Lentil really doesn't like me!

[tillybee]

Hi everyone! I was wondering if any of you'd be able to help me.

I bought Lentil (formerly known as Bodhi because I was told by Pets at Home that she was a boy... Turns out they were very, very wrong) just over a month ago and began the taming process a few days later. She was happy to be held in the shop and taming has been going okay - an occasional nip but nothing bad.

The only thing is - I don't think she likes me at all! If I put my hand anywhere in her cage, she scuttles around it. Her cage (a bin) is short enough that she can climb out when the lid isn't on, so I take it off and put my hand at the edge of the bin for her to climb onto... But she will do anything she can in order to not climb onto me!

I have to trick her into climbing onto me by putting treats in my palm, letting her kinda crawl in and scooping her up.

I hate feeling like she has be misled into crawling onto me - what can I do?!

[PsychicScamp]

I don't think its a case of her not liking you as such I think it's just that climbing onto your hand is not really in her nature. It's just the way Hams are. I guess with the use of treats it could become a positive reinforcement over a long period of time.

Thinking about it, I don't think my hamster usually likes crawling onto my hand whether his in his cage or outside it. When his outside it he usually wants to waddle off exploring on his own rather than being picked up. Inside the cage his used to being scooped up. So when he wants to come out he makes his way to the top of the cage and looks up at the lid and waits for me to pick him up. I guess that's become the norm for him over the years. So over time your ham will pick up a certain "exiting the cage behaviour" which becomes so second natured that she and yourself forgets how and when it started.

[POLAR WHITES]

try not to think about her not liking you, I havnt had a hamster yet that likes to crawl on to my hand unless there as treats on the go, some of the advice that is written by some well known pet shops isn't the best, sounds like your getting a little upset about her not crawling onto your hand and she will pick up on that, if you want to get her to crawl on to take her favour treat in your hand lay it flat on the floor of her cage and let her get her treat, it might take a while but if you keep doing so she will get used to it ,

[cypher]

Mine will happily climb into my hand if they're in the mood! If they'd rather go forage around the cage, run in their wheels or whatever takes their fancy I leave them be & wait until they come to me but it does take time to get to that point.
If you tame with treats they can come to associate your hand with food so much they're never really interested if you don't have food so it's better to try & get them out with a ball, tube or cup or something & handle them out of the cage, just holding, stroking or letting them run around on you until they get really used to you.
With your set up you obviously have to approach your ham from above & that is the most threatening thing for them, a cage with front access makes things a whole lot easier but even so with lots of time out of the cage I'm sure she'll get much more used to you & will climb into your hand.
You haven't had her very long so it's not that she doesn't like you, she's just taking her time getting used to things.

[4Taylor20]

some hammies wont climb into your hand, try to scoop her up. ive had mine for a few months and has had many before, he loves me but wont climb into my hand. they're just goofy sometimes

[tillybee]

thank you all your messages!!

muchhhhh more relaxed now.

[Pebbles82]

Some hammies, mine included, just hate a hand coming into their cage full-stop! It's their territory - once out of the cage they can be much better. I put a tube in (the inside of a kitchen roll tube is good) with a treat at the far end, and he just walks into the tube, then you lift the tube out. I don't like thinking I've tricked him either, but it's better than freaking them out by putting your hand in and them feeling invaded. Once out they are fine!