Please help- skittish and shy!

[luckadoodledoo]

Hi! I was wondering if I could please ask for some help?



I recently adopted Custard, a 13 week old Syrian; I was told he was in the rescue centre because he bit his previous owners' kids and is a bit jumpy. I wasn't expecting him to be just as skittish as he is and feel awful for the poor thing. For the first hour after he wakes up, he really easily zones out for minutes on end, like he's playing dead. Noises don't phase him much sometimes but other times he flinches at every last sound. If he gets startled, he frantically runs on his wheel to the point of splatting, then starting up again. Just now I offered him a piece of broccoli and he took it from my hand with no issue; he's comfortable to eat in front of me and groom, too (though I wonder whether it's too much/stress-grooming/scent marking). When I put the food dish down gently on the substrate away from him, he startled and sped up the cage bars, wedging himself between the wall and his silent spinner. He slowly got down and zoned out in the corner of the cage for a while. To make matters worse, he's currently nesting in his tuff tube, but because he's new and jumpy I don't know what to do about moving his bed without stressing the poor fluff out; it doesn't look likely he'd even be able to be transported to a travel cage to change it. Last night I heard him bar chewing for quite a while and my heart just sank, I don't know whether he's just stressed because he's still settling in or if there's anything I could/should be doing I'm worried about going about taming correctly too. Any help would be hugely appreciated, thank you.

[cypher]

How long have you had him?
I would give him plenty of time to settle in just talking to him & offering teats if he'll take them, go really slow & let him get used to his new home.
Have you done the tissue trick? Put some plain white toilet tissue up your sleeve for a few hours then shred it & put it in the cage so he can get used to your scent, you can do that each day for a little while if need be.
You shouldn't need to do any cleaning for a while other than spot cleaning if you know where he pees, it may take a while for him to settle on one spot.
If you do need to get him out for anything try putting something in the cage like a tube or ball that you can then safely carry him to the carrier in.
If you can post a photo of his cage then we might be able to make suggestions if there any changes that might make him feel calmer.

[luckadoodledoo]

Thank you so much for your reply, cypher.
I've had him for a week now, he's a bit less jumpy but still spooks easily; he's got a weird duality in which sometimes certain noises/movements will scare him and sometimes they won't. Like yesterday I gave him some small strokes and he was content with me doing so, but today he flipped onto his back defensively in an instant and wouldn't take any food I offered. He's not even curious about me or anything outside; seldom coming up to the side of the bars. He just really likes running on his wheel and sleeping a lot. I didn't realise he'd be so hard to tame and having not had any hamsters for a good few years, I feel out of my element and upset that I can't figure out what to do for the pior chap I've been trying the tissue trick, thank you for the suggestion! When I lifted him into a travel cage via his log & some food bait, he stayed in his log and started chattering his teeth. He seems really highly strung. Earlier his wheel got stuck because of the substrate underneath and he started squeaking loudly because it wasn't moving; while I was trying to dig the substrate away for him, he seemed to lunge at my hand. I feel so lost thank you so much for your suggestions, I'll see if I can get some pictures this week.

[luckadoodledoo]

He also doesn't seem to be drinking much, if anything, which worries me

[dreamtree1234]

A week really isn't too long actually. Some hammies take a little longer than others to settle in at their new home. I believe your ham might be one of those especially since he had the history of being a bit nervous and a possible biter at his previous home. I would just continue with the tissue trick, talk calmly and quietly to him regardless if he is visible, and keep all cleaning and rearranging to a bare minimum for now. I would make sure he has plenty of substrate to burrow into and plenty of hiding places to make him feel more secure. I would probably give him a few more days to settle and then start the taming process by having him go into a container or ball to transport him to a hamster-safe playpen or tub with the drain covered with a towel. Make sure to have plenty of hiding areas, toys, etc. in there with him and let him have a chance to crawl on you in there. I wouldn't pursue him but let him come to you at first. After a while of that step going well for a few days, start offering him treats and see if you can slowly scoop him up at a low level at first and then gradually rising the level a bit higher after each level of height is successful for a few days. Make sure to keep each taming session very short only a few minutes and then gradually increase the length of time. The key is being consistent and extremely patient. He sounds like he is a bit territorial in his cage which is understandable considering his history, but I feel out of cage taming should work well for him. After he is used to being handled, no longer shows any signs of fear or aggression, you could try again to interact with him in his cage, too. Stay positive that all will be fine because hams, like other animals, can sense if we are stressed, worried, or fearful which can increase their fear level, too. Good luck and have fun. I believe all will be fine with the taming since he has already eaten from your hands and accepted petting at times.

As far as the drinking is concerned, hammies don't drink much at all. I would suggest testing that the bottle is working properly and maybe marking the level of water just so you can see that it is going down a tiny bit every day. As long as he is peeing, doesn't look lethargic, and has no signs of illness, he should be fine. You could also offer him some fresh veggies to help keep him hydrated if you are concerned, too.

[cypher]

I would just take your time & go really slowly with him, it may seem like only tiny steps but you will get there in the end!
Spend lots of time just talking to him & keep trying with things like offering treats & don't get disheartened if his behaviour seems inconsistent. taming can often be a bit of a step forward step back thing with more nervous hams.

[luckadoodledoo]

Thank you both for your responses, you completely cleared up my worries with your suggestions! I'll definitely give him a few more days beforr trying the bathtub trick, hopefully it won't stress him too much. He seems to have quite a few moments of splatting after running too hard on his wheel, or just conking out in random parts of the cage so I worried that, in conjunction with not drinking seemingly anything from his water bottle, he's dehydrated. He's been having a small ramekin dish of fresh veggies so it could just be he's getting the water he needs from that?

Thank you again! I'm a worrier so I'm really grateful to receive this kind of guidance and support

[cypher]

I know the feeling! I'm a bit of a worrier too I'm sure you'll do fine with time, keep us posted
Have you tried a water bowl rather than the bottle?

[dreamtree1234]

Tbh, I am also a bit of a worrier, too; I think it just comes with the territory of being such a loving and concerned parent. I just keep reminding myself that everything will be fine, and I'm sure all will be fine with your little one, too. Just keep doing what you are doing and take all steps slowly and on his timetable, and your bond with one another will blossom into something spectacular and special. I agree with Cypher's advice that using a water bowl may be a great option if you are still concerned that he may be dehydrated due to not using his bottle. Just be watchful that your hammy doesn't go for a swim and please be sure to change the water more frequently as it may become soiled with substrate, sand, etc. I'm wishing you and your little Custard the very best. Btw, I just wanted to mention that he is a real cutie, and I love his name, too.

[luckadoodledoo]

Hi! I'm back with some good news~ Since starting the thread, I've been trying the tissue trick each night and he's been using it for his bedding. Tonight we tried the bathtub trick; I was transporting him between his cage and the tub with a see-through plastic crate + log tube. He was happy to explore and go between the gaps in my crossed legs (I'm quite tall so didn't want to take up the whole tub with my legs) and didn't flinch much, if at all when I stroked him very softly. He could smell something on my fingers but just put his mouth around my finger tentatively to test if it was food, not to bite. When he started clambering in the tub after about 5 mins of tub time, I got him back in the crate, however he wasn't getting back into the log tube so I had no way to move him back into his cage. He managed to clamber up the surface of the crate, so I put my hand out. He hopped on with all paws and just kind of stopped for a second, as if he was thinking 'oh? This isn't bad?'. I carefully popped him back in his cage, he ran a few laps and looked up at the cage door (which worried me initially, but he seems to have chilled out now). No biting, no freaking out. He's done so well tonight, I'm really proud of him!