baby hamster urinating on me

Question
Hi, i got a 5 week old long haired syrian yesterday. I have been taking my time talking to her but the couple of times i have tried to pick her up she urinates on my top and over my hands.  Is this just due to nerves? Can you suggest anything to make her feel more at ease as she is extremely nervous unlike the other hamsters i have had in the past. thanks for your help. sara

Answer
Hi Sara,

There are two reasons why hamsters urinate by accident. The first one is in young hamsters, lots of movement weakens the muscles around the bladder and causes them to lose control of it, they will grow out of this eventually. you'll notice this happens when she is in her ball and her wheel.

secondly, its because they are afraid or nervous. so she may be doing this for both reasons. You will need to be very gentle with her when taming her and the more time you spend doing it, and the more often you do it, the less nervous she'll be. giving her lots of treats such as peanuts and sunflower seeds when taming her will put her at ease and she will realise that you are not a threat but infact someone who will look after her and give her things she likes!

Best of luck and if you need anymore help with taming, let me know. thanks for your question.

Joanne x