Handling & Taming Mouse-like Hamsters

Mouse-like hamsters are still relatively uncommon in the UK pet trade and so it may be difficult to find ones that are handtame. Ones less used to human contact are unlikely to bite, but their general speed, unpredictability and athleticism may make taming very difficult.

Whether your Mouse-likes are tamed already or not, handling them does require more experience than most rodents on this site. Akin to the African Pygmy Dormice they are extremely fast and will speed up your arm or climb across your back quite freely. They seem more unpredictable than Dormice however, though they share the tendency to leap suddenly to the floor or to a piece of furniture.

My pair were obtained already handtame, and are extremely friendly. I've found that since their activity levels speed up over the course of a night that it is better to handle them earlier on, around 9pm. Handling at 11pm or later is much harder, as they have much higher activity levels.

Handling them is just a case of placing your hand in close proximity and waiting for them to leap on! they will sniff it first and investigate and then this will lead to them climbing you arm. A gently cupped hand can pick them up from a shoulder or back and moving them back towards their cage means they will generally just leap straight back in. I do not tend to move far away from their cage since they show no fear of heights and would be likely to jump straight to the floor. I keep periods of handling quite brief and if both want to come out you may initially want another person to hand in case one decides to leap onto something other than you.