Freakin hamster is crazy, need advice how to tame it!!?

okay so 2 days ago i got a hamster...so this morning was my first time handiling it...well i dont think anyone has ever touched it b4...it was the craziest hamster at the pet shop. he's four months old and is a short hair hamster.Well this morning i tried to hold him and i did every thing posible to try to tame it...i started talking 2 him that felt weird but whatever, and i dunno but like 20 minutes later he wouldn't stop biting me for ****, jumped off the couch, was biting everything thing he saw, was running around in circles, doing back flips and started clibing on the heater...my dwarf hamsters were better behaved than this!! and i need help how should i tame it?Freakin hamster is crazy, need advice how to tame it!!?
More and more pet store animals are beginning to demonstrate temperament problems due to the nature that commercial breeders are breeding them. Here's the scenario: the commercial breeder needs to send some more hamsters to their client, the pet store. He goes to the cage with hamster pups and starts to take them out. One hamsters bites him hard several times. The commercial breeder knows the pet store will complain if they receive this biting hamster so he doesn't send it. What does he do with the biting hamster? He could kill it or if it's a female, he'll use her to breed more hamsters. So he's actually selecting the meanest hamsters to breed from! Over several generations, the temperament of a line can completely shift. Other breeders and I are concerned that hamsters are beginning to get a bad reputation as biters. On top of all that, the hamsters are never handled. They get picked up once when taken from the mother and put in a community holding cage. They get picked up once more when being transferred from the holding cage to the shipping container. They get handled once more when coming out of the shipping container and into the pet store display and then one more time when you select that one to buy. It's no wonder they can act so terrified.





It's not a lost cause with your new friend because you bought it at the pet store, you may just have to work harder because of its genetically determined temperament. It may always be a bit persnickity but if you stop working with it altogether, it will get harder to handle when you need to change its cage.





You need to start holding it a couple times each day. If you can't get it out of the cage, then get it into a toilet paper roll and then dump (carefully) it into your hand. Begin walking it from hand to hand, one in front of the other. You can also make it an unending ';staircase';. If you keep it moving you probably won't get bit. Do this over your bed so that if ite manages to jump off your hand you can catch it. Once you're comfortable handling your hamster in this fashion, begin to closing your fingers as it's walking from hand to hand so that it's now moving through an unending ';tunnel';. This will get the hamster accustomed to being held and touched on its back. These sessions only need to last five minutes but you need to do them at least twice a day, preferably more. If you're scared of doing this at first, then wear a pair of thick leather gloves to get it accustomed to the ';exercise';.





If you have a ball that you want it to roll around on the floor in, work with the hamster before putting it in the ball. You may think that it will be more tired and easier to work with after having some exercise but it will be more excited and actually harder to work with.





However, the fear you've described as your hamster displaying is excessive. If the instructions above seem unreasonable at this point there's another method you can try. Sit in an empty bathtub with the drain blocked so there's no escape and let your new friend climb all over you. This is an easy way for your new friend to get used to your scent and presence. To get him out of the cage, use a paper towel roll, which is longer than a toilet paper roll and get him to go inside. Bring the cage into the bathroom before you start trying to get him out. As soon as he's in the roll all the way, bring it into the tub with you and wait for him to come out. Do this until he seems more comfortable with you and then begin the methods of hand-walking described above.





Your hamster may never be easy to handle and you will have to recognize it as it's individuality.





If this sounds like more work than you're willing to do, then take it back to the pet store and get another one. Be sure to hold the new one in the store before bringing it home to be sure it doesn't bite. Watch the employees as they get the hamster out too. If the employee is scared, then there's a reason. They know the temparments of the animals they sell. If they are scared, try another store.





-Janice


http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com.Freakin hamster is crazy, need advice how to tame it!!?
Hi sorry to hear you have a biting hamster is it syrian or Russian? when handling your hamster make sure you show no hesitation with your hands when you go to pick it up hamsters like all other animals can smell fear and will play on it ! go straight in with two hands and cup your hamster up lift it slightly up then place it back down do this either in its cage or another secure area this will take time I worked in the pet trade for Many years and have seen Many a tiny hamster have a whole family underseage! yet when we would go to pick them up they were fine so show no fear be confident and do not hesitate and you should be fine if this does fail then do return to the pet shop and explain the situation a good pet shop should have no problem with having a animal returned as long as you have proof of purchase.
That's not a hamster that's a lunatic. Syrians are the most typical hamster sold in pet stores. This is not typical behavior for a Syrian. We have 12 right now and only one of the ones we got from the pet store ever acted like that, she was dropped by a child who's parents didn't watch their child in the store. We decided to get her since we considered her to be an abuse case. The employees wouldn't even touch her. She would roll over, scream and bite. When I saw her I knew I wanted her right away. We got her around last Halloween and named her Psycho, it fit her behavior. She was about 8 months old. With a lot of biting and screaming, she was held using a gloved hand for 5-10 minutes in her cage at first, then we held her over a box (just in case she jumped) . It took every bit of a 2 months before she finally stopped her wild behavior. You can also use a toilet paper roll or an extra food dish with a treat in it. My son who is the tamer of the hamsters in the house, says use gardening gloves for this one, the biting won't hurt as bad. The hamster will still bite, crap, pee and try to jump, but keep holding on for several minutes. Cupping your hands is the best way to hold him.





We got all our Syrians, except 4 they are the offspring of our first 2, at Petland. Our Petland has their hamsters in open cages so anyone over 4' tall can touch them. But there's a sign saying no children under 16 may touch without a parent present. They put this up after what happened with Psycho. They always had one for the reptiles and dogs, but not the hamsters.





Truly good luck to you. My son and I know what your up against. If you are thinking about taking him back, the pet store will either try to sell him to another person (child) or feed it to a snake.
I worked at a petshop and had to learn a technique to hold hamsters. What you do is don't grab the hamster from above his head. Hamsters live in holes and are prey. Instead grab him from underneath with both hands, scooping up some of the bedding if you have to. Then place one of your hands flat on top of the hamster and start rubbing your hand in a circular motion over his body after a little bit of this they start calming down. If you still have trouble holding on to it. Try sitting in a bath tub (no water, drain plugged) with the hamster. This way he has no way to go and eventually after taking the hamster into the bathtub it will get used to you. Plus, you don't have to worry about them having an accident.
I didn't listen to the sales rep with any of my hamsters- I held them after about 10 minutes of them being in their new home and they've been pretty good.


Altho my one would bite at first- not hard though. Are you holding it a little too tightly? they'll bite if they feel threatened. Did you buy any treats? We have healthy hearts and they love them!!


You didn't mention what type your new one is.


I've had a black bear, and now have a panda bear and a golden.





the black bear didn't like being held that much, but she was really sick and old when we got her- petsmart is complete crap.





It's not weird to talk to your pets- I talk to mine. lol.





If you feel the hamster isn't right for you, take it back explain why and say you want a different one.





Panda's are very cute and they're nice. Golden's are also very good. My panda was $21 same as a black bear. goldens are usually $10





the good thing about dwarfs are they don't get wet tail- which is deadly.


So if you get a panda or golden (well any type other than dwarf) make sure to pick up some Dri Tail. and add 16 drops to their full bottle of water the 8oz one and that will prevent it.


I have to go, but e-mail me if you have any questons- I'll do my best to help!


brittanyplayfoot@yahoo.ca
It takes me about 3 weeks to tame a new hamster. What I've done repeatedly with 100% success is when the hamster is awake, I take the food bowl out of the cage and let the hamster see me place a few bits of food on the cage floor. This is important - the hamster now associates me with food. I put the food bowl back and over the next several days, I put my hand in the cage while the hamster is eating. I don't touch him or her! But each day I put my hand a little closer until my hand is right beside him or her while s/he eats. After a few days, I try handing it a sunflower seed to see if it will take food from me. It usually takes at most about 3 tries. After about 10 days to 2 weeks of this, I GENTLY pet it with my fingertips. With patience, you'll be able to pick him or her up. I even did this with a hamster I ';rescued'; from another family who claimed she was a biter. Now she easily naps in my hand for up to 30 minutes, just as all my other hamsters have. Just be patient. It'll happen.