All of us want a pet that will love us. It is why when deciding what kind of pet we are going to buy we consider how loving the species is. Because dogs are at the top of most loving pets, most of us have dogs. Yes, dogs are inevitably loving, which is why they are called man’s best friend.
However, how about other pets like hamsters? We already know how loving a dog and cat are. But how about pet hamsters? Do hamsters love their owners the same way dogs and cats do? Let us find out!
Do hamsters love their owners? Yes! Hamsters love their owners! Pet hamsters not only like affection but also human interaction. Hamsters love their owners like most pets. However, hamsters have strange ways of showing it. Hamsters love the friendship of their humans and can build strong relationships.
Hamsters are great and cute pets! They are also entertaining when we watch them inside their cages. Hamsters use their sense of smell to connect with their owners. They can recognize the scent of their owners if their owners spend time with them often.
There are other things you can learn about pet hamsters. I will answer various questions and give you tips to get your pet hamster to trust you. If you are ready, let us go!
8 Ways To Get Your Hamster’s Trust And Like You
Hamsters are inexpensive pets, and even children below 13 years old can have one because it is easy to take care of. They are very sweet and can be tamed effortlessly. You have to get their trust. However, how can you get your hamster’s trust? Below are the best tips to get your hamster’s love and trust.
Buy The Right Cage
First, you have to get the right cage for your hamster.
When buying a cage you have to consider how many hamsters you are going to get. If you get many hamsters and you bought a small cage for them, it will be catastrophic.
You have to make sure that your hamster has a big-sized cage. Several floors and plenty of space to run around are the best. Hamsters love to run, and if your hamster has plenty of room to run around, your hamster will be happy!
A big cage is essential so that your hamster will be able to nest and burrow in. With a big cage, you can put lots of toys and exercise equipment to keep them happy and healthy!
Make Your Hamster Comfortable With Their Surroundings
Once you bring your new pet hamster home, he/she may not be accustomed to his/her surroundings or cage. Your house and new cage you bought smells different for your hamster yet. Your hamster is surrounded by many new people that have various smells too.
Your new pet hamster needs a personal space, which he/she can feel safe in. Continuously touching them will not do any better. In fact, it will just make your new hamster stressed.
Leave your new hamster alone for a week to get used to his/her new home and the smells of people around him/her. Your hamster will spread their own scent around its cage, build a nest, and eat lots of food during this time.
Let Your Hamster Come To You
Like I have mentioned above, continuously carrying or touching your new hamster will not do any better. Your hamster will only end up dead because of stress.
It is essential that you let your new hamster come to you. If your hamster wants to go to you, your hamster will. Never force your hamster to approach you by grabbing or chasing your hamster. Your hamster will become stressed and more scared of you when you execute this kind of act.
When you do this, your hamster may also bite you and can cause injury to you. The best thing to make your hamster come to you is to put a treat first in your hands and put your hands inside the cage.
Your hamster may come to you and sniff your hands first. Your hamster may bite you gently but don’t be scared because this is normal. They are just testing you if you are a food.
If your hamster has a friendly personality, he/she will crawl into your hands immediately and eat the treat you have. However, some hamsters that are introverted may sniff your fingers and run away quickly. The best way is to put the food at the end of your finger so that they can reach it easily.
The things that you should not do when you are trying to let your hamster come to you are:
- Grabbing your hamster
- Make some movements
- Make irritating and loud noises
- Chasing them around their cage
- Continuously touching them
When you get the trust of your hamster, they will jump onto your hands and sit there for a few minutes. When this happens, gently touch your hamster with your other hand. Execute this for a week. After that, try bringing your hamster out of their cage while they sit on your hands.
Do Not Punish Your Hamster
Your hamster has no concept of bad behavior. Hamsters never understand punishment and will do bad things because they are scared or bored. Hamsters are not like dogs or cats that know that they are being punished.
When a hamster bites you, never spank them. The best way is to distract them with a toy or a treat. However, their bite is not that painful. They will only bite you gently to test out your scent. But if they bite you hard, it means that your hamster is scared of you. If this happens, give your hamster more space.
Show Affection
Once you have the trust of your hamster, it is time to show affection so that they will love you and trust you more.
Gently stroking the fur of your hamster is the best way to show that you love them. Like I have mentioned, hamsters love to be with their owners. Sometimes your hamster will climb to your shoulder or nap inside your pocket.
