Hello all, I'm just after a little bit of advice/knowledge about several things really. Hershey came home with me a week ago today and from the get go I knew he was shy, but I didn't truly realise how shy/timid/nervous he would be. From previous experience and from what I can recall neither of the Syrians I had in the past were this shy and in turn, within the first week, they were coming out of their nests to inspect the world around them and in turn exploring their new home. Now I get that all hamsters are different like we are, but with Hershey, he doesn't seem to be doing any of what I thought hamsters would naturally do. And me being me and a completely anxious individual, I'm starting to think the worst.
To be honest with each passing day, I am growing more and more concerned because I'm worried that the fall he experienced in the pet shop has possibly hurt him in ways I can't see - physical and internal. The Pet Assistant did drop him and the poor mite froze in place after landing upon the floor. When he was picked up, the other assistant seemed to grab him harshly and in turn he pooped himself out of what I could only assume was fear
So bringing him home, the only movement I saw of him was him dashing straight underneath his hideout to not be seen again. I simply thought it was normal, but as the days rolled by I got more and more worried. For the entire week, other than offering a little bit of banana, I have not see him. He did amble forward to take a little of the treat, but simply slid back into his nest and hid himself away. To cause me to worry further, his cage hardly seems touched. Every morning I wake, I check in on his home but half the time it appears untouched. He does seem to be taking food, but not enough to satisfy me because my previous three hardly left anything behind.
I know this all bottles down to individuality but with him being 15 weeks old, surely he should be eating more to gain the nutrients his body needs else he'll be deficient and in turn become unwell?
In terms of him toileting, there is no obvious signs that he is doing this around his home. I can see no poops or places in which he favours to do his business. Could he be doing all of this where he sleeps? I could check, but by disturbing him and going through his nest will cause him undue stress that he simply does not need.
Should I however do this just to make sure he is indeed going to the toilet or should I not risk this?
He is currently housed within a Hamster heaven with a 28cm wheel, megazorb substrate and with safe paper bedding. He has a few toys and a sand bath added within his enclosure. He is currently being fed Harry Hamster.
I may be an over worrying hammie mum, but my stomach is telling me that something isn't exactly right and in turn I can't get that niggle out of my mind