Something interesting is that when I wear a sock in my hand, she doesn’t bite at all, is curious, and likes to climb up my hand. When I put my bare hand in there the same way, she immediately bites me. I’m very confused because she isn’t scared or she wouldn’t approach my hand in the first place. She isn’t territorial because this is in the bathtub which is a new environment. And she doesn’t just like biting things because she doesn’t bite the sock. She does the same with my sister. Something about human hands make her bite you! Any ideas on why and how to stop this?
I think it’s very early days and there’s a need to take things slowly but I also know how demoralising it is when this kind of thing seems permanent (even though it probably isn’t).
I think you answered your own question there when you mentioned she doesn’t bite if you have a sock over your hand. My current Syrian Raffy was a biter when I got him (rescue) he was perfectly fine unless a hand cane anywhere near him, even in the playpen. So I did decide to wear a glove. It meant I could relax more and he didn’t bite when I had the glove on. With him I guessed it was fear of hands due to past history possibly (eg if he’d had rough handling before or been dropped eg).
As Elusuve says it’s more common with Russian dwarf hamsters but I think it’s time and patience as it was for me with Raffy. I got him used to eating from my gloved hand and sitting on my gloved hand and accepting the odd stroke on the back with a gloved hand. As he got used to it, I carried on without the glove and he still sat on my hand to eat and didn’t nip - but still didn’t like a hand coming towards him for a stroke. But by then he was used to going to and from his cage in a tube taxi so a bit more tame generally so I started to have him out on the sofa with me rather than in a playpen. That was much better because me and my hand were on the same level as him on the sofa. So I suspect it was partly not like a hand coming from above him when he was in the playpen. Once on the sofa I could just pick him up and he’d sit for a stroke for a minute or two and then want to be off again. Even now if you try to hold him for more than a few seconds (eg to do a health check) he “threatens” to nip - but doesn’t actually do it.
But the main thing is when you’ve first got a hamster - to not try to do too much too soon. It does take a lot of patience. This may be her way of saying - leave me alone for a bit.
I suggest leaving her for a week now and then starting again. How do you get her out of her enclosure? If picking her up, I’d suggest letting her walk into something with a treat in it instead.
Let her adjust gradually until she knows you well. It’s frustrating and can take time and patience but just keep talking to her.
With my new Syrian I was talking to a seemingly empty cage for about three weeks. It’s only really two months later that he has stopped avoiding my hand.
Their personalities vary but sometimes they just need a bit more settling in time. You haven’t had her long and it’s usually best to wait 10 days to two weeks before attempting taming because she needs that time to fully adjust to her new cage and surroundings, scent mark, have habits in the cage and make it her own. So also don’t do any cleaning or changing things for the first couple of weeks either or she could see you as a threat.
I would go back to just talking to her. Then in maybe a week’s time try her out of the cage again and wear a glove. She is still only a baby
I quite like using a bath initially and making it more like a playpen - you could put a blanket on the bottom to make it cosier and have some tissue box hides, cardboard tunnels and a chew in there and it can help to have spare wheel in there is well (but not her wheel from her cage or she’ll get confused as she’ll associate its scent with her cage). And just let her explore and run round a bit. I saw one person in a video suggest only presenting your fisted hand so no fingers to nibble. Eg have your hand in a fist on the floor of the bath/pen, with the back of your hand facing up. Abd just let her sniff and investigate. Although you might still get a nibble on the knuckles. But it really is a case of taking it very slowly.
Some people use a large box at first - if you have one. But that depends on the hamster - some of them hate being in a large box - at least with a larger area you can put your arm in at an angle.
Leave it a week - one out of cage session. Wait two or three days - another out of cage session. It gives her time to get used to you and coming out of the cage, before she gets used to hands.
You could maybe sit in the bath as well? If you do that, have someone else there and shut the door and check the bathroom to make it hamsterproof as they can run up your arm and jump out. So it needs someone else there to block that if it happens. A playpen is easier in that respect if it’s bigger.
Patience is the key and going at the hamster’s pace, but it can be very frustrating initially.
If you can get a nightcam at some point, you can enjoy watching what she gets up to at night
. Thats when they’re most active.
