About Hamster Wellbeing

Question
Hi my name is Randi and I'd really appreciate some help. I bought a hamster 3 days ago (I think its a Syrian though I'm not sure of the sex yet) She/he is so scared of everything that she's always hiding in a tunnel. When I open a hamster door, that's where she goes. sometimes she pokes her head out to see but always goes back in. I try to lure her out with treats and it worked for a little bit but she went right back inside after a couple minutes. She doesn't want to escape like a normal hamster and it worries me. Should I take the tube out and let her get more used to me? Thank you!

Answer
Hi,

For several days, just talk to her/him, and let her/him get used to your voice. S/he should be less tense as s/he gets used to her surroundings and your voice. Also, handle her/his bedding, so she associates your smell with the warmth and safety of her bed, and will not find you as frightening. Never swoop your hand over her or grab her, as she will think your a bird of prey about to kill her!
Do not put off handling her for too long though, as she will be more difficult to train the longer you leave it.

Follow this guide, and within a few weeks she should be trained:
1) Put food on your hand and wait for her to come over. Do this every day until she is confident with coming onto your hand.
2)Talk to her gently all the time. Make sure she know you mean no harm.
3) Gently and slowly curl your hand she is eating from round her body. Don't squeeze her, in fact barely touch her with your fingers. After another week or so she should just ignore you doing this.
4) Stroke her on the back with your other hand when she is sitting on your hand eating.
5) Move one hand over the top of her body, while she is sitting on the other one. Curl your fingers round her like you did before. She should be in an enclosed space between your two hands, but able to move around. Practice holding her like this with your hand on the ground first of all until she is used to it.
6) Eventually you will be able to move your hand just an inch or so off the ground of the cage without her squirming. She won't even notice if all goes well.
7) Over a couple of weeks, raise your hand each time slightly, until it is eventually completely out of the cage.
8) The trick is to keep calm, as tension passes straight into her. Keep a loose hold of her, so she is calm, but make sure she does fall out your hand. Keep her close to your body, never at arm's length. Patience is all that is required, and it can be frustrating, but given time any hamster can be trained.


Here's a guide to tell you how to sex your hamster:
http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUniversity/SexingHamsters.html
To sex her, lift her up by the scruff of her neck, move her onto her back and look at her/his undersides. This should be the only time you "scruff" her, as it can cause stress on their eyes and make them go blind if you hold her for prolonged periods of time. Another easier way to sex her/him is to place her on top of a clear sheet of glass/plastic and look underneath.

Don't worry about her not wanting to escape, hamsters have very distinct personalities, some will be desperate to chew through their cage, others will never chew a thing. That's not something to worry about.
Be confident. As I said before, tension passes straight into her and makes her more likely to bite you.
Feel free to ask me any more questions.
Good luck,
Kathryn