Hamster SUDDENLY scared of almost everything and is very jumpy

choco_kat · 08-15-2020, 11:14 PM

Hi! Newbie here (please don't judge lol). I've had my hammie (Potato) for almost 2 weeks now, and he was initially very receptive and he would even climb my palm and eat his treats from there. I haven't tried picking him up yet, since I don't think he's comfortable with the idea. He normally wouldn't mind my hand being inside the cage whenever I would spot clean, fill up his food bowl, clean out his sand bath, etc.

Yesterday, while I was spot cleaning areas of his cage, he suddenly jumped and flailed, running around his cage and trying to get out (which is very unusual of him, he normally does not do this, cage is around ~650 sq in). He managed to climb up the corner of his cage, escaping, and jumping out. I tried waiting for him to calm down, but he was very stressed out and scared and would bolt at the sight of me/sound of my voice! I had no idea what I did wrong, honestly (something probably scared him?). I eventually scooped him up with a bowl while he was distracted and put him back in his cage.

Right now, he still has good appetite and would drink from his water bowl, but I did notice that his body is flattened most of the time he would roam around his cage, and he seems hesitant and scared while doing so (I sometimes see him shake while he walks/crawls around). He also did not sleep in his hidey, and just slept in his wheel (he never does this!). I don't know how to go on from here, but I was thinking maybe to let him calm down for a couple of days? I really don't know what to do. I'm hesitant to let him sniff me/give him treats/interact him basically since I fear that I might just spook him out again.

Help! What should I do?

LunaTheHamster1 · 08-16-2020, 01:35 AM

Hi and welcome. It does sound as if he is a little bitb scared. If it was me, i would stop spot cleaning his cage for a week or 2 until he has settled in a bit more. Your cage is big enough to do this and it wont harm your hamster, it will help him become more settled and feel safe in his new home. I wonder if you had been spot cleaning his hide as well and if that has disturbed him enough to move to his wheel, or he may be hot. Depending where you live, has the temperature increased since you got him?

I would just start off slowly again talking to him, maybe offer a bit of food, see how that goes.

Goodluck and let us know how you both get on.

choco_kat · 08-16-2020, 01:51 AM

Yeah, I figured I should give him more time to adjust. I haven't touched his hideout though, since I know it's a supposed safe space for him. I've been only cleaning out his sand bath and food bowl, since it sometimes gets mixed up with poop. I do clean his wheel at times since he occasionally pees and poops on it as well. As for the temperature, not really, it's quite rainy here nowadays so it's a bit colder than usual.

I'm currently just trying to talk to him a soft voice, but I haven't attempted to give out treats. I was thinking maybe to give him a couple of days off so that he can hopefully calm down. He is constantly shifting places to sleep--right now he's sleeping beside his water bowl.

Thanks for your response!

Will definitely update if there are any changes.

cypher · 08-16-2020, 02:09 AM

Sometimes it’s not easy to tell exactly what’s spooked them but it does sound like Potato just needs some time to settle again & get his confidence back, I agree with what Luna has already said, avoid cleaning as much as possible for a while & spend time just talking to him gently until he seems to be getting over it before trying to interact with him again.

MyHamsterAdventures · 08-16-2020, 02:50 AM

Hi and welcome to the forum. I would give Potato a little more time to settle in before starting from scratch again with introducing treats in your hand at the door of his cage. You have had him for 2 weeks and I presume he was a young guy not an adopted older hamster so just probably spooked himself after a good start. Keep us posted on your progress with Potato

choco_kat · 08-16-2020, 03:03 AM

Will definitely keep everyone posted! I hope things turn out well.

choco_kat · 08-16-2020, 03:12 AM

Thank you, Luna, cypher, and MyHamsterAdventures!

I've noticed he's been shifting places to sleep, which is a bit unusual but it might mean that he's not completely comfortable in his cage? (he's currently inside a bin cage, planning to make a DIY though).

I'm definitely going to give Potato some time off in order for him to calm down, maybe trying to talk to him from time to time just so that he gets used to me again. Hopefully by then I can sort of start with the taming process again.

