What taming methods do you use to bond with your hamsters?

astrid · 02-25-2018, 03:37 PM

I've had my Syrian hamster Pippin nearly 2 months now (and he's 4 months old). He was very shy and timid from the very start. I've allowed him to settle in for nearly a week. I would talk to him and change his water, top up food, but didn't attempt to handle him. During that time, I've also noticed that he was sneezing a lot. So, I've ended up taking my new and scared hamster to the vets. Afterwards, I've started offering him treats from between my fingertips. He didn't seem that strongly motivated by food, so would usually come up to me and give a little sniff but only take something, if he really wanted it. He would usually eat it next to my hand, which I found encouraging. Then I started putting the treats in my palm, and he would occasionally climb on to have them. During this time, his sneezing seemed to be getting worse (even though he had a course of antibiotics in his water). So, I had to take my still very skittish and untamed hammy back to the vets (that resulted in two weeks worth of daily trips to the clinic to give him his medicine). The last appointment was last Monday. His health seems to have improved a lot (now he only sneezes occasionally). However, all this time of me having to wake him up, get him from his nest and travel with him to be forcefully fed medicine, seems to have completely damaged his trust in me.

He now seems more treat motivated (probably because he is feeling better), so he will come up to my hand to investigate and probably help himself if I offer something to his liking (fresh veggies, seeds and yoghurt drops usually are appealing to him) but he will get away from me as soon as he is done. And he still seems so scared of me. He feels safe in his wheel. But if he notices me looking at him, he doesn't dare come out of it (even if I am sitting on my bed, quite far from his cage). He only goes to drink and get some food, once the room is completely dark and I am asleep. My sleeping patterns are weird, so sometimes I have to go to my bed and be completely quiet just for him to feel safe enough to get what he needs. And this is really sad.

Has anyone got any advice how to get a shy/scared hamster to trust me (at least enough, so that he could go about his hamster business in his cage as he needs to)?

hollynelson1984 · 02-25-2018, 08:09 PM

I find my dressing gown pocket to be very handy! I put a few sunflower seeds in and then put the hamster in there, I keep my hand on the outside of the pocket so they get used to the smell and movement and then I usually transport them to the (empty) bath tub, where I will sit with them for a while. Taming can take a while and I know how frustrating these set backs can be but you will get there!!

Goldie Flower · 02-26-2018, 08:26 AM

Sorry to hear little Pippin hasn't been feeling well but it's good he's feeling better now

With taming I always use the toilet roll method. I make sure my hands are completely clean (and my wrists) and free of any scent like food or perfume etc, then I get a long bit of toilet roll and wrap it around my wrist for half an hour before removing it and putting it in my ham's cage where they'll find it and take it to their nest. They make bedding of it and sleep with your scent nearby so they quickly associate your scent with safety and comfort. I've found it always works like a charm!

cypher · 02-26-2018, 08:51 AM

I think you're doing the right things already astrid, he's been through a lot with all the visits to the vet & the meds so it's just going to take time to gain his complete trust now, I would go slow for now, if he's taking treats from you he can't be completely afraid & if you give him time to settle again now all the vet stuff is over, continue talking to him, even if he appears scared keep it up for short periods & he'll begin to realise you're not a threat to be afraid of, same with treats keep doing what you're doing & when he's taken a treat just leave him for a while so he knows it's a safe thing to do.
It must be frustrating but I'm sure he'll come round with time & patience.

astrid · 02-28-2018, 01:00 PM

hollynelson1984, Goldie Flower and cypher, thank you all for your replies and encouragement. I will keep trying and hopefully one day, I will earn his trust.

GhostArya · 02-28-2018, 01:06 PM

When I got my hamster he was extra shy and it took me a long time to make him time. I think you did a great job with putting your hand in the cage while he eats and would leave it like that until he feels comfortable with you looking at him and being close. What helped me then was to prepare a small play pen box with few toys and water and put my hamster there (using a tube) and he would climb to my hand more easily while being outside his cage. But that was after he would eat out of my hand and was okay with me holding him. Hope this helps!

astrid · 03-22-2018, 04:06 PM

I appreciate all the advice everyone's given previously in this thread. I think at this point I'm ready to give up. I've tried the tissue method but my hamster doesn't really use the tissue for his nest (fitch substrate seems to be soft enough for him and he burrows into it, inside of his wooden house). I've tried taking him out to the playpen with me inside (similar to the bathtub method) but it was obvious that being outside of his cage was very stressful for Pippin. As a result, he became even more skittish around me even inside his cage. He still occasionally accepts treats from me but other than that he doesn't seem to want anything to do with me. I think at this point I just need to accept that. He's still a sweet, gentle boy and I am going to love him just the same.

cypher · 03-22-2018, 10:47 PM

Sorry to hear you haven't made any more progress with Pippin.
Some hams can be like that & just don't really enjoy out of cage time so maybe just stick to offering him treats & interacting a little while he's in the cage if he's comfortable with that.

Goldie Flower · 03-23-2018, 02:34 AM

I'm sorry to hear things aren't improving yet, like cypher said some hams just don't like out of cage time, I've had a few that I interacted with only in their cage by giving them treats and things like that because they were just never comfortable coming out.

All mine have loved hoarding tissue so it's always been a big help for us. There is one other thing I've used on the more skittish ham though, reading to them from a book. They got to know my voice and I'd slowly start sitting nearer the cage so they'd get used to me being closer and get used to my scent too. It takes a long time but it can help eventually.

You're doing all the right things and I know how frustrating it can be when it takes a long time to get their trust, especially after everything you both went through with all the vet visits, just keep it up and stick to what you're both comfortable with. Things will improve in time and you'll get closer.

Fluffagrams · 03-23-2018, 03:17 AM

I've not used the tissue method in years because it just didn't seem to be effective and with more recent hamsters, I've also not used food as a motivator because I have found that some hamsters then learn to associate your hands with food and this has encouraged nibbling but every hamster is different as to what taming methods work best for them.

I had one Chinese that took near on three months before she would really allow me to handle her at all and even then, she still preferred to be playing than being handled. The key to getting through to her was learning to interact with her in a way that worked with her personality. Lady May loved playtimes so we'd do activities that centred on the play bin but some of my other hamsters have been more receptive to taming if they're tamed in a small space rather than their own cage or a playpen (something like a carrier or a small storage box has worked for us) and they're just picked up, stroked and allowed to climb down when they want and the process is repeated in a relaxed manner.

This is a video of a taming session I did with some baby Chinese which demonstrates the process: https://www.facebook.com/themetallic...1177144398938/

I wish I could give you more encouraging words but if you take things slowly and find ways to interact that is enjoyable for both of you, a bond will develop in time.