Help - weird hamster behavior?

[melrohner]

My campbell's dwarf, Inna, has been acting weird lately. She's been acting bored, pacing, scratching at the side of her bin, and chewing the stand to her silent spinner. She chewed it so badly that I finally took it out and replaced it with a puzzle playground "ferris wheel". Almost all the toys in her cage were already new.

I think she's lonely - I bought her as a friend for my other dwarf, Cheska, but before I could introduce them Cheska had a surprise litter of babies (she must have been pregnant when I bought her). They're almost old enough to separate from their mom, and I want to try to cage one with Inna. Do you think there's any chance they'll get along? Inna's been on her own for a while now

Also she's suddenly started biting me when I put my hand in her cage. She was always SO sweet before, she never bit. And now she's not biting hard, she sort of puts her teeth on my hand and tries to pull on it. Anybody ever seen this behavior, or have any idea what it means? I'm worried about her, she's such a sweet hammy, and I haven't had good luck with hamsters lately!

[mulder]

for the bite-and-pull....my rat does that, i figure he's trying to pull me into his cage to be with him.

[karlh]

You can introduce a new one to her cage, but follow the estsblished procedure, otherwise you will fail. Anyway it's bit of a hit and miss, depending entirely on their temperament. You must watch them very carefully, and if they don't get on, they must be separated. Dwarves are rather sociable creatures, so they should get along...

Regarding nipping.. My Ben is a nipper. But never bit me as such. Just nips, to show his disapproval of the situation, particularly if he is not allowed to get away... If I move my hand, he holds on... exerting just enough pressure not to bite me... Quite considerate, I guess, because their bite could be quite painful..:-))) I think that he actually likes and would not harm me...

[melrohner]

Thanks Karl! I will try caging one of the babies with Inna, I guess I'll have to move her to an aquarium for now and try to find a divider. My fear is that they won't get along, and then after being separate from mom I won't be able to house the baby with her either. All that basically adds up to another hamster cage in my apartment! I'd love to put them all together in one big colony (females only, of course) with several connecting cages, but Cheska is not very friendly. I don't think she'll accept Inna. I'm going to keep her with one or two of her female babies - that way I won't have any introductions, and she won't be lonely.

Lol Natalie, is that what you think it is? Maybe all Inna needs is more time with me (or a hamster friend!). Thanks for your interpretation, so far nobody else has made any suggestions about her weird biting!

[mulder]

lol i swear thats what i think it is! my rat really does do that, and if i take him out he's satisfied. i dont know hamster interpretation well, but its what i think lol

[karlh]

There is not enough space in their cage for three of us...