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Old 05-24-2020, 02:52 PM   #1
hannahshamster
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Exclamation Please help! Can’t bond with my hamster

I’ve had my female syrian, Cashew for 5 months now. She has everything she needs: living world green eco habitat, lots of paper bedding, a large wheel, hideouts + multi chamber hideout (that she loves), a large sandbath as well as things to chew etc.
My problem is that she is generally quite a difficult little hammy and is very hard to please.
I’m really trying to bond with her and spend time with her every night. She eats food in my hands and is not scared of me at all, but she still bites me and doesn’t want to get picked up unless I have treats that she can eat meanwhile she’s in my hands. Otherwise she just jumps straight out of my hands out of nowhere when she’s done eating so it’s really hard to connect with her.
I thought that it would just take a while to tame her and that I just had to be patient, but I’ve had her for five months! I’ve done everything that I’ve been taught and have done so much research, but nothing helps.
I can tell that she is unhappy and every night I catch her trying to escape. Of course I would take her out more, but I can’t if I’m not making any progress in the taming process. I also don’t have a bathtub or anything for “bonding”.
Please can someone help me - I just want my hamster to have a good life.
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Old 05-24-2020, 03:56 PM   #2
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Please help! Can’t bond with my hamster

I know you said you don't have a bathtub but can you shut off an area, or get a big box and sit in it with her. I know it does sound daft but it can really help.
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Old 05-24-2020, 11:37 PM   #3
Maker
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Default Re: Please help! Can’t bond with my hamster

Perhaps she has just got used to an association between your hand and food? If so I think you just need to break this, maybe let her eat something you hold for her then put the rest of her treats around her cage for her to find. When she is eating those treats try gently stroking her. Definitely letting her free roam in a safe place would be fun for her, I would save most of her treats for when you put her back in her cage after so she looks forward to going back in. I liked taming/playing with polo in a big hoodie with a kangaroo pocket, climbing in the pocket complete with tissues, through the sleeves and inside the jumper, whilst it’s being worn means she gets used to my smell and her scent merges with mine, I don’t use a freshly washed hoodie.
Keep trying I’m sure you will get there.
Why do you say you can’t take her out if you aren’t making taming progress?
You can move her in a jug and providing she is safe you will be able to get her back in the jug with a tempting sunflower seed, or tiny piece of raisin (like a quarter or less, I eat most of it Polo gets what’s left).
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Old 06-02-2020, 01:26 AM   #4
Natasha95
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Default Re: Please help! Can’t bond with my hamster

It took me about 6 months to bond with my dwarf hamster, so I understand the frustration. I think female hamsters are just more independent. Just keep trying. Maybe take her out more, sit with her, and get her used to interacting with you without associating you with just food.

But you also said she isn't afraid of you, so maybe she's perfectly content with the relationship you have now, and it's possible that this is as bonded as you're ever going to be. She might just hate being held, and it has nothing to do with you or anything you're doing wrong. As long as you have a system for picking her up when you have to (which it seems like you do), I think you're good! But since she seems unhappy, I would take her out more. Maybe she'll bond with you more if she associates you with the happiness of playtime outside of her cage every night. My Syrian hamster was super adventurous and loved free roaming, and the more freedom I gave him (in terms of time outside his cage), the more we bonded.
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Old 06-02-2020, 05:43 AM   #5
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Please help! Can’t bond with my hamster

I have found in my time that some hamsters form a closer bond than others and it doesn't mean that you've done anything wrong, it's just their nature. There are often ways that you can spend time with your hamster that don't require them to sit nicely for cuddles and I do things like agility courses and a basic for of scentwork with my Syrian female to help keep her brain occupied. I tend to use a box for playtime with my hamsters as I usually only have dwarfs but you can make a playpen quite easily (Vectis Hamstery has a guide here: https://vectishams.com/blog/making-a-hamster-play-pen/).

I agree with Maker's suggesting about the association between hands and food and had that issue with a young Chinese a couple of years ago. As soon as he got used to the idea that he wouldn't be getting treats all the time he was in someone's hands, he stopped nibbling. We have a system in my hamstery now where they will get their treats left in a particular place when they are put back in their cages after playtime.
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