One of the greatest joys of hamster ownership is cuddles with your litttle one. But getting to a stage where you can both enjoy them can be difficult, so here's our guide!

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Rome wasn't built in a day, and nor should you expect to have a tame hamster in that time. It can take weeks,or even months to tame a hamster... patience is definitely a virtue when you're attempting it! 

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The first thing to consider is the breed of your hamster. Syrians tend to be easier to tame than dwarves, and Roborovoski hamsters (one of the dwarf species) tend to be the hardest. Not sure what breed your hamster is? Check our our guide                                     !

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The next thing to consider is where you got your hamster. Many hamsters purchased from hamsters will have been handled from an early age, so it may just be a case of letting them settle in then gently trying to handle them, but pet shop hamsters may have had no human contact at all, so should be treated with a lot more caution.  When you've established these things, you can begin...

 

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First, learn the signs of a scared hamster. If your hamster yawns, lies on their back or 'squeaks/shouts' at you, leave the taming session there unless you fancy a nasty bite.

Never grab your hamster or try and move onto the next stage until it's ready... this could render it almost untamable through fear.

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1) Leave your hamster to settle in for 1-2 days. Remember to always wash your hands before (to remove any tempting food smells) and after handling your hamster.

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2) Start by just sitting by the cage and talking to them for as long as it takes for them to be comfortable with that (might be anything from minutes to weeks).

2) Open and close the door/lid while talking to them until they're comfortable with that.

3) When you can do that without hammy freaking out, try putting your hand in their cage as a closed fist  and letting them sniff around it. Let them come to you and be prepared for a little 'tester' nip. They shouldn't bite too hard.

4) Try opening your hand and putting a small piece of food on it. Again, let your hamster come to you, and continue this until the hamster is comfortable with their hand being in your cage.

5) Then try putting your hand under your hamster as they are about to jump down from a toy or something, so he begins to associate hand with floor. You can also encourage your hamster to crawl over your hand to get to its ball. At this stage, you can try sitting in the bathtub (empty!) with your hamster and letting it climb over you.

6) By this point, your hamster should be comfortable around you and associate you with good things. It should hopefully be beginning to climb onto your hand of it's own accord (or letting you gently scoop it up from the sides). If it's not, keep going. If it is, then start lifting it a short distance, like into it's ball/a tub to be transferred into a playpen.

7) When your hamster is happy to be lifted, you can try lifting it right out of its cage for a few moment. Go nice and gently and ensure the cage is in a secure area. The first few times you do this, the cage should probably be placed on a bed or in the empty bathtub.

8) You should be able to manage on your own from here! Never be ashamed to go back a few steps if you need to, and to keep your hamster really tame, you should aim to handle them for at least a few minutes each day.

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