When a new hamster is young, you should start handling and taming it. The best time to start interacting with your hamster is between 3 and 4 weeks of age.
Handling and taming new hamsters
It will be simpler to tame them if you catch them when they are still young. Young hamsters are more impressionable, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be tamed like younger ones.
Start your interactions with your hamster with brief but frequent encounters. This should be done in a way that is not in the least bit threatening. Start by putting snacks in its cage or through other openings. The main objective is to gradually win your hamster’s trust so that it will feel more at ease around people.
When is it time?
Before you decide to conduct training sessions with your hamster, you should watch how it behaves. You should only successfully tame your hamsters when they are willing to participate in training sessions, in order to get the greatest results. If your hamster exhibits signs of anxiety, tension, or anger, you should refrain from handling it. It is not the best moment to get to know your new acquaintance if it is snarling or grinding its teeth while resting on its back with its incisors visible. Never compel a hamster to do something it doesn’t want to do; instead, let it be.
It’s also crucial to keep in mind that hamsters naturally sleep during the day and are active at night. As a result, you should never stir your hamster up while it is sleeping. Typically, now is the time for them to replenish their batteries. A hamster that is sound asleep when you abruptly wake it up would probably become protective and may attack you, just like a predator would if it disturbed them while they were sleeping.
Again, this is all done to reduce as much stress as possible for your hamster. Your hamster may be awake during the day, but it will probably just be to use the restroom or obtain a snack. To teach or manage your hamster, always wait until the evening or early morning.
However, when a hamster is seen playing, relaxing, stretching, eating, or grooming itself, it is okay to train and tame it. Reaching into the cage to start forming a bond with your new pet hamster is acceptable when you notice these kinds of actions.
Taking care of a hamster
- Since hamsters have poor eyesight, you must rely on their sense of smell and hearing in order to win their trust. In order for it to identify you, you must speak softly to it and allow it to smell your hands. To help your hamster become more receptive of your touch, rub your hands in some of its bedding. To do this, speak gently and in a calming or collected tone. You want your hamster to associate your presence with receiving treats, thus you want them to associate your voice and fragrance with something pleasant.
- You can put your hand inside the cage once your hamster takes a treat from your hand, but not before washing your hands with an unscented detergent to get rid of any leftover food odours. Allow your hamster to approach you and smell your hand with its hand within the cage. Don’t wriggle your fingers or chase the hamster around. If it’s ready, it will interact with you; if not, leave it alone for the time being.
- Place a reward in your palm and let the hamster crawl into it to obtain the treat when it finally approaches and becomes at ease with it. With your hamster in your palm, you can slowly put your other hand in the cage and pet the hamster’s body with one of your fingers. To avoid agitating the tiny guy, try to avoid the head area.
- You can try to pick up your hamster once you’ve completed step three multiple times successfully. Put your bottom hand on the hamster and softly but firmly place your top hand on top to form a hand cave. Allow your hamster’s head to protrude slightly from your palms. While it’s inside the hamster cage, lift the hamster a few inches off the ground. Repeat this a few times.
- The hamster can then be attempted to be removed from its cage. You can do this by picking it up by the cupping cave method above and then bringing the hamster close to your chest. As opposed to being held with your arms outstretched, your hamster will feel more safe when it is held close to your chest. If the hamster urinates in your hand, it’s okay, don’t drop it. This just means your hamster is a little nervous and perhaps you should put it back in its cage for the time being.
- You can now try the one handed pick up method. Do that by gently cradling the hamster’s underside with your fingers and securing it with your thumb. Make sure you do this with your hamster pointing towards your wrist. You can then pull the hamster out from the cage and place it into he palm of you other hand.
Remember that dwarf hamsters are much smaller and faster than the larger Syrian breed. This will avoid any inadvertent crushing of the hamster if it’s held to tightly or an injury from a fall if it’s not held securely enough. This especially the case when young children are involved in this. Children should always be supervised while handling a hamster, especially a dwarf until they are properly trained. It’s important to train these children to firmly but also gently hold the hamster. Dwarf hamsters are thus more difficult to handle and require extra care when being handled.
The hamster is really a perfect pet when you get to know it. There are many good tips in our articles about hamsters, and if you get one, you’ll likely figure out that this is just the tip of the iceberg and there are so many more things you are able to do to make both you as well as your hamster bond and have a great relationship.
Have we missed anything? What did you do to tame your hamster? Add a comment below to let us know!
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