I think my hamster is stressed and I want to make him happy

Question
I got a male syrian hamster a few weeks old and brought him home. In his first cage he seemed very happy and ran around checking everything out, exploring the wheel for hours. I ended up having to switch his cage twice and now he is in an aquarium with a metal barred topper. Everything seems healthy and fine, but he seems not to want anything to do with me. I'm pretty sure he's stressed out because I ended up handling him way too soon. how can I make sure he trusts me and gains a relationship with me when I rarely see him during the day?

I just want to make sure he is as happy as possible and trusts me.

Answer
Hi Venita,

First of all, hamsters are most active at night and sleep during the day. To start a relationship with your hamster first, let your hamster have the first few days in his cage on his own to let him get used to it. Put him in a quiet place so he is not disturbed and give him plenty of bedding. The first few times you get him out, set the cage on the floor, scoop your hamster out, he will probably be very skittish so you will have to be very aware to stop him from running away, but let him run on your body.Pick up your hamster in this way once or twice a day, talking in a soft voice and using lots of gentle encouragement. Skittish young hamsters usually calm down with age. Always wait until your hamster is awake before taming him, and never pick up a sleeping hamster. Most biting is as a result of fear, not viciousness. Remember this if you do get bitten (it was probably your fault) it does not mean the hamster is nasty. The most common reasons for getting bitten are grabbing a hamster from above, picking up a sleeping hamster and accidentally pinching a hamster when you pick him up. After a biting incident, put the hamster back in the cage and leave him for a couple of hours to calm down. Remember that taming is easier if a hamster has been handled since birth, but I have yet to meet an untamable hamster. It may take months if the pet shop has allowed an animal to mature without once being handled, but even an older animal can be tamed with effort. If at any stage the hamster starts biting and looking anxious, try going back a step and repeating the process (ie leave him alone for a few days). Once your hamster runs on you without looking frightened, place the cage in a busier area to get him used to people.

Thank you for your question and best of luck!