Meet Lemon...

J

jvvilliams

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Hi everyone, first time posting, so I hope this is in the right place! I'd like to introduce Lemon, my 6 & 8 year old boys new Syrian Hamster... but I can't add photos and videos from my phone, so I'll add them when I can figure out what's going on. We've had her just over two weeks, as she was 6 months old when we bought her. We're not sure whether we're making the right sort of progress with trying to hand tame her, so I thought I'd post and ask for some advice. In the shop we were told to let her settle in for a couple of days, then hand in cage and by the end of a week we could start trying to handle her. So far that seems rather optimistic... or we're not brave enough! She's very busy when awake, loves her food, storing it and loves gnawing the bars (We've got a Ferplast Duna Fun large cage for the time being). So far she is very interested in sniffing our hands, had a couple of nips, but is beginning to put her paws on my flat hand to take food. Does that sound about right for two and a bit weeks in?

I had a Syrian when I was their age but I've no recollection whether it was a baby or not; my brother had mostly tamed him before he was given to me for a birthday gift so I recall him being very tame straight away. Taking on an adult hamster seems different and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right having not actually tamed one myself before. Of course my boys are more nervous than me, the 8 year old is very happy with his hand in her cage and beginning to offer her food but not ready to try his hand in her cage flat yet and the 6 year old gets scared anytime he thinks one of us might be bitten! However they both love her and are enjoying being around her very much. One thing I've heard about is lying in a dry bath and letting her run over us? Is that a good idea? Any tips gladly received, thanks!

Joe
 
Hello and welcome :-) I'll post more later but just wanted to say hello. To add photos from your phone, just click on "attach files" at the bottom of the post you're typing in :-) You can then click on each photo and choose "insert" on the second drop down box which will embed them on the page. Or you can leave them as they are and they'll show as thumbnails which can be clicked on to enlarge them.

For videos the best way is just upload them to youtube and set them as "unlisted" if you don't want them viewed publicly. Then just paste the link of the youtube video in your post and after you hit "post reply" the video will be embedded on the page and easy to watch :)

I have lots of tips and suggestions so will post more later ............but it sounds like things are going well :-)
 
Welcome to the forum! Lemon sounds like a lovely hamster. You are doing the right thing by feeding her to win her trust ❤️
 
She is absolutely gorgeous :) Starting with them taking food from your hand is a good start to taming, although usually it's better to do this out of the cage rather than in it, as they can get quite territorial about their cage and see a hand as an invasion. Out of the cage they behave completely differently - eg in the bathtub as you mentioned, or a playpen. It usually does take them about two weeks to fully adjust to their home/cage and make it their own, so during that time, it's best not to do any major clean outs. You can just "spot clean" the area where she pees (ie take out a handful of pee'd on substrate and put a new handful in. Also best not to change things or move things around. They actually scent mark everything in the cage - this is partly to claim it as their own, and partly to find their way around/follow a route, as they don't see well.

This may be why she nipped the odd time - because your hand was in her territory! But sometimes they are just testing to see if you're edible :-) When they realise the finger isn't food they stop. But it does help to wash your hands if you've been eating or handling food! Or she'll think you're edible. Also using very plain soap - any fruity or flowery smelling soap might smell edible too :-)

The cage she is in is a little on the small side. I assume she isn't bar chewing or anything? If not then that's good and it's probably ok for her for now but they do need a lot of space - especially female hamsters.

At 6 months she is only just an adult! The equivalent of maybe an 18 year old human :-) They can still have baby/teenage behaviour. She has a lovely gentle look about her and with being a bit older she is maybe used to humans a bit more than a baby hamster. I think she's a good age for you and your boys as baby hamsters can be very scared and hide away a lot.

As it's been a couple of weeks now I think you could maybe get her to have some taming and out of cage time. I tend to start with the bathtub first as it's a smaller area and less running around in there. With a blanket on the bottom and some items in there so she has something to do - eg a tube or tunnel - a hide of some kind and a spare wheel is good if you have one. The tunnel and hide can just be cardboard - eg a pringles tube wiped out or a tissue box. I start with just the occasional stroke on the back with one finger while they're in the bathtub.

If they accept a stroke from the finger, that's a good start. If she jerks her head round when stroked then wait a bit and try again later. Once they get used to being stroked I move onto having food on the palm of my hand - as you're doing now. After 2 or 3 times they feel confident enough to actually put a paw on your hand or sit on it. But it sounds like you're at that stage anyway. But they can also run around/play/explore a bit in the bathtub.

There's a taming guide on the home page - I'll link it below - with all the stages. Sometimes I keep using the bathtub until I can pick them up - other times I move to the playpen and the picking up comes gradually. The advantage of a playpen is you or one of your boys can sit in it as well. The hamster will see you just as a piece of furniture or something else to climb over! But it's nice and it helps them get familiaried with the presence and scent of their owner. I also find being on the same level as them, they are more inclined to be picked up, than a hand coming from above (being prey animals).

Have a look at the taming guide anyway as then you'll know when she's ready to be picked up. If sitting in the playpen though, keep away from the edges - or they can run up your arm and jump out!

As for the cage - the recommended size for Syrian hamsters is approximately 100cm x 50cm or larger. The Duna Fun large is less than 80cm x 50cm. It is not bad to start with and while you're taming her, but female syrians are notorious for needing a lot of space and being very active.

There's a list of suitable cages on here as well. The Savic Plaza 100 is a popular basic cage. But I know you've probably just spent quite a lot on the cage she is in now. Many of us started like that! My first cage was far too small - and I ended up buying another one and upgrading fairly soon after when I realised.

www.thehamsterforum.com

How to tame a hamster

Hand taming a hamster can make life with your hamster very rewarding. Suddenly they will sit on you to be stroked or even go to sleep on you, and will be very easy to handle. It can take a bit of time and patience initially. Ask more about...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
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