How do you tame a hamster?

Answer 1

I have always used this method to hand-tame my rats and I have been recently informed that this same method can work to hand-tame hamsters as well. It's just a matter of holding your hammy for 20 minutes a day...whether he likes or not.

http://members.aol.com/juliesrats/behavior.html

Whoa! Even better!
Bonding with your hamster
http://www.geocities.com/spoiledhamsters/bonding.html

More info:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=bonding+with+your+rodent&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAnYM54NvMNPtXBeKUqFf2zcazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAs6qPmKbEGuHV570VYkOMTkazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=bonding+with+your+rodent

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com

Answer 2

I'm assuming you're asking about how to socialize a hamster? It's going to take time and consistency. Put your hand in the cage and just let the little guy get used to sharing space with you. Once you've done that, you can use a treat to encourage him to come over and check you out. Don't try to touch him, let him be in control of exploring you and getting to know your scent. After a few days of doing this periodically, then you can pick him up and hold him close to you so he feels supported.

Most important, remember this is a prey animal--meaning other animals eat it. A hamster's natural reaction is to run and hide. Provide him with areas to hide on you--a pouch in your hoodie or shirt pocket. Make sure he feels supported at all times. Try to envision what he sees and feels. Good luck!

Answer 3

Handle them as much as possible. My son (21) rubs his hands with the hamsters litter to get rid of his scent then offers his hand, if it bites, he uses either a food dish with a treat in it or toilet paper roll for them to go into. He trained many this way-some were too territorial to use your hand. We take in hard to handle hamster, like bitters or even find ones in pet stores covered with scabs, buy them and bring them home. My son is the tamer. He has yet to find a hamster he couldn't hold, the bitting doesn't bother him unless they get the finger he just had surgery on. The really bad ones he uses gloves to start with and works them up to his hands. This can take many months. He's been working with one for a year now and it is finally starting to come around, but if anyone else tries to pet it it bites quickly and hard. The more your willing to work with them the sooner they tend to tame. We have one we got, all it did was scream, like you were killing it scream, when you attempted to touch it let alone pick it up. Now 2 months later she enjoys being held. We figured someone visiting the pet store dropped her and she remembered that each time we touched her. Good luck and don't give up.

Answer 4

Tame a hamster? What do you mean? Do you mean teach it to sit next to you and not move? I don't understand how you can tame a hamster. If you mean your hamster bites you, I don't think that can be tamed. Sorry. Good luck!

Answer 5

if you are asking to get it to stop running when you try and hold it or not get scared around things then just spend more time with it. stand next to its cage and talk to it a few minutes every so often. then after a while of trying this and it looks like he is starting to calm down then stick your hand in the cage and just try and pet it. if he runs keep trying to get him to calm dawn.and if it has a certain food it likes give him it every so often so he knows that if he calms down then he gets a treat.

Answer 6

reinforcement methods. look it up, it 'shapes' your hamster with training. or sit on it.

Answer 7

With a chair and a whip.