Holding the pet is not always an easy task, it can be difficult for the pet as well as for the pet owners. If the pet is not handled in the right way then it will be stressed due to regular handling and that can hamper its health too. For the rodent creatures like hamsters, getting close to their human owners is not always a fun thing. They can act very friendly but that does not mean that they would be happy to be held all the time.
Do Syrian hamsters like to be held?
To be honest, hamsters do not like to be held. They do not get fun when we hold them; rather they like to play with us. Touching and holding can make them nervous when they are new to the house. They can even bite the owner or whoever else holds them for too long.
They get nervous and stressed when people hold them for too long and that can make them act defensively. Thus you have to be gentle in holding the hamster and in otherwise behavior too.
Are Syrian hamsters easy to hold?
Syrian hamsters are one of the easy breeds to get tamed. They act quite friendly with the humans and they can show love and affection for their human owners after two weeks of their coming to the new home.
Holding can come later, as when the hamsters are first brought to the house they can act much indifferently. But later they would be much more friendly with their owner and would be quite easy when they are being held. Syrian hamsters have one more brownie point over other hamsters; they are bigger in size and thus, are easy to be held.
For the smaller breeds of hamsters, holding the little ones can cause them pain as they are too little to be held cautiously.
How often should you hold a Syrian hamster?
Not holding the pet hamsters is one of the thumb rules of adopting the pet. In case you want to be near the pet and feel the proximity, you can hold it once a day. For the kids who are too much interested in holding pets, they can hold the pet a maximum of three times a day. But the span of holding the pet should not be long.
Holding the pet too much will stress it out, so do not do that, and make sure that the pet feels comfortable when you hold it.
When can I hold my Syrian hamster?
When you first bring the Syrian hamster home, do not try to hold it for the first instance. Let it settle down in the new atmosphere. The pet will not be easy if you start holding it just before it gets comfortable.
At least 24 hours is needed to make the pet settled. Then you can try to touch it softly and see its reaction. If the hamster is okay with the gesture then you can proceed with holding the hamster. Lifting it slowly while coming from the front will be the right idea to comfort it and assure it that you are not a predator.
How do I pick up a Syrian hamster without it biting?
Before you pick up the hamster, let the pet know your smell and touch by letting it touch your hand. It will smell and recognize it with time. Then you can try to hold it by putting one hand under its belly, and curling that hand softly around it. You can use the other hand to hold it or touch it softly on the head. Petting the creature will be a good idea to reassure it that you are being friendly with it.
How can you not scare the Syrian hamster when holding it?
Hamsters get scared when they are touched or held suddenly. You will not want to scare the pet as that will make it unfriendly and defensive. When you wish to hold the hamster, first bring the shelter near your chest so the pet gets to see you properly. Then use your hands to form a cup around the body of the hamster and bring it out of the cage.
Now you can sit somewhere comfortably and let the pet relax in your arm or you can place it on your chest. The pet will feel secure if you are slow and gentle with it. Then it will not be attacking you or get scared of you.
Why do you need to be careful while lifting the Syrian hamster?
Syrian hamsters are quite sensitive when it comes to touching and holding. When you poke them, grab them or hold them tightly, it can startle them as they may think these behaviors to be coming from their enemy.
Being gentle is needed foremost by their owners so the hamster trusts them and also become easy with them. These creatures live in the jungle or in some adverse situation where there is always the fear of enemies and predators.
Being small creatures they do not use many offensive techniques to get their life saved. They can only be alert and thus judge the situation by the behavior of other creatures around them. This is why they act so sensitively and make movements cautiously.
What measures should be taken before holding the Syrian hamster?
The hands of the owner should be washed with soap. This is a step often not followed by the owners but this should be practiced always. This is a prevention measure for the owners. Syrian hamsters can smell food or other items in your hand and if it is hungry or the smell of the food is too tempting, they may try to bite the hand.
If you have other pets at home and you have petted them just before handling the hamster then it would not be a great experience for the hamster. They may misjudge you and will not behave relaxed when you will try to hold it. The smell of another animal will make it alert and unsure of its security.
Also wash your hand afterward, as the hamsters live in cages and they may have poop or other dirt clinging to their fur and body. Keeping your hand free from such dirt is possible only when you will wash your hand after holding the pet.
How you should keep your hand to let the hamster be free?
Your Syrian hamster would ride your hand and climb up to your body when you will bond with it. The palm of your hand should face downward and keep your hand still when the Syrian hamster tries to ride your hand. When it reaches your palm, curl your finger so you can get hold of the body of the hamster from below.
When you pick it up, always face the hamster towards your front. When the pet will be able to see your face in the front, it will be assured that you are not going to attack it. If you keep its face on the other side then it will not be able to see which direction is it being taken and that can make it nervous.
The Syrian hamsters may find it difficult to adjust to the new atmosphere and thus handling it with care and caution will let them be friends with you as well as make them a great pet.
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