Hamster is very skiddish help!

[hammiegirl]

He is probably 2 or 3 months old. He was still with his mama and siblings when I got him. I named him Twilight because of his gray and white fur. Thanks for the advice. I found out his weakness is treats. He will sit on my hand if I give him a cracker or a pumpkin seed. If he associates my hand with treats that will help. He is still very skiddish so I just have to let him get used to me.

[Miss Z]

First off I love the name Twilight - I had a gerbil by that name.

With regards to easing his fear, some cases are easier than others. As Karen and Ellie have said, it takes quite a bit of time and patience. Talking softly is always good - rodents use their ears and noses much more than their eyes. When you clean him out, rub your hands along the cage and any toys he has in there. He will then associate your smell with home, and safety.

In my experience with scared small animals at the shelter, I find stroking the animal with the back of your hand works wonders. You cannot, intentionally or not, make any grabbing movements this way and it puts the animal at ease.

Feeding him a treat is a great way to associate positivity with you trying to handle him, but make sure your fingertips don't smell too much like those treats or he might have a go at eating them!

It might also be worth checking him for any injuries - the crying is an unusual reaction that I would associate more with pain than fear. If he appears healthy in other respects then this shouldn't be the case, but it is still worth having a look for.

Best of luck!