How to Tame a Hamster

When purchasing a hamster from a pet store, you should know that it most likely has not been handled or interacted with much before you bought it. Your hamster will probably not be tame and is very likely to be afraid of you, thinking you intend to harm it. On top of that, your hamster will have a scary ride in a vehicle and then be placed in a different habitat in a different place. Your hamster's whole world will change in moments and to put it bluntly, the little animal will be "freaking out". So how do you make the transition easier for your new pet and then how do you go about taming it. These steps should help your hamster settle in and quickly become a little, furry friend that trusts you.

Get your hamster's new home ready first. Before you run off to the store in excitement to buy the adorable hamster you've been waiting for, get the habitat ready. Your hamster will most likely come in a little box from the pet store that is only intended for transportation purposes and should not stay in for very long. If you don't own a hamster cage yet, you should go buy a cage and supplies and get everything set up. Assemble the cage (if required), fill it with a few inches of bedding (I prefer aspen), put a bowl of food in the cage, fill the water bottle and hang it up, place a "hide-out" in the cage for the hamster to sleep and hide in, and of course a hamster wheel is a must. Now everything is ready for your hamster's arrival.

Expect your hamster to be scared. Understanding that your hamster will be scared should help you realize that you're probably not going to be able to go the store, buy a hamster, then take it home and play with it right away. You should also know that a scared hamster may very well bite, but this doesn't mean you bought an aggressive or foul-tempered hamster. It simply means he doesn't trust you yet, is afraid, and feels the need to protect himself. A scared hamster may also let out what I have labeled "the hamster death scream" if you pick it up. It's a terrible noise that is obviously one of fear and quite loud for such a little animal. Our Teddy Bear hamster, Shakespeare, let out this scream repeatedly when I had to pick him up to put him in his cage the day we bought him. I truly believe the little guy thought I was going to eat him.

Don't handle the hamster for the first twenty-four hours. If it is possible, place the box your hamster came home in inside the cage, open the box, let him come out when he is ready, and then remove the box. If the box won't fit in the cage, use a washcloth (to prevent being bit) and carefully pick your hamster up and place it in the cage. After putting the hamster in it's new cage, leave him alone. Your hamster needs time to adjust to his new surroundings. He may start sniffing everything, start checking everything out, have a nibble of food or a sip to drink, or he may just run off to the "hide-out" and hide for a while. Shakespeare ran around sniffing and rubbing up against everything and digging in the bedding. Whatever your hamster chooses to do, he needs time to do it. Everything about this little creature's life just changed and like anyone else, he needs a little time to adjust.

Take it slow. Now the first twenty-four hours have passed and you're ready to pick your hamster up and play with him, right? Wrong. The hamster's probably not ready yet. You have to earn this little guy's trust so he won't be afraid of you. Now is the time to try to feed him a small carrot from your hand. This helps the hamster know you're not trying to hurt it and lets him get used to your smell. If he will take the carrot from you, or better yet, nibble it while you hold it, you may see if your hamster will let you touch him, but do not try to pick it up yet. Expect that he may bite you, he's only defending himself. Shakespeare did bite my daughter once during this process. If your hamster does bite you, stick to the carrot for now and try again the next day. After a few days, he should get comfortable enough with your hand to let you touch him without feeling the need to defend himself.

Picking your hamster up. Once your hamster lets you touch him several times without biting you, you may try to pick him up for a brief moment. We started with just picking Shakespeare up for a moment and then putting him back in his cage. He did bite my daughter one time during this stage. Just keep trying to pick your hamster up for a moment every day until it doesn't try to bite.

Set up a safe "play area". Once you can pick up your hamster a few times without it trying to bite, you may then move on to picking him up and placing him in a safe play area. We got a good sized box, put Shakespeare's wheel and some toys in it, then picked him up and put him in there. We watched him as he ran around sniffing and rubbing everything. Then he started to play with the toys, running in his wheel, getting out of his wheel to sniff it, then "sitting up" to look around. This is good time to try to feed your hamster a small carrot, which he will probably take or nibble without a problem at this point. If he will nibble the carrot, you may try to touch him. If he will let you touch him, spend a little time touching him and letting him play. Only let your hamster be out for about fifteen minutes, then carefully pick him up and put him back in his cage. We repeated this routine with Shakespeare every evening for several days, keeping him out a little longer and touching and petting him a little more each time. He did bite me one time after putting him in his cage. We just left him alone for the rest of the day and continued the routine the next evening.

Holding your hamster. Once your hamster is comfortable with you picking him up and with you touching and petting him while he's in the play area, you may now try to hold him. At this point, your hamster should be comfortable with your smell and touch and shouldn't try to bite you. If he does bite though, just take a step back to the play area routine and try again in a couple of days. Continue this cycle of the play area and trying to hold him until your hamster trusts you and no longer tries to bite you.

How long will it take? We were able to go from the "hamster death scream" to being able to hold Shakespeare in less than three weeks. It may take less time or longer for your hamster, he'll let you know when he's ready, just be patient and keep trying. It's important that you spend a little time each day trying to get your hamster used to you. If you are inconsistent and don't interact with your hamster every day, it will take longer for him to trust you.

Tips and Warnings. If your hamster bites you, try to not drop him or shake him off. Simply place him in his cage and leave him alone for a while. Do not yell at, spank, flick, or discipline your hamster in any way for biting you. He is only trying to defend himself because he is scared and you will only make him more fearful, which will cause him to bite even more. Also, make sure you properly clean and bandage a wound if you get bit hard enough to break the skin. Shakespeare did bite hard enough to draw blood, but now you would never think that he used to bite. He completely trusts us and has become our furry, little friend that lets us hold him and play with him.