Pets are not just animals; they are companions who occupy an irreplaceable place in our hearts. They bring joy and happiness into our lives and help us forget our worries. As a hamster owner, you would have bought a hamster for all these reasons. But despite your best efforts, instead of being friendly with you, your hamster might be scared of you. But that’s just how life is. Sometimes, you end up pulling the short end of the stick.
If your hamster is scared of you and you don’t know what to do, this blog post will help you find the reason behind your hamster’s fear and, if possible, eliminate it and create a deep bond with him.
How do you know that your hamster is scared of you?
If your hamster is scared of you, he may show any of the symptoms below (Source: Arew).
- Hiding away – A scared hamster would spend most of his time hiding away in the nest or tunnel.
- Hissing and biting – If your hamster is scared of you, he might get defensive when you try to hold him. He might hiss at you or even try to bite you.
- Alopecia – Alopecia, aka ‘Patchy baldness,’ is another sign that your hamster is scared and/or stressed. When your hamster gets scared or stressed, he may start losing patches of fur.
- Wet Tail – Stress can cause Wet Tail in hamsters. Wet Tail is a serious condition that can cause death in 48 hours. Young hamsters that are brought to a new home are more prone to this disease.
Now that you know how to figure out if your hamster is scared of you, it’s time to find out why he is scared of you and how to remove his fear of you.
Why is your hamster scared of you?
Your furry friend can be scared of you due to many reasons. You can find these reasons below:
1. Unfamiliar surroundings
If you have recently purchased a hamster and brought him home, he might still be in shock. After all, his life has changed drastically all of a sudden. Until recently, he was in another place, probably spending time with his mother and siblings. Suddenly, he was separated from his family and brought to a new place. The place will be alien to him, and he will be all alone. Therefore, it is normal for him to get scared.
So, give him a couple of days to get used to his new home before you attempt to tame him.
2. Lack of trust
Hamsters that have not been handled regularly can get scared of people easily. So, to create a deep bond with him, you should first make him trust you.
After all, humans are hundreds of times larger than hamsters. If a giant tries to hold you, even you will be scared at first. So, do not try to hold your hamster immediately after bringing him home. Wait till he gets comfortable in his new home.
Once your hamster feels comfortable in his cage, start taming him using his favorite treats. Once he is tamed, he will not only let you hold him but actually want you to hold him and play with him. Until then, you shouldn’t attempt to hold him because it can frighten and stress him out.
If you need help taming your hamster, read this blog post: How to tame your hamster in 5 easy steps?
3. Stress
Hamsters have poor eyesight. Even then, they can survive in the wild because their other senses – Senses of hearing and smell, and the ability to detect movements – are very sharp. So, they can sense a predator’s arrival on time and escape easily because a predator’s arrival is almost always accompanied by a change in movement, smell, and/or sound.
Pet hamsters also have excellent senses of hearing and smell and an amazing ability to detect movements. So, sudden loud noises, like car horns, thunderstorms, barking dogs, lawnmowers, drillers, and mixers, can scare the living daylight out of them. After all, in the wild, loud sounds mean that a predator is nearby. In response, a hamster’s heart rate will rise, he will get stressed, and prepare to run away and hide.
Moreover, hamsters can hear ultrasonic sounds (Frequency > 20kHz). So, they can even hear sounds that we cannot hear. These sounds can also scare them. If you would like to find out how loud sounds affect hamsters, read this blog post: Are hamsters sensitive to sound?
Just like loud sounds, other pets like cats and dogs can also scare your hamster. In the wild, cats and dogs would eat hamsters. So, if your hamster senses a predator animal like a cat or dog nearby, he will get scared and stressed.
If your hamster is stressed all the time, he may get scared and act defensive to you as well. So, you have to eliminate the reason behind his stress.
If loud sounds scare your hamster, try to make the room (in which your hamster’s cage is) as soundproof as possible. If that is not possible, play soothing music to him to mask these loud sounds and calm him down. For more information on how music affects hamsters and what type of music you should play for hamsters, read: Do hamsters like music?
Similarly, if you have other pets, you should keep your hamster cage out of their reach, preferably in a room that is not accessible to them.
