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Old 12-30-2021, 01:42 AM   #1
Patricktheham
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1
Default Shy hamster or something else?

Hi,
This is my first post here, Im hoping to get some advice or reassurance.
I’ve had a male Syrian hamster now for 1 year. He’s in a large enclosure (it’s been upgraded once) he has plenty of deep bedding (aspen & paper mixed) a sand bath, cork logs, terracotta hides, a multi chamber bed, grass hides, vine wood, a large rodipet wheel, plenty of things to chew & lots of sprays & forage.
Most of the time he just runs & hides from me, as soon as I walk in the room he freezes for a few seconds then runs to his bed. He only comes out if the room he is in is in complete silence & darkness & seems to spend so much time hidden in his bed. Although I know he spends time out as I check everyday for missing food, I can tell he’s been in his sand bath & digging etc.
I just hope he’s not unhappy. I’ve tried free roaming, playpen & bathtub bonding for months but he always seemed uncomfortable & it didn’t improve so I eventually stopped as I was worried I’d cause him too much stress.
On very rare occasions he will completely surprise me & come out if I’m spot cleaning or something & he’ll even eat food from my hands & let me stroke him (as long as there are treats involved)
But lately I feel as though he is acting more & more shy & I would have thought that over time he would of improved. I’m just concerned that he seems scared all of the time. I don’t get to see him very much. For a while I accepted that this is just his personality & he doesn’t like much human interaction.
I just wondered if anyone has any advice or ideas. Or am I doing the right thing by just letting him be?
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Old 12-30-2021, 10:38 AM   #2
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Shy hamster or something else?

Hello and welcome to HC!

Some hamsters are like that and don't want interaction with humans or very little.

I have one like that who is now 21 months and has been like that since i got him as a baby. Like you, i tried the playpen, freeroaming and bathtub bonding but he only ever sat in a corner sulking and waiting to go home.

I accepted him the way he is and let him live his life the way he wanted to. He always seems happy in his world which is what's important to me.

You could put a string of red fairy lights about 50cm above his cage and then sit a distance away to watch him or you could get a night vision recording camera to watch his nightly activities from your phone or computer live while in your bed or recorded next day.

You could also try him with a little bit of porridge in the morning. Our late Syrian Henry was a bit elusive and preferred his own company but he always appeared for his porridge or scrambled egg in the morning and sharing our breakfast became a habit for him.

Maybe you could try and find something to tempt him out and make it into a routine so he comes to expect it.

Another option, providing you have the space, time and funds, would be to adopt a rescue hamster with a known, outgoing personality as a second hamster so you have a reclusive one to watch and to interact with when he wants you to and one who demands your attention and company on a daily base.
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