# Hand-taming a shy buck



## squirrelpot (Aug 5, 2017)

I'm putting my hand in my shy buck's cage for long periods.

He's still giving it a very wide berth, but occasionally he will take a small treat from my fingers. Sometimes it will take him up to ten minutes to pluck up the courage to take the treat.

He won't countenance coming anywhere near a tiny smear of almond butter on my finger, which is surprising.

After three weeks of this I'm beginning to despair of making any progress with hand-taming him, so I'm keen to find something so delicious that it will encourage him to overcome his shyness and approach my hand more boldly.

What other things could I put in/on my fingers to tempt him?

(Is jam tempting for a mouse?)


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

So I don't have ideas for treats to use (except maybe sunflower seeds) because it's so individual what they really love. 
However, a trick is to remove everything in the cage so only the bedding is left while your hand is down there. It might help, as he'll have nothing else to do and nowhere to hide, which is probably very tempting for your shy little guy. 
Good luck with it! Don't give up, it can take months, but it's not impossible.


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## Cheshire Gleam (Aug 15, 2016)

Peanut butter (mixed with water or veggie oil to make it easier to swallow if you prefer), live or dried mealworms, sunflower seeds, pieces of plain cooked chicken, plain scrambled eggs, dried oats, Gerber's baby puffs, doesn't have to be name brand, good quality cat or dog food (you can get free or cheap sample packs from pet stores most of the time), toasted plain bread and millet are all things my mice really enjoy. I've never tried jam since I don't buy it for myself but unsweetened jam with no additives would likely be accepted too.


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