To Tame a Hybrid Journal

[SnoWolf]

So I just thought I'd record the taming process of Marshmallow cus this forum is extremely active and useful and I might pick up some tips if any of you don't mind sharing.

I'm not sure if it's just cus I've never tamed a hamster or cus Marshmallow's timid or both, but I've had him for about a month and a half and he still isn't willing to take food from my hand (or maybe he's just not interested in them)
Doesn't help that I kind of broke the trust today by being impatient and going and starting the process over again.

I think the lack of patience and the fact that he's always sleeping hinders the effectiveness of my attempts not to mention with exams around the corner. Right now my biggest dream is to feel all four tiny paws in the palm of my hands. I've been using (Kellogg's) cornflakes as a treat which is non sugary. There's not many hamster treats in stores and the only seemingly viable treat brand is Burp! or Vitakraft. Being in Southeast Asia does not help at all as so many good hamster products originate in the U.K. or Europe.

I've decided to tackle my exams first before continuing with the taming because he probably needs a break from me after I so horribly harassed him and stressed him out. Erinsanimals and other people make taming look so easy

[cypher]

I understand it's difficult if you have the pressure of exams, you probably don't have as much time as you'd like to spend with him if that's the case & I guess you don't want to stay up all night waiting for him to wake either but one of the key elements of taming is consistency, you need to get into a routine & stick to it, if you keep giving him breaks it will just become harder to tame him & you will have to go back to the first step each time.
So I would try to spend some time with him each day, about the same time if you can, if necessary try to gently wake him if he doesn't get up until really late or see if he's awake at a time in the morning that suits you.
It doesn't have to be a long session, maybe just sit by the cage talking to him, put your hand in the cage with some treats on it, keep your hand still & wait for him to come to you.
You may have to do that for some time & it may seem as if you're not making progress but if you can just keep up that much it will prevent taming from taking a backward step & help he get more confident with your presence.
Slow & steady even with the tiniest steps is always better than trying to go too quickly then giving up & taking a break for a while.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll get there.

[SnoWolf]

1 July 2017
I've taken Amity's advice and decided to interact with Marshmallow twice a day, once in the morning when he is still active before I go to school and another time at night a little earlier from when he wakes up. I'm still contemplating what treats to get him because I think he might be getting more and more disinterested in the corn flakes. Carrots and sunflower seeds are popular options however they have to be taken into moderation. I'm trying to search for seeds like linseed or flax so that I can use them frequently with not as much impact on his diet.

I've found out he's ok with me stroking his back I just have to make sure he's comfortable and accustomed to my hand's presence near him. Still no climbing onto my hand yet but I think I'll get there, hopefully soon.

[CMB]

I got brown linseed, flax and other seeds from the supermarket. Hope you can get some soon and Marshmallow enjoys them.