Are hamsters moody?

[hogdog62000]

Ok I just got my two hamsters and I was playing with them in the morning and one of them bit me. I wasent doing anything to make it mad. But it looked kind of sleepy too. so that is my question. If hamsters are tired do they get moody?

[iheartu]

well if someone got you out of bed in the middle of the night and started petting you and playing with you you'd probably be a little moody too... i'm not trying to be mean just trying to make you understand ;).... and you shouldn't wake them up when there sleeping.. it shortens there lifespan

[Punkygirl0101]

Hamsters can be very grumpy when waken up from sleep. They are nocturnal, and they are awake when you are sleeping...so when you got up, he was sleeping... And its not surprising he bit you.

[TiaMaria]

Is there really truth behind the life span thing? If so can someone post an artical, because I find this hard to believe.

[Punkygirl0101]

I forgot to ask.. What kind of hamsters do you have? Dwarf or syrian? Syrian hamsters are solitary, and MUST live alone!!!!

[Sparky2006]

Defo live alone! and how long have you had him/her? did you threaten him/her, or any thretning behaviour, was there any food on you hand too?

[hogdog62000]

I just got then yesterday on the 9th of July they were a b-day present from my dad. And no I didnt do anything to threaten them. And no there was no food on my hand. As to what kind of hamster they are I dont really know there is two of them and they seem to get along.

[Punkygirl0101]

They may seem to now. So do they look like:
http://www.ohratsrodentry.com/syrian/girlphotos/bertha.jpg

or do they look like:
http://www.gotpetsonline.com/pictures-gallery/small-animal-pictures-breeders-babies/syrian-dwarf-hamster-pictures-breeders-babies/pictures/syrian-dwarf-hamster-0001.jpg

(Coloring can be different..just look at shape of hamsters. If they both look like the first one, they are syrian hamsters and need to be seperated immediatly. They need to live alone.

As for the biting, you just got them yesterday,. They need a few days to adjust, they don't need to be handled at all for a few days.

[hogdog62000]

I looked at the ears so they look like the second one. I did find out off one of the "I Cant Sex My Hamster!" post and one is a girl and the others a boy. The boy seems to control the girl. And the girl I can pick up and she wont bit me. And she likes this hamster ball that I got. She can really go in it. I will have to take some pictures of them.

[ilovepink]

:) Heya.Yeh your hammie proberly bit you because you woke him/she up.You should leave them in there cadge for a few days let them get use to there home,speak to them let them hear your voice and before you touch them let them smell your hand.My hammie only bit me once in her lil life but it wernt a proper bit she just put her teeth on me:) .You should look up on net for some advice on hamsters as your never had any it will help you alot:) Have you got any pics of your hammies?
And please find out what they are because if they are syrian's seperate them asap as they may fight and it could lead to death,They dont like being in 2's they like being alone like my lil baba did:)

R.I.P baba dec 04-june 06 love you forever baby x:(

[Punkygirl0101]

You need to seperate them anyway. They do not need to breed.. please seperate them ASAP!!

[hogdog62000]

Whats wrong with them breeding?

[iheartu]

Is there really truth behind the life span thing? If so can someone post an artical, because I find this hard to believe.

http://hamsterama.tripod.com/healthandhappiness.html

go to this website and read #2... my vet acctually told me this but i went ahead and found it on the internet so take a look :)

[Punkygirl0101]

Whats wrong with them breeding? You didn't even know what type of hamster they are!! You are not educated at all on hamsters, and you do not need to be breeding them. Do you know how long a hamster is pregnant? When to seperate the babies? How big a cage hamsters need? What to do if the mother rejects them? What if she had complications?

DO NOT BREED..LEave breeding to experts...

There are too many unwanted hamsters in this world.. seperate them immediatly..

[iheartu]

by making more lives your somewhat killing others cuase then people by the ones your breeding rather than rescuing.... i breed my hamsters like a year ago and it's not an easy job... i had to raise one of the runts cause the mom didn't want it... then i had to by like 5 aquariums to put two babies in each cause at about 4-5weeks old they try to eat eachother alive litterally, and then they eat A LOT and it gets expensive... and then i couldn't get rid of em cause i wasn't thinking about what to do when they were older casue i'm stupid.... but it is definatly somethin i would never do again!! please don't breed!! you need to think about the hasmters and not yourself like i did :(

[iheartu]

o yea and my hamsters were syrians.. i'v never had any others....

