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Old 12-29-2016, 08:08 AM  
cypher
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
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Default Re: Attempting to train a frightened Hamster

Hi & welcome to HC.

Sorry to hear you're struggling with Sooty, some hams do take longer to gain confidence than others so don't get too disheartened just yet.
Which species is Sooty?
Some hams will get more nervous in a larger cage so it might not be the best thing just yet, what cage is he in right now & what kind of set up do you have? Some syrians will do better in a larger cage with more to explore but not all so it's not always an easy decision to make.
If there's too much open space they can find that intimidating.
Have you done the tissue trick with him, putting tissue up your sleeve for a few hours then putting that in the cage & repeating it each day for a while so he can really get used to your scent, that normally helps a bit.
What kind of house does he have?
As it's been quite a while now you may have to encourage him a bit more, he needs a nice nest but maybe not somewhere he can easily hide away completely all the time.
Have you tried setting up a routine time & gently rustling the bedding to let him know you're there then offering a treat, if he's too scared to take it you can just leave there so he begins to associate you with nice things not scary things!
I always spend lots of time just talking quietly to mine even when they hide so they get used to my voice too.
It's hard to know what else to suggest without knowing a bit more about what you've done & what his current cage etc is like really.

ETA I forgot to ask about cleaning, how often & how much have you been cleaning his cage?
A small cage does need cleaning more often than a larger a one but over cleaning can be very stressful & make them much more nervous.
It's best to just spot clean where he pees then do partial cleans ever few weeks always leaving at least some of the old substrate, nest & food hoard, you can replace the food hoard with fresh mix if it's a bit old or any veg or perishable food is in there.
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Last edited by cypher; 12-29-2016 at 08:40 AM.
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