Taming Mr. Untamable

[MissGSFL]

Hello!

So as some of you know I own 1 hamster. He is an elderly Syrian called Buttons who I am looking after for my sister. My sister refused to feed or clean him because he was nasty and vicious. Over his lifetime he has given her several nasty bites.

I have been caring for him for about a month now and haven't noticed him being particularly aggressive in his behaviour. So I decided I would see if I could tame him!

I knew it would be a challenge because Buttons is 2 and a half years old and has never been held before. I plan to chronicle my experiences because some people may find it interesting.

Day One:
Buttons woke up and came to the cage door, where I had placed the entrance to his wheel. He climbed in and I allowed him to go for a quick run to help wake up. Then I gently tipped him into a clean box that had some of his bedding on the floor. I put on some woolly gloves and picked him up a few times. At first he jumped straight down, but slowly he began to calm down. I only tried this 5 times before I picked him up with one had and put him back in his cage. He is now having some food. I will soon take him out again and repeat the process, still with the gloves in case he nips.

~UPDATE~
Buttons had his second trip to the taming box. Again he climbed into the ball, had a quick run and then climbed into the box. I then put on the gloves and scooped him up. He was already a little calmer, but that could be a fluke. However this session was a lot shorter because Buttons became distressed when I spoke to him. He was happy in his box until I tried to calmly speak to him, he began to screech and panic. So I scooped him up and popped him back in his cage. He continued to make the noise while he was in my hands but he made no attempt to bite or even escape. He then fell asleep like this: http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i374/MissGSFL/55a7c79c.jpg

Next Time
I am going to try and find a bigger box for Buttons, as this one is a little too shallow for him. I don't want him to jump out if he gets scared. Also I am not going to put bedding in the box. The combination of the gloves and bedding has made a rather large mess.

[Stockannette]

Good for you for giving Buttons a chance!

[karinanlyla]

Aww love it :) hope you can tame him. Glad he's being given a chance as well xx

[Hope]

Bles his heart :) Its clearly hard work being tamed!

I wish you lots of luck with him and look forward to updates!

[petal10]

Lucky for Buttons that you're giving him a chance :)

[MissGSFL]

Thank you everyone for the nice comments :) I just want Buttons to have a happy hamster life, with lots of cuddles :)

Day Two
Buttons was already awake and wandering around his cage when I came into the room, so I opened the door and offered him his ball. He climbed right in and had a nice run for 10 minutes. Then I tried to get him into the taming box and he started to cry. He did climb into the box but he was flailing around and very upset. So I let him have another run in the ball. While he was running I took the top off his cage so I just had the tank: Buttons lives in a tank with a gerbilarium style topper. He was much happier when I put him into his tank, but a bit confused why his ladder had gone. I put my gloves on and scooped him up. He sat in my hand, ran up my arm and then sat in my hand again for a good while :) Then he jumped down, nipped the glove and cried. So I popped his topper back on and gave him some meal worms.

I currently have some tissue in my sock that I will give him, this will help him learn my scent.

[Rinha]

Awww... bless his tiny lil' heart! :D I hope everything will go well and Buttons will be calmer soon! I will be keeping an eye on this thread for tips (currently trying to calm down my lil' one as well)!

[Lynternette]

You're doing well. Two years and no real person contact is a huge obstacle to overcome. I wonder if substrate mixed with some of his used put in the taming box might help him recognise his own scent. Maybe put him in for a couple of times and leave him just to get used to the box. Maybe scatter a few treats to find him something to do in there until he's ready to be tamed.

[PandaBaby]

Awww bless..Buttons will be awesome once he is ready =)

[Louby_84]

What a fab picture of him!!!!

Well done. Sounds like your doing really well with Buttons. 2 1/2 years is a very long time but just proves age is no obsticle....

Are wolley gloves the best for using when taming??

Looking forward to the updates.

Louby :D

[MissGSFL]

Day Three
So today I decided to skip the taming box and just take the top off Buttons' cage. He seemed a lot happier with this because on the first scoop he just sat in my hands and looked at me :) He seemed totally calm and happy! After about a minute he got fidgety so I lowered my hands and let him walk back down to his cage. He then had a little wash and chewed a bit of corn. Not at all stressed or grumpy with me :D So I went in for scoop 2, but he decided he just wanted to walk off and have more food. Then on scoop 3 he just sat again and looked up at my face! It was the sweetest moment. So I decided to take off my gloves, but Buttons didn't approve of how my fingers felt on his fur or how they smelt. He just ran away and started to flail, so in the interest of keeping my fingers intact I decided it was taming session over for today :(

However he has shown me that I had him all wrong! He isn't at all vicious or bitey. I just don't think he likes small spaces (the training box) or feeling confined (held tight). This might be because he has lived most his live in a Savic Rody and only recently been given space. When in the Rody he acted angry and made a distressed cry every night, the exact same as in the playpen. But in a big cage with regular ball time, he is calm and happy.

I am just so pleased that we had such a special moment when I was holding him. I think he knows just how much I love him and how safe he is with me

[karinanlyla]

awww this is so nice to hear :) Glad that its going so well

[Stockannette]

You are doing great - and so is Buttons! Way to go!

[MissGSFL]

So all seemed to be going smoothly... Until today :rolleyes:

Day Four
Today I had to wait a little later to having taming time because Buttons was having a duvet day. He came out a few times for a little food, but he kept his eyes shut the whole time. So I just sat and waited (and played Zoo Tycoon) until he was feeling awake. I opened up his cage and went straight in for a hold; he was good as gold and sat in my hand. I actually had to place him back down. I did this a few more times and he was really good. Then on the 5th or 6th hold, he freaked out. Dove his head down and bit the glove. I tried to stroke him and put him down but he locked his jaw and started screaming :shock: Luckily the gloves spared my fingers, I only got a little graze...