[dwankrista]

your profile says you are 20 years old so this should be quite easy for you to understand. breeding jeopardizes the health of your hamsters, not to mention unless you know the complete genetic backgrounds of the hamsters you may wind up with dead/severely ill pups and a dead mother. hamsters will continue to breed until their little systems eventually give out and they die, leaving you with hundreds of hamsters. are you ready for this? do you have any clue how dangerous it is to breed pet store hamsters and what it does to a poor little hamster's system to be continulously bred???

if you care about your hamsters at all you will separate them immediately. to answer your question as to what is wrong with them breeding, the answer is EVERYTHING. breeding is not something to be taken lightly, is risky, expensive, and should only be done to further strong genetic lines, not because you simply put two hamsters together. no forum supports the reckless and irresponsible breeding of these poor animals. SEPARATE THE HAMSTERS IMMEDIATELY!

[hogdog62000]

My dad had hamsters when he was a kid and he said that they could be together. AND that the people at the pet store said that they COULD be together.

[hogdog62000]

what age do they start breeding at?

[iheartu]

well sure they can be together but there still gonna breed!!! and i suggest you do some research before you make the decision your bout to make....

[hogdog62000]

Ok I know this is a stupid question but can hamsters be fixed?

[iheartu]

yes they can :) i'm glad you might be reconsidering

[Punkygirl0101]

its is very risky, and expensive. its cheaper to go out and get another cage then it is to go get one neutered.

[hogdog62000]

At what age do they start mating?

[iheartu]

i THINK they have to be like 3 months but i'm not sure... i would research

[hogdog62000]

I am prity sure that they are about 8 weeks old and I had the girl (witch im naming snowflake) in the ball and when I put her back in the cage it looked like the male hamster tryed mating with her. I grabbed him and got her back in the ball and went and got the other cage that I have. It is missing some peaces but its enough to keep one in for the night till I can fix the cage.

[TiaMaria]

They start mating at 8 weeks as that is when they are fully mature. Fixing is very dangerous..

[dwankrista]

i have seen hamsters mate at 5 weeks old. you need to separate those hamsters immediately for the sake of their wellbeing. if you care about them at all you will separate them.

as i have recently told another user, here is a lesson you will need for the rest of your life: the majority of pet stores only have money in mind and not the animals' welfare. the fact that the pet store told you it was fine to house a male and a female together makes me quite angry. also, being 20 years old you should know what happens when a male and female are put together, as should your father since you came into the world. separate them immediately before you are overrun with newborn hamsters (males will impregnate the female immediately after birth) and a dead female. i have a feeling you already have a litter on the way. separate them immediately!

[pixibubbles]

If they are from a petshop they could be brother and sister... you could end up with babies with no eyes / teeth and missing limbs... or just born dead... it would be heart breaking :(... if the second cage is bad idea maybe you could tka eone back and get other sex so you have two brothers or two sisters... depends how attatched you;ve become....

[Sparky2006]

WHATS WRONG WITH BREEDING!!!!!!!!!


Gawd, there are hundreds of thing wrong, i'v seen pics of hammies with no teeth/eyes and its horrid, you'lll need to seprate them into different cages, do you have the money and time and space for around 8 cages?? And from pets shops! thats awfull, youll need to get them from breeders, knowing their full genetics from the male/female, you need to know how to rase the young if the mother rejects them, and when there born the male and female will breed again and again. There is laods more, please leave it to the experts who know everything about the hammies, and have the equipment etc. If you love them, you'll do the right thing and seprate them A.S.A.P.

P.s. I cant remember who it was, but they researched for around 1 year and abit before considering to breed.

[hogdog62000]

As I posted last night I put her back in the cage with the male and it looked like he tryed mating with her I grabed him and took her out of the cage. I had another cage the same as the first one olny its missing some parts. I put it together the best I could and put the male in the bad cage and gave the female the good cage. SO THEY ARE SEPERATED NOW! And now its easyer for me to tell them apart.

On another not when I was at the pet shop they usally have the male and female hamsters seperated. And my dad put then in two seperate pet box things that you take them home it. I didnt see any signs that the male was trying to mate until I put her back in after being in the ball.

What are some signs that she could be pregnant if he did mate with her?

