How can I bond with my new hamster using treats safely?

It sounds like you are doing a great job with Bear so far. Continue interacting with her like you are as often as possible because this will help you gain her trust. If you want to try and hold her, try placing your hand open in her enclosure (palm up) with a small treat inside. Allow her to slowly come to you and walk into the palm of your hand. After she does this a few times then you can gently close your hand and lift her out of the enclosure. The first few times you hold her only do it for a short period of time so she doesn’t become to stressed. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Likely she will be fine. Treats for small rodents are generally safe but may be high calorie. You may wait 48 hours before offering more treats. I hope this helps and congratulations on adding Leah to your family.

A hamster needs fresh fruits and vegetables as well as grains and greens. You can feed him daily in the morning or in the evening. Acceptable vegetables and greens include romaine lettuce, cauliflower, squash, spinach, broccoli, carrots and cucumbers. Commercial pellets or blocks can be offered along with a seed mix, vegetables and greens (as listed above) and fruit such as apple, pear, banana and grapes. Be sure to check the cage frequently to clean out any hoards to prevents pests and rot.

Yes, you can give sunflower seeds. While there are not studies that I know of, you can give 10-15 per day. Do be careful though that Leah does not become heavy. Sunflower seeds are very tasty but also high in fat. You can also give small pieces of vegetables and fruit. Remember that all treats should be in moderation. I hope this helps.

1. No, not true. A high-fiber, fortified food should make up approximately 90% of your hamster's diet. A complete fortified food such as Oxbow’s Essentials Hamster and Gerbil Food would be the best option. You don't want a diet that contains a lot of seeds. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/oxbow-essentials-hamster-and-gerbil-food Here are some things you can try to offer in small amounts as a treat: Asparagus Baked or Steamed Chicken, Turkey or Cod Fish (Skin and bones removed.) Bananas Boiled or Scrambled Eggs Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cauliflower Cooked Brown Rice (plain) Cooked Whole Grain Pasta Flax Seed Lentils Mango Melon Mild Cheeses Nutritional Yeast Oatmeal Plain Tofu Raspberries Romaine Lettuce Seedless Apples Seedless Grapes Squash Strawberries Sweet Potatoes Unsalted Popcorn (no butter) Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds Unsalted Soybeans Fruit and whole grains can upset the GI tract if offered in too high levels. As a rule of thumb, only 5-10 percent of the diet should be these foods. 2. No, on any citrus fruits.

Mulberries do not have any toxic potential, however I would not recommend feeding them to Bear. The reason for this is that hamsters are not as well equipped to process fruits as rats or mice are. They have a gastrointestinal tract that is a cross between a horse and a cow. This means that they need more fibrous foods than a cow would need (that is the horse part), but that they do fermentation in their forestomach (that is the cow part). Due to that, their food is often more of a fiber-type of base than a rat or mouse would be (they have a gastrointestinal tract that is more similar to a dog, and can handle fruits and higher protein than a hamster). I am not sure what type of food, or brand, that you are feeding currently, but one of my favorites is Oxbow. They make a food that is great for hamsters, and fulfills all of their nutritional needs. This can then be supplemented with treats that consist of vegetables (bell peppers, green beans, tomato, squash). I would not recommend feeding any fruit, or sugary treats. I hope that helps, and thank you for your question!

Hamsters natural inclination being a small rodent is to be afraid/hide. Some patience and treats may help earn your hamsters trust. First try spending some time each day just sitting quietly outside your hamsters cage. You can read a book or something that doesn't require movement, just be near the cage. Once your hamster doesn't run away while you are quietly sitting you can start just placing your hand in the cage without trying to pick her up. Placing a tasty treat near your hand to entice her to come near. If you do this every day, eventually she will hopefully come to find you less scary and allow you to interact with her more!