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Old 12-28-2015, 12:52 AM   #1
Agglebum
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Default Hand taming - advice please

We've had Luna 2 weeks now and she's doing well. The tissue trick, being in the ball and exploring me while in the bath is all good. However she still freaks out when we touch her.
Is it normal for them to be quite so hand shy? My little girl is getting quite upset as she can't hold her, I've told her it will just take time but I'm unsure. I had us both in the bath with her last night and this went fine, until I helped her out from behind me with my hand, then she went mental.
She's never bitten, but she goes in to full escape mode. Will she come round eventually or is she just not one for being held?
Any advice gratefully received,
Thanks,
Jen x
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Old 12-28-2015, 01:31 AM   #2
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

I think some hams just aren't so keen on being held, stroked or having their backs touched but also a young ham is usually just too full of energy & keen to explore to sit in your hand for more than a second!
It does sound as though taming is going really well over all, maybe try to encourage her to walk onto your hand, probably best in the cage or when she comes to the cage door to begin with, if she's happy with that you may reach the point where she'll calm down a little & allow you to hold or stroke her.
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Old 12-28-2015, 10:31 AM   #3
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

My girl hamster isn't as placid as the boy hamsters I kept previously, she prefers to be running around than held! I can scoop her close to my body and stroke her, but really only for a few seconds, then she'll wriggle away and climb up me. I believe she's as tame as she's going to get - 10 months old now, doesn't bite, will come out to say hi when she hears our voices - but just isn't a cuddly hamster.

Out of interest, how are you picking her up? I had a previous hamster sink his teeth very firmly into my thumb one time when I picked him up round the middle - I hadn't fully appreciated when I went to grab to stop him jumping off the desk he was running on, but I must have been like a predator swooping down from above and behind. Since then, I've always scooped hamsters from underneath, so they can smell my hands and I'm lifting them rather than grabbing them.
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Old 12-28-2015, 01:45 PM   #4
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

I try and scoop her with both my hands, but she just goes nuts, jumping out of my hand blindly Just think we are going to have to take it really slowly. Would it be worth putting her in her carrier and just sitting with my hand in it? Or would that just make it much worse? Hard to know what is the best approach.
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Old 12-28-2015, 10:27 PM   #5
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

I wouldn't try scooping her up if she's obviously not ready for that, putting her in the carrier might just stress her out, it may take a lot of patience but can you not just put your hand flat in the cage & wait for her to climb on, maybe with a treat, & let her gradually get used to that? If she's ok with that, or when she is, you can try cupping your hands around her or just lifting her gently slightly off the substrate & put her back down again until you can do it for increasing periods, just seconds to begin with & work up from there, one step at a time & at her pace.
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Old 12-29-2015, 12:53 AM   #6
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

That's what I was thinking, once my little one is back at school I can spend some time with my arm in the cage. That's one thing about the Barney cage - I can use the front doors to sit comfortably with my hand in it, where the Favola is shoulder dislocating in its access. Hopefully it should arrive today. I'm also hoping the extra space and wheel should help her burn off a bit more energy and be a bit more chilled.
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Old 12-29-2015, 01:09 AM   #7
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

Definitely take your time and go slowly, if you try and force it you'll most likely just end up with a scared and timid hamster. I imagine having a bit more space might help her settle, one of mine is very high energy and having more space helped him no end.

With regard to sitting with your hand in the cage when your little one is at school is that hamsters should be asleep in the daytime and they're best not disturbed as it can shorten their lifespan and really annoy them. You really need to wait until she's up and about of her own accord, which will probably be later on in the evening and /or first thing in the morning. When she moves into the new cage she will need a few days left alone to acclimatise aswell.

You can manipulate their waking hours a little within their natural habits by doing the same things at the same times each day such as changing the water every morning at 7am and doing food or offering a treat at 6pm. Mine were on pet shop time and obviously had been used to a similar routine before we got them as they always appear around these times which is handy as otherwise my daughter would never see them as she would be in bed any later!

Otherwise, it really is time. Two weeks is no time at all and personally I found the taming process to be a good learning tool for my daughter as she had to work on their terms not her own and learned they are not toys, they have their own wants, needs and whims. Both of ours were pretty tame when we got them, one is more of a timid chap who has turned out to be so cuddly my daughter can full on hug him and he just comes back for more, whereas the other one is fast and furious and won't sit still for a minute and although I can hold him and pick him up easily, she can't hold him even in a bowl or something as he's like trying to hold jelly lol! But he is friendly and entertaining and she plays with him by interacting with him while he's having his free ranging playtime in the living room as he will march right up to her to see what's what.

I think there is a time with every new hamster when you think "oh no he/she will never be tame!" And four weeks later you can't even remember that!
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Old 12-30-2015, 01:06 AM   #8
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

I agree putting the Hamsters needs 1st is a great way of teaching children about pets and the responsibility of ownership. Thankfully (or not for us) my Daughter is a very early riser so she gets to see Luna in the morning. I can spend time in the evening with Luna after Aisha has gone to bed
I will give her a few days to settle in the new cage, but so far she already seems more interested in us, yay!
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Old 12-31-2015, 04:43 AM   #9
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Default Re: Hand taming - advice please

Bertie is spot on. Sometimes trying to rush things can backfire. A few weeks? That`s being optimistic really. Hamsters have a nocturnal clock and making them stay awake or play in a bath when they really should be sleeping won`t help your relationship! Being up early is good as most hams are still awake and scooting about. My lad (Russian hybrid) awake fully after 10:30pm and off to snooze 7:15am. I could set my alarm by him! He`s really that smart at time keeping!

Patience, only handling INSIDE his cage before employing play pen tactics are always best. The ball I would not use. They really are not necessary. x
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