New Syrian keeps biting

[Mrs.Wiffles]

As always, fantastic advice from some very experience lovely crazy hamster people

I wouldn't be where I am with hammies without this site. x

[TomsKeeper]

Originally Posted by Demecat

The cotton wool stuff is often sold as bedding, something many of us want to stop. If a hamster digests the cotton wool stuff, it doesn't dissolve in their guts, but can block the gut instead. A blocked gut can kill a hamster very quickly.

It is best to stick to a tissue paper style bedding that does dissolve in the gut. I use this one from wilkinsons: Wilko Pet Bedding Safe Bed | Pet Bedding | | Small Animal from Wilkinson Plus - A little bit goes a long way and it's reletively cheap!

Since your hammy has been in the house for at least 10 days, I think it'd be fine to put him in the bath. Now he's used to your scents, it's only really food/ilness that can cause the runs. New food should be introduced slowly... here's a list of safe foods: Safe Food List for Hamsters

I hope this clears things up!

Thanks for the tissue suggestion, I will get some this weekend. I did the scent thing with some tissue and he has taken it into his house. I hope the cotton wool hasn't hurt him! it looks live a lovely little duvet for him. I had no idea.

re the bath thing - I meant waiting so that I don't do the bath AND new wheel on the same day.

[firedrake13]

Something that I did with my syrian when I got her (she was a bit older and haddn't been handled as much) was once I realized that she enjoyed bedding so much I would shred up some toilet paper, and give her one peice at a time, I think it helped her get used to my hand, my smell, and it was a fun little bonding game for both of us. I'm not sure if this will help you at all but I figured I'd throw it out there.

[hardcore-hammies]

Just to let you know mini duna is a cage

[LoveMyHams]

I hope you make some progress with your little guy! I currently have one of my syrains asleep in my sleeve Moments like these are awesome!

[TomsKeeper]

I've taken out everything in the cage and plugged the tunnels. He looked so sad. I've given him some tissue with my scent. I ripped it up into medium sized squares but he's ignored them most of the day and only started stuffing them into his mouth this morning and taking them into a corner (I hope that's normal). He is still so scared though. I have been talking to him for ages but he gets so startled if I come near. It's like he has hiccups - so jumpy, I feel so sorry for him. Silly Tom, I'm not trying to hurt you. Every time the cage opens there is a raisin or something - why can't you get it that nothing bad is going to happen?

When I approach sometimes he gets into his wheel and starts running for dear life. Other times if he is on his wheel and I come and talk to him he will fling himself off (quite dangerously) and run into a corner.

Also I scattered his food around the cage when I fed him yesterday but he does not seem to have eaten any. I think he had a little stash in the cotton wool in his house but I got rid of the wool and the food went too I think. He was doing his poops in his house where he slept and kept his food - is that normal?

[Demecat]

When a hamster puts anything in it's pouches, it's to move it, so as long as bedding is safe, then it's fine.

Try not to make any sudden moves and talk to him from across the room if you have to. My hammy used to run to the wheel when I was taming him, I actually used it to my advantage. He was that busy concentrating on running that I was able to stroke him! lol

Hamsters only really need five to six grams of food a day, so if you put plenty in, he may appear to have not eaten any... but then again, he could be eating stored food.

They often poop in their house because hamsters create two different types of poo. One is hard and is waste, another is soft and contains stuff essential to your hamster's health. He will eat the second one and digest it (again) to get what his body needs from it.

I hope this prevents you from worrying too much!