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Taming my male Syrian hamster
Hey, I've had a Syrian hamster for about 3 weeks now, it was about 3 months old when I got it, and I havent been able to pick it up yet and play with it, because it doesnt like it.
He (Apricot) lets me stroke him when he's eating, and when he's wondering around his cage, and recently he has started putting his hands/claws on my hand when I put a treat on it, but sometimes he bites.
Has anyone got any advice on how to tame my hamster a bit further? or introduce him to handling?
Jess x
He (Apricot) lets me stroke him when he's eating, and when he's wondering around his cage, and recently he has started putting his hands/claws on my hand when I put a treat on it, but sometimes he bites.
Has anyone got any advice on how to tame my hamster a bit further? or introduce him to handling?
Jess x
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I think you've just got to keep handling him until he gets totally used to you, it'll take some time and you'll get a few more nips on the way.
You've got to hold them quite firmly; they don't like weak-feeling hands as they don't feel safe.
The best thing, I've found, is to hold him wearing gloves so that a bite doesn't hurt and just get him used to you holding him. Hold him firmly at first (although not too tight) so he doesn't panic and then gradually you can loosen your grip and let him wander all over you 
You just have to get him used to being handled and the best way to do this is to handle him regularly but wearing gloves so that he can't bite you.
You just have to get him used to being handled and the best way to do this is to handle him regularly but wearing gloves so that he can't bite you.
Whilst gloves are good to avoid getting bitten, its best not too use them because you need your hammy to get used to your scent.
Cherry Kisses
Whilst gloves are good to avoid getting bitten, its best not too use them because you need your hammy to get used to your scent.
Anything you wear has your scent on it- so just carry them round for a while and they will smell of you. That's how they train animals to sniff out people- give them some of their clothing to track the scent
So just either wear them inside out for a while or carry them around with bare hands or keep the outside on your skin or in your clothes in a pocket and you'll be fine.
Put the cage in the bath1 and take the top off the cage, then let the hamster make his own way out to explore. You can then pick up the cage and perhaps pick up some of his bedding so that you smell familiar, then you can put your hands into the bath so that he can run over your hand and gradually get used to your hands, then you could pick him up on your hand rather than trying to grab hold of him around his middle! The bath is so that you have an enclosed space that he can run around in, he won't be able to climb out/escape as the sides are too smooth/steep and you can handle him easily as there's lots of room for you as well.
1Obviously an empty and dry bath without any water in it!
1Obviously an empty and dry bath without any water in it!
you'll just scare it more if you rush in there trying to pick it up every time you open the cage - go gradually, open the cage & let him sniff you, hold out treats in your hand & gradually (days / weeks) he will be less scared of you & will become happy to let you stroke him & then eventually to hold him ~ i wouldnt do the suggestion of picking it up firmly until it gets used to it personally - think how scary that would be for him, take it at his pace!
Most of my hamsters were already tame when I got them, which was nice (One of them lived damn long too. 3 years!).
But the occasional one was a bitch, so just put a little treat on your wrist with your hand flat in front of the hamster. It'll run up and eat the treat. Then try picking it up and stroking it with your other hand.
But the occasional one was a bitch, so just put a little treat on your wrist with your hand flat in front of the hamster. It'll run up and eat the treat. Then try picking it up and stroking it with your other hand.
Last night I made a sort of play pen in the corner of my room and fenced it off with books, and I put him in his exercise ball, opened it and let it crawl on me (never done that before!) and he let me pick him up!
Although, he did jump off me a few times, but i scooped him up again, and he didnt seem that bewildered when I returned him to his cage.
I put a soft thin glove on my right hand and nothing on the other.
He didnt try to bite the hand that wasnt covered, but I could tell he was scared cos he was moving from hand to hand really fast.
If I do this every night, how long until he stops jumping and calms down?
Although, he did jump off me a few times, but i scooped him up again, and he didnt seem that bewildered when I returned him to his cage.
I put a soft thin glove on my right hand and nothing on the other.
He didnt try to bite the hand that wasnt covered, but I could tell he was scared cos he was moving from hand to hand really fast.
If I do this every night, how long until he stops jumping and calms down?
Mine was like that- it takes about 3 months to really have them fully tamed so u can trust them!
Before you get him out the cage- rub his woodshavings all over ya hands so that u smell of his scent, (which he wouldn't bite even through curiosity). you won't have to do that once he's used to sitting in ya hand though.
I always givem a monkey nut to them when they're sittin in ma hand but just give it time- it doesn't help that he was bit older than usual whenya got him but 3 weeks is still early days!
Before you get him out the cage- rub his woodshavings all over ya hands so that u smell of his scent, (which he wouldn't bite even through curiosity). you won't have to do that once he's used to sitting in ya hand though.
I always givem a monkey nut to them when they're sittin in ma hand but just give it time- it doesn't help that he was bit older than usual whenya got him but 3 weeks is still early days!
Mine is only 10 weeks old, I got him yesterday and despite yesterday biting me when I woke him up (oops) he was fine with me handling him.
Awww bless, mines about 16 weeks now I think, its kinda strange to think that in May he was still with his mum!
Mines a long haired syrian so he looks really fat!
Hows it going with yours? Is he getting used to you?
Hows it going with yours? Is he getting used to you?
Yeah he's perfectly tame now! Hhe doesn't like being picked up straight from his cage but if he crawls into his exercise ball then he'll just walk onto my hands out of it.
A long haired Syrian? They're cute. Mine has short blonde hair, it feels a bit like velvet.
A long haired Syrian? They're cute. Mine has short blonde hair, it feels a bit like velvet.
*Bleachage*
Last night I made a sort of play pen in the corner of my room and fenced it off with books, and I put him in his exercise ball, opened it and let it crawl on me (never done that before!) and he let me pick him up!
That's pretty much exactly what i did with my last hamster, then i played with him on the stairs because then there wasn't any cupboards for him to run under! I've had hamsters since i was about 8 & they've all liked climbing the stairs, though they need a bit of help first because they don't know what to do. They were all so cute
With the first 2 hamsters me & my brother had, we tried to make them get married in his fisher price castle because it looked a bit like a church. Don't think it was meant to be though, they didn't even reach the vows before they had to be prized apart while trying to bite each other
Hamsters are pretty suspicious, I dont know if anyone else finds whenever they hear a noise they stop and stay really still, lol is quite cute
Just not used to it because I have had rats and they are really trusting!
Just not used to it because I have had rats and they are really trusting!
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