[dwankrista]

good job on separating them. unfortunately, she is almost certainly pregnant. hamsters will not show until they are almost due. you will notice her nesting more and becoming pear shaped. just in case it is a good idea to feed her extra protein such as pieces of boiled egg, lean chicken, scrambled egg in soy milk, whole grain bread dipped in soy milk, lean doggy kibble, etc. keep the number of a vet handy and prepare yourself for a litter.

[hogdog62000]

Will stuff like cheese, regular milk, eggs, nuts, and some types of cereal work for protein?

[dwankrista]

do not give her cheese or cow milk as hamsters are largely lactose intolerant. eggs are fine as long as they are boiled, not fried. some nuts are fine but almonds should be avoided. as for cereals unsweetened, whole grain cereals are fine.

[hogdog62000]

I have a bag and a half of ceader bedding. Can it be used on hamsters or will it make them sick?

[dwankrista]

so, cedar is toxic to small animals, as is pine. the only wood shaving that is recommended is aspen. carefresh and yesterday's news are other alternatives. whatever you do do not use cedar or pine as they both contain phenols that are toxic.

[hogdog62000]

What can be used as a temporary bedding?

[dwankrista]

plain shredded, unscented tissue can be used temporarily until you can get proper bedding. for now the important thing is to get rid of the cedar. since it is summer and rather warm anyway a whole lot of bedding isn't really required. they should do fine with tissue until you can get to the pet store.

[hogdog62000]

I didnt use the cedar, I did have some pine bedding and used the rest of that. That is messed up they say it can be used on hamsters but its toxic to them. I will remove the pine and use tissue till I can get some good bedding. And also are they bothered by the cold? Like say an air conditioner.

[dwankrista]

good for you on getting rid of the pine. sadly, manufacturers of pine and cedar beddings have dollars in mind rather than the wellbeing of the animals. phenols in pine and cedar cause respiratory infections, skin irritations, and the phenols build up in the internal organs.

as for the cold yes, drafts from air conditioners, fans and windows can cause them to develop respiratory infections. hamsters are very susceptible to the cold.

[bubblz]

If a hamster gets too cold it coulod hibernate.
You also need to be careful with the heat, if it get's too hot it can kill your hamster.
If you use the AC you don't want the cage in it's direct line of fire and keep the room at a normal room temperature (no sauna's or ice boxes)

[hogdog62000]

Can I use paper towls as bedding? We have the regular kind and then the blue shop towls. Can I use eather of these till I can get some real bedding?

[iheartu]

i'm impressed of how your really begining to try and do whats best for your hamsters.... puts a smile on my face :) i'm not sure bout the papertowl question though ...

[Catmakemebark]

Fleece over the the towels are good maybe. I use fleece for my mouse and guinea pigs. They love it. I need some more for my hamster though, but they love to chew it. They good thing is you can just wash it when it gets dirty and not have to get a new one.

[Punkygirl0101]

Regular paper towels are fine!

I am glad you are doing everything right for your hammies! Keep up the learning..you can never learn too much about the care of your pets.

[hogdog62000]

Here are some pictures of snowflake in her ball. Its the best I could get right now.

http://www.freewebtown.com/hogdog62000/Pet_Hub_Pictures/IM000951.JPG

[Catmakemebark]

Aww!! So cute!! It looks like my hammie only white!! I love her big pink nose!

[Punkygirl0101]

Thank you for the photo. I remember you said from the two pictures I sent you, that they were dwarf hamsters.. They are Syrians. So if she is pregnant.when her babies (can be up to 20!!) are a certain age, they will all need a seperate cage. I would start looking into homes for the babies before you can even know for sure if she is pregnant.

[Catmakemebark]

Take her to a vet to find out.

[hogdog62000]

Here are some better ones of her

http://www.freewebtown.com/hogdog62000/Pet_Hub_Pictures/7_12_06/IMGA0221.JPG

http://www.freewebtown.com/hogdog62000/Pet_Hub_Pictures/7_12_06/IMGA0224.JPG

Are you sure that they are Syrians?

[Punkygirl0101]

Yes, they are syrian hamsters.

[hogdog62000]

so its even better that I split them up. The one picture of the Syrian hamster looked like it was really big and the ears look really different.

