Cage upgraded. How long should I leave my hammy alone to get used to it?

[Pchatt]

Hello everyone!

I just moved my Misti to a larger cage (IKEA Detolf). Though her previous cage was larger than the minimum requirement, I noticed that she was constantly chewing the bars and climbing them. So I got a detolf for her and just put her in there (with about 1/3 of her old bedding to help her feel more at home in the new environment). How long should I let her be before I start interacting with her again? She is a very jumpy hammy. She still isn't exactly used to me and runs away most of the time. She does take a treat or two from me from time to time. She is a bit nippy, has bitten me a lot of times. Not too hard to draw blood though. So I usually let her be, but play with her every day for about half an hour (mostly just talking to her softly and offering treats). First time I got her home, I let her be for 3 days before even entering her room. Do I need to do the same this time round too?

[cypher]

It can take them up to a couple of weeks to adjust to a new cage but it can sometimes be really quick so let your ham guide you really, just do normal things like talking to her when your around & see how she's responding, if she seems nervous give her a little more time before interacting more than that.
The most important thing is not to change anything in the new cage now so she can settle in properly so don't move anything & no more than spot cleaning for at least a few weeks.

[Isleofhamsters]

Give her a few days with no interaction, then do the taming process again. This may sound strange, but the hamster may be a bit wary as it’s environment changed.

[Pchatt]

Thanks for the advice! I did see her exploring the cage a little today. So I am taking that as a positive sign! She is still hiding mostly and not exploring much. But I am giving her time and space.

[Pebbles82]

I'd allow two weeks for her to settle in fully, without any cleaning or moving things around. Although spot cleaning the pee after a week would be ok (if you can find it If not, don't worry about it).

As Cypher says, they can settle quicker, especially if you've moved all the old bedding over, but I think she will be skitty for at least a week as she needs to find new habits in a different environment and it's all strange and different.

So 2 or 3 days just leaving her alone just putting food and water out. I'd actually give that a week unless she shows signs of wanting to come out. Then maybe a tiny bit of spot cleaning if necessary.

I would start taming after the 2 weeks if she doesn't show signs of wanting to come out before then.

As it's top entrance, it might be better to get her out in a tube or in a hamster ball. A Hamster ball could be lowered into the detolf maybe near her house, with a smelly treatin like a bit of cucumber. She'll probalby come out and walk into the ball then you can pop the lid on and gently carry her in the ball to a place you can safely let her out for hand taming - eg the dry bathtub with a couple of toys/tunnels/hidey places in it.

During the two weeks it is ok to add the odd new thing - they seem to accept that and are interested - as long as it doesn't mean taking something else away or moving things round.

You will know when she's settled in as she'll be out and about more and looking happy.

Hamsters do vary in their need for adjustment time, but my experience is that if you move them cold turkey it can take a bit longer (ie the full two weeks) - whereas if they have played in/explored the new cage a couple of times before moving, they tend to settle in quickly (like they have made the choice themselves ).

When you start taming again, I would suggest bathtub taming (if you have a bath - if not then rig up a playpen area) and wear gloves initially. When she stops trying to bite you can carry on without the gloves. So take it slowly - just a stroke on the back with one finger while she's in the bathtub (eg when she's slithering up and down the sides trying to escape). Maybe 2 or 3 times with a gap in betwee, the first session. If she jerks round to bite, wait, then try again 10 minutes later.

Second session - just carry on with this - fairly soon she should accept the stroke on the back without jerking round to bite - this is very good progress - it means she trusts your touch and isn't scared of being touched. Biting is usually fear, or it can be cage aggression.

Avoid putting your hand in her cage - spot clean or do food and water when she's asleep. She is maybe very territorial about hands in her cage before she is fully tame - they can run at your hand.

Once she accepts a finger stroke on the back during taming, you could move onto letting her walk across the palm of your hand with the back of your hand flat on the base of the bath. Then to lifting your hand very slightly as she walks across it, but let her walk off. Then lifting your hand a little bit higher, but still let her walk off. Then after that letting her walk from hand to hand and then through your tunneled hands. After that she should be hand tame and you can pick her up and handle her.

It can take time and patience with a nervous hamster. IT took 2 months of bathtub taming to tame our last Syrian who was ferral and neurotic! But when it happened it was instant and he was lovely and tame after that.

[Pchatt]

She is a robo dwarf hamster. So I have a little box that I use as her play pen. She used to run away from my hand but had started taking treats from me from time to time. That's when she would bite. I always make sure to wash my hands well with a non-scented soap and make sure I couldn't smell any food on my hands. But I guess her sense of smell being better, she could still pick up some smell and bite me thinking my fingers were food.

Right now, I do see her coming out and exploring her cage from time to time. But she mostly likes to hide in a tunnel I had put in her cage (the cardboard tubes present in paper towel rolls). She hoards her food a lot (she did that in her previous cage too). I will not try to disturb her for the next 2 weeks then. But I hope talking to her at night when I see her roaming about is okay?

[Pebbles82]

Robo are notoriously difficult to tame - we have one. Once he's out of the cage he sits for a stroke and doesn't bite. However getting him out of the cage stresses him, because he runs and hides.

Robos are often seen as "look don't touch" pets, so although your hamster may become tame enough to handle, they may never really want to be handled that much. They are lovely to watch though. I like that our Robo comes out about 3 times a day and is very active and does lots of things. He has just spent half an hour sitting and gnawing away at a wood log to get bits of bark for his nest

This breeder's site has some good advice on taming robos

The Roborovski's Dwarf Hamster

[Pchatt]

Thanks for sharing that link!

Mine loves to dig a hole, sit in it and eat the seeds she has in her cheek pouch one by one. She's adorable to watch!

Is it normal for them to stay up till about 9 or 10 in the morning?

[Pebbles82]

Our robo gets up at various different times. Sometimes he's out and about in the mornings, usually in the afternoons and sometimes at lunch time. I reckon they have "power naps" and then do a bit more That is totally unscientific by the way.