How to Train Your Hamster to Come when You Call

Training hamsters can be a tricky business, as they can be much more anxious and more easily scared than other pets. Hamsters can be trained with patience and lots of snacks, though it doesn’t always work — some rodents simply never learn their own name, whereas others quickly associate human voices with treats.

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When training hamsters, be gentle, talk softly, and let them come to you rather than force them to like you. After a few weeks of training, your hamster will come running up to you just like a little dog or cat would!

1 Give your hamster a few weeks to adjust to its new surroundings. When you get a new hamster, it is very natural for them to feel anxiety and stress being in a new place. Don’t fuss over it for the first few days, just give it food and water and talk softly around it so it doesn’t get scared just by seeing you.^[1]
- It is essential that the hamster gets used to your scent and the noises of the house before you continue. Hamsters are easily startled creatures, so if you try to train it while it is still getting used to everything, the process will be much more difficult.
2 Place a sunflower seed or other treat in the palm of your hand. You should choose a treat that you know your hamster loves. Sunflower seeds are usually a great choice, but keep in mind that these are high in fat and should only be reserved for the occasional treat. Specialty hamster snacks or fresh veggies will get their attention as well.^[2]
- Wash your hands with unscented soap before and after handling your hamster, as strong odors on your hands might alarm it.
3 Move the treat to the opposite side of the cage to entice the hamster. With your hand at the opposite end of the cage where your hamster is sitting, slowly raise the treat up and down to get the smell of the treat to your hamster’s nose and bring their attention to the snack.^[3] Your hand’s movement should be non-threatening and slow.
- Keep in mind that some hamsters – such as the dwarf varieties – will consider movements a threat and either run for safety or bite! If your hamster appears frightened by you, stop moving, and try again after a few minutes.
4 Let your hamster take the treat when it comes up to you. Don’t say its name yet — this exercise is about establishing trust between you and your hamster. If it knows it can get treats from you, it won’t act so defensive and will start to like you.^[4]
- Try to avoid handling the hamster until it trusts you intrinsically, or you may have to start the trust-building process all over…