Hamster Central - View Single Post - Hamster really skittish as soon as I touch his back

Ria P · 01-08-2021, 01:33 PM

Lovely habitat! I also like colour and coloured plastikote has become my new best friend. My hamster's houses now have stripey roofs, lol.

That is so sad about Twinkle and must have been so traumatic for you as well. One of ours escaped the other night and luckily she was found running around in our bedroom.

I just had a thought. Access to Oreo's habitat is from above so maybe he gets scared because your hand is coming from above and he can't see you coming.
You could try lifting your hand gradually when he is sitting on it to eat and he may let you lift him out of his habitat eventually or to get him used to hands and the movement of hands. When your other hand is level with the hand he's sitting on he may let you stroke him because he can see and smell the hand since it is then not coming from above. That would take time of course.

I once got bitten by a tame hamster because i stupidly approached him from behind and tried to pick him up when he couldn't see me. His natural instinct of a prey animal kicked in and he swung his head round to bite.

01-08-2021, 01:33 PM
Ria P House of Hamsters Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 7,103	Re: Hamster really skittish as soon as I touch his back Lovely habitat! I also like colour and coloured plastikote has become my new best friend. My hamster's houses now have stripey roofs, lol. That is so sad about Twinkle and must have been so traumatic for you as well. One of ours escaped the other night and luckily she was found running around in our bedroom. I just had a thought. Access to Oreo's habitat is from above so maybe he gets scared because your hand is coming from above and he can't see you coming. You could try lifting your hand gradually when he is sitting on it to eat and he may let you lift him out of his habitat eventually or to get him used to hands and the movement of hands. When your other hand is level with the hand he's sitting on he may let you stroke him because he can see and smell the hand since it is then not coming from above. That would take time of course. I once got bitten by a tame hamster because i stupidly approached him from behind and tried to pick him up when he couldn't see me. His natural instinct of a prey animal kicked in and he swung his head round to bite.