I put the top of the cage back on the moment he decided to release me because he seemed really spooked. Then 2 mins later he was waiting by the door for ball time! Cheeky little devil is now running round my room and smacking into every piece of furniture he can.

[Lynternette]

You are doing so well. It seems as if his confidence slips and then he's frightened. I've only heard Dusty cry once it was pitiful. It seemed as if he was sobbing.

[MissGSFL]

Day Five
Because Buttons has only just woken up, he will not be having a taming session today. I am a clumsy person, but I am tonnes worse at night. So for his own safety he will just have to wait til tomorrow.

However, so you don't feel cheated, I will instead entertain you with how I have just injured my coccyx. I have, in fact, broken my bum :D

So my sister (12) was sat on the sofa and was singing, so I climbed onto of her lap and bit her nose. We had a good laugh and tickle, but then she suddenly shoved me off. I fell backwards and grabbed her so I landed with her on top of me. But I landed right on my butt... So now it hurts constantly. There is pain when I sit, walk or stand :( But it was bloody hilarious at the time :D This is why my bedtime should probably still be 8.30, I get hyper and clutzy at night

[Pompompoms]

I think you're doing wonderfully, I have a robo here who had lived 18months without human contact, and it is a testing task convincing them you are not out to murder them!

All hams can be spooked so don't worry, Buttons will be even more wary given his background. Something you may not have even noticed probably threw him, but he was obviously doing well. One of my Robos I have bred, Billy is the most laid back relaxed character, nothing bothers him at all. At the weekend, Jerry who is visiting us zoomed past in his ball while I was sat on the floor with Billy, and Billy absolutely and completely freaked out. He was leaping everywhere, and throwing himself about, I had to catch him and hold him completely covered next to my chest for about ten minutes for him to calm down. I have no idea what about the ball threw him so much, but if a chilled ham like him can freak like that, little ones like Buttons and my Scar Face will certainly have their moments!

I'm really enjoying hearing about Buttons and your adventures :D

[HammieandMerlin]

I am so pumped that you're so invested in this! My chinchilla went a year and a half without being held, and it took more than half of that again before he was chill, so I emphasize! You really are doing a fabulous thing, be proud of yourself :3

[jesselle]

this is so great :) it sounds like he is getting into a routine and is getting used to you and your presence. keep updating, i can't wait to hear how it all goes!

[MissGSFL]

Hello everyone.

Thank you for all the lovely comments :) I have no intention of stopping with this taming, but I will never force Buttons if he is unhappy (I value my fingers waaay too much for that :L)

Day Six
Firstly, I am recovering from my bruised coccyx. But it still hurts to sit...

Onto Buttons. Today I got a parcel from ECF which had a treat k-bob in it, so I popped it into Button's cage. He then stood and argued with it, literally he looked at it and screamed... for a few mins. Then he found the chews on it and chillaxed. However he was clearly still a little stressed when it came to taming time. He didn't bite today, but he did screech his little head off and refuse to sit still. He seemed quite unhappy so I popped him into his bowl and cleaned out his cage. Then when he climbed back in he let me give him a quick tickle on the head :) before yelling at me :D I am really happy that his day off seemed to help him calm down a little!

He then enjoyed a seed wheel I added to his k-bob:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215611_3483971027061_395605288_n.jpg

[jesselle]

i can't imagine a hamster screaming - i've never heard one do it. must be scary! glad your bum is fixing itself and that buttons is still making some progress :) off topic, just wondered if you've ever thought of covering those wire platforms with some grass or hemp mats? might be easier on his old feet :)

[MissGSFL]

I was thinking that cardboard would work? I couldn't find any grass mats that were the right size

[jesselle]

yeah that would :) really like this taming diary, can't wait to hear more.

[MissGSFL]

Well I just made some cardboard carpets, but apart from sticking his head out of the nest, he doesn't really care :L So I shall have to wake up for some more taming time and so he can investigate :D

[MissGSFL]

Day Seven
Poor Buttons wont be getting a taming tonight because I am not allowed to mess up my nails :/ It is my cousins wedding in the morning and we are already on attempt 4 with my nails :( And because of the wedding I doubt he will get a cuddle tomorrow either. So I am feeling very nasty right now :(

[MissGSFL]

Day Nine
So we are back to the taming :) but Buttons seems to have found a new trick, he bites the glove and he gets put down :( So now if I lift him he bites the glove, so he goes down again. But he did let me stroke him lots and ate and washed while he was being tickled :3 which was cute and felt good for me

[jesselle]

any more buttons updates?

[Lynternette]

Yes, how's he doing. He's a little cutie.

[MissGSFL]

Hey Guys!

Sorry I haven't been updating. Been busy with work and panicking about college :L

I have been trying to get as much Buttons time, but after weeks, he still hates being picked up. Now he just starts to panic and squeal the moment the top of his cage comes off :( I feel really mean and worry that the stress might make him ill. So for now I am just hand feeding him treats and occasionaly tickling him behind the ears. I just don't think I should force him to be held when it makes him so unhappy

[Louby_84]

Wow you have done amazing with Buttons.
You should be really proud of yourself!!!

Some of his grumpiness could be down to old age, Sporran is 3 and a half now and there are some days he wants cuddles and other days he hears my voices and scampers off to bed quick as his little legs will carry him!!!

Good luck with the taming, you have done sooooooo well!!!!!!