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Old 08-02-2019, 04:18 PM   #1
AnnTheSoSnazzian
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
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Unhappy hamster won’t run on it’s wheel

So I recently just got a dwarf hamster (I think it’s a campbell’s but the adoption center didn’t tell me) and the hamster came with a cage and toys. The wheel was wired so I bought it a 6 1/2 inch silent spinner but I’ve never seen her run on her wheel or even get on it, even when I put treats in it. I’ve also been trying to tame her but she just constantly bites me. They aren’t nips either, they’re full fledged bites that draw blood. It’s happened three times already and I just had my hand flat in its new cage (500+ sq inches) with a treat and it came up to my finger and just went in for a bite and clung on. I’m not sure what to do since I’m scared to go near her for fear of her biting me again and I want to make sure she gets all the exercise she needs but I don’t have a hamster ball since I heard they are dangerous. Any tips on how to get her to run on her wheel or how to tame her?
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Old 08-03-2019, 01:03 PM   #2
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: hamster won’t run on it’s wheel

How long have you had her? Sometimes a hamster can take their time to settle in to their new home, particularly if they've been used to living with another hamster or in a smaller cage. Once you've given her a bit of time to get used to her new home with you talking to her through the cage bars then you can begin handling her. I have tamed many hamsters in my time and I often find that I have the most success out of the cage. You can use a mug or something to transfer them to a play space... some hamsters prefer a bigger space for taming and others prefer something smaller. Start with something simple like stroking her and then you can work your way up to trying to pick her up once she is comfortable. Don't worry if she moves away or tried to jump down, just let her, give her a few moments and then try again. Hopefully she'll begin to realise that you're not out to get her!

When I'm taming I don't always entice them on to my hands with treats, particularly if they're a nippy hamster anyway as I feel that can encourage the behaviour but I will always leave a treat for them somewhere in their cage after playtime... all of my hamsters know where they will get their treats so will often go straight there after playtimes now.

In terms of the wheel, I wouldn't worry too much. Most hamsters will run on a wheel at some point during their waking hours but some don't seem to like an audience so will only run when you're not there. You can put a piece of bedding on the wheel to see if it's still there in the morning and that will give you some idea of whether the wheel is being used. Some hamsters though are rather lazy by nature and don't seem overly bothered about wheels... I've had a couple and it's never done any of them any harm.

As your hamster was from an adoption centre, I'd be pretty certain that she'll be a Hybrid... some Hybrids can appear to have more Winter White in them nd others will have more Campbells but the general consensus is that if there is just one hamster of another species anywhere in their ancestry then they will be a Hybrid and this applies to most pet shop and rescue hamsters. Hybrids are more prone to a couple of health problems such as diabetes and neurological issues but they can still make lovely pets.
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Old 08-03-2019, 01:24 PM   #3
AnnTheSoSnazzian
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Smile Re: hamster won’t run on it’s wheel

Thank you so much! I’ll try and see what happens
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hamster, wheel, run, it’s, bites, i’m, tame, i’ve, cage, flat, 500+, inches, finger, bite, clung, treat, fear, don’t, exercise, ball, heard, tips, dangerous, scared, hand

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