Building trust with your hamster: the first days, holding them right, and why hamsters bite
When a new hamster comes home, most of us want to scoop them up right away. But from the hamster's point of view, things look different: according to the PDSA, hamsters are prey animals, and being picked up can be scary for them. The good news is that trust is built with patience. According to Wood Green, after one to two weeks of a calm and patient approach, you may find your hamster is quite happy to be picked up and to eat from your hand. In this article, we go step by step from the first days to holding them correctly, from the reasons hamsters bite to a safe space outside the cage.
- Don't touch for the first 1–2 days: Wood Green recommends not handling a new hamster for a day or two so they can settle in.
- Only when awake: According to the RSPCA, picking up a resting or sleeping hamster is stressful for them; according to the PDSA, they may get scared and bite.
- Hand first, then treats: Put your hand in the cage and let them sniff it; then offer treats from your hand (Blue Cross).
- Keep it low: Cup them in both hands. According to the RSPCA, hold your hamster no more than a few inches above a stable surface; the PDSA recommends sitting on the floor.
- Never by the scruff: According to the PDSA, rough handling, squeezing or picking a hamster up by the scruff can damage their eyes.
Seeing things from the hamster's point of view
According to the PDSA, hamsters are prey animals, so being picked up can frighten them. According to the RSPCA, they're also naturally timid and don't like loud or threatening noises. You need to be calm around them and never startle them. Wood Green adds two more points: hamsters have very poor eyesight, and Syrian hamsters in particular can feel very threatened by a hand suddenly hovering above them while they're resting.
So the issue isn't that your hamster is "grumpy." To them, your hand is something big, strange-smelling and coming from above. Building trust means slowly showing them that this hand is safe. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, if handled gently from a young age, many hamsters become easy to pick up and are less likely to bite unless startled.
The first days: let them settle in
According to Wood Green, when your hamster arrives, don't handle them for a day or two so they can settle into their new home. During this time, stay calm near the cage; watch them, but don't reach in.
After that, the RSPCA's advice is to build a routine: interact with your hamster every day, but respect their sleeping pattern. Short, regular time every day is better than not spending any time with them during the week and then long sessions at the weekend. The RSPCA recommends handling your hamster in a confident but gentle manner. This time should be in the evening, when your hamster has woken up on their own. We covered their sleep pattern in why are hamsters awake at night?
Getting them used to you, step by step
- Make sure they're awake: According to Wood Green, your hamster should be alert and aware of your movements. Talking to them quietly helps them know you're there.
- Put your hand in the cage, but don't touch: According to Blue Cross, for a nervous hamster, hold your hand in the cage without trying to touch them. Let them get used to your presence and your smell.
- Let them explore in their own time: According to the RSPCA, hamsters should be allowed to investigate your hands in their own time. Don't chase them, and don't bring your hand down on top of them.
- Offer treats from your hand: According to Blue Cross, treats from your hand help your hamster build a positive association with you. Then you can gently stroke them.
- Sit on the floor: Wood Green suggests that for the first few weeks you sit on the floor and let your hamster walk over your hands or sit in your lap.
- Short lifts: Once they're happy with you, try slowly picking them up from your lap and putting them back down again (Wood Green).
- Put them back while they're relaxed: According to Wood Green, put your hamster back in the cage while they're still relaxed, before they become irritable. Otherwise, they learn that getting irritable makes you leave them alone.
If you notice they're frightened, don't force it. According to the PDSA, if your hamster seems frightened, put them back in their cage and offer treats or stroke them when they approach you on their own.
Holding them correctly
Once your hamster is used to you, the safest way to pick them up is to cup them in both hands. The sources' advice fits together:
- Cup with both hands: According to the RSPCA, pick your hamster up by cupping them with two hands, then gently open your hands so they sit on your joined palms. Blue Cross suggests forming a cup with both hands on either side of their body and scooping them up gently.
- Support the whole body: The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends placing your hand under the hamster's whole body and lifting gently, then using your other hand to help them feel secure.
- Close to your body: According to the PDSA, scoop them up securely with both palms and hold them close to your body.
- Keep it low: According to the RSPCA, hold them no more than a few inches above a stable surface, like a table. The PDSA recommends sitting on the floor, so they don't get hurt if they jump. According to Blue Cross, hamsters are fragile, and any height they can fall from can injure them.
- The tube method: If they're wary of hands approaching, place a tube or tunnel in front of them and let them walk in. According to Wood Green, you can carefully lift the tube and let your hamster move forward onto your hand in their own time. Blue Cross also suggests lifting them in a tunnel or hide.
