From a new environment to feeling small in a big world, here are the most common reasons why your hamster is afraid of you and how you can help him gain your trust.
If your hamster is afraid of you, it’s normal to feel discouraged. After all, you’ve probably put a lot of love and attention into providing him with a wonderful home, and seeing him act nervously or fearfully in your presence would make any pet parent sad.
While building a beautiful home for your hamster and filling it with the best hamster toys can help him settle into his environment and feel comfortable, your furry friend may still fear you despite all the love and attention you give him.
Even if you’ve invested in one of the best hamster cages and equipped it with plenty of wonderful accessories to make their habitat feel like a home, it’s good to remember that our little pocket pets tend to be afraid of everything. Wouldn’t you feel the same way if you were in their place and everything around you was bigger?
There are several reasons why your hamster may be afraid of you, but there are also many things within your reach to gain his trust and start building a bond. Below, we present the most common reasons and provide some helpful tips and tricks to help you develop a lasting bond.
How to know if your hamster is afraid of you?
Observing his behavior and body language can help you gain clarity. Here are some common signs to look for that indicate your hamster is afraid:
- He hides: If you notice that your new pocket pet is hiding or starts to show distant behaviors at times of the day when he wouldn’t normally (like mealtime), something may be frightening him.
- He bites: The question “why does my hamster bite me?” is common among pet parents, and the answer is quite simple. Most small animals bite when they feel threatened, and biting is often their way of telling you they want you to back off.
- He acts skittish: A hamster that runs away when you approach his cage or try to touch him is likely scared, and his fleeing is his way of protecting himself.
Hiding, biting, and being skittish are three of the most common signs that your hamster is afraid. Once you have spotted one of these signs, the next step is to determine the reason for this behavior to help your hamster feel more comfortable.
5 reasons why your hamster may be afraid of you
There are 5 common reasons that can trigger fear in a hamster. Understanding them can help you know what to do to gain your hamster’s trust.
1. They are in a new environment
If you’ve just welcomed your furry friend into your family or have recently moved with your hamster to a new house, the change of environment can trigger a stress reaction in your pocket pet, making him nervous and scared.
When your hamster is in a new place, everything around him is different. He sees, hears, and smells new things, and if you’ve just adopted your hamster, it may be his first time being alone in a cage without his siblings.
Some hamsters adapt immediately to their new environment, while others need several days or even weeks to feel comfortable.
During the first few days your hamster is in a new environment, keep his cage covered with a light cloth and don’t try to touch him. Give him plenty of space to breathe and let him adjust to his new home at his own pace.
Covering his cage will allow him to explore this environment without having to face everything happening in the outside world.
You are big and they are small
Everything in his world seems incredibly big to him, making him feel incredibly small. And when you feel small, you also feel vulnerable.
Try to “put yourself in your hamster’s shoes” and think about how you would feel if this very loving but very large person started leaning over you, cooing, and trying to pet you – you would likely be scared too, wouldn’t you?
The key to helping your pocket pet be less afraid is to start slowly and be patient.
He is stressed
Just like for humans, stress can send your hamster into a spiral of fear that makes him withdraw. What constitutes a stressful situation for your pocket pet? The following situations are likely causing stress:
- A change in his immediate environment, like a new cage or water bottle, or moving to a new room.
- The presence of another animal in the house.
- The sudden presence of young children.
- A change in their daily routine.
- Being in a noisy environment.
- Moving accessories in the cage.
- An overly small cage.
If some of these elements may seem minor, for your hamster, anything that disrupts his routine or what he is used to can be a major source of stress and anxiety.
You woke him up!
If you are like us, being awakened from a deep sleep can make you feel like a grumpy bear, and for our hamsters, it is no different, except that waking up can also trigger feelings of fear and disorientation that may cause them to bite.
Lack of trust
It will take time to establish a strong trust relationship with your pocket pet, and it is completely normal for your companion to take days or weeks to feel entirely comfortable with you. The good news is that there are many things you can do to teach him that you are trustworthy.
How to gain a hamster’s trust?
We recommend taking a slow and steady approach to gain your hamster’s trust. Patience is key.
The more you behave in a way that meets your hamster’s needs, the more he will see you as a safe, reliable, and trustworthy animal. Here are some of our best tips to help make this process as smooth as possible:
Make sure he has an appropriately sized cage
We know you’re probably wondering what the size of the cage has to do with gaining his trust, but it can actually make all the difference.
When a hamster has plenty of space to move around, he feels happy, and when he is happy, he tends to be friendlier and more confident.
Give him time to adjust
If you have a new hamster or have recently set him up in a new home, it’s crucial to give him time to get used to his new environment. While some hamsters have no problem settling in immediately, others may need several days or weeks to feel comfortable after a move.
Establish routines
Hamsters are a bit like children: they do better when they have a constant routine and know what to expect. Fill their food and water and clean their cage at the same time each day, as this eliminates the dreaded element of surprise, which our pocket pets don’t like.
Approach him slowly
Our little furry friends don’t have the best eyesight, so the first thing to do is avoid approaching them too quickly. If you really want to spend time with your companion, settle in a chair next to his cage and observe him.
After a few days, try placing a treat in your hands and putting your hand flat in his cage to see if you can lure him to you. Your hamster may jump directly into your palm and eat the treat, or he may sniff a bit and then back off. Try placing the treat at the tip of one of your fingers and see if that puts him more at ease.
Don’t force him to interact
The fastest way to break trust with your hamster is to try to force contact, as this will definitely scare him. Don’t grab your hamster or try to hold him still so you can pet him. Instead, let him come to you and respect the fact that he needs to move at his own pace.
Sadly, some hamsters will never feel comfortable approaching too closely, while over time, others will soon feel safe enough to let you hold them in your arms.
Don’t punish your hamster
Unlike our feline friends and canine companions, who know when they have been good or bad, our pocket pets do not understand the concept of punishment.
Trying to use negative reinforcement to teach your hamster that behaviors like biting are unacceptable will not work.
Instead, reinforce good behaviors with treats, and if your hamster engages in undesired behaviors, accept that he is doing so out of fear and stress and leave him alone.
Give him plenty of opportunities to have fun
Hamsters love all kinds of activities and games, whether it’s running on their wheel or playing with appropriate toys. So try to provide them with plenty of things that will stimulate them both physically and mentally.