Hi everyone,
So a few months ago I got a new Syrian hamster after a previous one passed away (my last hamster was super easy-going and loved being handled so never had to overcome this kind of problem with him). When I first got him I did the usual taming thing of gradually introducing my hand to the cage and allowing him to climb onto it and then taking him out of the cage, and for a time he seemed to enjoy coming out and allowed me to handle him normally (an important thing to note here at this stage is that I never lift him out of the cage, I open the door and put my hands out underneath it and if he wants to come out then he does and if he doesn't he doesn't). However, over time he's seemed less and less interested in coming out of the cage onto my hands to the point where he doesn't seem to want to do it at all, and when he does it's usually just to try and make a break for it, as he's a proper little escape artist and just really seems to want to be free
I have quite strong beliefs with regards to not treating animals as commodities or entertainment so I don't like to push him into doing things he doesn't want to do, and truthfully, after a few traumatic escapes (including one where we got underneath a tiny gap in my built-in wardrobe), I've become more nervous about taking him out and don't make as much of an effort to handle him as I did at the start... but now I'm concerned that I'm neglecting him by not making an effort to regularly handle him and I'm also concerned that it will make things difficult if I need to take him to the vet and the vet needs to handle him. I also know it's important for health checks etc.
Just wondering what you think the best thing would be to do? Do I just make a good effort to try and tame him again and handle him regularly every day? Do you think it would be a good thing to try and get him used to being picked up? I feel really guilty about it because I just want to give him the best life I can!