Wood Green gives one more method: with Syrian hamsters, you can place one hand just behind their front legs and support their rear end with the other. But only try this once your hamster is comfortable being picked up regularly with the cupping method.
According to the PDSA, a hamster's eyes are very fragile. Rough handling, squeezing, dropping or picking them up by the skin at the back of the neck can seriously damage their eyes.
Why do hamsters bite?
A bite is usually not an attack but a fear response. The sources list these reasons:
- Being startled awake: According to Blue Cross, a hamster that's disturbed during the day and becomes alarmed may bite; the PDSA also says a hamster handled while sleeping is likely to be scared and bite. Make sure they're properly awake before handling them. Blue Cross advises never putting your hand into their bed.
- A hand from above: According to Wood Green, Syrian hamsters can feel very threatened by a hand suddenly hovering above them while they're resting.
- Feeling threatened: According to the PDSA, hamsters need gentle handling and may bite if they feel threatened.
- Not being used to it: According to Blue Cross, hamsters rarely bite if they're used to being handled sensitively and correctly from an early age.
If you get bitten, stay calm. As the RSPCA points out, hamsters don't like loud or threatening noises. Take a step back: as the PDSA suggests, put them back in their cage and offer a treat when they approach you on their own.
According to the RSPCA, hamsters don't show outward signs of pain and can go downhill quickly when they're unwell; changes in behavior can be a sign that something's wrong. If your tame hamster suddenly starts behaving differently, talk to your vet without delay.
Not every hamster is the same
According to Wood Green, Syrian, winter white, Campbell's and Chinese hamsters can easily become hand-tame and may enjoy coming out of their cage. The Syrian, the largest species, can be easier to handle because of their size. The Roborovski hamster, on the other hand, is a species just one to two inches long that's exceptionally fast and makes sudden movements. According to Wood Green, they're not suitable for regular handling, especially by young children, and their size makes them hard to pick up.
A safe space outside the cage
According to Wood Green, it's good for your hamster to have extra space to run around and explore outside the cage each day. They suggest two safe options: putting the plug in a dry, empty bathtub and laying towels across the bottom, or using a pop-up fabric or corrugated plastic playpen. Put toys and hiding places inside. According to Wood Green, sitting with your hamster in this space is a great way for them to get used to you, and it's also a safe place for handling.
According to the RSPCA, a hamster should never be left out of their cage unattended or overnight. If you have a cat or dog, make sure your hamster is safe from them. Wood Green also reminds us that hamsters are very good escape artists.
Children and hamsters
According to the PDSA, children should always be supervised when handling hamsters; hamsters need to be handled carefully and can bite. The PDSA recommends that, rather than holding hamsters, children feed them treats and gently stroke them in their cage. For what to talk about as a family before getting a hamster: my child wants a hamster.
According to the RSPCA, getting used to handling is also important for regularly checking your hamster's health. Wood Green recommends a weekly health check and looking for any unusual lumps and bumps on their body when you handle them. If you log the weight from these checks in Tüylüm's Weight tracking, you can easily spot changes.
More of our rodent articles: rodents.
Frequently asked questions
How long until my hamster gets used to my hands?
Every hamster is different. Wood Green recommends not handling them at all for the first day or two, and for the first few weeks sitting on the floor and letting them walk over your hands; with this calm approach, your hamster may be happy to be picked up after one to two weeks. In the RSPCA's words, hamsters should be allowed to investigate your hands in their own time.
My hamster bit me. Should I stop handling them?
Don't give up, but slow down. According to Blue Cross and the PDSA, hamsters usually bite when they're startled awake or feel threatened. Only handle them when they're fully awake, don't bring your hand down from above, and if you see they're frightened, put them back in their cage and offer a treat when they approach you on their own.
Can I pick up my Roborovski hamster?
According to Wood Green, Roborovski hamsters are tiny, very fast animals that make sudden movements; they're not suitable for regular handling. Wood Green says hamsters will happily take treats from your hands, so you can bond with your Roborovski by offering treats from your hand instead of picking them up.
Keep track of your pet's care in TüylümLog vet visits, vaccine and medication dates, and we'll remind you when it's time. Share it all with your family in Home.
Sources
- RSPCA · Understanding hamster behaviour
- RSPCA · Hamster health and welfare
- Blue Cross · Hamster care
- PDSA · Hamsters as pets
- Wood Green · Caring for hamsters as pets
- Merck Veterinary Manual · Providing a home for a hamster
By Tüylüm · Published and last checked: October 26, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Write to [email protected] and we'll fix it right away. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the license shown below each photo.
