Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P
Haha! She let you know that she's no reptile!
I had to buy unscented soap because my hamsters would take one sniff and then walk off in disgust when i used scented soap or handcream. They can be so fussy, lol.
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Hmm. Yes they can get attached to one owner and I once saw a programme about pets being possessive of their owners/jealous. The scene I remember was a budgie who always sat on the man's bald head but wouldn't have anything to do with the rest of the family. The commentator described that the budgie had a sort of romantic relationship with the man and was jealous of the other members of the family. Ooer!
As well hamsters really don't like being held or picked up unless they trust you, are bonded with you and approve of the way you do it. Best way is to cup both hands either side of them and sort of gently scoop them up that way. But only if the hamster is tame enough not to leap out of your hands or they could get injured. Maybe next time your bf could pick her up and then hand her to you so psychologically you'll be accepted.
Female hamsters can be maverick (and hormonal! They come on heat every 4 days). I think she has claimed your bf and is a) a bit jealous of you and b) has got used to only being handled by her main person. Our first hamster (male) wouldn't have anything to do with OH and would shrink and snuggle up to me - he was a big noisy man!
Mainly though they are quite intuitive really - they sense if someone likes them or not, they sense if someone handles them gently and with love or like a sack of potatoes (or even a reptile
) and they respond accordingly. Whenever you hear about these families who took a hamster back because it was nasty, aggressive and bit people, the hamster was probably handled roughly and not talked to nicely.
So talk nicely to her, tell her she's beautiful, handle her with care and get your bf to pass her to you. And then you'll soon have a happy family with her sitting between you on the sofa (yes we have had this
).
They really do pick up your tone of voice. They can give very black looks of disapproval as well and go into a huff. But they are also usually very forgiving and forgotten about it a few days later - providing you don't do it again.
Also remember hamsters are prey animals and a hand can feel like an eagle's claw if they are held awkwardly. I find most hamsters don't like to be held much anyway and will only sit for a short time then want to be off.
The other reason they scream and lunge are a) they are scared b) you stuck your hand in the cage and messed with something and c) a bit more serious - cage rage. The only time I have had that was when our first hamster was in a cage that was too small and top opening. He ran at my hand and scared the life out of me.
So that could be a consideration - cage rage. They are territorial normally and don't like things being moved around and messed with but can also have stress if the cage is too small. What kind of cage is she in and how big is it? I think in the US most people use tanks as it's hard to find good sized cages. For a Syrian anything smaller than a 40 gallon breeder tank is too small (90cm by 45cm ish).