Really need some help

[bertronics]

I just purchase this robo hamster about 2months ago. She is really something else she doesnt like to run on her wheel at all. She is really fast on her feet escaping from my hand when i try get her out and then escaping into my room.
She tends to freeze in the back corners of the cage and hides in her tube. Whenever im near her cage. She does take treats from my hand but if i move a finger she runs away from me. I would like advice in making her less scared of me.

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi bertonics and welcome to HC.
Robot's are mighty fast.
Have you tried the tissue trick? Stuff some tissues/toilet paper up your sleeves and leave for a couple of hours and then place in your robo's home, this gets her familiar with your scent, do this everyday for a week, she'll sniff at it and most hamsters will use as extra bedding. Make sure you have plenty of shade in her cage, hams love to be able to hide and play. Talk quietly and softly to her in the cage, avoid trying to hold her until she's more familiar but, offer her treats and remember to praise her when she takes from your hand/fingers.
Robos can be antisocial, not all are but go slow with contact. Is your cage door on top or side? Most cages have both. It's important not to put your hand in from the top, this can be scary for hams. In the wild something coming down onto them from above is usually by birds. Sudden movement can result in being bitten.
If you do decide to take her out of the cage use something like a tube or box. Sometimes too much space can be daunting for dwarf hams.

[Cinnamon Bear]

I agree with Thin Lizzy to use a cup or tube to transport, I use a medium sized cup & my robo jumps right in every time.

Sound like you have been chasing her around to hold her, that needs to stop if you want her to trust you. Let your robo come to you instead of you going to them.

With my robo I transport her into a plastic bin sometime for taming & in the bin I lay my hand flat with papaya treats, seeds & meal worms. She will either sit on my hand or besides my hand to eat. I've never chased her around, robos aren't pets that you can hold, maybe there are a few exceptions but they are mostly fearful little animals that takes months to tame.

Even if you can never hold her, you can still bond with her just by spending time with her.

I wouldn't try a bathtub taming with robos as they are scared of large spaces. I started out with a small sized bin & now she's fine with the medium sized bin. She really would rather run around in her cage than be in the bin. If you want a pet you can hold I'd suggest adopting a Syrian too.

Originally Posted by bertronics

She is really something else she doesnt like to run on her wheel at all.

What kind of wheel are you using? Some of the wheels are being made with too much resistance right now. So it's not that she doesn't want to run on it but maybe she can't make it move?

I'd suggest a 8 in Wodent Wheel is perfect for a robo & and a medium sized flying saucer, make sure the saucer doesn't have too much resistance either because they vary too!

[Thin Lizzy]

Some dwarfs find it difficult to move wheels. Cinnamen's advice is spot on.

[racinghamster]

Roborovski hamster 99% of the time prefer to be left alone and not removed from their cage which is their safe place, their idea of home. Being taken out of what hey consider to be their territory is bound to stress them. What I would advise is, if she has a decent size cage/tank (what cage is she currently in?) and you can supply her with a wheel she can easily turn and enrich the cage with cardboard items like toilet roll tubes, egg boxes with holes/doors cut into each end, and scatter feed some millet seeds, she won`t require out of cage time. You can still offer a lowered hand (inside the cage) so that she doesn`t fall or leap. Robos can be injured if they decide to jump and they have back legs like a mini kangaroo, so you have to be very careful.

They really are a law unto themselves due to their speed and independent nature, so maybe try to enjoy her by not focussing too much on handling or taking her out. Tis can be a long process and never truly end in complete taming just because robos are notoriously mad! The can mellow with time and age, but you can`t foe it upon them. Patience and allowing the robo to do as they want is the best approach. x