Russian Dwarf Hamster Hissing? – What To Do…

There are many causes for Russian dwarf hamster hissing.

For an owner, it may make you think like you are doing something wrong. Today you are going to learn:

  1. Why Russian dwarf hamsters hiss
  2. Common behavior when biting and hissing
  3. How to stop your dwarf hamster hissing

Why Is My Dwarf Hamster Hissing At Me?


Hamster hissing is very similar to when a cat hisses.

When a hamster hisses, this is a sign of aggression towards something they may feel is a threat. Every hamster can hiss when they want to but will only do this when feeling trapped, in danger or cornered.

Some hamsters are mistreated at a young age and can develop hissing behavior towards almost everything. We will look at a way to solve this later down the page.

What does hissing look like?Hamster_fight

All types of hamsters including Syrian, Chinese, Roborovski and Russian dwarfs will do this action in the same way.

Normally they will stand on their back feet, open mouth and flare teeth. This is a warning that a bite and aggressive behavior will come.

See picture on the right, this is very similar behavior.

Common Behavior With Hissing & Biting Russian Dwarfs


Campbell's Russian dwarf Hamster Facts

A Russian Dwarf Hamster That Doesn’t Hiss Or Bite Anymore

Not only do they hiss and bite. But you may also notice a strange smell that comes from between their legs.

This is another warning sign that is normally used for marking territory. The scent that they produce is strong and in the wild is used to ward of predators.

If your hamster is hissing at you, spraying and also biting then there may be a problem with your hamster. Possibly an infection, miss handled at young or even in pain.

A trip to the vet can always find out what’s wrong.

In the next stage, we are going to look at how to stop your dwarf hamster hissing, biting and spraying foul smells.

How to Stop Your Russian Dwarf Hamster Hissing and Biting


Pets that show aggression towards their owners need to be tamed.

But what does taming do? Taming, is an excellent way to build up a strong relationship with your pet hamster. Taming will allow your dwarf to realize that you mean no harm.

Generally if a dwarf hamster is hissing, biting you or spraying smelly fluids, then it feels in danger around you. This can easily change when your hamster feels safe around you. This is why taming your hamster will stop hissing and biting.

If you own a Russian, or any type of dwarf hamster and experiencing any of the above. I recommend you see our Video guide – How to Tame a Russian Dwarf Hamster by clicking here.

Alternatively if you still have questions, please leave a comment below…

About RussianDwarfHamster.Org

Hi, we are RussianDwarfHamster.Org and we are a helpful website that helps Russian Dwarf Hamster owners care, help & save money on their pets. We have been looking after Russian Dwarfs for roughly 15 years now. We love and care for our hamsters and provide a good home for them. We have a passion for helping other and supporting when people need us. If you have any problems, quires or questions leave a comment below or alternatively visit our contact us page. Thanks RussianDwarfHamster.Org

Comments

Russian Dwarf Hamster Hissing? – What To Do… — 4 Comments

  1. Hi, we decided to get dwarf hamsters for our son about 2 months ago, and went to a market and were told they must be male and female or they will not get along and then they will not come out and play with my son. We are currently living in Thailand so there was a major language barrier but I got that much. I asked what to do if they have babies and she said to give them away to friends or bring them back to them so I decided to go for it. They were 4 weeks old and not long after the female was pregnant and had 6 babies. Sadly that night she had them all up in the little plastic house which was apparently not secured properly, and when my husband woke up it had fallen two stories down and all babies were dead. Like 3 weeks later she was pregnant again (how is this possible??) which we didn’t realize. My son and I came home one day and he went straight to the cage and said there was a baby in one of the tunnels and we both crowded around in shock, which could have spurred this on, we don’t know, but she proceeded to eat the babies! It was so horrifying and incredibly sad. Not sure if this had been taking place before we arrived or if she reacted to us and thought we would take them or whatever. But after the first litter came the brother/father was really helpful to her and supportive. After they died she was really mean to him and the fighting started. I have since noticed after the second litter that it isn’t just her taking it out on him and that he has been chasing her for sex and she fights back hard and he puts his head up and hands up and let’s her beat up on him and he has a wound on his belly. But just now I watched them fighting and she now has a wound on her front foot. We had read not to separate them when fighting last night but I had been separating them already- whoever is being the bully goes into the time-out storage bin I have set up like the cage. I’m thinking we are going to have to find a home for one of them, right? I have gone online and am pretty sure they are Russians. Thanks for your very generous help with this blog!

    • HI Melissa,

      Sounds like you have a dilemma there, especially living in Thailand.

      First off, they should not of told you to keep a male and female together because all these problems happen because of it.

      I recommend you separate them for good as they will continue to fight until it is fatal. Naturally the male will want to mate with the female and the female will fight him off.

      Kind regards,

  2. Pingback: Siberian Dwarf Hamster Care- #1 Guide You Will Need

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *