5 tips: How to encourage your hamster to love and trust you
I get asked this question a lot since Sponge and Mouse have very calm personalities. To be honest, I feel fortunate that they both have had such wonderful temperaments, but I guess, nurture is just as important as nature! Even very well behaved hamsters with wonderfully calm dispositions may become aggressive and nasty when brought up in a horrible, stressful environment. So here are 5 tips that I practise daily.
1. Treats are life
Hamsters are very greedy and food-motivated. I have owned 9 hamsters, dwarfs and Syrians alike, and they go gaga at the smell of their favourite treats. Some hamsters are greedier than others (like Mouse), some are fussier and not so keen, but when you find out what makes your hamster tick, it makes trust building so much easier. I find that stronger smelling treats seem more tempting to a hamster’s nose.
If your hamster is more of the suspicious type, try introducing these new treats to him/her in their cage. They will be more inclined to try new food in the safety of their own home. Once your hamster is comfortable taking food from your food in its cage, it will be more receptive to eating out of its cage in the future, especially if it’s favourite treat is involved!
Some treat ideas are:
Cheddar cheese - I have never owned a hamster that have not gone insane over cheddar. As cheese is very high in salt and fat, please only feed your hamster in very small portions
Human baby treats like Gerber puffs are great!They are usually low in sugar and calories and are fun additions to your hamster’s diet.Mouse love melty loops that are either strawberry or banana flavoured.
Nuts – In particular, walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts in shells (also known as monkey nuts)
Carbs - cooked brown rice, bread and/or cooked pasta, preferably whole wheat
Scrambled egg
Banana – both dried and fresh
Even Mouse does not eat everything in her sight when she is out of her cage and will only eat and pouch treats that she loves. Don’t be discouraged if your hamster rejects a treat, it probably just means that that is not to its palate and tastes. So, try something else!
2. Daily play time and interaction
I cannot stress this enough. The more you interact with your hamster, the more it will get used to your scent and voice, the more it trusts you. I handle Mouse every night, even if it is just for 15 minutes. Our play time usually lasts between an hour to 2 hours, with pee breaks back in her cage every half an hour. These breaks are also a good indication on whether she wants more time out with us, or wants to be left alone. I will leave her alone if she goes back into her house and/or will take her out when she looks for more.
Some ideas for handling times are:
Throwing an old blanket over your sofa and letting your hamster run around you and hang out while you watch TV.This is what we do every night as it fits our lifestyle.I would handle Mouse while watching TV and she would run around on the sofa when she gets restless
A play pen – A confined area for play time with toys. I think that play time outside of your hamster’s cage does not equate to handling time. Leaving your hamster to play in a play pen by itself isn’t the same as spending time with you.If you prefer this option, make sure the pen is big enough for you to sit in it and interact with your hamster.
Whatever you choose to do, I think it is important that it’s convenient and suited to your lifestyle.I would rather do something that is hassle free and enjoy my Mouse time in a sustainable way, than to have to set up and dismantle a play pen every night (due to the lack of space in my home) and eventually find it a chore and lose interest in Mouse time quickly.
3. Create a stress-free environment
Try not to stress your hamster out by cultivating a calm environment for play time. For example, no loud noises, no bright lights, no sudden movements and no other animals in the same room. The less exposed your hamster feels in an open environment out of its case, the safer and more comfortable they will feel, they less reserved they would be about befriending you.
The less they worry about their own safety, the more they will associate you/outside as a safe place. For people with pets, don’t forget hamsters have a very keen sense of smell and very sharp hearing. If your hamster is not used to other animals, it is best to have play time without other pets lurking around in the same space. Hamsters are prey animals and can sense danger and predators easily. You do not want your hamster to have its guard up in an environment it does not feel safe in.
Ideas to create a safe space:
A dimly-lit room without too much sudden movements and noise
Close the door to shut out unwanted noise and distractions
Handling your hamster in the same room as where its cage is located.Your hamster will be used to the smell of the room and would naturally be more at ease.I find that Mouse tends to be more guarded and antsy in rooms that she is not used to.She is confident enough to explore but she is more anxious and on edge when in her element
4. Be confident, relaxed and calm
Pets can sense your emotions. This does not just apply to dogs and cats. Over the years, I find that this is true with small little creatures like hamsters too. If you feel nervous when trying to handle your hamster, it will sense that and react negatively (for e.g. being more skittish or biting if it is a more aggressive hamster). Be confident, be gentle with your touch and hold, make slow movements and speak quietly.
When I cuddle Mouse on the sofa, the nights that she is more quiet and well behaved, coincide with my feeling calm and restful. The weirdest thing that I have noticed is, sometimes, she would be contented snuggling with me as I calmly stroke her back, and I would want to take a video of her being ultra adorable and would tell Hamdad to capture the moment. As I do not want him to miss the moment, I would get a little excited and strangely enough, at almost the same time, Mouse would stir and become slightly fidgety. I’m still uncertain if there is truly a correlation, but hey, it works for me!
5. It should always be on your hamster’s terms
Always handle your hamster on its own terms. Imagine if someone much bigger than you, makes a grab for you every time you go to the kitchen for something to eat or drink; or when you go for a midnight pee, or even worse, to barge into your bedroom while you are sleeping and demand to hang out. Imagine how irritated you would feel to have someone intrude into your personal space. Hamsters have feelings too. Resist the urge to scoop your hamster out for playtime as it stumbles around sleepily for a drink/pee in the middle of the day (night for them).
You can’t force your hamster to play with you. In fact, what this does is make your hamster associate you with stress. It’s best to handle your hamster in the evenings as hamsters tend to be more active when it gets dark. If your hamster is still in its nest in the evening, try to encourage it to come out for play time by softly calling its name, putting your hand near the nest’s entrance and letting it smell you. Make play time appealing by tempting it with its favourite treats. Bear in mind, always wait for your hamster to come out of its nest fully before attempting to scoop it out for play time. Sometimes, hamsters may not feel like interacting with you and can be grumpy and anti-social. That’s ok. Just understand that hamsters, like human beings experience different moods too. Be patient, and be considerate. Hamsters have feelings too!
I hope these tips are helpful. Please comment on this post if you try any of these tips and let me know if they work for you. Do share your hamster’s favourite treats and what you have done to make play time fun!
Lots of luff and fluff,
Rachel
