A Creature Built for the Wrong Hours
Syrian hamsters, the breed most commonly sold in Indian pet shops, are obligate nocturnal animals. Their peak activity window runs from roughly 9 pm to 4 am. During the day, when a child wants to play, the hamster is in deep sleep. Waking a hamster mid-rest does not produce a friendly, curious animal. It produces a stressed one, and a stressed hamster bites. A 2019 review published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science found that the majority of hamster bites reported by owners occurred during daytime handling, precisely when children are most likely to reach into the cage.
