Hamster taming blues.

[Nyxietrixx]

So we've had Elsa for approaching 2 months now and she just about lets us pet her. Lifting or scruffing is out of the question and she bites when we have our hands flat in the cage. She won't even walk onto them. Our hands are always washed before handling her so there is no chance of their being the smell of food.

She knows us. She takes food from our fingers and lets us pet her but that's it. I love her, I do, but i'm feeling so discouraged. The tissue trick is honestly our last resort.

I suppose right now I just need to know what is going on. Are we not doing something right? She has a bit of sore eye at the moment which the vet is seeing tomorrow. I understand if that is making her upset but we're on it. The cage is bigger, well stocked, cleaned not too often but not left more than 3 weeks, she has a new wheel coming, a massive sand bath to dig in and plenty of treats. What could we be doing wrong? Are some hamsters just more aggressive?

[cypher]

Some hams can be a bit more territorial than others & so more inclined to bite while in the cage, you didn't mention anything about biting out of the cage, does she do that too?
If you aren't already try to get her to climb into something like a cup, tube, ball or something she's comfortable with then take her to a safe area like a playpen or the bath & see if she's any more amenable to handling there.
The tissue trick usually helps even if they are a bit territorial, keep it up for a while though, replace the tissue daily so she gets a good dose of your scent!

[Nyxietrixx]

She doesn't bite out of the cage actually now that you mention it! It could be cage rage. I was just at my vet seeing about her eye (more about that in another post) but she informed me that some hamsters just aren't meant to be handled. Some just hate being lifted and held. I'm satisfied with this answer but am still going to try with the tissue training once I get my hands on unscented toilet paper.

[Thin Lizzy]

The tissue trick is really a great way of getting your hamster familiar with your smell.
2 months isn't that long, some hams take longer than others. Go slow with her, keep talking to her and encouraging her with treats.

[Ammunition]

Like others have mentioned - try putting a cup, exercise ball, or something else in the cage to get her to crawl into, then you can scoop that up and try handling her. Biting can be a territorial thing, but most shouldn't be doing that once removed from their cage.

You have to understand that dwarf hamsters have panoramic vision, and can see slightly above and behind them - therefore you can imagine this must make any hand, or moving object entering the cage from above seem quite frightening to a prey animal (probably very much akin to a bird of prey - which would be a feared natural predator in the wild).

Definitely keep putting a piece or two of tissue paper with your scent on it into the cage. If you can get her to crawl into a cup, etc in order to remove her from the cage, you might want to try 3 - 5 minutes of bathroom bonding every other day.

Speak to her softly, and reward her with a small treat after placing her back in her cage, or after any successful handling attempt, so she'll learn to attach a positive association with the activity even if it makes her slightly uncomfortable.

Is the biting hard, or just sort of nibbling? You'd be surprised how much food residue (especially any oils from meat, etc) can remain on your hand until you've washed them several times (I can still smell certain foods on my hands if I put them up to my nose after washing my hand a good 1 - 3 times).

Does she run up to your hand to bite it, or just when you're trying to pet her? I wouldn't call it aggressive unless she's going out of her way to bite you, but if she does so when you're attempting to pet her, etc it just might be her telling you that she doesn't want to be pet right now - especially if you're doing so after she just woke up. Narrowed eyes and ears laying back are a sign that she is still waking up, and needs some space.

That's just been my personal experience, and information I gathered from the book I've read, and credible internet sources - best of luck getting her to come around.