How to Make Mean Hamsters Nice

Hamsters make great pets, provided you are willing to work on their terms. You just can't pick up and pet a hamster as you would a friendly cat or a dog. Hamsters are a prey species, so they instinctively bite first in order to protect themselves from what they perceive as a direct attack. Hamster eyesight is very poor, so you need to establish your presence through noise, according to Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville in "Training Your Pet Hamster." Then the hamster needs to equate your presence with good things.

Things You'll Need

Dog training clicker
Hamster-safe treats

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure the hamster is awake. Hamsters will immediately bite if woken up, according to Hamsterific.com. When a hamster is moving about with eyes wide open, it is awake. Hamsters are nocturnal, so only interact with your hamster in the evening.
- 2
  Bring treats and the dog clicker to the hamster cage or aquarium. Although "Training Your Pet Hamster" notes that tapping on the side of the cage or a whistle can be used in the place of a clicker, some hamsters may be frightened by the loud noises. Dog training clickers make a softer and consistent noise.
- 3
  Press the clicker over the hamster cage. Hold a small treat through the bars or a space in the cage with your fingertips. Wait until the hamster eventually takes the treat and praise the hamster softly. Hamsters have good hearing. When the hamster seems calm, proceed to the next step.
- 4
  Place the flat of your hand, palm up, inside of the cage. Stay still. The hamster may scramble away from it. Wait until the hamster comes to sniff. Hamsters have a good sense of smell, and may use scent as well as sound to identify their owners from other people. Let the hamster crawl on and off of the hand. That's enough training for one evening.
- 5
  Place the treat in the palm of your hand during the next night. Over time, the hamster will associate your smell and the clicker sound with good things about to happen.