New Hamster

[gremlin]

Hi everyone,

Sorry i havn't been on in a while but my health has been bad, really hope everyone's ok and your hamsters are too.

Well to update everyone Homes and Phileas are very happy and content with pretty much everything resolved on their front.

Well just over a two weeks ago i adopted from my local pets@home adoption centre a hamster that had been brought back.

Turns out he was the more dominate of all the hamsters (Russian dwarfs) and so instead of dealing with the problem they had separated him out into another cage and just threw food in when needed and didn't handle him so in the end he was brought back. The thing that gripes me is they left it 10 months to do this ! ??? when it would have been alot more simple when he was younger.

Well he has a fantastic personality just is very scared of humans and to be honest I don't blame him. Ive been told he was a biter but it’s very evident that it’s out of fear. When he has ‘bit’ me in the beginning it was more of a scrap than a I want to draw blood so again this makes me think hes just fearful.

He was very quick to wanting to be fussed so I let him smell me which he was happy with, this has now moved on to him on my lap which he is loving although very wary. He now comes on my lap and I feed him flakes which he happily takes (wasn’t trained to do it, just did) and whilst he’s munching I stroke his back which he’s quite happy with and likes washing himself on my lap. The nervousness seems increase a million fold when he’s picked up hench why I’m fussing him on my lap. I think he may have been droped or handled rough as the guy said it was a child’s hamster and the parents just didn’t want to deal with him.

So my question is what should I do next? Part of me thinks he may just be a lap hamster which is fine by me as its him being happy that is important

Thanks

[SarahJ]

well done on taking the little one in, and yes 10 months is a long time to leave doing anything about but at least he's got a loving home now.

Youve done a great job in 2 weeks esp since hes letting you stroke him.

I think i would try to get him to walk across my hand and maybe try to get him to sit on it while eating a treat? this will get him use to knowing that your hands will not hurt him.
Once hes ok with walking across them ans sitting there i would try to pick him up.
when hes on your hand lift your hand slighty up only a few cm's at first and see how he deals with this. if hes ok then i would very slowly over time raise him a little higher.

[souffle]

Congrats on your newbie and a challange at that. He sounds to be progressing and may well be happier just to be a lap hamster but that is no bad thing as you have made him comfortable with being petted and made his life much richer

[fluffymunchkins]

welcome back
I think he might just be happiest being a lap hamster for a while, maybe in time once he trusts you, you can move onto trying to get him hand tame.
I wish you two the best of luck getting to know each other x

[Katty_Sheldon]

Thats amazing, considering what he has been trough! My hamster was also scared of being picked up. Try to put him in a toilet roll/cup and put him so that he exits on your arm. Then try the hand-to hand stuff described here in the wiki, so that he gets used to the touch. He might be a little panicky at the beginning. My hamster got totally used to it after 2 weeks. A

[gremlin]

Aww thanks guys just couldn't see him going to another home where he would get miss treated

I will try the suggestions but im going to go slow as when ever i pick him up his heart races really bad until I pop him on my lap. Considering things il be quiet happy if he just stays a lap hamster as his a funny little thing very bright thinks its alot of fun to go exploring up and into my house robe and up my sleeves and is allways puzzled as to why there is no food up there!

Also another thing is his eyes seem to be angled slightly off so i think he may have a 'blind spot' where he cant see me so I working on that too

Many thanks

[LocoRocoPanda]

Aww he sounds lovely. And welcome back! Hope you're feeling better now.

[gremlin]

Well just a little update to say he getting on really nicely hes such a funny little thing.

I can now pick him up in my had and his heart isn't racing a million miles an hour. Hes actually jumping up and down wanting to be fussed desperately and has willingly ran on to my hand onto occasion.

Hes coming on great only the occasional nips and that's only due to over excitement. So happy and easy to please loves kitchen rolls the new game is to run in it as i pick it up it then creates a seasaw action and he jumps out the other side.

I just cant see how anyone could have dumped him, thanks for everything

Oh btw his names Einstein lol