Taming tips please!

[gracefulhamster]

Hello everyone,
I've had my Syrian hamster Pip for 11 days and he was 10-11 weeks old when I got him. I let him settle in for the first week after trying to interact with him too soon, and have been speaking to him so he gets used to my voice. This week I have started getting him into his ball and he seems to enjoy exploring in it (he also escaped this week and went all over the house, but we got him back in his cage - at 5am!!). I have been putting my hands in the cage but since I have never had a hamster before, I am taking the taming process really slowly and have been trying to pick him up but haven't been able to as he's a bit jumpy.
Is it okay to be taking it slowly - in time I will be picking him up and playing with him but I just want to do it at a steady pace so he and I don't become nervous.
A friend has said that I need to be handling him twice a day, otherwise he will get too old and it will be too hard to tame him - eek!
Thanks for your help 🐹☺️

[Razor]

Hi and congratulations on your new journey with Pip!
I'd say don't rush it. It's important you go at the hamsters pace to develop a really strong and deep bond. The first and most important thing is to start getting him used to your voice. Just sit by his cage, speak to him softly. He soon start to recognize your voice and associate it to you. You should also do the tissue trick in the meanwhile. Carry a square or two of toilet paper in your sleeve/glove for about an hour or two so that it picks your scent. Place it into the cage, so that he also gets familiar with your scent. Another useful tip would be to run your hand through the substrate before you show your hand to him, so that you have a bit of his scent as well on you. If he is ok with you reaching into the cage, then place a treat, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, on your finger for him to pick it up. Progressively move it further up your palm. Eventually he'll climb and sit on your hand comfortably. Try giving a gentle stroke to his back. Be sure to approach from the front, and never from above. When you pick him up, be sure that he comes to you to be picked up. Snatching him out of the cage is counter productive. If he doesn't like you reaching into the cage, try taking him out in a mug or tube to a playpen or bathtub. Repeat the same as before. If your in the bathtub, sit inside along with him, allow him to run freely around you, and on you. Eventually you'll see he becomes less jumpy and comfortable with you.
When picking him up, be sure you cup from bottom and behind, and not a claw grip from above. With Gaby, I just place my palm flat in her cage, and she climbs on to it if she wants to be picked up. Otherwise she just gives me a whisked kiss and walks off, I don't try to pick her when she does that. And she's fully tame.
Also, to what your friend said, I disagree with that. Each hamster has their own unique personality, and need their own pace and time to tame.
Good luck! Hope to hear more soon, and pictures too!

[gracefulhamster]

Thank you! That is really helpful. I will definitely try the tissue trick and giving him treats before I try to pick him up again.