Hamsters can feel bored too. They are stuck in a cage with the same wheel, food, water bottle that makes them bored. Your hamster will feel less bored if you buy another hamster or take them out of its cage. You should take your hamster out of their cage every day to become less bored and to deepen their trust and love for you.
Communicate With Your Hamster
The next thing you want to do to gain your hamster’s trust and love is to communicate with them consistently every day.
Talk with your hamster every day. Do this gently, calmly, and with a soft voice. It will help you if you want to gain your hamster’s trust. It is essential to communicate with your hamster to develop a stronger bond.
Talk to them while you are having a coffee or eating some delicious burger. Never shout at your hamster because this will scare your hamster. Be calm and gentle while talking with your pet hamster.
Introduce Your Family To Your Hamster
Never introduce your pet hamster suddenly. Your hamster has trust in you, but it does not mean your hamster will also have faith in your friends or other family members. Like I have mentioned, hamsters know you because of your scent. If they smell a new scent they might get scared.
What you can do is slowly introduce your family or friends to your hamster. The things you have done before to gain your hamster’s trust should be used by your family and friends to get the trust of your hamster.
New people should try placing their hands with treats in your hamster’s cage. By doing that, your hamster will get used to the fresh scent.
Give Your Hamster Food And Water
Once your hamster becomes familiar with your scent, the next thing you want to do to get their whole trust is to give them food and water.
Never forget to pour your hamster’s food and water bowl. While your hamster is busy eating the food you gave, you can try to pet your hamster gently. When you do this, your hamster will start to become more comfortable with touching.
You can place a treat or food on your hands and put it inside the cage. However, never force feed your hamster. Respect their decision if they don’t take the food from your hands. This kind of method will help you to get your hamster’s trust.
Best Ways To Keep Your Hamster Happy And Loving
Now that you know the various ways to get your hamster’s trust and like you, let us check how to keep it that way. Let us check the ways you can do to keep your hamster happy and loving.
Get The Right Cage
Again, I will tell you to get the right cage. The right cage is essential for your hamster because this is where your hamster will spend most of its time. If the pen you bought is not great for your hamster, your hamster will end up unhappy.
You need to get a cage with enough room to run, eat, sleep, and play. You need a cage with broad space so that you can put lots of toys inside to keep your hamster accompanied.
Consider A Hamster Wheel
Hamster wheels are exercise devices that are designed solely for hamsters. These wheels allow hamsters to run for hours even when their space is confined. Hamster wheels are like stationary bikes for hamsters.
Hamsters are active animals that love to run. Giving them wheels gives them a chance to do what their instincts dictate them to do. Wild hamsters that are living in the wild will travel many miles each day to find food. Hamster wheels will also help your hamster to become fit and healthy.
Give Your Hamster A Toy
Aside from hamster wheels, there are other things that you can buy to keep your hamster busy. Like I have said, hamsters are playful animals. They need a variety of fun toys and other items to stay happy. The best toys for hamsters are chewing toys, balls, and rope toys. When buying a toy, make sure that the toy is not dangerous for your pet hamster.
Be Consistent
The next thing you want to do to keep your hamster happy and loving is to be consistent. Feed your hamster at the same time, talk to your hamster and pet your hamster every day. Never neglect your hamster because this will make them sad and depressed. If you can’t commit to being consistent, never get a pet hamster.
Do Hamsters Enjoy Attention?
Hamsters enjoy the attention, and they need it. However, they are not like dogs that will crave it. You can play with your hamster for some minutes and leave them after. They don’t need much time of yours.
Hamsters are solitary animals, but they still enjoy human company, and they can be attached to their owners. Hamsters need your attention so that they know what you are doing and can move around in peace.
Do Hamsters Love Other Hamsters?
It depends on the breed of the hamster. Hamsters are territorial animals. Because of this, it is much safer to keep one hamster per cage. Putting two hamsters in one cage may cause some fighting that can be dangerous for both of them. If you want to keep two or more hamsters in one cage, dwarf hamsters are what I recommend.
Conclusion
Hamsters love their owners. However, they strangely show this. Hamsters are not like dogs that are thirsty for the attention of their owner. All they need is at least 10 to 20 minutes of attention per day, and they are good to go. They need to trust their humans so that they can move peacefully around their cage.
Source: fluffyplanet.com, animals.mom.com
