All Chinese owners! Advice on handling?

[77sammy]

I was on Mona's Humans thread the other day introducing my adopted Chinese girl Mi-Lan. (Pictures to follow when I go back to my mum's house.) I've had her for almost four weeks but haven't had a lot of success with handling. I left her to settle in for a while as she'd obviously not had the greatest start in life. I have been talking to her every day to build up her confidence and to make her feel secure. She has started to take food from my mum's hands.

But how can I get her used to being picked up? I'm fine doing this with new syrians but chinese are so much faster - and smaller! Should I try the sitting in the bath option and let her get used to running over my hand? When I clean her cage she tends to disappear into her house. Any advice would be appreciated.

BTW Mona's Humans, Mi-Lan and Mulan look pretty alike!

[student1304]

Hey,

I have a chinese who was also a rescue, not used to much handling. My tactic so far has been fluffy gloves like what I use for winter. I don't know why but he loves anything fluffy and quite likes a snuggle in my cardigan.
I take the lid off his cage and scoop him up wearing my fluffy gloves. When he's used to that I take them off and let him run through my hands.
I can't handle him for long though 5/10 mins max before he gets agitated and I put him back in his cage.
But then again it depends on the temperment of ur hammy. Mine is quite bold/curious so scooping him up doesn't seem to scare him. If you have a skittish hamster it might not work well. In which case tempting with treats might be a good option.
Mine is also fast and that worried me at first, but he slows down a lot when I get him out and handle him. But I don't let him run on the floor/bath or anything, just in my hands.
I wouldn't use a bath personally, it might scare them. Also get them out when you're sat on the floor and not at a great height. That way if you do accidently drop them they don't have far to fall (secure room as well so you don't lose them).

[racinghamster]

Chinese are naturally shy creatures and prefer to be gently `scooped` with both hands approaching from the front. I only done this when my female was used to me and would just allow her to take some millet or a half mealworm from the palm of my hand, which she got used to doing. I would advise also against doing full cage cleans too often as it can unsettle a new hamster and expose them to the phenols from shavings if shavings are used as a substrate. Spot cleaning is fine. Full cage cleans can be put off for a few months or longer depending on the size of cage you use. Nesting material should also be left as chinese make lovely round nests. Keeping half the substrate and half the bedding is always beneficial as it retains the hamsters scent inside the cage. I never rush things and let the hamster come to me. My chinese was around a year old when I took her on and she became the loveliest little character with patient handling and time to settle.

I wouldn`t advise using a bath either. My chinese stayed in her Gabber Rex cage until the evenings, when she learned to walk into an old fleece pocket hammock I had and she would play on my bed for little play sessions and then I would put her back, give her a treat and let her do her own thing again.

[Vectis Hamstery]

Congratulations on your new addition! I use a playbox to tame Chinese as the space is more enclosed than a bath. Be firm but gentle, as I find the less confident the handler is, the more skittish the hamster becomes. When tame, most of my Chinese have preferred a confident one handed pick up than scooping from below. I have written more Chinese hamster taming tips here:
Handling Hamsters - Vectis Hamstery

Chinese can be fast and unsure if they haven't had much handling, but usually tame down to make lovely pets. A recent visitor to the hamstery asked if my Chinese actually have legs as they just sit in my hand for strokes! I would say they are on the whole more reserved/private than shy - though each hamster is different and I have a range from one who runs for cover if I look at her funny to another who sits at the bars until I go over to chat. The only food my crew like handfed is live mealies, though they are so enthusiastic I use tweezers as I fear for my fingers!

Good luck with the taming!

[Mona's Humans]

I just want to say, i've had Mulan since Tuesday - and am no way an expert, heck i hardly know what i'm doing, but i think i'm making progress, so i'll share If anyone see's something i'm doing wrong, please tell me, i'd rather know, so i can stop doing it thanks...

Okay so tuesday we left her to settle, undisturbed, but at about 11pm (we got her around 2 - and she had been up solidly) she started standing on her shelf, and looking at me through the plastic... so i got a small sunflower seed, and offered it to her by hand, she didn't take it, but she sniffed a bit (nibbled me a bit) and toddled off, so i put it down where it was, and she took it happily.

