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Old 08-18-2019, 01:20 AM   #1
sharonc
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Default Lazy hamster

I never see my hamster at all. He's not up when I go to bed and in bed when I get up. I bought him an igloo and I think he likes it a bit too much and has become reclusive. Is he just lazy or should I change his house in the hope he might come out, I would feel bad about that though as he clearly loves his igloo. I'm concerned he's not getting enough exercise, he's been out twice in 6 weeks, aside from this issue he is a lovely gentle hamster.
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Old 08-18-2019, 02:09 AM   #2
Ria P
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

What kind of hamster do you have?
I have a male Syrian who is very fond of his house.
During MY waking hours he only comes out briefly to retrieve some tasty food to take to his nest. He just came out for a bit of scrambled egg.
He comes out late ca 22.30 to sit and groom in his coconut then waits till I've gone to bed before he gets active and goes on his wheel etc.
When I put his fresh food out around 20.00 he sometimes comes out to pouch it, have a quick sniff around and then goes back to his nest.
Like yours, he is very comfortable in his house.
Some hamsters like their own company best but all are motivated by food I guess.

You could try and put a bit of tasty food near his house to see if he comes out but I wouldn't take away a house he likes or in fact anything a hamster likes or uses. It's theirs, they mark it and own it.
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Old 08-18-2019, 04:32 AM   #3
sharonc
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

This sounds like my hamster exactly, hes also a Syrian. Sometimes I check on him at 12 midnight and hes still not out, I feel I'm missing out but he is also by not being out the cage. I've changed his house today but may change it back to his igloo.
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Old 08-22-2019, 06:59 AM   #4
Hammygal
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

Quote:
Originally Posted by sharonc View Post
I never see my hamster at all. He's not up when I go to bed and in bed when I get up. I bought him an igloo and I think he likes it a bit too much and has become reclusive. Is he just lazy or should I change his house in the hope he might come out, I would feel bad about that though as he clearly loves his igloo. I'm concerned he's not getting enough exercise, he's been out twice in 6 weeks, aside from this issue he is a lovely gentle hamster.
I have the same situation. Mine stays in house all day. If it does move around, it stays UNDER the bedding, not on top. I wont to sex it, so I can name it, but don't know know how to do it. Its a young Dwarf Campbell.
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Old 08-22-2019, 07:10 AM   #5
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

I have a few of those!

The worst is probably Lord Jack, who spends most of his time sat in one place or another. When he was out on breeding loans recently people often told me they had to keep checking that he was still alive as they never saw or heard him.

Hamsters often seem to inherit temperaments from their parents and Jack's father Lord James was just the same but his lack of exercise didn't seem to do him any harm as he lived to three and a half.

Unless he's overweight, I wouldn't worry too much about his lack of exercise.
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Old 08-23-2019, 03:38 AM   #6
sharonc
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

I'm not sure if hes overweight, hes a naturally big hamster anyway as I got him from a breeder. He was up at 12 midnight and I opened his door but he just wasn't interested and went back in his house, I thought all hamsters enjoyed coming out but obviously not.
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Old 08-23-2019, 09:46 AM   #7
Ria P
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

