Before you handle your hamster you will need to tame it, which means overcoming it's fear. You will enjoy doing this as long as you understand it will take time and patience. Do not put it off, because it will be easier while your hamster is still young.
1When you first get your hamster, leave him/her in their cage in a quiet room so they can get used to their surroundings.Ad
2After a couple of days of not handling your hamster to ensure they feel safe in their environment, spend about an hour each day stroking your hamster and rubbing your hands around the sawdust so it can get used to your smell. Also place your hand flat in the cage so it can sniff/run over your hand when it feels brave enough (do not force it do to do anything it doesn't want to as he/she will become scared and may bite).
3Watch your hamster for a few days. Find out when it is awake and active - the best time to start taming. Note its favorite foods so you can use them to overcome its fear.
4Put food right on the cage floor. This way the hamster gets used to your hand and learns that it only brings food and means no harm. After a few days, leave your hand there while the hamster eats.
5Feed your hamster from the palm of your hand. When your hamster is confident enough to eat beside your hand, put the food in the palm of your hand. It may be some time before the hamster will eat from your hand without fear. When it does, you can stroke it gently with one finger along its back, the way the fur grows. Never stroke its head.
6Get your hamster used to being picked up. When it is eating from your hand, cup the other hand over it, and lift it gently a little way of the ground for a few moments at a time.
7Take your hamster out of its cage. After a few more days, if your hamster seems happy being lifted up, you can take it right out of the cage in your cupped hands.
8Play with it over a table. Let it run from one hand to the other. Soon it will be confident enough to run along your arm.
9Try different types of foods so you can make it happy.Ad
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- Talk to your hamster all the time you are taming it. It will get to know your voice.
- Play with it for short times only, but often.
- Say it's name quite often so your hamster gets to know its name.
- Move your hands gently - they must seem large and frightening to a small animal.
- Do not rush it, or you may have to start all over again.
- Don't yell at your hamster if it bites you, it's just scared.
- Handle it over a table or near the ground, so that if you drop it, it does not have far to fall.
- Speak to it softly all the time.
- You should be able to tame your hamster in less than three weeks, if you follow the described method.
- Play with your hamster at the same time every day.
- Never wake your hamster if it is sleeping deeply.
- Hamsters do bite, but only if frightened. A nip from a young hamster is not really painful, and not harmful. If your hamster does nip your finger, try not to frighten it more by jerking your hand away or screaming.
- Never pick up a hamster from behind - let it see your hand.
- Never grip it tightly - let it run from one hand to the other.
- Never shout or make sudden jerky movements.