Weds morning, she was looking at me again, so i offered her a mealworm by hand, and she snapped it up without nibbling me That night we popped her cage in the bath with some toys, lifted her out in a toilet roll tube, and let her play, and run over my flat hands in the bath. She bit once, but considering her start i don't blame her, so after about 10 mins of this, i lifted her in her tube, and put my hands at either opening, once she'd walked onto a hand, i dropped the tube, and let her run over my hands for about 2 mins, then let her play, then repeat for another 10 mins. Then i offered her a mealie and some water, and let her play without my hands.

Last night, we moved her and an old fish tank (relatively small) to the bath, and with her tunnel lifted her in. This time i used the tunnel trick a little to start with, and then started scooping her up to do the running over my hands. She didn't like being picked up as much and i did get a bite, so the one time she let me without jumping she got a mealie as a reward. About 5 mins later she actually sat in my hand for about a min while i stroked her too

I think were making progress, but i don't really know if we are lol Good luck

[Vectis Hamstery]

It sounds like you're making good progress, Charli! Little and often with rests from handling for the ham is a great way of taming. Some people can't use the bath method due to the owner's mobility (or in my case a lack of bath!).

I like to give rewards for the behaviour I want too, but also give a 'no' if they nip unless the nipping is through fear, illness or my own stupidity, e.g not washing my hands. I know this doesn't suit everyone but works for me, though is adapted if it doesn't suit the hamster, for example a recent rescue whose learned behaviour was screaming to get his own way was not given a 'no' but I waited until he was calm before replacing him in his cage.

I think there are very few 'wrong' things to do in taming (or hamster care in general for that matter) and more what is right for the hamster and owner involved.

[p_anda]

It took me around 3 months just to get Princess used to my presence around her cage. It took up to 6 months before she was comfortable with handling. Nowadays she doesn't bat an eyelid when there are 5 children running around my bedroom screaming 'PYINNNCESSSS' while she's sitting next to her food bowl munching away. So my advice would be just to stick at it, you'll succeed.

I find that she feels more comfortable in her exercise ball than being in a playpen. I first encouraged her to come to me by placing a cup in her cage with a treat in it, and let her climb inside it in her own time. Then I'd lift the cup and if she wasn't frightened by it, I'd start stroking her head while she was eating. If she was scared and tried to get out of the cup I just put it back in the cage and let her climb out. You can do the same with an exercise ball, that's more secure. If she needs a health check and isn't tame yet, get her to climb inside a jar then you can inspect her without having to worry about escapes.

Once she's fine with being stroked you can try letting her climb on your arm/lap, but try and do this where she won't fall from a great height, so sit down while you do this, preferable in the bath or on your bed. Offer her own hiding place when you do this, so either take out her house from the cage or have a small blanket of some sort ready, that she can hide under. You can offer a pocket of yours to hide in, that's great for building trust between you and your hamster. Chinese are usually not content just sitting in your lap forever, they prefer to explore their environment, in this case, you. So don't be surprised if she won't stay still for very long, it's very natural behaviour for them.

When she's already comfortable with being held, only then I would try to pick her up with your hands directly. Just let her sniff you or indicate your presence in her cage somehow, before you gently scoop her up with one hand in front of her and the other behind. She might cling onto one of your fingers while you do this. Chinese seem to have better eyesight and depth perception compared to other species, so they are very much aware of their surroundings. It's unlikely that she'll try and jump from your hand, but it's possible she might if she sees something to land onto near by. So when you're still not confident with handling her, I would recommend you just use a jar or her exercise ball to carry her around.

Good luck with the taming, I'm sure Mi-lan will make a great companion.

[Mona's Humans]

Thanks, its nice to know i'm not scarring her for life - The bath is a pain to lean over i'll be honest, but i'm so scared of loosing her around the house somewhere atm , we have a box we use for the syrians, but we think she's manage to get out where they chewed a tiny hole in the corner :s - so were being safe

I'll try the stern no when she nips though Poor girl 5 months old, never handled and didn't even have a name Sorry to hijack your thread Sammy

[77sammy]

No, don't worry! I think you are a little further down the road with the handling but we are probably looking for similar information on our new girls.

Thanks to everyone who has replied - and I hope there will be a few more replies from anyone who has their own hints on handling. All the information is really useful and it helps to know that it has taken a while with Princess. I never want to rush a hamster so I'll be putting in the time with Mi-Lan to make her feel at ease.

[Bekki2308]

Mi Lan and Mulan .. they should be twins

chins rock btw