4 week old hamster

Question
My baby hamster has been acting very odd lately. When i first got him, he was very active and playful. He let me hold him and play with him. These past days he seems very tense and isnt active as much. When I put my hand in his cage, he seems like he will strike my hand any second or he will get really scared. He doesn't want me to hold him. He is also biting everything in his cage including the metal bars. He would bite and climb to the very top of the cage falling and doing it over and over again for a couple of hours. How do I get my hamster to be more calm and friendly? I want to tame him, but it seems like he will bite my fingers (since he bites everything) and not let go. Also, how old do a hamster have to be to run in a hamster ball?

Answer
Hi Alicia

Thanks for your question - I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with taming your hamster.

I have heard of this happening before in the hamster seems to go backwards with their taming development.  

I'm assuming he is a Syrian hamster???  If so, I'm sure he will come around with a bit of work.

Firstly, talk to him a lot.  Every time you see him out in cage, chat to him.  Try to get him used to you being around.  I tame hamsters for a pet rescue and I've had this happen before when a hamster seems to be tame, then suddenly isnt.  It usually doesn't take too long to turn the situation around, but you will need to persevere for a few weeks with him.

Don't worry about handling him to much at this stage. I tend to put the cage on the floor, then remove the top section so all that is left is the base.  Rub some of his bedding onto your hands so that his scent is on you.  Then place a hand each side of him and very quickly scoop him up and immediately transfer him onto your clothing.  Let him walk over your sleeve or in your lap - hamsters tend to  panic if they walk on skin initially, but they are much calmer when they are walking on clothing.  After about 5 minutes return him to his cage.  Hamsters are very nosey creatures and once he realises that it is safe for him to come out,chances are he will want to come straight out again - if he wants to, get him out for a few more minutes.  Also, when you return him to his nest, put a treat in there for him.

If you can do this daily for a week I am sure you will notice an improvement. Don't rush him,just a few minutes handling at a time will be good enough at this stage.

Regarding exercise balls - he is probably too small at this age to be able to run in one and you might need to wait a few weeks until he is larger.  When you do put him in a ball, tape over any joins as they do have a habit of opening if they bang into furniture.  Also, be careful when you try to get him out - don't put your hand into the ball but instead let him walk out on your clothing or back into his cage.  In the wild hamsters are preyed upon by loads of creatures and because their eyesight is so poor they can panic and think that hand is a predator.

Chewing bars and climbing is very common for hamsters and it is hard to stop them doing this.  You can sometimes stop the chewing by putting in plenty of things for them to chew - such as treats that are stuck on sticks that they have to gnaw, or there are edible houses called Snack Shacks that are also good.  Make sure he has a good amount of woodchip and bedding in his cage so that if he is climbing and falls he will not hurt himself.  Hamsters can break bones quite easily if they fall so it is worth doing everything you can to prevent any injuries.

I hope this helps you, and that you start to notice an improvement soon.

regards
Sheila