How to get my Syrian hamster used to me?

[Dottie2000]

I recently got a female Syrian hamster for Christmas. I named her Dottie(Dot for short.) She is really skittish and doesn't let you touch her. She was put into her cage 2 days before Christmas so she is used to her cage. If I go near her cage and stick my hand in for her to smell it, she makes this weird clicking noise with her teeth. Which I took as a signal to "back off and leave me alone human". So sometimes I put my hand on the cage instead of in and repeat the noise with my tongue and she will come up and sniff for a few seconds and then run. I just want to be able to handle her without her biting me. I have to clean her cage tomorrow and I don't know how I can get her out if she doesn't really know me.
If I try to get her out of her cage she runs into her plastic wheel.(Which she knows is only accessible by her plastic tunnel.) Please help!

[DexterChloe]

Hi there! Take it slowly and use food! They're my two main points for taming! If she's getting a nice tasty morsel each time she hears you she's going to associate you with food. Food is good! She'll come running to you before you know it.
Start right at the beginning again by leaving her alone for 2 days just feed and water her. Then start talking to her and hand feed her a piece of food slowly she'll start growing in confidence and she'll then know you're a friend not a threat!

As for cleaning the cage and getting her out of it. I'd personally spot clean any messy areas. I wouldn't do a full clean just yet. If she's only been in there less than a week it shouldn't be that messy! (Obviously I can't see how messy it is so go with your instinct on this) She'll of been scenting her new cage and removing that scent could really upset her. Just remove any wet bedding/ substrate and replace with fresh. Depending on your cage you could do this while she's in there. Do you have an exercise ball? Once you've got her confidence up try introducing that to her. She'll hop right in and have a run round. In the meantime you can get rid of all the wet bits.

Hope this helps

[HorseyMandz]

Everything that's going on is perfectly normal- she's still very frightened of people, as this is the first time that she'll have been in positive contact with one. Minnie was exactly the same when I first got her, and now she'll run all over me, and is perfectly happy to be scooped up and cuddled. She's even won prizes for being tame and in good condition!
The important thing is just to be patient. What you're doing is a good idea. Try dropping a bit of food into the cage just below your hand, so she associates coming near you with good things. When she's comfortable with that, you can try introducing a closed hand to the cage (like, a fist- there's less for her to nip) and placing food by it. Then you can begin placing food on your hand for her to take it from. When she's happy with this, you could perhaps start placing your hand under her like an extra 'step' when she's jumping off a toy or a shelf, so she begins to associate you as part of the environment. Soon, she'll be ready to be gently lifted a few cm while on your hand, and eventually, in a safe environment, straight out of the cage. (Try doing this sat in a bathtub or playpen, in case she jumps) From there, it's really up to you. Handle her little and often, just gradually getting her used to you. Don't try and carry her around at all until she's 100% confident.

For cleaning her out, I would suggest 'lifting off' the plastic wheel with her in it (if it can be taken off), into a safe container such as a bathtub, large cardboard box or a playpen. Put some food and toys in there, and get someone to supervise her, and then you can get on with cleaning her out. Keep a couple of handfuls of the old bedding to scatter on top of the fresh stuff, that way, it still smells like 'her' and she won't get quite as stressed out.

[souffle]

We wrote a little article on taming which you can find here that might help
Taming tips - Hamster Central WIKI
It would be best if your hammie who is still very new and nervous did not have the tubes and small hideaway huts to vanish into whilst you tame her so I'd keep the layout simple for now until she gains confidence.
With such young babies it is best not to clean the cage out just yet. I'd give her at least 3 weeks between cleans and always put some old bedding back with her scent on it so she feels secure in her cage. Hamsters really do not like being cleaned out! You can do daily spot cleans of the wet corner to keep it fresh and offer a potty with chinchilla sand that she may use and is easy to clean out.
Don't put your hand in the cage but use the technique of taking off the top and herding her in to a ball or box to get her out. You can sit in a dry bath and let her run over you while stroking and lifting and laying her down then running through the hands.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.