When you bring your hamster home from the pet store or the breeder, you're likely to find that she shies away from human contact--or worse, nips at your fingers. Taming your hamster is an important step in developing a relationship with your new pet. The good news is, it's not that difficult, but it does require some patience and persistence on your part.
Start Young
Hamsters are typically weaned from their mothers by about the age of three weeks. Ideally, the hamster you purchase will be no older than eight to ten weeks. The younger your hamster is when you start working with him, the less chance he has had to learn to fear humans.
Work with Your Hamster in the Evening
Hamsters are nocturnal--more active at night than during the day. Work with yours during the evening hours, when she is starting to wake up. Never rouse a hamster from a sound sleep and expect her to be social and friendly...after all, would you be?
Set Aside Regular Play Times
Be consistent. Try to tame your hamster for at least a few minutes every evening. If you go too long between interactions with your pet, your hamster may forget who you are, and then you will have to start all over.
Brief is Best
Hamsters have short attention spans. Five to fifteen minutes of play and taming is plenty.
Use Treats
To borrow a cliche, the way to your hamster's heart is through his stomach. Start out by offering treats such as sunflower seeds or small bites of fruit through the openings between the bars of your hamster's cage. Once he has learned to accept food from you like this, slowly put your hand into the cage to offer treats. When your hamster becomes comfortable with this method of feeding, flatten your hand against the bottom of the cage and put the food in the palm of your hand so that your hamster has to stand on your hand to get the goodies.
Get the Hamster Accustomed to Your Touch
Gently stroke your hamster's back while she is enjoying her treat. If your hamster doesn't object to this intimacy, slowly lift her out of the cage on the palm of your hand. (Note: Never reach into the cage and grab a hamster from above. This is how a bird of prey would approach in the wild, and a grab from above will almost certainly earn you a sharp nip as the hamster struggles to get away.)
Be Patient
In the wild, hamsters were solitary animals. You're asking them to overcome thousands of years of instinct to bond with you. If your hamster becomes shy or aggressive, go back to the last stage of taming where he was comfortable and start again from there.
Taming your hamster can take time and patience, but if your hard work is successful, you'll find yourself with a sweet, loving pet with a penchant for funny tricks and poses. The love you get back from your hamster will make the time you spent taming it well worth your while.
