taming/behavior help??

[dmchippi]

Hello,
I've had my Chinese hamster Annabelle for about four months now, but I'm still having problems taming her.
So when I first got her I would see her out in her cage during the day, running on her wheel, digging around in her bedding even when I was home. Now, whenever I walk in the room she runs and hides and she won't come out until the lights are out (I live in a studio apartment, so she pretty much lives in my bedroom)
When I hold food in my hand in her cage she has no problem coming up, sniffing my hand and taking the food - but she always runs away and hides in her nest after she grabs it.
When I bring her out for playtime she seems resistant to being picked up, but once I get her out and let her run around in her playpen she runs around like the happiest little hamster.

So I guess my question is: is this normal? and why does she avoid me? How can I make her more comfortable around me so I can spend more time with her outside of her cage?

[Fluffagrams]

I wouldn't be overly worried, female Chineseys can be a bit lively and it can sometimes feel like they don't like being held very much. I felt the same when I was getting used to the ways of my first female Chinese and she was just the sameas your Annabelle. She would much rather play and explore than sit and be held or stroked so I'd interact with her in her playpen instead. I'd put my hands in and she'd climb over them or hide underneath them depending on how I put them and sometimes she'd climb up so far that she'd be at my shoulder before I knew it.

May preferred to be either scooped up in two hands or just allowed to climb up on to the back of my hand rather than being picked up as some of the hamster care books suggest with your fingers around their waist and I'd say that it's a matter of trial and error to find something that works for you and your hamster.

[Sm_banks]

Bathtub Time helped to tame my Winter Whites. Put down blankets in the bathtub and make sure the drain is covered. Take a coffee mug and put a treat inside it. when she goes in to eat the treat pick up the mug and take her to the bathtub. You get in first and then let her run around and have fun on you. You could also pick her up and put her down over and over again in the tub so she knows you are not going to hurt her.

[cypher]

She does sound pretty normal for a female chinese to me too, if she's happy to come out & have some fun time in her play pen you're doing well with her, they often don't like being picked up much & it can be easier to just let them climb into something they like to get them out of the cage.
I have a similar change in behaviour with running & hiding with mine when I've been cleaning out her nest, even though I'm as careful as it's possible to be to do the absolute minimum & disturb her as little as possible she really hates it & takes a while before she'll speak to me again!
So it could be something like that with yours, how often & how much do you clean or change anything in the cage?

Personally I really wouldn't recommend the bathtub method with dwarfs & you've gone beyond that step anyway with the play pen.

[dmchippi]

That could be it... she has a habit of peeing everywhere (including in her nest) so I try to feel if it seems soiled every few days. I spot clean the cage daily, and I usually eND up giving it a good clean (as in taking out all the bedding, wiping down the cage) once a week, and I reuse as much bedding as possible.

I wish I didnot have to touch her nest, but I don't want her correctly fined to a small, damp space when she sleeps

[cypher]

They don't usually pee that much if they're healthy, does she drink much?
What kind of house/nest does she have?
Cleaning the cage weekly is too much really, the more you clean the more they need to scent everything & that can include peeing on things! try to do it less often if you can & just keep spot cleaning where it's needed, don't use any strong smelling cleaners or disinfectants either as that can really upset them, if I ever need a disinfectant I always use Safe4, it hardly has any smell at all is very safe & doesn't seem to bother my hams at all.