Will update everyone as soon as there's progress/changes. Thanks again! Your responses are very much appreciated.

Edit: and yes, he's very young, just 10 weeks old.

Ria P · 08-16-2020, 05:44 AM

I've seen my hamsters suddenly freeze or bolt down a hole or into a hide, startled by a sound from outside, a sudden noise or movement and most of the time i had no idea what upset them. That was in the first few weeks of moving in but they start to relax as they get familiar with their surroundings and humans. Two weeks is a very short time and he's still a baby.
He's lucky to have someone as sensitive as you to care for him and i love his name, Potato. You could put some plain white tissue up your sleeve for a few hours and then tear it into strips and drop it into his cage so he gets familiar with your scent. One of my hamsters detests the smell of scented soap or hand cream and runs away from my hand at the slightest whiff whereas another couldn't care less. It may be a good idea to get a bar of unscented soap.
Also, with a bin cage your hands come in from above which can be scary for a young hamster. I've recently moved two of my hamsters, one of them a baby, from bin cages into Hamster Heavens and the big front doors make life so much easier for both of us. My older Syrian is in the Alaska which also has a big front door.

choco_kat · 08-16-2020, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ria P

I've seen my hamsters suddenly freeze or bolt down a hole or into a hide, startled by a sound from outside, a sudden noise or movement and most of the time i had no idea what upset them. That was in the first few weeks of moving in but they start to relax as they get familiar with their surroundings and humans. Two weeks is a very short time and he's still a baby.
He's lucky to have someone as sensitive as you to care for him and i love his name, Potato. You could put some plain white tissue up your sleeve for a few hours and then tear it into strips and drop it into his cage so he gets familiar with your scent. One of my hamsters detests the smell of scented soap or hand cream and runs away from my hand at the slightest whiff whereas another couldn't care less. It may be a good idea to get a bar of unscented soap.
Also, with a bin cage your hands come in from above which can be scary for a young hamster. I've recently moved two of my hamsters, one of them a baby, from bin cages into Hamster Heavens and the big front doors make life so much easier for both of us. My older Syrian is in the Alaska which also has a big front door.

Hi Ria P! I may have rushed into the taming process and I figured I should take it down a notch and take things slowly, as he seems to be scared of his surroundings still. I'll leave him be for a few days or maybe even a week, and see how things go from there. Definitely trying out the tissue method so that my scent becomes more familiar! And I do agree, my hand coming up from above may have startled him too, poor thing.

Thank you! I actually named him Potato because he looks like one whenever he curls up to sleep. He's just so adorable and I love him so much. Just seeing him eat, groom, and burrow makes me so happy lol.

Thanks again for the advice! Appreciate it so much!

Ria P · 08-16-2020, 08:52 AM

Not necasserily so. Thing is, when we get a new hamster we don't know what they're personality is like. I have a dwarf who was seemingly born tame and never showed any fear of humans. She walked onto my hand in the pet shop (her sibling bit me) and walks onto my hand now when she wants out of cage time. Another of my quintett took over three months to pluck up the courage to take some seeds off my hand. My newest hamster i've had for a month now and i can stroke him and pick him up but he still jumps or hides sometimes for reasons only known to him.
I'd give him a few more days to settle in but keep talking to him and mention his name as well. Once you think he's ready for some taming it may help to do that out of his cage, in a secure play pen like a foldable kiddies ball pit with toys in it and places to hide or a very large cardboard box. You can tempt him into a mug or bowl with a treat and transfer him that way but be quick to cover the mug. Some hamster like being in a mug and others want to get out. Again that is something you're going to find out by trying. I had a dwarf who loved "flying" through the room in his mug (we even made silly plane noises, don't judge) and another who just wants to jump out of it.
What kind of hamster is Potato? I'm really looking forward to hopefully see a photo of him in the future.

One more thought. Does your hamster have enough cover to move around comfortably in his cage? Many don't like to feel exposed and need tubes like toilet rolls for dwarfs and washed Pringle tubes for Syrians for example, bendy bridges, shelves, egg boxes etc, strategically placed so they can get to where they want to go with overhead cover.