Stressed during playtime

[LittleBoo245]

Hello all this is my first post
So I have a russian hamster called Artemis who has been living with me for a week now. I did lots of research and got a large cage, she seems very happy in it. I left her alone for the first few days so she could adjust.
The taming does not seem to be going well and any advice anyone can give I would really appreciate. I tried feeding her from my hand and she just completely ignored me or would nip. I have seen that play pens can be good so I took her out into a smaller cardboard box with a few of her toys and she runs round like she is possessed. She climbs on everything and jumps like she is trying to get out and doesn't care when she lands. I have taken her out in this four times, the first few she was getting more curious about me and my hand and started taking a little bit of food. I thought maybe she would get used to it but I think I will stop as, today she was worse than ever, I don't want her to be stressed.
She has started biting me, and each time she does it she gets harder. She does not seem to be scared, I think it is more with stress in the playpen but I don't really know how else to interact with her. I have seen bath tub bonding is a thing but I don't have a bathtub.
Should I just leave her in her cage and hope that eventually she will get used to me? I have heard that gloves are not good as hamsters get used to your scent.
Here is a picture of her. Any advice I would really appreciate!

[ChocoMintAnswersSincere]

Hi there! I think you might want to wait a wee bit longer if she seems stressed like you said. She might just need a little more time to adjust, my hamster took about a week before he was comfortable with sniffing me and it was about another week before he started eating from my hand. Good luck!

[Ria P]

She's a little cutie.

You could put a tissue up your sleeve for a few hours then tear it into strips to put in her cage. That way she'll get used to your scent. She may even use the tissue for her nest.
Then wait a few days.

I used to sit inside a playpen and let my hamster run around on my lap and legs so he got used to me, learn to reckognise my smell and being outside his cage while talking to him and eventually stroking him. I had placed the base of his cage within sniffing distance to reassure him.

It can take a while for a hamster to learn to trust us humans and its still very early days.

[cypher]

A week isn't long for her to settle in & get used to things, I would just slow down a bit, try putting some of the substrate from her cage into the playpen so it smells more familiar, you could put her wheel in too as they will often have a bit of a run in the wheel if they get stressed at first when out. Try just doing a short period every few days to begin with & try to go at her pace.
I found sitting in a playpen with them works well too.

[OliverS]

Sorry for the big hyperlink, I tried to make it smaller but it doesn’t work. I bought this playpen from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zacro-Light...NsaWNrPXRydWU=. Depending on how big your cage is, I put my cage in the playpen and a ladder to the door so they can come and go as they please and one loves it.

Have you tried a “hamster taxi” as well? One of mine will go for me if I try to pick her up but she’ll get inside half an exercise ball with a couple of treats in the bottom and she won’t bite if she’s in that. She won’t fully get onto my hand yet but we’re getting there

[LittleBoo245]

Thank you so much all of you, these are fantastic suggestions!!

ChocoMintAnswersSincere I have slowed down completely and she has started making happy chirping sounds and seems so much calmer when I approach her cage, last night she even sat there and looked at me while I chatted to her.

Ria P I have just put tissues between my fingers in the past, I read somewhere that that was enough but I have tried this now- thank you! Your comment was so reassuring, I really appreciate it.

cypher brilliant point about the substrate, I also had not thought of the wheel, I am not sure why as now it seems like an obvious suggestion - thank you so much!

OliverS This is a great idea! I don't think my cage would fit in there but I will have a think I am sure I can sort something.
I tried a tube but she seemed anxious in that, I tried a mug the last time and that was the time she was most freaked out but a bigger "taxi" is a great idea. I do have an old ball I used to use with my last hamster that could work.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and share your ideas- I feel so reassured!