Roborovski Hamsters

Taming Robo's is a very difficult and time demanding task. It certainly not be done in the first couple of weeks acquiring your hamster(s)

 Note: What I mean by tame is being able to hold your Roborovski without it running away and being able to stroke it to a certain point. This still means that you have to, by all means, always hold your Roborovski over a cardboard box or never over 15 cm above their cage/aquarium floor.

Taming a Roborovski is a task that requires a great deal of patience... and sometimes some pretty quick hands when it decides to run off to wherever. Your first experience with your pet may be a little frustrating as the Roborovski's skittish personality makes them rather untrusting of such a big and noisy critter. When you are handling your hamsters you need to make sure it's super quiet as they are easily startled and will bolt. You will also need to take care not to move suddenly and startle the little guys.

Your first few sessions with your hamster will probably just be you trying to get him to hang out with you, preferably on your hand, but that won't last long as he/she will try to crawl all over you looking for a way to get away. You'll want to plan these sessions in an open area where you can sit so if he/she runs up your arm and rolls off your shoulder he/she won't get hurt and you can hopefully catch the little critter before can hide under something. The point of these sessions is to get your hamster used to your smell and hopefully reduce his fear of you. You could try to offer him some kind of treat but its doubtful that your hamster would take it from you or even pick it up at this point. You should spend a good 10 minutes each day with your hamster.

Eventually your pet should calm down enough for you to try reaching with a finger and gently stroking him/her. The first few tried with probably send your hamster off again, but after a while you should reach a point where your Roborovski will sit in your hand while you stroke it with a finger.

At this point you should be able to successfully offer treats. When offering treats be sure to get your hamster's attention, but not to shove the food in his/her face, just hold it near your hand and wait for him/her to decide if he/she wants it. You can also use treats to coax/train your hamster to hop into your hand when you want to pick it up and play with it. Offering it at bedding level with a treat inside should provide enough motivation for him/her to come and see what you have and so long as you keep still and don't startle the critter, it will climb on and grab the goodie. After a while he/she will climb it without the promise of food.

If you have any problems, feel free to contact me at roborovskihamsters@googlemail.com