Shy syrian

Question
hi there
I recently bought a new baby syrain at 8 weeks old, he has now been with us for around 2 weeks. We have two large habitrail cages joined together with a little bit of tubing to allow him to feel like hes in tunnels.

When we got him he was shy which i knew, but he is still pretty uneasy around us, i can get him out of the cage and handle him, but i am afraid to bring him out of the play pen we have, as he tends to run very quickly and jumps out of our hands.

The problem i find is that it has to be on his terms, i have to tempt him to the edge of the cage and sometimes he climbs out on his own and onto my hand. The rest of the time he hides under the platform inside the cage, or in the small tunnels and sits there for ages.

Is there anything i can do to ease him or maybe make the handling more on my terms?
I dont bug him during the day or while hes sleeping as i know this causes stress.

This isnt my first hamster either but its been a while since i had one so young.

Thanks in advance

Zoe

Answer
Hi Zoe,

First you should give your hamster a few days to get used to his new home. Then start spending more time around his cage and quietly talk to him so he gets used to your voice. As he becomes comfortable with your presence, start offering him some favorite foods like sunflower seeds by hand, and once he is happily taking treats from your fingers you can start to try to pick him up. Let him walk into your hand, then start trying to gently scoop him up. This may take some time. It could happen quickly or it could take a month or more. It's up to him and it's on his terms.

Thank you for writing!