[Punkygirl0101]

it was probably hard to tell because the hamster was a different color. Does this help:

Dark Eared White Syrian hamsters:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/Punkygirl0101/Hamsters/Picture1129.jpg
Tye

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/Punkygirl0101/Hamsters/Picture1163.jpg
Arnold.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/Punkygirl0101/Hamsters/Picture1033.jpg
Pyro

and here is another dwarf:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/Punkygirl0101/Hamsters/Image041.jpg
Kirk

[dwankrista]

yep, she is a syrian hamster. you are lucky you separated them before you woke up to a bloody mess that could cost you the lives of both hamsters. syrians are solitary meaning, as punky said, if/when she has pups they will all need to be separated from mom at 4 weeks and all in a separate cage by 5-6 weeks. good luck!

[hogdog62000]

Well that explanes why they seemed like they were fighting a little. I though they were playing. They didnt hurt each other but they were biting at each other. And they seem to be doing better now that I seperated them.

[Sparky2006]

Good for you, do your research, as much as ya can! Keep us posted! And pics, pics and more pics! Thanks for the question, shows ur really trying! Glad all is well!

[dwankrista]

that's good news. syrians are vert territorial and are solitary animals. extreme stress can lead to wet tail, a disease that is usually fatal. i have seen cases of syrians developing wet tail and becoming stressed out from even being housed in the same room as another syrian. though this is usually a minority of cases it goes to show just how solitary they are. i hope your girl isn't pregnant but if she is you will require separate housing for each one of the pups. good luck!

EDIT: going back to your original post, hamsters sometimes get aggressive, moody and nippy when pregnant. keep an eye on your female. :)

[hogdog62000]

I think it was the male that bit me. I have picked up the female quite a few times now and she hasent bit me yet. I do use a thick glove to pick up the male but not the female and the male bits the glove and if I just have the glove on and put my finger in front of both of them they bit the glove.

Why would the female bit the end of the glove and not bit me when I pick her up bearhanded?

Would I be able to get some type of lead for them that way they dont have to be in the ball to be out of the cages?

[Sparky2006]

Well you could start to tame the male, i would explain how to but im ina rush sorry.

"Why would the female bit the end of the glove and not bit me when I pick her up bearhanded?"

cause she prob smells the male

"Would I be able to get some type of lead for them that way they dont have to be in the ball to be out of the cages?"

doubt it

[dwankrista]

here is a good taming guide to begin with:
http://www.hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5988

i do not recommend gloves as they often scare the hamster and the animal still does not get used to your scent.

as for a hamster leash they are sold but are very harmful to the fragile bodies of hamsters. rollabout balls are the best option.

[hogdog62000]

I have one of the rollabout balls and the female loves it. If I put the male into is he pees in it.

Oh also I go to college during the day and my stepmother and my little brother came into my room and got the female out and put her in the ball. They say she wasnt asleep and its like 5 in the afternoon. Is this bad for her?

[dwankrista]

yes, they should not be disturbed during the day. also, if you allow your male plenty of time to groom and do his duties before putting him in the ball there will be less of a chance of him urinating in it. however, some hams will always do so. this isn't a reason to deny him time in the ball however and he still needs the out time. :)

[hogdog62000]

Ok I have been reading that guide and seen the wet tail thing again. What is it? What does it do to them?

[dwankrista]

wet tail is a disease syrians get largely due to stress. it is also airbourne and VERY contagious to other syrians. in most cases wet tail is fatal by the time it is caught. the symptoms are running stool, a messy behind, lethargy, loss of appetite, and other behavioural changes. most pet stores sell dri-tail as a remedy but it will do more harm than good. the only chance of saving the ham is to get immediate veterinary attention and antibiotics. the risk of wet tail is why stress has to be at an absolute minimum for syrians.

[hogdog62000]

And let me guess playing with them during the day is stressful.

My parents dont belive me when I told them they shouldent mess with them during the day. I guess if need be I will call a vets office and have them tell my parents.

[dwankrista]

yes, and many veterinarians claim that waking them up during the day and disrupting their sleep patterns can actually shorten their lifespan. hamsters are nocturnal.

[hogdog62000]

Maby I will just hide the ball to keep my step mother and little brother from taking them out of the cages.

My dad says that it wont hurt them any because he had hamsters and had them out all the time. But he olny had two.

