PDA

View Full Version : Can all be tamed


Barry
03-02-2009, 10:55 AM
Having bought my syrian from pet@home 4 weeks ago and having been told he was 6 weeks old when bought i am wondering if he can be tamed.
When he was brought home we gave hime about 5 days to settle in and all appeared to be going to plan and at first he would take little bits of food from us and nibble at it, :D I was getting used to putting my hand in hs cage with a clenched fist which he would sniff and then walk away, then one day i thought i would lay my hand down and he bit the end of my finger which drew blood and dented my pride and was i believe my fault as i had already been feeding him bits of his food so he probably just reacted to the smell. :oops:
He does not appear to be a nasty hamster just more timid i would say as he seems to want to hide where ever he can and if he feels you touch him he tends to jump rather than turn to bite you although this in itself make me a bit edgy. When we manage to get him into his playpen he just goes to a corner and tends to freeze so when we want to get him back in his cage this is tricky as one of us not sure which becomes more frightened than the other. He also tends to stretch and yawn quite a lot and when i see his teeth well thats me bottled it but i am not sure if he is tired or if he is just letting me know what i will get if i go near him. The last couple of nights i gave him a bit of carrott which he seems to enjoy as he stopped taking his normal food off us which cheered me up a bit, but then i noticed when he got back in his cake he appeared to poo quite a lot and appeared whilst doing this he would put his head between his legs and throw it around his cage having not noticed this in the previous 4 weeks i found this quite odd! is this normal.
The burning question is :?: will i be able to tame him as doing the bath method frightens me a bit as he may panic and is his stretching and yawning telling me to stay away or is he tired.
Any input appreciated.

souffle
03-02-2009, 12:37 PM
Yes Barry I would say all young hamsters are tameable.
Have you read our taming tips article on the WIKI? If not then have a read.
Personally we do not give them so long to settle. We have taken and tamed many who are behaving like yours and they are now happy tame pets who come out the cage and enjoy being with their owners. Older hamsters who have had a bad experience can sometimes be unpredicatable but your hamster just sounds like a frightened baby. The longer you leave him the harder it will be.
You need to be brave. He is unlikely to bite you really in you are confident and he feels secure. Take the lid off the cage in a secure area. Now pretend he is a computer mouse and the cord is his tail. his face should be pointing towrds your armpit! Pick him up with your hand round his body as you would hould a computer mouse and then lay him down right away. Keep repeating the lift and lay for a bit. Next lift and lay him on your other hand. Start running him through your hands making a tunnel with your fingers. Keep this up until he slows and becomes more steady. This is the key to taming. The hand to hand running through the fingers so he feels his body surrounded.
Never present a finger to a hammy as he may think it is food and it is easy to bite. Be firm and if he bites don't put him right back. Blow on his nose and say no then continue handling.
I am sure you can do this. Read the article and good luck :)
The poo chucking is normal. They don't want it in their bed or immediate area so chuck it out! Hamsters re eat a certain type of poo which is 'double digested' to extract all the nutrients from the food so don't worry if you see him do this too. It is normal and ensures a healthy bowel and diet.
Where are you in the country as there are a few hamster club members who can help out with taming?

Barry
03-02-2009, 01:01 PM
Thanks Souffle for your swift reply,all we want to do is make him feel loved and not to frighten him.
When you say put your hand around him like a computer mouse do you mean approach him from behind or from the front i am frightenrd of being bitten as i suppose anybody his.
And does his stretching and yawning (and showing me his teeth) just mean he is tired.
What would you say is a reasonale time for him to be woken as he likes a lie in.
I live in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Once again thanks for your help

souffle
03-02-2009, 04:19 PM
I would say approach him from above.If his nose is against the heel of your hand he should not be able to bite that bit.
They do stretch and yawn and groom a bit when they wake up. If he is lying on his back screaming it means he is very frightened.
Unfortunatly P@H hammies have never been handled and life is very scarey for them to suddenly be exposed to people and noises and they are naturally scared. Most will tame given time and persistance. There is no need to be scared. You need to try and be confident and not transmit your fear to him.
We will wake hamsters when it suits us to get them up. They can always go back to bed so as long as you are not constantly getting him up then it is fine to wake him when it suits you. Our are usually got up at 8ish. If you have kids you need to wake them earlier so they kids get a chance to enjoy their pet with close supervision.
We are likely closest to you (near Holmfirth) and there is Nooboo hamstery in greater Manchester who could also help with taming.
Our hamstery site is : http://custardhamstery.piczo.com/?g=337 ... oogle&cr=3 (http://custardhamstery.piczo.com/?g=33728015&vsrc=search_google&cr=3)

(Taming service page)
and nooboo hamstery : http://www.noobooweb.com/

Barry
03-05-2009, 10:02 AM
I managed to pick Tommy up last night,i did the scooping method with my two hands sideways of him, I picked him up two or three timesand on one occasion gave him a little bit of carrott which he seemed to like a lot. I must say i was absolutley over the moon.
Anyway i have been out to by him some treats (vitakraft yogurt drops) hope these are ok.Will try again tonight!! Roll on 8 o'clock.
He never even attempted to bite me last night hope tonight is as successful. (happy hamstering emotion)

souffle
03-06-2009, 04:15 AM
Well done you Barry :D
That is fab news. He is starting to trust you now and gaining confidence. You will have him tame in no time :lol:
One yogurt drop a day is fine. Not to many at first in case they upset his tum. He will love them.
See I told you you could do it :wink:
Keep us posted on his progress.
Any pics of Tommy? What colour is he?

suga
03-07-2009, 11:13 AM
sounds like your making progress with him which is great news. Keep doing what you are, talking to him and encouraging him - i was scared at first when handling a new hamster but once they are use to you they start to relax. Keep your hands washed so he doesn't mistake a food smell for food. :-)