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Old 04-08-2022, 09:12 AM   #1
Lefteris
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 12
Post How to tame a robo hamster?

Hi i have a robo hamster for about 2 months, at the end of the first month my hamster was a little bit tamed, whenever i put my hand inside his cage he whould come and take food from my palm, i could also raise my hand when he was eating , and some times let me pet him a little bit as he whould eat from my palm. The cage was very small so i build him a diy bin cage with a lot of space , after i moved him to the bin cage he is scared a lot of my hand, sometime when i put my hand in his cage he is hiding, and some other times he just runes away from it... , he is living in his new cage for about 2 weeks now.
have i done something wrong?
should i start to tame him egain from the start? and how can i tame him properly?

Thank you in advance.
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Old 04-08-2022, 02:54 PM   #2
Stanza
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Hi Lefteris, I’m a new hamster owner myself of just over 4 months. I’ve followed a few threads on taming but have a Syrian and not a Robo, but from what I’ve read, I’d not worry too much, if you thought the cage was small, so moved to a larger bin cage, this is good.

Does it have lots of enrichment in it, maybe if there is quite a lot of open space your Robo may feel a bit more exposed and nervous but it’s early days after two weeks, I’d just keep an eye on him, keep doing your feeds and cage tidies at the same time each day, keep talking and using his name and hopefully in a couple more weeks he will be more settled and you’ll be able to offer him food again that he’ll take from your hand.

There is a section in the forum called Housing, the thread is called ‘let’s see your cages ’ which has other members cage setups, maybe take a look there. Do you have plenty of hides for your Robo to run too? Maybe post a photo of your cage setup also, as several of the members who have Robos could perhaps give some feedback.

Last edited by Stanza; 04-08-2022 at 03:10 PM. Reason: Update
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Old 04-08-2022, 05:29 PM   #3
Lefteris
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Thank you very much, i will go and check out the housing, ill also post my bin cage to see if i have low enrichment in the cage and ill also post tha previous cage as a comparison!
Thanks for tou answer!
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Old 04-09-2022, 03:21 AM   #4
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

I was wondering how you accessed your old cage, was it barred and you could approach your hamster from the front and not the top? If so, maybe he is just a bit scared/wary now.

Look forward to seeing your cage posts. Might be able to advise more then.
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Old 04-10-2022, 01:25 AM   #5
Ria P
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

I just had a look at your bin cage on the "Let's see your cages" thread. I like the way you've recycled parts of an old cage to make the window and lid for your bin cage.

Your Robo needs a sandbath and they like it partly covered. I used a too small wheel with a bendy bridge shelter (cardboard cut to required size works well) for my foster Robo's cage because i also like to recycle.

My Robo foster cage is the same size as your bin cage at 70cmx45cm.
I'd clutter your bin cage up a bit more with more places for your Robo to go so she feels more secure when out of her nest. They like to have plenty of hides. You can use things like flower pots, cheap ceramic oil burners, mugs, cardboard boxes, coconut shells etc.

Taming a Robo can be difficult and they may not be as sociable as a Syrian for example. It also depends on their personality. I tame outside of their cage and sit in a secure area then do hand to hand exercises so they get used to my smell and touch. I keep the sessions short at first.

I'd let your Robo settle into her bin cage first and add more enrichment before taming sessions. Some Robos prefer to be left on their own and don't like out of cage time. I had one who would squeak when i took him out and get quite stressed so i accepted that and only took him out for a quick health check now and again.

My current Robo has a different personality so taming is going well for Robo standards.

Here's a photo of my foster cage which is only a temporary set up. The two hides and long bridge at the front you can't see but she uses them all. They like the millet sprays you can get for birds.
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Old 04-15-2022, 07:43 AM   #6
Lefteris
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Post Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Hello there friend,

i took your advice and started making some thing for enrichment
a couple days ego i made a diy house/playing thing? dont know how to call it
its made with cardboard and some handcraft wood sticks.
you can see it ine the photo below
it has space down from the platform and my hamster seems to really like to hide down there ,
he also goes on the first floor
but he wont use the big white ladder (which i took from the previous cage)
to go to the second floor. any ideas why that could be? and how can i fix it?
or simply my hamster isnt intrigued by it?

further more ill try some of the other things you mentioned and ill update the status of the enrichment part.

Further more my hamster now some times when i put my hand inside the cage he would continue to do his thing unbothered like run in his wheel etc.
and some times he would just hide so i think its better from last time in the taming part.
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Old 04-15-2022, 09:08 AM   #7
Ria P
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Your cardboard creation is amazing and inspiring! It's great.

The ladder idea is a good one but it's the wrong type of ladder. You need one with a solid surface not one she can fall through. You may be able to make one with thick cardboard and glue some sticks on so she can get a grip.
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Old 04-15-2022, 09:46 AM   #8
cloudy
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

The items you have made yourself are so good!
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Old 04-15-2022, 10:30 AM   #9
Ria P
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Another thought she'll appreciate. Leave a big heap of torn into strips plain white toilet paper in her cage so she can help herself to nesting material.
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Old 04-15-2022, 10:51 AM   #10
Pebbles82
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Default Re: How to tame a robo hamster?

Hello. I'm a bit late to the party but just wanted to add that a cage change is always a big thing and can cause a setback in taming. Even when it's an improvement. It usually takes at least two weeks for a hamster to adjust after a cage change (they find any major change stressful) and during that time they will decide where to nest, need to find new routes round the cage and scent mark them and new hoards etc.

So that is probably why taming took a set back - partly. For future, reference, if you didn't know already - when moving a hamster from one cage to another permanently, it really helps avoid stressing them if you can keep their familiar scent and layout from their old cage. So basically move all the old substrate over - on top of any new substrate, and don't clean anything during the move (it's our human instinct to want to set everything up all clean and new at the time) - that can wait. And just as when you first bring them home, don't clean anything or rearrange things for the first two weeks, while they settle in.

It's almost like a personality change after 10 days to two weeks and they suddenly seem more conflident and gregarious usually.

The other thing "might" be your hand coming from the top but maybe that isn't the case if you've put a cage door in the front of the bin cage?

Love the cardboard houses. Agree that the ladder is unsuitable (a hamster won't use anything they feel is unsafe or unstable in the way of ladders ususally - they could hurt themselves falling throught the rungs and robos in particular aren't good at going uphill at the best of the times (some have slightly furry feet underneath).

A longer shallow ladder or ramp that's solid would help. As Ria mentioned you could adapt the current ladder by glueing cardboard to the back (securely) so the rungs are just a "helper" on a smooth ramp. Or a lot of people make them out of lollysticks.

I would just caution with ramps to ensure they are securely attached at the top and accessible at the bottom because they can really hurt themselves if it collapses under them (and also feel insecure and affect their behaviour). This happened to me witha ramp with a robo so I learned from it.
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