# Taming Advice, Important! (please answer)



## dream13211 (Oct 20, 2016)

Hi! I got my syrian hamster Olive about two weeks ago. She is 6 months old and already incredibly social so she isn't to hard to tame, the problem is mostly me. I already love her so much and want to be able to tame her and give her play time out of cage, but the truth is, I'm very nervous. She has already bitten me twice, although I knwo why and I know it wasn't aggresive, it still hurt! So i'm just nervous about her biting me again, even if it wasn't aggresive. I am planning on trying the pen method and am going to get a small pen for taming, but i'm even nervous about that! Please give me any advice and experiences you have from previous hamsters! I have asked everywhere with no answer and this is my last effort for any advice! Thank you so much in advance.


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## MrJsk (Mar 14, 2014)

Hello @dream13211

You say Olive is already social?
What do you mean by that? Are you able to pick her up and handle her? If so, then you are already half way there !

If not you could use any tubes, boxes, houses etc to transfer from cage to your lap and let her explore on you or a little play pen. In a play pen, you can offer treats in one hand to distract her while you stroke her with your other hand or a pen. This will help her get used to be being touched.

Don't be nervous about using the pen method.. there is no way she will be able to bite you!

If it is just a matter of being worried about getting bitten, it's not helpful but.. you will just have to get over it! Pick her up, just be expecting it so it doesn't come as such a surprise the next time.


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

Dont use a pen. 

Make sure hands are always clean when you touch her.

Scoop her out in a carrier or ball and sit in the bath, let her run all over you. Keep hands away from her if you are worried about biting. This lets her familiarise herself with your scent.
Do this a couple of times till shes comfortable with you then you can start trying to pick her up. Start with a flat hand and let her climb over it then slowly over time rasie the heigh of the hand till you can pick her up easily. Dont grab and dont go too fast. 

It might be shes a little cage defensive which means getting her out using some other method than your hands will be easier.


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## dream13211 (Oct 20, 2016)

Thank you both so much! I will definitely take your advice, and what I mean by being social is that she easily comes up to my hand and has been handled in the past with no apparent issues. So the problem is mainly me. Thank you both so much!


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