Help! New owner, don't know what I'm doing!

[cactus]

I've just recently got my own Syrian and though he seems a bit tamer than yours he has tried to bite before, it's just been a little testing nip with me but one thing I've found with him is that he likes to go into his ball and exercise before being handled at all. Maybe your Syrian will be similar? I find the exercise calms him a bit when he's excitable. When I first got mine I spent a few days just letting him get used to my voice and my hand in the cage before I tried stroking him and picking him up. Now he comes to my hand when I put it in and gets up the side of the cage when I walk by. Just thought my experiences with my Syrian might be of a little bit of help. I didn't know what to do with mine when I first had him either!

[obscura]

Originally Posted by Gingeroo

I bought an 8 week old Syrian hamster last Saturday, we let him settle in before handling him, he lets us stroke him, but we haven't held him yet and he bit my 3 year old and drew blood on Thursday, so I have become a bit nervous of trying to handle him now. We have a ball but I've read to put it at the door of the cage and let him crawl in, but the opening to ours is at the top, and its too small to fit the ball through. What should I be doing? Is there any way I can decrease the risk of him biting me? I've never had a hamster before!

As everyone else mentioned before, use an object that WILL fit into the cage to scoop the hamster up with. I usually use a toilet paper roll to scoop up any unruly hams. Your Syrian was likely either frightened, or thought your child smelled like food. The fact that he drew blood makes me think he was probably just scared. Did you get your Syrian from a pet store? Pet store hamsters aren't usually socialized properly, and often bite because they are frightened.

He's only 8 weeks old, and sometimes hams that young will nip to test you. To the hamsters, we are large scary predators ready to snatch them up and eat them. They don't understand that we're humans, or that humans are generally friendly. When a hamster nips because he's scared, it's usually to see if you'll let go or back off. If you release him after he's bitten you, you're teaching him that biting gets him exactly what he wants - freedom. Then he might continue to do it to get away (because he thinks you're a predator).

The best route is to take it nice and slow with your new hamster. He's frightened, so give him some time to settle down and then start slowly introducing yourself to him. Wash your hands before and after handling him so you don't smell like anything he might want to nibble on. I usually just place my hand down on the bedding and let the hamster come to me at his own pace. If the hamster just wants to attack you (which I don't think is the case with your hamster) you can wear gardening gloves to protect your hands. but still interact with him. Don't grab him and hold him, because that will frighten him. Let him come to you when he's comfortable.

Take it in steps. First let him get comfortable with getting closed to you, being patted, sitting on the palm of your hand willingly... Once he gets used to doing these things, you can start lifting him up out of the cage by hand. Again, if he wants to nip, wear gardening gloves or something to protect your hands.

One of the most common scenarios with hamsters is that they get purchased from a pet store, rescue, or some individual who is selling babies from an accidental litter. The hamster hasn't been handled often or at all, and is very defensive or flighty. The person who adopts the hamster doesn't recognize the hamster's signs of stress or fear, and gets bit and becomes too afraid to handle the hamster anymore so they leave the hamster alone.

Please do NOT do that! That's the worst thing you could do! If a hamster is left alone with no human contact, he will continue to revert back to those natural instincts of bite and flee. You want to tame him. Show him that you're not something to be afraid of. In the long run, he could turn out to be the sweetest little ham ever!

Sometimes it takes awhile, and you won't see immediate changes in his behavior. But don't lose faith in him! Be patient, keep socializing him, and interacting with him in a way that respects his feelings, and you're sure to have a wonderful ham grow up for you and your child to adore!

[Gingeroo]

Thanks Obscura and cactus, I've done it! He crawled out of his ball onto my lap and crawled over me for a while, not one bite! Am so pleased!

[cactus]

I'm glad he's getting a bit easier to handle now. Mine tried to have a bite of me again last night, he started chewing my nail! They just take a lot of time and patients when settling them in. I play with Loki for about two hours every night and he seems to be taming quickly. Just keep practising daily with him and he'll be tame in no time!

[jesselle]

Originally Posted by Gingeroo

Thanks Obscura and cactus, I've done it! He crawled out of his ball onto my lap and crawled over me for a while, not one bite! Am so pleased!

that's great! and good advice from obscura. the only thing i'd like to add is don't be disheartened about going back a few steps from time to time and starting up again, slowly building that trust

[obscura]

Originally Posted by jesselle

that's great! and good advice from obscura. the only thing i'd like to add is don't be disheartened about going back a few steps from time to time and starting up again, slowly building that trust

Thank you, and I also agree with your suggestion. I actually do that quite a bit with my hams. Well, my Syrians. My Syrians are either rescue or store bought, and came to me in a wild state. Using the methods I suggested have helped with my Syrians so that I may handle them without fear of getting bit... It's all about patience and respecting the animal's space. Fortunately for me, in the ten years I've had hams, I haven't been bit but maybe twice when I was a small child. Ever since then I have learned to be patient and never try to rush it with these guys. The results are so much more effective.

[bgfloyd]

Glad They're getting used to you now

Different hamsters have different ways of showing things. One Hamster i had always used to lick before he would bite!

[strawberrysmom]

I could take advice from this thread. My syrian Bob does not like me getting him out of his cage. It freaks him out. Once he's outside the cage he's fine - like if I let him free roam or put him in the empty bath tub with me or in a playpen or his ball. But it's the intrusion of reaching for him in his cage. I've had him since this August and he's still not cool with me getting him out. He won't bite but he chatters teeth or BOLTS so fast from my hand. Never thought a Syrian could be that fast.

Makes me feel bad for upsetting him. Makes me feel bad that he doesn't seem to "like" me though I know that is a human emotion to apply to an animal. He doesn't trust me more like.

But he trusts me when outside of his territory. So neutral ground is best for bonding I have found. It's a long process. I had Syrians growing up as a child and they were always easy to tame. NOt sure why with Bob it's different but I think it's just individual hamster personalities.

Many people speak of Campbells dwarfs being unfriendliest of all species but my Campbell is the sweetest of all my hams. He's the one that pretty much was tame the first day I brought him home. He's the most tolerant of my 2 year old and the one that wants our attention the very most.

I'm babbling.

I'm just struggling with a similar issue myself and appreciate the suggestions on this thread. I am going to start getting Bob out with a safe object instead of my hand too. Something I don't wash much so it always smells like him.