Im afraid of holding my hamster!?

Question

im afraid of holding my hamster. Im thinking it will bite me. Is there a way of letting my hamster that i will do no harm or no biting?

Answer 1

Well wash your hands before touching or holding it or else it will bite you.

Answer 2

dont worry abouut him  bitting, first of all it wont hurt and second of all he wont make you sick, buy the way no not without puting him in a head lock

Answer 3

You shoudn't be afraid of your hamster..I know how you feel cause i use to have 2 white ones with devil eyes HEhE.

The make sure that your hamster will not attack or bite Go through the following steps:

1.Try letting you hamster know the smell of your finger; put your fingers in the hamster cage sometimes and let it follow your finger.This way it knows its owner and you can even start training it once it gets the hang of it.

2.Try giving your hamster a treat like(carrot,grape,yougurt ball,hamster chip) once in a while,trust me it works and theyll love ya.

3.Once you have completed these tasks try getting it to crawl in your hand when you put it in its cage .If this works ,you should be glad that your hamster will trust its owner!

Good Luck

All the best : )

Answer 4

Why get a hamster if you're afraid to hold it? It won't bite unless you startle her. Move slowly and entice her onto your hand with sunflower seeds. Hold her no more than 6 inches above the floor.

Answer 5

I say put on gloves until your hamster fully trusts you. To get it to trust you pet it, feed and water it, and let it roam around so it gets used to your room (or wherever its held). That's how my hamster to know me.  

Answer 6

Well, I've learned a few ( A LOT) of things from this website:

http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.ph...

It helped people I suggested it to, so it may work for you.

But for a start, wash your hands thouroughly so it doesn't smell like food. That way it wouldn't be as tempted to bite. Good luck! And I hope this helps!

Answer 7

Don't let your hamster feel your fear just relax and stroke her/him very gently to calm her/him down.

Answer 8

I used to raise and breed hamsters, and biting was always a problem when I got individual animals from pet shops or other breeders.

Almost all hamsters bite when nervous or frightened.  I have even read that all hamsters will bite the first time a new owner handles them.  I've been bitten several times by new animals, and I think there may be something to that.

Once hamsters are used to people, they almost never bite.  They're fantastic pets and provide furry companionship as long as they're not stressed out (they're kinda prone to stress from loud and prolonged noises). My advice is to go slow and let the hamster learn that you're not a threat.

First, try to get the animal(s) used to your scent.  Handle the dry food a lot before giving it to them, and handle the bedding.  Don't make any sudden moves when they're watching you, just go slow and deliberate and they'll get used to you soon enough.  

When you feel that your hamster is less jittery around you, prepare to initiate contact. Choose a time when your hamster is happy (after playtime, after feeding), and the environment is quiet.  Offer him a tiny treats with your fingers often, in moderate proportions, or you'll find the treats stuffed somewhere under the bedding, growing new life.  Touch him with your fingers often, but never enclose him or wall him in, or he may feel trapped and react by trying to bite you.

After a week or so of this, you can try encouraging him to walk up to your hand and scooping him up gently into your palm.  But do beware - once lifted, he may still bite - it is, after all, a new sensation for him.  Brace yourself - don't tighten your hold on him and do NOT flinch or drop him.  He'll never trust you after a fall and you'll never be able to hold him again, that is, if the fall doesn't injure or kill him.

Hamster teeth are incredibly sharp, and you'll feel a small stab of pain, but they don't hold on to what they've bitten.  Just breathe through it, give him a few pats, and hold him for a minute or so before putting him back down to attend to the wound.  Disinfect the bite - it's usually a bit deeper that most casual wounds but it's a clean cut and should heal quickly with a bit of antiseptic and maybe some topical antibiotic.  Apply direct pressure to stop the bleeding and bandage it in breathable material. You can remove the dressing as you sleep so it "airs".  Just remember to replace them when you wake up.

You can try again the next day.  They won't usually bite twice.  In time, he'll be happy to get picked up and wander all over you.  I recommend handling younglings as soon as their mother allows it - usually after a week and a half or so, to get them used to the sensation.  I've never been bitten by a hamster born to my breeding pairs, and they've all been claimed to be very tame by their new owners.

However, some hamsters just never get used to being held, and even though these are incredibly rare, if your hamster has bitten you three times, I recommend just not handling that animal anymore, or using protective gloves when doing so.  Also, don't breed him.  They seem to pass their nervousness on to their offspring.

Whew - sorry for the long-winded reply.  But I do hope this helps. :)

Answer 9

i was a little scared too when i first got my hamsters. my advice is:

make a secure area (make barriers with books or dvds) so that if you get scared you can put it down

get it out in a cup so that you can sit down and relax before you hold it

i wouldn't advise gloves because they will smell weird to your hamster but if they are completely necessary then use them

put your hand in front of your hamster and let it wander onto you

it may have a little nibble but if you get the hamster out regularly then you will build up a good relationship and it won't bite

its all about confidence!

i hope that helps, good luck!

Answer 10

wear some gloves.

good luck

Answer 11

i had the same problem! but how i got out of it was: Wash your hands with soap, not food scented, then dry. go to your hamster and put your hand in their cage. let her sniff it. she maybe try to take a small nibble, this will not hurt only tickle, so if she does pull your hand out. repeat process. then keep doing this for a few days. after a while, start hand feeding her. after a few days of that, repeat process one, but lay your hand out flat. she may or may not crawl in. if she crawls in, gently lift her out and stroke her with one finger. DO NOT stroke her head. then cup your other hand over her body GENTLY. when she squirms, gently put her back down. keep doing this day after day and she will be tamed!