How do you handle a dwarf hamster that won't let you do anything with it?

Question

my hamster has it's sister living with it and i got it yesterday.it is only a baby and it keeps biting me and won't let me touch it or hold it.i don't know what to do!

Answer 1

Keep lettting her smell your hand, talk to her softly to let her get to know your voice.  Be paitent, she's probably just scared.

You can also try putting an empty toilet paper tube in the cage, let the hamster play with it awhile so it gets her scent on it, then put the tube in front of her and let her walk in the tube.  When she walks into the tube, pick the tube up only about an inch from the cage floor and tip it to allow her to walk back out of it.  Make it a little game, dwarfs usually love it!!

Once she gets comfortable doing this, let her run into the tube, cover the open end with your hand and let her run out onto your open palm, make sure you only lift it a couple of inches off the cage floor at first, this way if she jumps out of your hand she wont fall far.

I've done this with lots of dwarfs and it usually works well.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

It does not know you yet. Its like finding a random person in the street and trying to plant a kiss on them, their gonna try and push you away, because their not sure.

Just let it smell you, and settle into its new home for a day or two. They try offering it treats, so it associates you with good things. Just stroke it for a while, and get it used to being handled, take small steps with your friendship so as not to scare them.

I hope that helps.

Answer 3

I agree with both the other answers, but I also want to add this:

Try sometimes sticking your hand in the cage and just letting it sit there for a while (obviously taking it back out when they do that scary bull charge at you). Also try taking tissues or toilet paper and rubbing it all over your skin for several minutes, then putting it in her cage as bedding so that your scent surrounds her all the time. Talk to her a lot so that she knows the sound of your voice, and trust me - once she's OUT of her cage, she'll be fine and won't bite you at all.

Another thing that I do with my dwarf is reach in and just pet him gently on the head without trying to pick him up (while also avoiding those teeth) so that he's used to my hands being in his cage or on his body.

Good luck with your dwarves, they sound like sweeties (even if Syrians are a little more preferable, lol)!