[dwankrista]

your father was clearly misinformed and though his hamsters may have been fine with it they certainly are the exception. i'm sure your father would not have let his children play in traffic though i'm sure some children do and never get hit.

i would also be very careful if you are hiding the ball however. it may encourage them to take them out loose, possibly putting them together which can result in breeding (if she isn't already pregnant) or fighting to the death. if she is pregnant these disturbances can make her gravely ill and also jeopardize her chances of raising healthy pups.

[hogdog62000]

Well when I told my stepmother that one was a boy and the other was a girl. She said that I better seperate them.

And taking them out loose she knows is a bad idea too because on the same day they got me the hamsters they got a kitten too and we have five dogs that would love to eat the hamsters too.

See I dont know what to do to get them to stop messing with them during the day.

[hogdog62000]

Am really happy with the female hamster she was standing at the door of the cage and I opened the cage and put the ball up to the cage and she sniffed it a little and then got in it.

[TiaMaria]

Many vets..but there are no proven articals on this matter? I'm sorry I just can't believe that. It's like if you wake upa human being you shorten their lifespan. Most likely you scare them which can bring on wet tail and cause death but I don't see jsut waking them up as a major lifespan issue.

[hogdog62000]

When I was cleaning out the male hamsters cage I had him in an old Giant Pretzel contaner and I was yeching in and he would stop and I would pick him up. But once I picked him up he would jump out of my hand. Why would he do this?

[Sparky2006]

My hammie was always awake in the day sometimes, some times i did wake him up, even tho there nocturnal mine wan't! Mine went under stress sometimes, but never go wet tail, taking him home, trying to get him out thoes darn pipes to clean them! (i suppose that was stressful at times but he was fine) He lived to the age of 3!

[hogdog62000]

Well im kind of worreing about the male all he has done for the past two and a half days is move his food and sleep. He hasent run on the wheel at all. The most exercise he has gotten is when I went to clean out his cage and put him in the big pretzel contaner. He tryed jumping out.

[dwankrista]

he could be stressed. try leaving him be for a couple of days in a dimly lit room with limited noise. if he does not come out of his shell or seems to be ill he will need a vet immediately.

[TiaMaria]

Hammies will follow your sleeping/awake patterns, mine sleep when i do and are awake when I am. It's that simple.

[hogdog62000]

he could be stressed. try leaving him be for a couple of days in a dimly lit room with limited noise. if he does not come out of his shell or seems to be ill he will need a vet immediately.
When I seen him moving around today I put him in the ball and let him run around. from about 3 to 4 oclock in the morning he has been running in the wheel and know hes running again. I think he might have wore himself out and rested for a few days.

[iheartu]

Many vets..but there are no proven articals on this matter? I'm sorry I just can't believe that. It's like if you wake upa human being you shorten their lifespan. Most likely you scare them which can bring on wet tail and cause death but I don't see jsut waking them up as a major lifespan issue.
i already proved this to you do i really need to get a vet to personally call you and tell you himself??

[hogdog62000]

I was playing with the female hamster tonight and had her in a small tub so I could let her climb on my hand. well she was sitting there and all of a sudden this white liquid stuff came out of her. I am sure its not a bm because all of her other bm's are normal. What is this.

[Sparky2006]

"i already proved this to you do i really need to get a vet to personally call you and tell you himself??"

Yeah, would you like my number?

[dwankrista]

back to the original poster's question, that sounds like urine. a healthy hamster's urine is a milky white. :)

[hogdog62000]

Thanks dwankrista I was kind of worried there.

[Derrick Vinyard]

I stumbled into this Topic. I remember I had a Syrian Hamster. In most Article that I've read, They said that Syrians are nippy. They can Bite you if you wake them up. I had a Hamster that I always played with. (Even though she was curled up in her sleeping ball.) My Hamster was REAL Friendy. Not once when I got her was she nippy or ever bit me. (She urined alot in her ball, so I had to clean her sleeping quarters frequently) Her name was Goldie Locks. (Since she was gold) SHe was The MOST friendlest Hamster I had ever encountered!

[Pepperland]

Tell your family (sternly!) that you'll return the hamsters (don't actually do it, just kind of scare them into not messing with your hamsters) if they wake them up during the day, stress them, put them together, etc. Say something like, they can only handle them when you are there to supervise... lol

[Sparky2006]

"... lol" --no lol! bad dog, lol, say that, and threaten them, but dont joke!