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Old 03-30-2021, 12:03 PM   #1
AbleSloth
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1
Default New Owner Advice

Hi guys this is my first time posting here.

Long time lurker and first time hamster owner. I wanted to get some advice to be the best hamster parent possible. Apologies for the long post.
We got a female syrian hamster (Patty) about 1 month ago. She is currently about 2 months old. We have a few main concerns that we advice:

1. We're worried that she's bored in her cage and needs more stimulation

She will constantly attempt to escape by climbing on top of her water bottle/wheel, paw anxiously at the glass walls, or gnaw at the corners of her cage. We followed all the typical research that we found online. She has a 900 sq in enclosure, 6-9 inches deep of bedding, a 12 inch wheel, 4-5 chew toys, multiple tunnel areas to explore, and a sand bath. She's not 100% tame yet but willingly takes food from our hands and allows us to pick her up using a cup. We tried bringing her outside to a plastic play pen several times but after maybe a minute she would start trying to frantically scale the walls or bite at the corners of the pen ignoring the toys and food that we put in the center. We also tried to free roam her in the bathroom with mixed results. She seemed pretty frightful of us hiding away in the corners of the room but did at one point climb over and around us before hiding away at the opposite corner. When we put her back in her cage she immediately hid back in her house area. It seemed like a frightening experience for her so not sure we would try that again until she’s a bit more confident. We have considered getting her a hamster ball. I realize that there are many owners that say they are bad for their hamster but we are not sure where to go from here to help her.

2. She’s a late riser

Patty doesn’t really get her day started until about 1 AM every day. We have late evening schedules so it has been okay to interact with her every day but we would really prefer to move that timeline up. We’ve tried to gently wake her up a little earlier every day to get her used to getting up earlier but she will just poke her little nose out to investigate before just hiding back in her home and coming out at her usual time. Any advice to help us get her to get up a little earlier would be helpful.

3. She’s still not quite tame

I mentioned this above but she’s still not quite tame yet. This is not as concerning as I realize that some hamsters take longer than others. It is just discouraging to read that some owners are able to pick up their hamsters after a few days of interaction. We’ve gotten to the point that she will take food from us but absolutely refuses to eat from the palm of our hand. She will sniff the treats and then turn away. She will tolerate us petting her but we have to move very very slowly or she will freak out and run and hide. Any advice to help us progress forward would be great.

TLDR: Our hamster displays behavior of being bored in her cage but doesn’t like being outside. Plus she sleeps in super late. Need advice.
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Old 03-31-2021, 02:32 PM   #2
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: New Owner Advice

Hi and welcome to HC!
Congratulations to your first hamster.

You need to remember that Patty is still a baby and may need more time to settle in so i wouldn't expect too much of her too quickly. A month is a short time and she's still very young.

It's irrelevant that some owners can pick up their hamsters in a matter of days so try not to get discouraged. The key is patience, lots of it and you and Patty will get there.

All our hamsters disliked a playpen or bathtub for taming sessions but a safe area like our hall with the doors closed worked. I arrange a hamster playground in the evening with a blanket, tunnels, hides and a wheel. A wheel is important because a nervous hamster will probably seek refuge in the wheel for a run.

Maybe Patty was scared in the bathroom because there were no familiar and reassuring smells so everything was new.

A photo of her set up may help so people can have a look and possibly come up with ideas as to why she's trying to escape but it sounds like you've done your research and set it up well for her with plenty of shelter.

Why are you considering putting her in a hamster ball?
What would you be trying to achieve by it?

I'm one of those people who are totally opposed to hamster balls because they are of no benefit to the hamster and cause unnecessary stress, suffering and possible injury.

To get up around 01.00 is normal for a hamster but they are not always asleep while in their houses and hides.
Patty may wake hours before but may not be confident enough yet to make an appearance while people are still about and the lights are on. Some hamsters simply wait for the dark and peace and quiet before they get hamstering about.

One of ours lives in our bedroom, she's tame and not shy but as soon as we're in bed she's on her wheel for hours.

Timing can also be a factor. Some hamsters are morning hamsters and are more receptive to interaction in the morning hours.

You could get a night camera to watch her from your bed or record it to find out more about her habits. They do change their habits sometimes as they get older and more confident.

One of our Syrians i hardly ever saw when he was young because he got up way after midnight but then he started to get up around 21.30 and demanded out of cage time every evening.

You could also try and leave some fresh food or something she likes near her house at the same time every evening to see if she'll eventually come out a bit earlier.
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