it if i've held a hamster before hand. Even if it's their son/daughter, mother/father - and the sex of the hamster doesn't matter either!
Hope she doesn't do it again as she sounds a sweetie.
XXX

[haziebabie]

I will give her the benefit of the doubt this time. I'm sure it was a one off and in future I will handle her first or wash my hands. I guess I should do that anyway between hamsters...

[chase]

Oh poor you Haziebabie. It makes you really jump when they just bite out of the blue. I am sure it was just them smell of the male on you and it was probably a one off from Mavis.
Must have been a bitey day as I got bit by one of Campbells really hard yesterday, no idea why & it always makes me jump.

[haziebabie]

Thanks everyone, it does make you jump. I was more bothered about finding out the trigger for it I guess. So I shall avoid that in future... I guess I really have put Wiley away last in the whole 4 months since I had them (that's because my lazy boy takes an age to get up in the first place!!) Still now I know it'll hopefully stop that in future. I think the kids would be petrified if they got nipped.

[robyn_pickles]

Pickles bit me for the very first time last week because I had just given her a piece of apple and my hands must have still smelled of apple so she tried to take a chunk of my finger!! it hurt both my finger and my feelings!
xx