My hamster used to be very loving but he has seemed to change he is always hissing at me and seems stressed what should I do?

Hi, xhayleyx!

Is his cage clean and what are the particular situations where he'll hiss at you, please?

For instance, is it when you're holding him, approaching him, feeding him, etc.

Thanks!

How old is he?

You do realize that winter is when they hibernate? They don't like being handled as much during this time.

Also, they're nocturnal animals, so forcing them to interact during the day can cause stress and bites.

The best thing to do is just make sure that everything else is in order. Is the bedding fresh? Does he have access to quality food and water? Does he have a working wheel? Are there places for him to snuggle up and hide?

Hamsters are nocturnal (I'm sure you know this.. ) and only come out a few times a day, so interaction during those times can be considered a nuisance to your hamster. He wants to eat, drink, eliminate, and maybe get a little exercise. Try to only hold your hamster at night when he is fully awake. He might just be a little grumpy during the day. If you see or hear that he is out and about and being busy, then it would be the best time to interact. Be gentle about it.

Also, he could just be getting older. Unfortunately, they can get a little nippy with age.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boots011

The best thing to do is just make sure that everything else is in order. Is the bedding fresh? Does he have access to quality food and water? Does he have a working wheel? Are there places for him to snuggle up and hide?

Hamsters are nocturnal (I'm sure you know this..) and only come out a few times a day, so interaction during those times can be considered a nuisance to your hamster. He wants to eat, drink, eliminate, and maybe get a little exercise. Try to only hold your hamster at night when he is fully awake. He might just be a little grumpy during the day. If you see or hear that he is out and about and being busy, then it would be the best time to interact. Be gentle about it.

Also, he could just be getting older. Unfortunately, they can get a little nippy with age.

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That's exactly what I said.

There really is no need to reiterate what others have already said, especially on a thread when the OP never came back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Altenweg

That's exactly what I said.

There really is no need to reiterate what others have already said, especially on a thread when the OP never came back.

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Oh, all right.
Didn't mean to step on your expertize. Sorry.