Biting for first time

PicoloChelsea · 01-31-2016, 04:26 PM

Hey guys so my Russian dwarf buddy is a really well behaved hamster, I've been nipped by buddy once before today which was basically my own fault as I put my hand behind him just after giving him a treat stick and knocked buddys butt by accident. I have a few friends over and the hammys got a lot of handling time with everyone, they get handled everyday but usually just me and my partner. But today I got bitten 5 times once drew blood, I didn't do anything different I was just scooping out of the cage as usual, one time I did pick up at a bit of an awkward angle cause I tripped as I was picking buddy up, I then had teeth stuck in me to the point buddy was hanging on my finger I had to practically get buddy off but then within a second was absolutely fine and running around and going to everyone . I'm very confused as its been 5 times today but then been fine again, only when being picked up. I've not got any different smells on me and washed my hands too.

Not sure if it could be linked but recently started climbing up to the top of the bar cage a lot but never did before.? Maybe different smells ? Lots of people ? Tired ? Not sure, I'm jusr worried as this isn't normal for buddy to do. I never even got nipped through taming or anything, have picked up at awkward angles before and been fine....
Thanks guys,

Stay safe x

Pebbles82 · 01-31-2016, 04:32 PM

Sorry to hear that. Maybe he's a bit stressed at the moment or something scared him? Cage cleans can stress them out sometimes, if you'd just done one maybe. Charlie used to have a good sniff of my hand after cage cleaning and give me a black looks as if to say - it was YOU! YOU! who came in here and messed with my stuff lol. I got some good tips from Erin's Hamsters cage cleaning video and I only do partial cleans now and it works much better

Here it is if you haven't seen it already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jVnEjrXbww

PicoloChelsea · 01-31-2016, 04:42 PM

I done a change on Thursday and I actuality did move a couple of things about as I haven't done so in a while but only like one log and a coconut house, and because buddy climbed up them and poked nose through the mesh at the top and it squished buddys face

buddy's been fine every other day since and every time ice ever changed anything,

Thanks

Stay safe x

Pebbles82 · 01-31-2016, 04:51 PM

Maybe that's what got him stroppy then lol! I know our hamster is fanatical about nothing ever being moved! Some hamsters hate any kind of change at all in their cage.

PicoloChelsea · 01-31-2016, 04:56 PM

I usually move or add a couple things once a month to prevent boredom and Buddy's never seemed fussed about it before, just ecpolored a bit and played with things he stopped playing with before so I thought maybe this climbing was Boredom and done that to help. :s

Stay safe x

cypher · 01-31-2016, 11:14 PM

A few changes & more people could well have been enough to stress him a bit & cause him to bite, just give him a chance to settle down quietly again & hopefully he'll go back to his normal self.

ETA Just another thought but if he's recently started bar climbing do you think it's possible he may have had a fall? If he has he could have hurt himself, even if he's just bruised or sore picking him up may hurt, hence the biting.
If he is bar climbing check carefully that there's nowhere he can hurt himself if he falls, Russians are quite good up climbing up but have no idea how to get down so usually just let go!

PicoloChelsea · 02-01-2016, 07:15 AM

Yeah I think so, I didn't think of that actually, maybe he did, I put thicker bedding when I noticed he started doing it he has a house, Sand bath, wheel, ramp and food bowl in there, the rest is in the bigger cage, that's like his sleeping bathing eating place and the other cage has a hideout but is full of toys so not.Much in there he could hurt himself on the cage isn't too deep. I'll have to see how he is today as they are leaving today, being handled is fine it's only whilst bbeing picked up, thank you

Stay safe x

herbi7 · 02-02-2016, 06:35 PM

Maybe it was all too much having all those people. Both my dwarf boys have recently been to the vet and it set us back in taming, both have bitten me since although being Chinese they are always gentle even if they bite! It's more like a nibble but I notice its always when they've been stressed by change or more stimulation or me pushing taming too fast. Don't pick him up if that's the trigger and just back off and build confidence again, I would.

PicoloChelsea · 02-04-2016, 04:17 PM

Since everyones left now he is fine again, he hasn't bitten me at all and ive held him atleast twice each day since, he was running around and sitting my my neck earlier haha had to fight him to get down xD I am still marked from one of his bites though, most were little but one was seriously bad, i'llsee if I can get a pic of it now.

Stay safe x

PicoloChelsea · 02-04-2016, 04:21 PM

This is from like Saturday