Advice with getting fudge into a routine in the evenings

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

Hi, Ive had my wee fudge for 6/7 weeks now. Just wondering are there any tips for helping to get him into more of a routine in the evenings? Ideally I'd like him to come out around 8 so that I can handle him and get him out for a bit - either ball/playpen. He is coming on and getting used to me but doesn't come out spontaneously if I am in my room with the light on anywhere between 8-10 and yes they are nocturnal but we too like our sleep and obviously it means I'm going to bed later and later. The minute I put my light out say it's 11, he's out. Does anyone have any ideas? Just want to have him want to come out and have more of a routine without annoying him. Sometimes I have to nearly coax him out and I hate doing that :/

[Bertiebobbins]

My method is to do exactly the same things at exactly the same times each day. I want Nibble to get up in the morning when I get up, so I can easily check he's ok. So I feed him a teeny spoon of porridge around 7:30am. After a few days he was waiting for me and one day I was up later than usual and he was stamping his paws lol! I'd like my daughter to see him before she goes to bed, so we feed him sunflower seeds around 6:30pm. Now he comes out for them when she calls to him (very cute!). Then I want to handle/tame him when my daughter has gone to bed, so I change his water/food at 9pm-ish and he comes out to have cuddles and a run around.

Personally I think coaxing and bribery is the way all the way to start with, to give them a reason to come out to see you. Then go from there. You could try dimming your lights for a few evenings (maybe just have a desk lamp on?) as it might help him feel more comfortable.

[Thin Lizzy]

Getting them into a routine and sticking to the routine. Make coming out fun, bribe them with a tasty treat.

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

Thanks, yes this is what I sort of thought. But he seems to hate it..about a week ago in the evening I noticed that he had moved his house out from the corner and it was sitting at a funny angle and usually every evening I would do a wee tidy up just lifting out droppings and maybe clean his toilet, he usually would come out then. As I went to lift his house (I had the roof off til I drilled holes in it to make it more breathable) he freaked out and flew around the cage, i felt so awful. Ever since he's been really jumpy, but then I get some good days where he is brighter. Last night I did a tidy up and he came out to greet me, it all looked promising, I gave him a tiny piece of cheese and I always try to talk to him so that he knows it's me. I lifted him out for a cuddle and he let me but he was shaking, I stroked him and talked to him and after a while held the ball up from him to go in. He kept sniffing at it and shaking as if he had never seen it before, I don't know what's going on. So I popped him back into his cage as he was making the annoyed sounds and he went back into his house. I don't want to tortue him. He wouldn't come out until i fell asleep. I heard him on his flying saucer this morning so I turned the light on to see if he was ok. When he realized that he went back into his house . It's funny because for the past two mornings he has come out when I have been getting ready to go to work around 6/6.30 but I don't bother I'm too much, as I don't want him to feel that every time he comes out he can't get peace and gets pestered. But he needs daily interaction. This morning he came out and when I went over and started talking to him he started shaking again. I left him be and he was just eating his nibble stick thing. I really don't know what to do. He is a nervous little man and I thin I've made him worse and he is obviously annoyed with me, and it's horrible. If I proved him with a playpen and lots of stimulation it's too much for him so I go back to trying to just work on his confidence and handling with the ball afterwards. I'm thinking maybe I'm over doing it with things. I know they Hate change. I have changed his house on and off with adding some more things to keep him occupied especially because he won't come out until the dead of night but I'm maybe doing more harm than good.

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

i forgot to say that it is a desk lamp that I mainly use for lighting in my room.

[Bertiebobbins]

Aw bless him, if he's shaking he must be scared and stressed for some reason... I'd back off completely and start again - maybe just talking to him, spot clean every other day, feed him some snacks through the bars, don't go into his cage unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps lifting him out when he came out to see you was just a step too far, maybe next time if he comes out just tell him what a good boy he is, give him a treat then leave him alone?

Nibble got a right cob on when I changed his cage the other day, I knew I should have left him alone but I still got him out and i got a nip for my troubles! next day he was back to his usual self. Trial and error - its all a learning curve!

Good luck and don't take it personally, he'll come round!

[Thin Lizzy]

Golden syrian hamsters, I think your little ham has been spooked while out in the ball, they can hear things we can't and maybe some sort of noise has freaked him out while in it.

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

This morning he was out when I woke and I just talked to him and gave him a bit of dried banana and a sunflower seed from my hand. After that he went into his house. I'm just afraid that he won't tolerate me handling him any more and he is so tame. The lady I got him from had him tamed from 4 weeks. But I agree I need to just obviously start from the beginning. Yes I've had him 6/7 weeks but really it isn't long I guess so it's early days and a learning curve as you say. I normally lift him out not long after he comes out and he's usually fine with it but maybe he wasn't and I just wasn't getting the signals till he finally had enough. I guess that could have happens thin lizzy it would explain the odd behavior with the ball the other night. Thanks for all your help and advice I'm sure he will come round in time. It's just knowing what to do and what not to do if you know what I mean. Now I'm beginning to think it's his cage he doesn't like. I have him housed in a bin cage, it's not massive but I intend to join another one via a tube and perhaps get the bigger flying saucer as he loves it. Plus put in a few ledges up the sides of it so he has wee perches. Then every time you change he's upset. Lol I don't remember having this trouble when I had hamster years ago, I'm maybe over complicating things. I will also have a look through forums about timid hamsters and just treat him as if he's not tame to get him back to confidence again.

[Bertiebobbins]

Lol I know what you mean about the hams you had before, I don't remember hamster keeping being this complicated in the 80s!

I'm sure he will come round with lots of slow and steady handling.

[Thin Lizzy]

Patience is a great thing. Twinkle was a nightmare when I got her at 6 weeks old. I got really annoyed with myself as I was convinced she hated me but, she's my little star now.
She's been my hardest ham to tame.