Stuck at taming, hamster is very timid

kattsy · 03-24-2020, 10:36 AM

Hello everyone!
Thank you for all your advice before hand

Some information ab our hasmter: we got her at 6 weeks old, shes a syrian hamster girl and her cage is 100x50x50 terarrium with 25cm bedding at one side, a sand bath and a big wheel (i think its ab 25 cm or something, not sure)

Basically, we got our hamster a month ago. The first week we mostly left her alone, as she seemed pretty scared, slowly moving through her cage, mostly hiding. When we tried to give her a treat by holding it, she would take it, but when we laid our hand flat with treats on it, she would bite pretty hard drawing blood everytime. So we gave her some more space

Some time around 2 weeks, i tried to put some seeds on a glove and try it that way. She did bite the glove a few times but i blew a bit of air on her, so she stopped and actually climed into my hand (with a glove) and ate the seeds.

After that success i though ab taking her out to try bathtub bonding because i read that sometimes they bite only inside their cage. But once we took her to the bathtu, she started running around fast, not interested in anything, but getting out. So i took her back to her cage.

She had a phase for 2-3 days where she was SUPER active, running around her cage, and trying to climb out? Like she would scratch the glass and even monkey climb on the lid (it has little holes all over). After that she just seems kind of timid of everything.
She also used to burrow a lot and make tunnels, now she doesnt do it at all anymore

Now, im at a point where she doesnt come out of her cage before 2am, she waits until we turn off the lights and go into bed. Even then she walks around her cage very slow, getting spooked by things. When i out my hand in her cage, she smells it (i only present the back of my hand) but she doesnt seem interested. she DOES allow us to pet her tho! BUT shes very timmid, like she forgets our hand is there? One moment shes fine with us petting etc, but if i touch something too loud next to her she jumps a bit? Also one time, she did grind her teeth at me, i guess she got annoyed of me being in her cage.

Im just not sure what to do at this point, she seems like she just wants to be left alone ?

kattsy · 03-24-2020, 10:44 AM

The hammy herself, Peach

Paula Con U · 03-24-2020, 11:38 AM

Hello! that is a pretty good loking peach you have there!

im gonna give you my opinnion based on my own expirience. some hamster might be a little bit more shy than the other and you might need to go extra slow with her. first of all dont move anything in the cage just make sure that she has enough food and water, try just puting your hand in the cage, touch some thing but do not disturb the hamster so she can get used to you. also put some toilet paper inside your shirt and after a couple of hours tear it and put it in the cage and she will get used to your smell. try to talk softly near her cage and go from there. It may take longer than usual and also maybe you will have to conform to the idea that she may never be a social hamster and she will prefer not to be touched.

I really hope is not the case, but still just watching them can be pretty fun too

peculiarplanets · 03-24-2020, 01:12 PM

My Syrian Jupiter was like that as well. It took me two months to fully tame her. She also would smell my hand and then ignore it, but didn't mind to be touched. Even now she doesn't find my hand interesting unless she realises she can use it to get lifted out of the cage. Some hamsters just take a long time, I think yours it doing just fine.

Jupiter still gets spooked sometimes but that's just her personality!