Handing Advice

Question
Hello Kathryn,  May I first say what an excellent web site!  I'd really appreciate some advice on improving the handling of my hamster, Sammy.  He's a short haired Syrian and is just over 6 months old.  We didn't know a lot about hamsters when we first had him (my husband and I - no children or other pets) but bought several books and researched on line - unfortunately a lot of advice was contradictory.  We think he may have been as young as 3 weeks when we had him.  He clicks regularly at us (and we click back!) he is very friendly and will always come to say hello, push his nose through the bars of the cage to rub noses.  He loves going in his ball and is happy to be stroked in his cage, although I always try not to put my hand above him as I know this is to be avoided and it makes him jumpy.  He's happy to be helped into his box by hand too. We use a small cardboard box to help move him from the cage to the ball.  He's also happy to go back into the cage over my hand.  He's been out (free range!) in our hall twice recently.  He's happy to come to us but likes to jump out of my hands and off me ASAP.  Can you offer any advice on how to handle him a little more?  I'm wondering if this will be possible as he gets a little older and calmer, as he is very active. It would be lovely if we were able to get him to sit with us or on our laps but his quality of life obviously comes first.      Any advice would be great.  Many thanks - Amanda

Answer
Hi Amanda,
You clearly care for your hamster very much, so I want to help you as much as I can.
It's perfectly normal for them to jump if you put your hand above them, it's natural instinct to think it's an eagle or some other hamster-eating bird of prey. They are far-sighted so they can see far-off predators, so they can easily mistake a finger for a nice piece of food. When they get used to your smell, and they know you are not an eagle, they will know not to bite.
I will not lie to you; it is going to take quite a bit of patience to train Sammy. Basically, the older a hamster is, the harder it is to train. I recommend training a hamster when it is between 6 and 12 weeks old, but any hamster can be trained, it just takes more patience and time with older hamsters.

I will give you a step-by-step guide telling you exactly how to train him. Don't move onto the next step until both you and Sammy are confident with the step you are currently on.

1) Put food on your hand and wait for him to come over. He will probably sniff you, but don't retract your hand, otherwise he may bite. He will soon know that to get food he must climb onto your hand. Do this every day until he is confident with coming onto your hand to eat the food.
2)Talk to him gently all the time. Make sure he know you mean no harm.
3) Gently and slowly curl your hand he is eating from round her body. Don't squeeze him, in fact barely touch him with your fingers. After another week or so he should just ignore you doing this.
4) Stroke him on the back with your other hand when he is sitting on your hand eating. Raise your hand over his head, so he can see, and soon recognise, the shape of your hand, so he knows you are only going to stroke him, not kill him.
5) Move one hand over the top of his body, being careful to let him see your hand before moving it over his body, while he is sitting on the other one. Curl your fingers round him like you did before. He should be in an enclosed space between your two hands, but able to move around. Practice holding him like this with your hand on the ground first of all until he 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 him squirming or trying to get free. She won't even notice you're holding her, or at least not care that you are, 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 him. Keep a loose hold of him, so he is calm, but make sure he does fall out your hand. Keep him 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. Throughout the entire process, talk to him, and let him smell you, so that he gets used to your smell and voice.

One last tip is strange, but it works. Rub his bedding all over before placing it into his cage, so he associates the comfort of his bed with you.

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Best of luck,
Kathryn