Why does my hamster run away? How can I bond and make it less afraid?

Hamsters definitely love to run on wheels. This does not necessarily mean they are not interested in human interaction. Potko may just be a little apprehensive about his new relationship with his owner, in this case, you. Even if he resists, I would suggest taking him out of the cage a little bit every day and handling him. Offer him treats and toys to play with so that he associates you with something positive. Eventually, he will understand that you are a friend. I would increase interaction with him little by little every day. Do not start with hours of interaction immediately. This will shock Potko a little too much.

Hamsters are prey animals and tend to be very fearful of being handled or touched. You need to slowly acclimate Leah to handling. I have included a link on how to tame her to handling: https://hamsterguru.com/how-to-tame-a-hamster/

You have only had him for a week. You need to be patient, let him smell your hand/finger, pet him a little , let him climb on your hand, rather than forcing him to be on your hand by picking him up. It will take time before he trusts you, It can take 2 months before he is comfortable with you picking him up. Put yourself in his place: You are a terribly big human trying to grab a tiny animal,... that is very very scary. You need to gain his trust,

I am sorry to hear about your frustration with your hamster! I Am sure you want to be able to tame him. Many hamsters can be tamed but it can require time and patience. The older a hamster is, the more difficult it may be to train them as they are already used to not having humans handle them. Try to only interact with your hamster when he is already awake. This may mean the night time since usually they are sleeping during the day time. If you wake him he is going to be upset already! Don't bother him if he is eating or drinking. Start off by just placing some treats into his cage and then setting your hand inside the cage, a little ways from the treats, so the hamster can get to the treats but doesn't have to touch you to do so. Leave your hand there for several minutes without moving it. Repeat this daily, until the hamster is coming and eating the treats. Once he is comfortable enough to eat the treats with your hand in the cage, start placing the treats on the tips of your fingers as you lay your hand flat in the cage, palm side up. Continue this daily, and hopefully with time he will take the treat from your hand, and if he does this consistently you can move the treat to the center of your palm. Once he will sit on your hand and take the treat, you can try gently picking him up. This may take quite some time, especially if he is older and not used to people. Best of luck to you!

Unfortunately, some hamsters are more fearful and aggressive than others. This is just their personality. I would try to offer him daily treats but avoid touching him for awhile. Over time, slowly just try to pet him but do not antagonize him or pick him up. If he lets you pet him, give him another treat. Hopefully, over time, he will begin to warm up to you but unfortunately, not all do.

This is my favorite article on taming hamsters. http://www.yourpethamster.com/care/taming If you have already tried these tactics then please post again and give us more information on exactly what you have tried already so we can maybe help you better. Using treats is going to be the best way to accomplish your goal. You also have to be VERY consistent. Any deviation can cause a major setback. Many times owners are just too impatient and want a quick fix so they force the issue instead of taking it slowly. Hope this helps. Best wishes and please post again if needed.

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.