where do i go from here?

Thanos · 05-11-2011, 02:46 PM

hi, i have had my syrian hamster for around 10 days now and i am trying to tame her.

at the moment she will take treats off of me about 70% of the time but just nibbles it and drops it. i can also scoop her up into my hands (she wont willingly walk into my hands yet) but i dont think she likes it just yet as if we are low to the floor she tries to wriggle away.

i think i have made a small amount of progress in the past few days as i have been taking her in the bath tub the past two nights and letting her crawl around. she does crawl on me sometimes but if she can avoid doing it she will.

i have tried placing a treat in the palm of my hand and let her walk on my hand to get it but she will only take a treat off of me if its from my fingers as she doesnt want to walk on my hand.

also she goes around the cage/bath tub really fast. is this because she is frightened or is she just exploring? will she always be this fast or will she get slower as she gets used to me

where do i go from here to continue the taming process? what tips can you guys give me

thanks

Tish36 · 05-11-2011, 03:14 PM

I think you are doing great so far, just keep introducing new treats and let her get your smell more.

Maybe the running is because she feels confined in the bath tub, you could put her in a large cardboard box and put some tubes in so she can play

**Hamtastic** · 05-12-2011, 02:22 PM

You are doing very well! She will get used to you with time. At some point she will simply start being comfortable around you and not suspicous--that takes some time.

Thanos · 05-12-2011, 02:42 PM

Thanks guys
so this is what i do each day.

first she wakes up (quite late) and i let her run around her cage for a bit

i then put my hand in and giver her a treat

then i put her ball into her cage and i either let her run around in that or i take her in the bath.

if she is in the ball i let her stay in that for a while then put her back into the cage and give her a treat.

if i take her in the bath with me i try to give her a treat (she hardly ever takes it because she is too busy running around) then i put her in a little cup and place my hand flat on the outside so she has to walk on it to get back to the bath and try scooping her up and placing her on my chest.

do i need to do any more things?

EDIT: I just put her in the bath like i usually do and she was kinda vibrating as she was moving around. i could feel it through the bath. did i scare her or something? i ask this because it was when i scooped her up to go in the bath and i dont want to set her back to square one again. could that have happened?

**Hope** · 05-13-2011, 06:13 AM

Sounds like you are doing everything right, you just need to keep at it thats all. She will get more and more used to it the more you do it. Phoebe is still really, really fast and wriggley and will try and get away if she can, its not that she is untame, its just that I think she thinks her mummy is rather boring now and would much rather be exploring something else on the other side of the room!

Thanos · 05-13-2011, 12:26 PM

thanks a lot guys.

if i pick her up and she tries to climb out of my hand should i put her straight down?
also she started 'vibrating' again today. is this bad? it doesn't sound good.

Redame · 05-14-2011, 01:34 AM

Don't worry about the vibrating. Choco did this for months on end even though he was tame: he would walk and sit on your hand just thrilling away. It will go with time, I guess when she gains more confidence, although they might just be excited!

SnickersTheFirst · 05-14-2011, 05:40 AM

I'm not sure if it's the same in hamsters but when gerbils vibrate it means they are extremely content or happy.

Thanos · 05-15-2011, 02:10 PM

took her in the bath again tonight and she climbed over me a lot but it was only because she knew if she did that she could get out when she was in the cage after she didn't care. i just feel like its not going any further.

she just constantly wriggles away. i wish i could get the hang of this.
i dont know if i should stop trying to pick her up all together until she is more used to me or if i should keep on handling her until she gets used to it.

what do you guys say?

also i dont know if its just me but she seems to be coming out later now and if i try to coax her out earlier with a treat she snatches it off of me so fast and sticks her head back in the house