bitey Campbell

[souffle]

Don't let it get to you Leanne. I am sure this is territotial and I will have to think about it. Have you tried using the gel before handling? They really are still quite new and sometimes it takes a long, long time and they may need to mellow with age before they become tame. Spud, Pophammys school hamster was a terrible devil and would fly at anyone who came near the cage. He truly took months of work but Pophammy got there in the summer holidays though he was never handleable near the cage.

[I_am_plankton]

I haven't used the handgel with them as it is a strong smell but I will try that tonight and then rub my hands in the bedding and hopefully it might make some difference.

[Holly]

We found the alcohol hand gel brilliant when we first got our 3 petshop Syrians - actually, rather embarrassingly we didn't ever even touch them without it for the first few months

Just make sure it's the strongly alcohol smelling one and not lemon scented or something.

I know how this feels, I got very demoralised and couldn't handle Sparrow and Turner for a long time. Will, bless him, carried on working on them (and getting bitten quite a ...erm..bit) and they are fine now, pretty mellow and will even sit on our hands. Maybe yours will grow out of this, hope so.

[Bourne Valley Hams]

Oh dear - I know I only had them here for one night 'in transit' but they seemed fine then. Even I handled them and I usually have a real problem with campbells.

[I_am_plankton]

Originally Posted by Bourne Valley Hams

Oh dear - I know I only had them here for one night 'in transit' but they seemed fine then. Even I handled them and I usually have a real problem with campbells.

They were lovely Sue until about 4 days after they had been here, and then they got very territorial which I expected so I avoid feeding until they are asleep and I take them out of the cage using a tube. It's just they seem to nip me no matter what I do to make my hands known to them and I even rubbed my hands in their bedding yesterday for a few minutes before I touched them and I still got bitten :S

I haven't had them out today but am going to use some handgel instead of soap and water and see if that makes a difference :S

I am surprised at how different they are to WW's and even my little hybrid doesn't act like them. I think they are killer hamsters

[I_am_plankton]

I was going to edit my previous entry but just in case people miss this, I have had them out just now for half an hour and they are like totally transformed hamsters!

I used the handgel and then rubbed my hands in their bedding and I wasn't bitten at all!

Weird!!

They got handled more because they were lovely and had 10 minutes more than usual, plus a mealworm each on return to the cage. I hope that is incentive for them to be good forever lol!

[Spuds Mum]

when in doubt - try bribery! That's my view too

So glad that something seems to be working I_Am, it must be such a sense of achievement after your experiences the last few days!

Now, continue to behave you two and I'm sure more treats will be on the way!

[Holly]

Oh that's brilliant news, Leanne - well done you

[I_am_plankton]

Everything has continued to improve with these little sweeties, they haven't bitten me in a while and they crave attention from me now. They are both gorgeous little things and the cage aggression has subsided a little and I can now put my hands in to feed them whilst they are awake without being attacked!!

I do wonder whether it could be because I didn't follow the "rules" i.e. on cage cleanouts I just chuck everything like I do with the others, I don't bother keeping their scent and they seem to prefer it because they haven't squabbled since!