Hi,
Im really nervous around my hamster and scared of picking her up, I'm scared of her jumping out of my hands and getting lost, then I won't be able to find her.
PLEASE HELP!

How old is your hamster? The younger they are - the easier it is to train them to be held. If you are afraid - the hamster will sense it. We have a hamster and we don't handle her that much because she seems to get nervous when we do. On her cage, she has a look out tower that the top comes off. When we want to pet her, we just open it up and do so from there. We also purchased some treats for her and feed her directly from the cage. She now comes to the cage door and waits for us to feed her.

If you would like to handle the hampter take her to a place where she can't go far if she gets lose. My daughter has a hampster and she can only take her out and hold her if her bedroom door is closed and her room is clean. That way if it does jump out we can find her. Our hampster also loves to run in her ball around the house. Handle her a little bit each day until she's used to it.

Put the cage on the floor and take the top off. If the hamster tries to run out redirect them (if you're really scared one of its toys i.e. a carboard tube come in handy for this). Right as it runs around it's cage gently touch its back until this causes no response. This does two things - makes the hamster realise you touching it is no big deal and the same for you. Touch it on it's back behind it's head - hamsters can't bite you there.

Right as your confidence improves and so does its start to touch one side and then the other - gently don't squeeze!

Then once you can do that- also with no response form the hamster extend this motion to sccop it up. Then let it go straight away. Do this a couple of times. If you do this over it's cage bottom if it jumps it can't get away easily- it has the side as a barrier to slow it down.

Then try holding it for a couple of seconds not very far form it's cage -so it doesn't get scared by the height. Just keep extending this further away, for longer etc. If you hold it close o your body it can run along your arms. It will feel safer with your body heat and the ability to hide in elbows.

Slowly do all these things - increasing duration each day, get a little further along each day. If it has a skittish day don't push it- try tomorrow. Each time you disturb it in its cage feed it something nice like a piece of apple or broccolli - bribery!

There are other methods in which you bribe it to walk onto your hand and these work equally well. But this one is good if you need a little reassurance yourself. Just remember patience is the key.

I trained a friend's hamster this way and it turned into a lovely good natured creature.

Hi

I am scared of hamsters too.. I love looking at them.. my kids are 2, 4 & 6 and we got one.. they are desperate to hold her. I have been munched twice.. once on finger and once on toe (I was putting cage together and she was in a different bit. It was against my toe).

I'm scared of losing her.. she comes up regularly to see us.. and eats from our hand.. and I've managed the stroking.. but I think the cage access scares her when I put my hand in.. (small hole)

I wondered whether when she comes out of her ball I should open it in the bath... and let her run about.. and see if she will come to us.. What do you reckon?

Is it true that if I handle her with a cold she will get ill?

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Originally Posted by vickyerexx

Hi,
Im really nervous around my hamster and scared of picking her up, im scared of her jumping out of my hands and getting lost, then i wont be able to find her.
PLEASE HELP!

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Hey, I am danielle, I just got my hamster but I have had hamsters before, and I used to be scared to. What you should do first is lay you hand in the cage and let her smell you, then you should go in an enclosed place (or just kind of build one of your own like with pillows) where if your hamster runs away, you can get her easy, then you have to just pet her for short periods, until you feel safe enough to pet her in a open space