New dwarf hamster hiding

[clairevgraham]

Hey!
I got a Russian dwarf hamster on Tuesday, however he is hiding from me most of the time or wakes up whilst I'm asleep so I'm worried I wont ever be able to tame him properly.

He is really friendly, if I open the cage he will hop onto my hand for a sniff, or if i have treats he will eat them off my hand. However that has only been a few times, and once he has gotten the food he will run back into his little house. If I'm in the room he wont go out to explore, but will do that if I'm not in the room-he might briefly interact with me then run back into his house

I obviously want to build up his trust and for him to want to interact with me, im worried hes a little scared of me, but im not sure he is as he will happily eat off my hand.

Would love some tips/advice anyone has for me as this is my first hamster so im a neewbie.

[NibblesTheHam]

It's normal for them to wake up when you are asleep because they are nocturnal/crepuscular, so they are most active at night, dawn and dusk. If you only got him on Tuesday you will probably want to leave him to settle in for longer than you have, most people say at least a week. What size cage do you have? Hope this answers some of your questions!

[Ria P]

Hi and welcome to HC!

You've only had him a few days so give the little guy a chance to get familiar with his new surroundings before you attempt any taming sessions.

What you do need when keeping a hamster is patience, lots of it. They all have different personalities and most interact with humans for a reason, like food or out of cage time. They are quite independent little animals. For your hamster to already trust you enough to come to your hand so early on is fantastic. Many would be too shy.

I have seven hamsters and they're all tame but come to their door not to see me personally but to get lifted out of their cages or to get a treat. Ok, they let me stroke and hold them for a bit because they have learnt to tolerate me before trying to run off to exlore and play. That takes time though and also depends on their mood on the day.

[clairevgraham]

Thanks for your replies!

I currently have a average pet store cage but will be upgrading it in a week to a larger one.

I did think I had to wait a little while before interacting with him but the lady at the shop said a few hours after I got him would be fine. But for now, I'll make sure to give him some space, but a least he isn't spooked by me doing that. After a few days I'll make sure to keep giving him treats and a little runs around outside the cage then