new teddy bear

Question
we just got a teddy bear 2 days ago, 12 weeks old and hasn't been handled at all, every time we put our hand in the cage he lashes out and tries to bite. will he get over this as we let him acclimate to his new surrounds and try and work with him or will he always be a bitter? Is there anything we can do? how do we work with him if he wont even accept our hands in the cage?

Answer
Hi Dani

Sorry to hear you're having trouble handling your hamster.

I often get hamsters like this to tame and eventually they do come around.  The fact is that if they have never been handled (especially if they came from a breeding farm) they need to win your confidence.  Also, if you are afraid of him he will know that.

First of all speak to him a lot.  Every time you see him out and about, talk to him so that he recognizes your voice.  Always give him a treat through the bars when you see him - like a nut or hamster treat.  I suggest you doing this for a few days without trying to handle him - this way he'll start to get used to you.  

I never put my hand in a hamster cage - their eye sight is very poor and they rely heavily on scent.  In the wild if something comes from above, chances are they're dinner for a bird or some other creature, so a hand in their cage can cause them a lot of stress and they can bite because they are afraid.

If there is door on the side of his cage - open this and talk to him and see if he will come out onto the platform - you could hand him treats from here.  Hamsters are naturally nosey and chances are he will come to the doorway to see what is going on.

After a few days of this you could try picking him up.  Does the cage dismantle - i.e. can you take the top off the cage leaving just the base?  If so, put the cage on the floor and remove the top.  Rub some of his bedding/wood chippings into your hands so that his scent is on them.  Scoop him up - don't grab at him or expect him to walk on your hands.  Immediately put him on your clothing - some hamsters hate to walk on skin and feel a lot happier walking over clothing.  If he gets away from you, you can either scoop him up again or gently slide your hand under him - but don't squeeze him at all.  After a few minutes, I suggest you return him to his cage.  Chances are he will want to come out again.  It is a good idea to increase the handling time every day. Remember to keep talking to him all the time so that he is reassured he is safe.

If he has an exercise ball to run in, this also helps build a hamster's confidence.  You can tame him to walk into it and back out of it so that you don't have to put your hand in it to scoop him out.  Because he'll be exploring your home in the safety of the ball this will make him feel more confident.  

Taming a hamster can take a while, especially as they get older, but it is worth doing as the relationship you will have with your hamster will be much better if you manage to do this.

Hope you get on OK with this.

Regards