so chuffed!!!!

[jostring]

Hi all

I am so chuffed tonight!
My hammie Indy - bought him on the 13th of March - so over a month since I have had him - wasn't sure of his age when I got him but he did look young... hasn't liked being picked up - though whenever I have he has never ever bit me...

Anyway been letting him get out of his cage straight into his ball from the cage door, run around and then get him out of his ball and handle him...
He has recently discovered how to knaw on the bars at night - obviously wanting to get out!

Well he came out tonight in his ball as normal - he went back in his cage - then he seemed he wanted to come out again so I opened the cage door and he climbed out onto my hands!!!!!!!
First time ever!!! I am so pleased!!!!
Proves that he trusts me now!
Only took a month!!
:)

So those recent posts about not being able to handle their hamster and thinking of taking back to the shop!
Don't!
be patient!
You don't have to physically grab your hammy out the cage - train it to come out itself!!!!
:)

a very happy and pleased Jo :flippy:
xx

p.s: its funny also when both our hammies are out together in their balls - its hilarious - they actually notice each other now and run around after each other and stop for a sniff!! hehe!!!
:)

[Padfoot]

That is so great!!!!!!!!! :partydude

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! :partydude :flippy: :partydude :EL: :partydude

[jostring]

hehe!

thanks!!!

Jo
xxx
:)

[LilSnooPydOG]

Awesome!

I've had Snoopi since November, and I've now taken the time to "properly" tame her, and I'm so glad! It used to be "coax her out from under the wheel with a treat and grab her" but now I put a treat in my hand, and she crawls up. It works, too. When I first started doing this, she would stretch her neck as far as it could because she did not want to get on my palm. So, she would snatch the treat and hop off. Now she eats on the palm of my hand and sometimes I don't even need a treat, she just walk up.

But I used to do what you did. I would put the ball in fron of the cage door and if she wanted to run, she would go in. And then when I thought she was done I would place it in front of the door again. If she got out, she was done. But sometimes she would try to run in the oppostie direction. :lol: I interpreted that as she wanted to run some more.

Now before this post gets too lengthy, I'd like to add something that I found weird. The day I got Snoopi, I held her. She would snuggle up to my sweater, and fall asleep. I can guarantee she was sleeping like this for at least an hour. Now there is no way she would ever fall asleep like that again! I just found it weird that the first time I held her, it was like she trusted that nothing would happen and she just made herself comfortable. :angel4:

[hotham]

wow, that is great. maybe my hamster will be like that someday, i have two hamsters also, i can handle one a little bit, she nibbled on my finger once, when i stuck it in the cage, but it didnt hurt, but she somtimes let me picks her up, and she doesnt bite me until i stick my finger in that cage......i also have a male hamster....he bites really really hard, when we first got him he would let us pick him up, now he bites even if we stick our fingers through the bars....we left for four days and no one played wid him for that amount......and then the next time we went to go play wid him he bit us hard......were scared to pick him up now, were still kind of scared to pick up the girl one too.....but the pet store guy can pick him up without it biting....and they spend less time wid the hamsters.....we put them in the ball at the same tiem, they do sniff each other, mines look like they asre biting each other, but it also looks like hes just messing up her hair,......the girl one bites less now..... the male bites way more now....can someone plz help me???? bye

[MemoryBear]

It just takes time to work with them. There are a few hamsters out there that are just so even-tempered that they get used to you in no time (I had one like that...RIP Bear-Bear), but unfortunately, there aren't many like that :(

Bright Eyes wasn't too comfortable with me when I first got him. Of course, he had to make two car trips in a little cardboard box because of a wet tail scare. (his cagemate and later the female I got on the return trip both died from it. The female was a real cutie, which was a shame. She chewed a hole in the carry box on the car ride home, and was trying to climb out!)

It took a few weeks to get him to trust me. Now he'll let me put my hand in his cage and pet him, and will come to the front of the cage for me to pick him up. He absolutely loves cheese, and will shove his cheeks full.

[jostring]

Lilsnoop - Indy was just the same when I first got him - when I got him out he would snuggle up in my arms and my hair (as its long) and he fell asleep once!!!! It was soooo cute! But like you say he wont do that now - he is way too hyper!!! I guess its because they are young and when they came out they didn't know any different.... but now of course they are completly confident!!! just wanna get out and adventure!!! :)

Hotham - how long have you had your hammies???? Do you go to grab them out of their cage???? that is probably why they bite - they are scared - also if you feel scared of them they can normally sense it!
Maybe you should get a second ball - one each??? surely being in the ball together isn't fun!!! (guessing)
If they enjoy the ball though why not try putting it up to the door - and see if they climb in??
You should try and get their trust - take it slow - put your hand in the cage every nihgt with some treats - be patient!
Are you leaving them in the day to sleep???
Don't disturb them in the day - they will definatly bite if they are groggy and sleepy!

Another concern I have - did you say you have a male and female living together????
If they are very young then fine for not but they will need seperating soon - else you will have lots of little hammies appear one day and you don't want that to happen - too many unwanted hammies in the world already!!!!
If they are syrian hamsters then they should live on their own - they can get nasty towards each other and even kill each other - even a bite can become infected and kill a hammie....
Please be careful - i don't like to hear when someone is keeping a pet without the knowledge of knowing how they live....

Just be patient and gentle with them - they are probably way more scared of you than the other way round.

Let us know how you get on.

Jo
xx
:)

[Padfoot]

My last syran hamster, Frank, was moody. LOL He only bit me once, but it was because I startled him (he was sleeping and I accidentally waked him up..) but it did not draw blood or anything.. He loved being out of the cage and if he saw me he would stand up and make little movements (similar to "hey! I'm here... pick me up!!!). BUT sometimes he just wasn't in the mood to be out... lol... and I tried to pick him up... and it was the funniest thing... He would "ignore me" and when I touched him he would rotate his front part of the body so that his back legs were on the floor, but his front legs are face were facing upward... and in this position he would take my finger with his two little paws and push me away. I would tease him by touching him with one finger on his back and he would do it again. I thought it was so hilarious that it didn't bothered me that he didn't wanted to be out. It was like he was saying "leave me alone... don't touch me... go..."