Is it me !

[Katkin45]

Hi I have a question. Both my children and my husband have fed Melody from their hands !! However I tried again this morning and put the food a little further back and she nipped me again. She didn't draw blood this time as I just moved my hand and left the food in her cage. I'm wondering if she is scared of me as I'm the one who carried her home terrified from the pet shop. I've tried talking to her (I did this on way home from pet shop to try and calm her as she was clearly terrified) she has climbed into her plastic ball and had a run around the house for a short while and repeated the next day happy to jump in the ball. Although last night the children were not around and she just say in the ball so in the end we put her back. I'm kind of scared to try to pick her up .....

[Bertiebobbins]

Maybe just give it some time, perhaps if you leave her alone for a few days and just let everyone else handle her, and then try again? It's so easy to take it personally but they don't think like that. They need time to settle in, and also they will pick up on your emotions if you're feeling scared or frustrated.

I'm the one that feeds, cleans, tames, plays with etc our ham but he will usually wait inside his house until he hears my daughter calling him, then he bombs out!

[Katkin45]

Will do that. I've not told the children that she nipped as did not want them to feel nervous. X

[Shannonmcn]

Are you all washing your hands with the same soap before you go to see her? Are you moving your hand towards her maybe more confidently? She definitely doesn't dislike you personally, Bertie is right, they don't think that way. There will be some simple explanation but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep talking to her gently, maybe try the tissue trick where you stuff a tissue in your bra for an hour or two so it smells like you and give it to her for her nest. That way your smell is associated with nice cosy safe feelings

You don't want to try and pick her up yet, that's a big step for a nervous little ham. Wait until she's comfy taking food from you and is happy to put her feet on your hand herself before you try scooping her up. It might be frustrating to move slowly but if you try and pick her up before she's ready she's liable to just ping right out of your hands and you'll be chasing her round the floor the best way to get her used to being picked up is to sit in a dry bathtub with her and let her crawl over you and get used to being around your hands and you can scoop her up gently for a few seconds at a time, never really moving her more than a few cm off the floor and putting her down again quickly so she gets used to it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using her ball to transport her around rather than your hands, it's safer and less stressful for everyone!

[Thin Lizzy]

I agree with Shannon.
It's still early days. Your ham is still adjusting, some take longer than others but, it's important to go at your ham's pace. Praise her when she's out and about in the cage, it really helps their confidence.

[Katkin45]

Thank you everyone for the advice we will go slowly, I guess I've panicked a little that if we leave it to long she will never come to us. She seems to love the ball though xx