Instructions
Position the hamster̵7;s cage in a relatively quiet room, not the main family room. You can relocate him later, but right now he needs some peace to settle in.
Place his food bowl on the uppermost floor of his cage if it has levels. Otherwise, position it as far away from his nest box as you can. Wait for a few days before interacting with him other than providing food and water in a regular spot in the habitat.
Spend time just standing beside the cage each day when your hamster is active. Let him become accustomed to your presence but don̵7;t offer him a treat just yet.
Open the top of the cage once your hamster is happy to come near you.
Hold a treat, such as a sunflower seed, a sultana, a pasta shell or a small cube of fresh fruit a few inches away from your hamster. Hold the treat by the very edge and release it as soon as the hamster takes hold. If he won̵7;t take it from your hand, wait a few moments before dropping it near the food bowl and withdrawing your hand.
Repeat the treat offering daily until he is happy to take food from your hand. Generally at this point, to continue bonding, you'd start placing the treat on your open palm to coax him to step onto it. Soon you'll be all the way to chilling out together on the couch to cheer on the Sox.
How to Get Your Hamster to Take Food From Your Hand
As you are several hundred times the size of your hamster, he might be understandably scared of you to begin with. This is especially likely for hamsters that haven̵7;t been handled very much or were neglected, as in the case of rescues. Bonding with you is good for your hamster, and it requires a little training. It usually starts with blatant bribery. Before you begin picking him up, get him used to taking food from you.