Taming

Rach · 02-14-2007, 08:46 AM

I'm really having issues with taming my hamsters. Emma (Emms) tamed Fudge for me and has help Summer, but I can't seem to tame her. In the past I've had a hamster called Dusty who would bite no matter how much I held him and in the end I just got so frustrated I couldn't hold him. I think this might be the reason I'm scared along with the first time I held Summer she jumped out of my hands and I spend the most stressful hour of my life trying to catch her again.

I can stroke her, and push her into a hamster ball while I'm cleaning her, but I can't quite hold her. She's jumpy and that makes me jumpy. We just rub off on each other and make each other worse...

I'm not sure where to go from now... the excuse, I'm getting there and can stroke her now, is wearing off...

SnuggleHam · 02-14-2007, 09:12 AM

I think it just takes time and patience.

Every hamster is different.

souffle · 02-14-2007, 01:40 PM

Animals can sense very strongly the way you feel and if you have gotten off to a shakey start it will take time for both of you to gain your confidence with the taming. Remember that a tame animal has a much richer more fulfillling life and you will have the pleasure of sharing it. I would start again from stage one. Pretend she is a brand new hamster. Read our taming tips article and start at the beginning from the scented tissue stage. If you really need to and this fails I would go to the force taming with leather gloves. You can do it, I know you can. Take deep breaths and try to remain calm and quiet with her and she will sense this. I hope it works out well and I am sure it will with time, patience and calm. Perhaps Emms would be kind enough to help you again?

Rach · 02-14-2007, 01:55 PM

I'm confident taming with leather gloves! I'm a master at that thanks to Nibbler and Dusty... But I don't want to get to that stage because I feel thats what made Dusty untame. Then again, it helped with Nibbler a lot. :P

Holly · 02-14-2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

Animals can sense very strongly the way you feel ....

I'm certainly no expert but I've read that, when we are nervous and scared, our hands sweat and give off a particular scent that hamsters recognise - this scent makes them cross and can make hamsters more aggressive than they would be with someone who isn't nervous.

This certainly tallies with my experience so far - my son was not at all nervous of handling and all of our hamsters responded so much better to him initially, whereas I was a bit of a sweaty palmed bag of nerves and the hammies all preferred to go to Will! (I'm over it now, though he's still better than me

). It also explains why hamster experts are often able to tame the supposedly *un-tameable* hamster very quickly.

Good luck, like Souffle says you can do it, just take a deep breath and go right back to basics - Summer will love you for it.

Emms · 02-15-2007, 10:52 AM

Rach if you are able to come round saturday night I'm happy to help tame her like I did with Fudge

I don't blame you for being nervous you weren't brought up wih animals like me and it didn't help that the first time you held your first hamster he bit you! Its just a matter of confidence in yourself really

The first time I held Twinkle (she hadn't been handled by her previous owner) she lept straight out of my hands but I kept calm, picked her up gave her a break then tried again and 2 days later you'll never believe it but she was fine - the trickis not to worry, keep calm and if she does jump try again once she has calmed down and rested.

Emma x

souffle · 02-15-2007, 02:33 PM

That is very generous Emms. It is so nice to hear our hammy friends helping each other out

Good luck with the taming!

Rach · 02-16-2007, 03:25 PM

Sorry I couldn't make it tomorrow but I hope we can arrange something else soon Emma! I have been stroking Summer a lot more but she still freaks out when I attempt to slip my hand under her and I don't want her stressed. I hate seeing animals stressed.

I'm too soft.

Christine Yule · 02-16-2007, 06:23 PM

Hi Rach,

I don't think you are being too soft with your hamster. If she doesn't want to be picked up by you, I wouldn't force her in anyway.

It sounds like she has a very timid nature and doesn't trust you. You had a bad start when she jumped and she was likely traumatized when you were trying to catch her that first time. But, don't blame yourself. All is not lost. I have tamed the so called "untameable". Even ones I believed were "untameable"!

I am sure there is more than one way to tame a hamster but the first thing I tell people who buy my Syrians is RULE #1: never chase it with your hands. This terrifies them. Be patient and let the hamster come to you. Here is how I do it.

#1 I put my hand inside the cage and lay it still without moving it. A hamster can't resist coming over and checking a hand out. I let it smell me and even bite me if it likes. If it bites, I don't jump back. I keep my hand still. The point is to let the hamster know that it doesn't have to be afraid of your hand and biting your hand doesn't make it go away. They seldom bite again. I don't try to touch the hamster. Let it get comfortable and go about its business. After a while, I slowly remove my hand when the hamster isn't near my hand. I do this as often as I can for a couple of days.

#2 I put some treats on my hand and keep it perfectly still, while the hamster comes and eats them. I let it play near my hand and still don't try to touch the hamster.

#3 Then, when I think its ready, I will use my other hand to gently touch the hamster while it is taking the treats. Again, don't do anything to frighten the hamster. Be patient!

#4 When I think the hamster is ready, when it is sitting on my hand inside the cage, I slowly lift it up and pet it BUT keep it inside the cage. That way, if it suddenly jumps, it won't be traumatized by being dropped. Don't try to take the hamster away from the cage until you are sure it is comfortable. And then play on the bed or on the floor so it can't jump and fall.

This always works for me. I tame all of my hamsters before I let them go to their new homes. This system works for young pups and I have also rescued older hamsters who were like cobras who bit anyone who came near them. Patience is the key and REMEMBER ALWAYS LET THE HAMSTER COME TO YOU. When a hamster learns to trust you, it will bond to you and you will be their #1 buddy forever.

Hope you will give it a try!

Hamstermama

lola's mommy · 05-06-2007, 06:48 PM

hi hamstermama... just curious, my syrian lola will be 7 mos old now in may 10. i don't really hold her but i will stroke her back while talking softly to her so she doesn't get scared. twice she's done the move where she lies on her back and shows her teeth when i've seemed to scare her w/o meaning to. i would love to hold her, but when she's out of her cage all she wants to do is look for ways to escape. although when she's on her ball, she does run to me and sometimes doesn't let me walk. also, when i give her treats, she sits on the palm of my hand and eats them. is she still tameable?