Thread: Hi everyone!
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Old 07-04-2019, 02:59 AM  
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Hi everyone!

She'll enjoy the out of cage time in the bathtub It's also a good opportunity for taming. So she becomes hand tame fairly quickly and doesn't "ping" (ie wriggle and leap 2 feet in the air if you try and hold her!).

A good way to start is just by gently stroking her on the back with one finger, while she is in the bath tub. Just one stroke. And see how she reacts. If she jerks round to see the finger off then wait, and try again a bit later. So maybe do this twice during the first bathtub session. Next session do it again. Eventually she will accept being stroked on the back with the one finger, without jerking round, and then she has accepted your touch.

You could then move onto letting her walk over the palm of your hand while she's in the bath tub.

So hand flat on the bath, palm up, maybe a bit in front of where she is heading, and let her just walk over it. Once she's done that a time or two, you can lift your hand very slightly, when she walks onto it - still flat though, maybe 1cm. And still let her walk off.

Next time lift a little bit higher, but still let her walk off. From there you should be able to let her run between your hands with your hands held in a kind of tunnel (there are youtube videos on how to do this). And she should be tame enough then to pick up and hold and trust you.

Having said that, many hamsters don't like being held for very long, or sitting on you for long, and want to be off exploring, but the main thing is she isn't frightened of you and accepts being picked up.

Always best to avoid picking up from above (like a descending claw!) as they are prey animals, so scooping up with a hand either side of her is better.

She will love the trixie wheel - will it fit in the cage?!
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