Quote:
Originally Posted by sharonc View Post
I thought all hamsters enjoyed coming out but obviously not.
Yes, that's what i thought until i met my Henry.
Your hamster may enjoy out of cage time but doesn't know it because he hasn't tried it.
Next time your hamster is out simply pick him up and take him out. Let him run over you in the bath tub or on your bed if you don't have a play pen.
Henry has never asked to come out and won't go in a mug so i can lift him out.
The roof of his house has two sections and every other night i take the smaller one off to clean his toilet. I leave it off for a while and watch his body language. If he stays in his nest, fine, i'll close it again but sometimes he's busy washing or eating from his hoard then after a while starts to climb out. That's when i pick him up unless he heads for the outside loo ,stroke him and quickly check that everything is intact and healthy. He doesn't like the playpen, only sits and sulks so we don't bother with that now. He sometimes likes to run on my bed or listen to sounds from the garden, ears up, stands on his back legs sniffing etc. If he's not in the mood he sits next to me and sulks so i put him back in his cage. I've hamster proofed the spare room which is full of motorcycle gear and last time i had him out a few evenings ago he really was running about which is a very odd thing for my lazy hamster to do. He sat under a helmet washing which looked funny and climbed over and under seats then indulged in his hobby of wallpaper stripping, little devil.
I used to make the mistake and took him out too often but know now that once or twice a week is about right for him.
It took a few attempts until he started to enjoy time out. The first time on my bed he froze so i put him back and waited a few days. Took it slow. Same with free roaming. First time after 10 mins he sat in a corner but now that he reckognises the room and has scented it he's happy to roam and explore...when he's in the mood. If not, he just sits waiting to be put back in his cage.
I'd give it a go. Maybe you can entice him out of his house with a treat like a bit of cheese or boiled egg around 22.30 and then pick him up. Eventually he'll eat his treat while sitting in your hand, out of the cage that is.
Please keep in mind that my method of interacting with my hamster works for me and some people may find it to be totally wrong but hamsters are pets and a certain amount of interaction to suit human and pet is important.
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Old 08-23-2019, 12:46 PM   #8
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

Quote:
Originally Posted by sharonc View Post
I'm not sure if hes overweight, hes a naturally big hamster anyway as I got him from a breeder. He was up at 12 midnight and I opened his door but he just wasn't interested and went back in his house, I thought all hamsters enjoyed coming out but obviously not.
It may be that he's not really got used to out of cage time yet and needs some time to get used to the idea that it is actually fun but I find that different hamsters seem to prefer to do different things in their out of cage time... Charlotte loves to run around and explore, Emmi likes to dig and Leo and Jack prefer to sit and snuggle up on me for example so it may take a while for you to work out what your hamster enjoys best.

Jack's mother Cora never seemed to like out of cage time. Cora used to prefer an activity in her cage such as hiding treats for her or enrichment feeding so if it does turn out that he doesn't enjoy out of cage time then there's still plenty you can do.

You mention your hamster was from a breeder so they are likely to have been bred for a laid back temperament and whilst it can make taming easier, it does mean that they may seem less active than their pet shop counterparts.
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Old 08-24-2019, 02:34 AM   #9
sharonc
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

I've tried enticing him out with food but he'll only come so far, he knows when the door is open he can come out as he's done it before, I think I'll try just lifting him out and see how that works. He's much more laid back and calm than my last hamster who demanded to be out every night, so I'm just not used to his chilled nature.
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Old 08-24-2019, 11:43 AM   #10
Ria P
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Default Re: Lazy hamster

Yes, just take him out and plonk him on your lap. I had a little treat ready for mine and he ate it while sitting on my hands. Then take him somewhere safe where he can explore and if he doesn't like it put him back and try again a few days later.

As Fluffograms said, it can take a while to find out what he likes. Took me quite a while and Henry still doesn't ask to come out but when he's in the mood for exploring he gets all wriggly and impatient when i walk up the stairs to the bike room. I even staged an escape at one point (there's a thread somewhere) to start off his sense for adventure. Your hamster will tell you with his body language when he does not want to come out at all and when he's possibly in the right mood.

The other night i opened the small roof section to take the toilet out and he was sitting there wide awake and munching sweetcorn. When i came back with a clean toilet a minute later he was rolled up in his nest pretending to sleep. I couldn't help laughing and on impulse reached in and gently stroked him before closing the roof. The little monkey kicked out....in his sleep, i guess.
The message to leave him alone was clear.

When he wants to be out he does a lot of sniffing, ears are up and he's wriggly and excited. Once i carried him in my handbag because it was the safest immediate transport option.

I think self contained hamsters like ours take a bit more effort to get to know because they won't come to us.

Was the same with his cage set up. Took me a while to figure out what he liked and wanted but got there in the end.

Let us know how you get on.
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