Handling and Taming

Budder · 07-12-2017, 10:05 PM

Hey everyone! My name is Adrian and I've had my male Winter White hamster for about a week now and Its been killing me not really knowing when I could start taming him and soon handle him. I know through research that you are supposed to give then a week to settle into their new environment, and I did just that. Now im just wondering on when I should really start to tame him?, where I tame him?, and how I would start and slowly progess through the taming process?.

Also he does this thing where he takes "naps" (I guess you could say that) randomly around his cage under his bedding. He still sleeps in his bed but sometimes does that, any ideas? Thanks!

cypher · 07-12-2017, 10:27 PM

I don't stick to any set time before taming, generally giving them a day to settle but then go at their pace, I do find most Russian hams with a few exceptions are curious & ready to interact to some extent pretty much from day one.
Begin by just offering a treat on your hand, don't force your hand on him but wait for him to come to you, it may take a little while but he will probably soon be climbing onto your hand for treats, they do sometimes nibble a little at first until they figure out exactly what is & isn't food so don't worry if he does that, they usually grow out of it.
I tend to start taming mine while they are still in the cage, either offering treats through the bars or just going straight for hand in cage.
Once they've got a bit more used to your hand you can try using either a large plastic storage box or a playpen with plenty of toys to explore & interact with him there.
I don't recommend using the bath tub method with dwarf hams as I think it can be a bit overwhelming for them.
I haven't found mine are that keen on the plastic bin & prefer a playpen which also has the advantage that you can get in with them & they generally enjoy climbing all over their humans!
His sleeping sounds totally normal, some will just stick to one place but many do sleep in various different & sometimes odd places, young ones will sometimes just fall asleep on the spot for short periods sometimes too.
Don't rush things, go at his pace but don't hold back either.

**Princess Pixie** · 07-12-2017, 10:30 PM

He's a cutie!

First off, I see you're using wood chippings, have you made sure its hammy safe and not pine or cedar wood as these are very bad for hams unless the bag says kilm dried pine, then it's safe. If not, you might want to change it asap as these woods can cause breathing problems because of the dust and oils in the wood.

Down to your questions, I can't answer your taming questions because I've been blessed with tame hamsters since my first when I was a kid. I don't actually handle my winter white even though he's super tame because he doesn't like it and it super stresses him out so I don't ever push him to be handled if he doesn't want to be. My Syrian on the other hand, the very first day she was all over me, I did set up a taming box (a regular old plastic storage box with a few toys in) but quickly released I didn't need it. There's loads of lovely people here who can help you with those questions.

As for him napping around his cage, that's normal, don't worry about it.

Budder · 07-13-2017, 12:09 AM

Thanks for all the info! Also Pixie, i made sure it was not pine or cedar because as you said it causes respiratory problems. Its aspen and aspen is fine for them so i heard. Any tips or suggestions on which treats I should buy for him? I currently dont have any treats except for the bird berries they love to eat. Are they even considered "treats"? Well i have no idea but I would like to thank both of you for all of the great info! Its such a relief knowing that his sleeping is normal

AmityvilleHams · 07-13-2017, 12:30 AM

There's a decent amount of things to avoid with any food,treats,or products that will be ingested.They must not contain unspecified biproducts(such as digest,derivatives,meat and bone meal of any sort,biproduct meal,animal liver or generalized liver,animal fat or generalized fat,etc),unspecified preservatives(including the E&C approved loophole which allows the use of BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin which are known to cause cancer to be used without being specified),artificial colors,artificial flavors,artificial sweeteners or processed sugars(such as maltodextrin,sucrose,fructose,sorbitol,dextrose,an d many others),sulfur dioxide,or propylene glycol.Nothing should ever be from China or irradiated either,and if it will be shared with dogs or cats it must not have corn or wheat(safe for hamsters,terrible for dogs and cats along with other carnivores).

With all that information in mind,there are plenty great treat options.Flax seed,plain puffed rice or wheat,Whimzees(not Greenies),uncooked natural hamster safe pasta(or cooked if you prefer,but never give any sort of long uncooked noodle as this is an injury risk),and roasted unsalted peanuts/monkey nuts are some really good examples,but there are plenty other choices!

Keep in mind if your hamster is from a pet store or has an otherwise unknown genetic background they'll be a hybrid and will need a completely diabetes friendly diet.

cypher · 07-13-2017, 12:30 AM

Sorry I don't know what bird berries are!

