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Old 08-07-2018, 01:28 PM   #1
constellations
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Default Meet Miles.

Hello!!

I'm relatively new to all of this so I hope I'm posting in the right place...



This June I adopted my very first hamster, Miles, from a pet shop. I had been going through a bit of a rough spell and had fallen in love with him at first sight! He was born in February this year and had been put into the adoption programme as he was struggling to be bought within the traditional shop system (goodness knows why, he's a sweetheart!).

Miles is quite shy and doesn't really like human contact very much, however I am working on trying to tame him a little bit (if possible. if anyone has any tips that would be greatly appreciated please!) and we are slowly learning more about each other. He loves his wheel, hiding in cardboard tubes and sitting in his food bowl. He also seems to really enjoy his ball and does laps of our living room in it quite frequently! He also has the softest fur I have ever felt on an animal... <3

I hope I did this right. I look forward to meeting more robo owners like me!
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:36 PM   #2
mzwiwy
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Oh my! Miles is so cute! I am new to being a hamster mom too so I will leave the advice to the veterans.
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Old 08-07-2018, 04:00 PM   #3
dreamtree1234
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Hi and welcome to HC! Miles certainly is a real cutie pie. I'm so happy that he has such a loving home with you now. Concerning taming, each hamster sets their own unique timeline of when to move on to the next step so just let him determine when he is ready for each new one to begin. Also, try your very best not to get discouraged if he seems to have some backtracking in taming as well as this is perfectly natural for some hams, especially if they have a tendency to be shy or insecure with interacting with humans prior to taming. I would just continue with the tissue trick. This entails placing an unscented tissue into your sleeve for a few hours in order to have your scent transferred onto the tissue. Then, place that tissue directly into his cage so he will become familiar with your scent even if you aren't around. He will probably take the tissue into his nest and use it as extra comfort while being in there. If he chooses not to take it to his nest, it is still fine as he will become familiar with your scent and find its presence in his cage to be nonthreatening. In the meantime, take every opportunity possible to talk calmly and quietly to him regardless if he is visible or not. This will allow him to become used to hearing your voice and recognizing it as a friendly one. Keep all cleaning and rearranging of his cage to a bare minimum for now and only do the spot cleaning when needed. I would also make sure he has plenty of substrate to burrow into and plenty of hiding places to make him feel more secure. Since it is typically much easier to tame a hamster outside of his cage, I would probably give him a few more days to settle and then start the taming process by having him go into a container or ball to transport him to a hamster-safe playpen or tub with the drain covered with a towel. Make sure to have plenty of hiding areas, toys, etc. in there with him and let him have a chance to crawl on you in there. I wouldn't pursue him but instead let him come to you at first. After a while of that step going well for a few days, start offering him treats and see if you can slowly scoop him up at a low level at first and then gradually rising the level a bit higher after each level of height is successful for a few days. Be sure to have a towel to help cushion the area where you are lifting him up at in case he decides to leap or jump down. Make sure to keep each taming session very short and only a few minutes and then gradually increase the length of time. The key is being consistent and extremely patient. Since he appears extra shy, it may take a little longer for him to gain confidence and become more willing to be held or petted. After he is used to being handled and gains more courage, you could try interact with him more in his cage, too. Stay positive that all will be fine because hams, like other animals, can sense if we are stressed, worried, or fearful which can increase their fear level, too. Good luck and have fun. I believe all will be fine with the taming since he has already accepted you petting him. Good luck and have fun with Miles. I hope that this helps.
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Old 08-07-2018, 11:46 PM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Welcome to HC & congrats on getting little Miles, he looks so cute

dreamtree has already given you some great taming advice, I would say using a playpen as she suggested for taming & out of cage time is better than putting Miles in a ball which really isn't safe for such a tiny hamster & doesn't offer him any benefits as he won't be able to see or smell anything around him, a playpen with lots of toys & things to explore would be far better, if you don't have a playpen that's escape proof then you could use a large plastic storage box, I think the bath can be a bit overwhelming for dwarf hams.
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Old 08-08-2018, 12:33 AM   #5
constellations
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Oh I had no idea the ball wasn't very safe! Hopefully it hasn't hurt him at all so far. Thank you for that.

I've read about the plastic storage bin idea, I've been looking into buying one! It seems like a very good idea as the playpen we bought him is quite big and he got a bit overwhelmed when we introduced him to it. The tissue idea is also a really nice idea! I'm going to try that today.
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Old 08-08-2018, 12:46 AM   #6
mangoandmimi
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Welcome, Miles is adorable he looks so tiny
Always nice to see more robos around. Looking forward to hearing more about him.
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Old 08-08-2018, 01:23 AM   #7
constellations
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Thank you for your lovely replies! I look forward to posting more updates.
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Old 08-08-2018, 03:18 AM   #8
dreamtree1234
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

I have to agree with Cypher that a tub may be more overwhelming to your little one. I have a Syrian ham so that option would work well. If you choose to use a storage bin for taming purposes, I just wanted to mention that it is always much better to interact with your hammy with your hand not coming directly from the top of him as it will be more intimidating. Instead, have your hand coming from the side and slowly place it down on the substrate before having it near him. This way, it will not be similar to a predator catching its prey. You may also want to rub your hand on his substrate so your scent is even more familiar to him, too. Good luck with taming and the tissue trick.
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Old 08-08-2018, 04:45 AM   #9
constellations
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Ooh thank you Dreamtree! I've been doing my best to approach from the side rather than the top so far and resting my hand in the substrate, which he seems to be quite comfortable with. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when using the storage box.
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Old 08-08-2018, 12:47 PM   #10
Coco61
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Default Re: Meet Miles.

Just a tip from when my daughter re homed a robo and wanted to tame her. It started in a storage bin but the crafty little thing ran up her arm and pinged off into the room! Catching her was somewhat tricky! So close the door of the room first and watch out for that escape attempt. Even with that start, she tamed her so she could carry her and play with her in the playpen but never in the cuddly way like her Syrians.
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