my female hamster squeaks

Question
dear cass,
my hamster squeaks and bite sometimes. there eas a time when she was scratching her tank continuosly.i gave her a gentle touch and she squeaked and bit me. today earlier,she was crawling out on top of her cage! i was trying to catch her and trying not to hurt her. when i got a little grip on her belly, she gave a sharp squeaky sound!what does it mean? i'm always worried about her when she squeaks. i love her a lot like it was my family. she squeaks sometimes when i tried to carry her back into her tank.please reply to me as soon as possible. :(
yours faithfully,
wei ting.tay

Answer
Unfortunately hamsters aren't the friendliest of rodents kept as pets. It's a good thing they're cute! Larger hamsters (teddy bears, black bears, panda bears etc) make better pets and are easier to tame, whereas your dwarfs tend to be little spitfires. Lol. Her squeeking is her way of telling you she doesn't want to be messed with. If you want to handle her, do so during the night, when they are awake. Trying to handle a hamster during the day can lead to nips, as they sleep during the day and are rather grumpy during daylight hours. Some hamsters do not mind being held during the day, but if you are going to try to do so give her a few minutes to wake up first before handling her. Pick her up with a towel and hold her close to your body. Gently pet her until she seems awake, then try holding her. If she is unfriendly try offering her a yogurt drop or other treat so she is focused on eating and not biting. Let her eat the treat then place her back in her cage, then try again tomorrow. :)