The best treats are just natural foods, things like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (both in the shell if possible) mealworms are very popular with Russian hams so make a great hand feeding treat, all these are high in fat though so not too many, tiny pieces of walnut, pine nut or brazil nut go down well too, I give mine a monkey nut once a week (make a tiny hole in each end of the shell so he can smell the nuts inside) millet sprays are usually enjoyed too.
A small piece of fresh veg within the safe list each day is a good healthy addition to the diet & can also be hand fed as a treat.
Other seeds that are healthy & liked (again in moderation) are hemp & flax (linseed).
A small piece of plain cooked chicken or dried chicken once or twice a week makes a good high protein low fat treat too.

If you got your ham from a pet shop then he will be a Russian hybrid (cross WW & Campbells Russian) they are prone to diabetes so avoid any sweet treats, sugar, honey or fruit & feed a good dwarf specific mix with no fruit or sugar in it, not sure where you are but in the UK Burgess dwarf hamster harvest is most commonly used.

ETA Amity I wouldn't feed pasta or puffed cereals to a diabetes prone species, a tiny bit now & then is ok but better to stick to healthier treats.

Budder · 07-13-2017, 12:13 PM

Okay so this morning when I woke up he was just walking around his cage and playing with his tubes and toys. I took out the "treats" (spray millet, that he goes crazy over) and offered him one, it took him a while to understand because usually he just runs away from me whenever im around or sees my hands. He walked up and gladly took it, he was eating away until it was all gone but they stem. This time I offered him another one and placed it at the palm of my hand for him to climb onto and eat it, I even raised up my hand with him in my hand eating away at his treat he was was just fine. After those two treats he received wherever I dangled my hands from the top of his railing he would stand up on two feet and follow towards the direction of my hand, this was insane and cool because before he would just run away now he is actually following me. Out of excitement I tried showing him that there were no more by showing him my hand. He still would follow my hand, so I thought "maybe he has to actually see my hand up close so that he would realize there was no more," I did just that and he ended up biting my middle finger and drew very little blood but it scared me. I even tried washing my hands with Non food scented soap and after rubbing it into his bedding so that he could recognize his smell, no luck he would still try and nibble and bite my hand. So my questions are |How do I stop him from biting and thinking my hand is food?| Are those "Spray Millet's" considered treats because he goes absolutely crazy for them?|

**Princess Pixie** · 07-13-2017, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Budder

Okay so this morning when I woke up he was just walking around his cage and playing with his tubes and toys. I took out the "treats" (spray millet, that he goes crazy over) and offered him one, it took him a while to understand because usually he just runs away from me whenever im around or sees my hands. He walked up and gladly took it, he was eating away until it was all gone but they stem. This time I offered him another one and placed it at the palm of my hand for him to climb onto and eat it, I even raised up my hand with him in my hand eating away at his treat he was was just fine. After those two treats he received wherever I dangled my hands from the top of his railing he would stand up on two feet and follow towards the direction of my hand, this was insane and cool because before he would just run away now he is actually following me. Out of excitement I tried showing him that there were no more by showing him my hand. He still would follow my hand, so I thought "maybe he has to actually see my hand up close so that he would realize there was no more," I did just that and he ended up biting my middle finger and drew very little blood but it scared me. I even tried washing my hands with Non food scented soap and after rubbing it into his bedding so that he could recognize his smell, no luck he would still try and nibble and bite my hand. So my questions are |How do I stop him from biting and thinking my hand is food?| Are those "Spray Millet's" considered treats because he goes absolutely crazy for them?|

Dwarfs are actually prone to nibbling and it's harmless but it does sound you went to fast. Please try to be patient and not rush, it'll just make the process longer.

AmityvilleHams · 07-13-2017, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

ETA Amity I wouldn't feed pasta or puffed cereals to a diabetes prone species, a tiny bit now & then is ok but better to stick to healthier treats.

I'm honestly not sure why it would be an issue for a diabetes prone species if there was no added sugar in the ingredients,considering you can get plain puffed rice or wheat where that is the only ingredient and there should be pastas with no added sugar either.

cypher · 07-13-2017, 12:39 PM

It takes them a little time to realise what's food & what's hand when you first begin to tame & hand feed them, it's not simply the smell on your hand, it's also the association with the treat they just found there.
Keep the sessions short to begin with, if he nibbles or bites gently remove your hand, try not to react in any way that may startle him & take a break for a while before reintroducing your hand.
Millet sprays are a healthy treat but still a treat so don't overdo it, as with any treat.

Amity the occasional piece of something like that is fine but it's far better to give any grains as whole grains rather than flakes or processed grains as the sugars will be absorbed more slowly, it's not a huge issue but I feel it's far better to avoid any processed foods generally & stick to foods in their natural state for optimum health & least risk of fluctuating blood sugar levels which, in a genetically prone species could be a problem.
They actually tend to enjoy more natural foods anyway which maybe isn't the same with syrians, not having had syrians I couldn't say for sure but that's the impression I get.