winter white dwarfs

Question
"hello. how is it that my hamster cannot sleep on my hand? it allows itself to be petted or massaged for a while but then "wakes up" and starts to peer around anxiously, and wants to run off.

is nosing my fingers or closing her eyes when stroked when she is massaged a sign of affection? or resignation that she has to be disturbed when she is asleep?

sometimes, she runs out to the cage opening when we open it. we don't know if it is food or veg or banana that she wants cos she can't talk! and i guess i don't have much "hamster maternal instinct".

also, she preens and scratches herself or jumps into the sandbath immediately after i let her back into the cage. does my hand make her itchy?

also, how do hamsters show affection? i mean cats purr, dogs wag their tails, but hamsters?? i don't know if she is happy or not. sometimes, i don't know what she wants. does the hamster's tail indicate anything?

what should i do?. thanks for the reply.

Answer
hi lucy,

hamsters are not like cats or dogs, they are much simpler and less intelligent. They don't really answer to their names, or learn tricks quickly. They can be easily tamed, and thats about as far as it goes. Hamsters live off natural instinct more than cats and dogs, who can realize they depend on their owners for complete care, which is why they show more affection than hamsters. Also, cats and dogs can and do live in groups, where as hamsters prefer to be alone.

Your hamster does enjoy being petted, and the falling asleep is a sign of her affection for you, your hamster won't sleep on your hand because its night time, and hamsters are awake at night.

hamsters preen all the time, so its normal and nothing to worry about.

Don't fuss over her too much, or spoil her with treats, let her out once or twice a day, feed, water, and pet her as normal, and she'll be fine.

Thanks for your question and good luck!

Joanne xx