Hamsters??!?

i have a mean hamster named Newman, how do i get him to be nice
Answers:
How old is newman and when did you get him.

Also what breed is he?

If you have a new hamster- here's some advice.

1. give him time to adjust to his surroundings. Don't try to handle him right away. Just make sure that you spend time talking to him, get him use to your presence, even if you pass him on the way to the bathroom talk to him. Even if he's sleeping say something.

this will get him use to your presence and your voice.

2. start slow when physically interacting. Put your hand in the cage and let him sniff you- offer a treat from your hand, don't pick him up right away- if he bites you don't yell or jerk your hand away.. just say "Gentle" as you slowly retract your hand.

3. when it comes time to pick them up (usually after a few days of letting them adjust and get use to you), pick him up slowly from an area he is most comfortable. (Mine likes me to pick up up from his petting center rather than reaching into his cage and pulling him out through the door. He must feel more secure.

cup him in both hand securly- but don't squeeze. Get on the floor and hold him close to you so he knows you're not going to drop him, and if you accidentally do- it won't have as far to fall.

if he nips you out of fear the first couple of times, just take a deep breath and resist the urge to drop him.

after a while of taking it slow and getting him to trust you- he'll be like my black bear hammie.

Doki Doki will follow me around the house like a puppy dog when he's in his roll about ball... and if he hears my voice even when sleeping, he'll get excited and run out to greet me.

I've even had him come to me in his roll about ball when I call his name. So he even came to learn his name.

don't worry it will come.

Now... if you have a dwarf hammie like a Russian white or black russian.. that could take a LOT of time.

The males are extremely agressive. I've been attacked by one even though I was just putting his food in his cage way on the other side. He went out of his way to attack.

All the russian breeds I've come across have been pretty nasty. Some are tamable... some males aren't. Its the nature of the breed. But for the ones that can be tamable... it just takes more time than usual, lots of patience, and working on it every day.

Chinese Dwarf Hammies can also be nippy- but only when they're scared or hungry. they're generally very docile.

Winter Whites seem to be the easiest of the dwarfs to train... but I notice they're attracted to shiney things, because they allways nip me accidentally when trying to take off my bracelets or the pink sparkly ring I wear on my middle finger.

just take it slow and give it time. And it will happen.

if things don't improve, you may want to consider taking it to a vet, as he may have some underlying health issues. Sometimes grumpiness can be from not feeling well.

Keep an eye on his tail. Stress can cause a condition known as "wet tail." Its basically diarrhea, which gets caked all over the pootie area and makes the tail look wet. If this ever occurs, go to a vet as it can be deadly in the first 24 hours of symptoms!!! have a bottle of Dritail nearby. Dritail is a weak antibiotic that generally doesn't cure- just helps slow the symptoms. This will be good on say- a weekend when your vet is closed until you can get in to see the vet.

they're also suseptable to overgrown teeth. Make sure they have lots of chew toys and block food to promote good teeth health.

on a side note: Newman seems the perfect name for a grumpy puss. It just seems to fit. Lol.

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offer him a treat let him come to you. keep doing this and things should change in time. hamsters are really timid. i have 4 hamsters and when i got them as baby's i just keeped doing the same thing over and now they are really good pets. they never bite.