Advice on behaviour of new hamster

[Swirlyvibes]

Hi guys!
So Genji is my first pet hamster, and we have had him for a week now and so far he has been amazing but has displayed a few behaviours that I need some advice on.
Firstly he is a very curious and lively which is good 😊 however on the second day of having him he completely destroyed his waterbottle. He hasn't displayed any destructive behaviour since.
He has been loving running on his wheel, to the point where I am curious if it could be too much wheel time. He will spend pretty much the majority of the night on his wheel. If I remove the wheel it clearly stresses him out as he will climb the bars and chew them. Is there such thing as too much wheel time? He has a huge cage with lots of enrichment but he just loves his wheel! He had also been accepting treats from me since the third day we had him and will accept a treat off me one minute and then avoid my hand like the plague the next. However he is happy to sit and let me pet him. Is it normal for him to do that?
I am a first time hamster owner so any advice people can give is amazing!!

[Swirlyvibes]

Would also like to know what taming tricks and tips other people use? And how often/ long should Taming sessions be? I usually do about 3 sessions for 5 mins in the evenings

[SecretlyDying]

Genji sounds like such a little character. You've only had him for a short while and he's still settling in - i dont think the behaviors he's displaying are that concerning personally. He could of destroyed the water bottle because it wasn't working or he's a plastic chewer - my hamster did the same thing so i switched her to a bowl. Is Genji young? alot of young hamsters will continuously run on their wheel - its normal and safe as long as they take small breaks in between for food, water etc.

Him accepting treats then being scared of your hand sounds a lot like my little girl - she'd accept treats happily and eat off my hand but as soon as food was gone she ran as far away from my hand as possible - its just a part of their personality i guess, in time he may improve and realize you're not a threat. I'd also say its normal for him to let you pet him, it shows he's comfortable for you to touch him but maybe not so comfortable with your hand being in his cage just yet.

Your taming sessions sound fine - not too short or too long - but if he's happy to have longer taming sessions and doesn't seem too stressed by it then definitely do longer taming sessions. You can do taming sessions daily if he's not too stressed by it or maybe a proper training session every other day and a quick treat/talk to him everyday. A taming trick i recommend is the tissue trick - rub some tissue between your hands, arms, or put some up your sleeve for a few hours - then rip it up into shreds and give it him as nesting material - this helps get him used to your scent and can help him be more confident around you. Some other people also have success with out of the cage taming - put him in a safe area (playpen, bathtub) and interact with him by offering your hand or sitting inside the space with him - some hamsters tame better out of the cage as they can be cage territorial

[IamKat]

I agree with SecretlyDying, I don't think the wheel thing is a problem, especially if he is young, as long as he has access to water! I also provide my girl with a bowl because she tends to chew and rub on the water bottle, so that's a good option if the bottle doesn't work.

Genji is still settling in, although it seems like he is already making good progress, keep up the taming and I'm sure he'll get there . I can vouch for the bathtub taming sessions they really worked for me, and if he is stressed by being picked up you can always put a treat in a mug and take him out of the cage that way, just whilst he is getting used to your smell and touch. Good luck!

[Swirlyvibes]

Some awesome advice guys! Thankyou so much! I will try the tips you have given! The cage territorial thing makes so much sense! Thankyou again