Scared hammy help?

[1asd1tl]

Hi everyone,
I've had my hamster, Bernard since the beginning of December and he's an absolute gentlemen, very tame and very friendly.

However, when I was taming him I noticed that he REALLY HATES being picked up..if you put your hand down he'll happily climb onto it, but if you pick him up with your hand around him, he gets really scared. I also noticed that if you scoop him up from underneath, he's fine with that too.

I think he's scared of being held tightly, especially because he can't really see who it is when you pick him up from behind...
I've been trying since I got him, very gently stroking his back and then carefully putting my hand around him, but he just gets so scared, he'll bite and sometimes wet himself, he's not being naughty (he's got the most charming manners) he's genuinely scared...
So my question is, should I just leave it from now on? I can still easily pick him up by letting him climb on my hand or scooping him from underneath, I just can't put my hand around him. It seems so unfair to stress him out like that when I don't need to..

[suga]

I think if you have a way of picking him up and you can handle him in this way - then you shouldn't worry. From your description he does sound scared but because you have another way of picking him up you can reduce the stress and hopefully he will become more relaxed.

[Angelhamster]

Just picked him up the way he's happy to be picked up

[Lynternette]

You're by far better doing what your hamster likes than stressing him out. It sounds as if you're describing my Dusty, as gentle as a lamb but so scared.

Just be patient and gentle with him. Eighteen months for him to groom my hand but the feeling was amazing.