Advice for taming?

newhamsterowner · 10-15-2018, 04:38 PM

Hello! I got my first hamster three days ago, he is a Syrian hamster named Vincent. I am looking for advice on taming. Here is the run-down of what I have done so far:
- let him settle in while giving him treats in his bowl (apple)[first day]
- moved some items so they make less noise [throughout]
- put a worn sock in his tank to let him get used to my smell (my mom did this with her hamster and it worked well so I tried it, he explored on top of it and smelled it) [last night]
- tried to give him treats from my fingers (apple, pumpkin seeds, lettuce. he declined to take them from my fingers)[after first day]
- tried to give him a piece of his regular food from my fingers (he accepted all four pieces with little hesitation) [this morning]
- cleaned some of his tank while he was sleeping (he woke up but was exploring the tank while I cleaned) [this afternoon]
he has also squeaked a few times. Once during the night (I got up and found him sleeping under his water bottle when I heard the squeak) and earlier today when I was cleaning.
Am I doing this too fast? do you think I am stressing him out? I interacted with him as little as possible the first day and I don't know if I have already stressed him out.
Any advice you have would be great!

GraceandJunieB · 10-16-2018, 06:41 AM

How I tamed my hamster is I just picked her up and she let me hold her and now she begs for attention. I think he will do just fine if you try petting him and then picking him up.

cypher · 10-16-2018, 10:18 AM

I would remove the sock, if he decides to chew it that could be dangerous, to get him used to your scent just put some plain white toilet tissue up your sleeve or somewhere against your skin for a few hours then shred it up a bit & put it in the cage, you can do that daily for a while if need be.
I don't think you will have stressed him too much, if you've only had him a few days no need to clean just yet, if you find any peed on substrate you can remove that but otherwise no cleaning for the first few weeks.
Just go slow & steady, keep offering him treats (keep your hand still & let him come to you) talk to him gently whenever you're near the cage so he gets used to you being around.
When he's a bit more settled begin to get him out, use a tube, box or something he will happily climb into to transport him to a safe play area with toys to explore then begin interacting with him there, short sessions to begin with until his confidence grows.
try not to move anything in the cage if you can, I know sometimes you do need to make a few adjustments but once that's done leave everything as it is.

newhamsterowner · 10-16-2018, 01:01 PM

thank you for your replies! this morning he was squeaking to get out of his tank but I was afraid to pick him up. do you think it would be ok to lower his ball into the tank to see if he wants to get in it? if he goes in, I would probably take him to another room to roll around for a bit. would that be ok? I will try to pet him and see how he reacts. I took the sock out of the tank before going to bed so he is safe.

cypher · 10-16-2018, 09:41 PM

Using the ball to get him out is fine but leaving him to run around in the ball isn't going to help with taming so I would either buy or make a playpen as soon as you can or you can use the bath (with the plug in & a towel in the bottom) as a play/taming place.

newhamsterowner · 10-17-2018, 08:02 PM

This morning I tried to stroke his back and accidentally touched his head/ears, and he flinched. I let him smell my fingers and he nibbled on me. Since then he has been more scared of me and I am afraid that I have messed up. I have read so many stories of hamsters being picked up within the first couple of days of owning them and then becoming attached to you. I don't know what to do or what I am doing wrong. Please help!

ps. I just made him a toy out of a toilet paper roll that has his food inside it stuffed with toilet paper. He has not been playing with it yet (he is attached to is wheel) but I fear that it is my scent on the toy that is making him not touch it.

cypher · 10-17-2018, 10:47 PM

I would just stop worrying about all the stories good or bad that you come across, all hams are different & most take some time to get to be confident & comfortable with their owners so just take your time & try not to worry about things as he will pick up on your stress & that can just make them more nervous.
Touching his ears may have startled him a little but it won't have stressed him much if at all.
Having your scent in the cage isn't going to bother him after a short while, they do sometimes ignore new toys or treats but he'll have a look in his own time & if it has food in I doubt he'll be able to ignore things for long.
Just try to relax with him & take your time, you will get there soon enough.

newhamsterowner · 10-18-2018, 05:08 PM

I have a new dilemma. I have become afraid of my hamster. After he nibbled me I became more apprehensive about him being near my fingers. Any more advice?

cypher · 10-18-2018, 10:01 PM

A little bit of nibbling is natural, it's just exploring new things, including hands! They usually grow out of it quite quickly, try not to be nervous it's unlikely that he will suddenly bite which is different to nibbling, remember he's far more scared than you are so you need to be brave for him.

newhamsterowner · 10-20-2018, 11:37 AM

Thank you for your reply. I have recently been doing a game with one of my family members where we sit on the floor with our feet together, making a diamond-shaped play area. him trying to escape has helped with me feeling more comfortable holding him and letting him be near my hands! He seems to like it