when hamsters bite

Do be careful when handling hamsters – they do bite when they sense something is amiss and get all defensive.

Jo was picking one of the hamsters up the other day (after a few attempts) when the hamster grow frightened enough to bite her on her thumb. This is not the mischievous kind where the hamsters will nip a little food from your hand and dart away – There is blood, and a good few drops of it too. Jo said afterwards that the numbing pain remained long after the wound clotted, and the the little hamster teeth marks are still visible a few days after the incident. So do be careful when trying to pick them up – I’m still trying to let them get used to having a human hand in their cage and not think of it as “bite-able”.