4. Improper handling
Hamsters are delicate creatures that must be handled properly. Sometimes, when you hold your hamster, and he tries to escape, you might tighten your grip on instinct. However, this could hurt your hamster and scare him. So, if you do not want your hamster to get scared of you, it is imperative that you do not use too much force to hold your hamster.
Moreover, when you hold your hamster, keep your hands close to the floor or inside the cage. That way, even if your hamster wriggles and slips out of your hand, the fall won’t hurt him.
Some types of hamsters, like dwarf hamsters, are not suitable for children and first-time pet owners. They are too small to be held in the hands of an inexperienced pet owner who could use too much force and hurt the hamster. So, if you are a new hamster owner who owns dwarf hamsters, do not hold or lift them up from the cage.
5. Shy/Timid nature
Hamsters, by nature, are timid and scared creatures since they are tiny prey animals. However, their curiosity helps them overcome their fear and become friends with their owners. But this does not hold true for all hamsters.
Some hamsters are too timid and shy. Gaining the trust of a shy hamster is not easy. For such a hamster, you should slow down the taming process considerably. If you find that your hamster is always nervous and restless when you lift him up and tries to jump out of your hand, you should put him back in the cage. Give your hamster time before you try again. In such cases, it might feel like every time you move two steps forward, you are forced to take one step backward. But that’s just how it is.
Worse still, some hamsters may be impossible to tame. Regardless of how much you try, they may never overcome their fearful nature.
For example, unlike other pet hamster species, Campbell hamsters are difficult to tame. They can easily get grumpy and bite you if they do not like something. So, they are better left alone, especially if you are a first-time hamster owner. Instead of wanting to play with them, you have to get content looking at them play inside the cage.
Even though it might break your heart to know that it is impossible to tame your hamster, imagine how a hamster lives in the wild. He is a tiny prey creature. He is always on the lookout for predators hunting him. A hamster in the wild is scared of everything. This natural instinct is what helps him survive. So, it is natural for a hamster to be scared.
6. Being woken up suddenly
Even for humans, who dominate almost every other species on earth, being woken up from sleep is not a comfortable feeling. Then imagine how hamsters, who live their entire lives in fear of predators, would feel if you woke them up mid-sleep. It can not only disturb them but also scare them. Even a tamed hamster can become defensive and bite his owner when woken up from deep sleep.
So, never wake a sleeping hamster (or a lion, for that matter) just because you want to play with him.
7. Lack of attention
Hamsters live a fast-paced life when compared to humans. So, you have to regularly engage with your hamster. It is not only required for developing a good bond with your hamster but also helps him remember you. Therefore, once you tame your hamster, you should regularly play with him. If not, he may forget you.
Similarly, if you are going on a long vacation, it is not entirely impossible for your hamster to forget you. Many pet owners state that their hamsters do not forget them even after week-long vacations (Source: Hamster Central). But what happens if you go on vacations longer than that (maybe, for a month)? What happens if you don’t engage with your hamster (despite caring for his other needs) for a month? Will your hamster remember you? Probably yes, probably not.
If your hamster forgets you, then he will be scared of you if you try to pick him up. Therefore, you should engage with your hamster regularly to create trust and maintain it.
8. Sudden movements
As explained before, hamsters are good at sensing even the slightest of movements. So, if you make sudden movements near his cage, he can get scared.
Therefore, walk slowly when you are near his cage. Avoid trying to move/shake his cage as well.
9. Change of routine
Hamsters are creatures of habit. Once they get into a routine, they expect it every day. Changing their routine suddenly (Waking them up suddenly, not giving them food when they expect it, etc.) can scare them and stress them out.
So, once you establish a daily routine with your hamster, stick to it. Moreover, keep food in your hamster’s food bowl at the same time every day. Play with your hamster every day at the same time. Keep fresh water for him to drink every day.
10. Being forced to play
Just like human beings, every hamster is unique. Each hamster has his own personality, likes and dislikes. Similarly, they also have their own moods. Never force your hamster to interact or play with you if he is not in the mood to do so. This can scare and push him away from you.
Summary
If your hamster is scared of you, you may feel frustrated not knowing what to do. But if you follow the points mentioned above, you should be able to eliminate your hamster’s fear of you and develop a deep bond with him.
