Hamster Behavioural Problems | Hamster Illnesses | Hamsters

Sometimes hamsters can exhibit worrying or aggressive behaviours, seemingly without cause. Acting this way is often not an indication of your hamster’s personality - there is usually a very good reason that the animal is acting this way. For example, some owners don’t understand that captive hamsters will need to be tamed in order to enjoy being handled by their owners, and that without the taming process hamsters can be very scared of interacting with humans.

Even if your hamster has been tamed, some problem behaviours can still arise due to illness or fear. Whatever the problem, it’s likely that some knowledge of hamster psychology will help you to understand what’s making your hamster act this way.

Hamsters can bite out of fear

Biting

If your hamster bites you when you hold it, then there are several potential causes. The list below includes some suggestions.

Your hamster has not been tamed
If you’ve only just got your hamster, or have had your hamster for a long time without taming it, then it’s likely that your hamster is biting you because it is a little frightened of you. In the wild, predators would grab hamsters, which is what your hamster may think is happening when you put your hand into its cage. For information on taming your hamster, have a look at our ‘How To Tame My Hamster’ section.

You are not holding your hamster properly
If you grab your hamster without giving it time to acclimatise to your presence, then it can bite out of fear. Hamsters may also nibble you if you’re not physically holding them correctly, which can be very uncomfortable for your pet. If you’d like a guide on picking up your hamster, visit our ‘How To Pick Up A Hamster’ page.

Your have woken your hamster
Hamsters are nocturnal, and will be very disorientated and quite upset if you wake them during the day. If they are confused and scared, then they are likely to bite you if you try to pick them up. It’s best to play with your hamster when it’s awake during the early evening and night, when it will be a lot more active and probably much more pleased to play with you.

Your hamster is mistaking you for food
Hamsters have very poor eyesight, and are apt to try their luck when they’re unsure whether or not something is edible. If you often stick food through your hamster’s cage bars, then when you do the same with your finger, it will think that’s a tasty treat too!

Your hamster is unwell If your hamster is suffering from a medical condition, such as mange, or a wound, then being handled by a human can be very painful. If your hamster suddenly takes a dislike to being handled, then this could the indicative of a health problem. Try to examine your hamster without picking it up, or, if this is too tricky, wear protective gloves. During health exams, it’s best to only hold your hamster just one or two centimeters above the floor in case it manages to wriggle free of your grip.

Circling or 'Twirling'

If your hamster is running around in circles, then it could be suffering from a brain injury or an ear infection. If your pet has just started twirling, then it’s likely an ear infection. If your pet has had an injury recently, or is quite young, then it could be a brain problem. You will want to take your pet to the vet for an accurate diagnosis, and possibly for treatment.

Fighting

If your hamsters are fighting one another, then it’s likely that you’ll need to separate them, sometimes permanently. If the hamsters are fighting often, or if one hamster is preventing another from accessing food, then steps will need to be taken.

If you have two Syrian hamsters in the same cage, then you will need to purchase another cage and keep them apart. Syrian hamsters are extremely territorial, and the fighting can be fatal. If you’ve been keeping them together for a while, then be aware that even if they’ve been getting on fine previously, they can turn on each other very quickly, causing a lot of stress, and sometimes injury.

Hamsters housed together may fight, even species that can live together

If you have two hamsters of a species that can live together and they are fighting, then you should remove the hamster that is being aggressive and keep it in a temporary enclosure for a few days. When, on reintroducing it to its cage, they still fight, then they will need to be permanently separated.

If the fighting is only occasional, and blood is not drawn, then keep a close eye on how your hamsters behave towards one another. One tip to minimise outbreaks of fighting is to have one food bowl and one water bottle per hamster.

Severe scratching

If your hamster is continually scratching itself, particularly so much so that it is drawing blood, then your hamster could have a health problem such as mites or mange. If you notice this behaviour in your pet then we advise that you give it a thorough health-check to try to determine the cause.

If you have introduced a new type of bedding recently and you suspect that this may be the cause, then try switching back to the old bedding for a while and see if the behaviour persists. If you can’t identify the problem or are not sure which parasite is causing the scratching, then it’s best to take your pet to the vet so that they can give a proper diagnosis.

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Comments

Heather, 11 November 2023

hi, i’m a new owner too hamsters. i’ve never owned one in my whole life, but i’ve always wanted one since i was little. I just got my first hamster back in january, and it’s the cutest little thing ever. she is a russian dwarf and her name is hamantha. (they couldn’t tell her gender, but it was very easy) when i got her, she was a little aggressive towards me. when id put my hand in her little box area she would often try to bite me. the lady had no problem with her at the pet store, so i didnt know what was wrong. i just thought she was territorial. fast forward too now, if i even try to put my hand in her area she immediately tries to bite me. i usually have too lure her into her little igloo then i kinda let her walk out onto my chest. she’s very nice when holding, and if you put her back she’s okay. i have another hamster, different breed but they aren’t in the same area. i’ve tried to let them meet but it didnt end well. but anyways, she’s really nice and doesn’t bite, like at all. she is a syrian and i heard they’re nicer then dwarfs. it took her a few months to warm up to me, but she still is not hand tamed. just like my other one. i believe they just have different personalities. they did come from two different animal stores, though. i’m just wondering why my dwarf bites me and will come up too my hand, but she doesn’t know to climb on. my syrian, just runs away from me. i feel bad for em bc ive dropped the dwarf a few times. she’s okay tho! any tips?

Bethany, 15 April 2021

I have just brought a Syrian hamster and I have never owned one before. I have not yet tamed her as she bites me whenever I try and I’m in the process of getting her a larger cage. Her current cage has a tunnel attached and she will sleep in there all day. The thing that concerns me is the fact that whenever she now goes into the tunnel, she will run back out as if running away from something. She also keeps scratching at herself. I think she may have mites but I cannot hold her to check myself. What should I do?

An Omleteer, 8 March 2021

Background: I’ve owned several hamsters over the years (mostly Syrians) so I’m educated on owning, caring and handling them. Current problem: We picked up a Robo ham 3.5 weeks ago and she has not warmed up to us at all. She is absolutely terrified of everyone. So much so that she gets around in her (large) tank UNDER her bedding like a mole. She will only pop her head out to get water and then she goes back into hiding and moving around in a sort of tunnel system she has created. If we ever walk over to her tank and she’s actually out, she will immediately run for cover like we are some sort of predator. We’ve never done anything to cause her so much anxiety. When we first put her in her tank, we gave her several days alone to adjust. I would have thought by now that she would be a little more relaxed around people but she’s still very frightened of everyone. I’m starting to think we got more of a pet to look at rather than handle or bond with. I feel bad for my daughter who picked out this hamster only to have it be nothing more than a goldfish to watch from a distance. Is there any hope for this hamster? I’ve read that putting them in the bath tub and sitting in there with them might help but I think that will only make her more scared.

Leanne, 29 May 2020

Hi, I have a golden Syrian hamster who has just turned 2 and a half years old, he's a lovley character and he's such a sweet animal very chilled, dosent mind being held never bites. All of a sudden as from yesterday he has become highly distressed and is scratching and running around the cage and chewing on bars ( never done this before). Iv checked his teeth they are a good size, his fur is in good condition with no bald patches, his eyes are bright and sparkly, checked him over for lumps couldn't find anything, eating and drinking fine urinating fine, his claws feel a little sharp, he's going bonkers in his cage, I don't understand we have no other pets, I would take him to a vet but covid 19 is making this difficult. I feel so sorry for him, I don't know how to help him.x

Leanne, 29 May 2020