How am I ever going to tame my robos?

Crystalroborovski · 04-16-2017, 11:51 AM

I've had Key Lime and Tangerine, a pair of robo boys, since Tuesday. Not that long, but the first few days both came out of their burrow during the day and explored. For the past 3 days, I've noticed they've fallen into a routine of sleeping all day and only coming out after 11:00 p.m.. Their cage has a glass bottom and it overhangs by a couple of inches on the dresser it's on so I can see the hams while they are in their burrow. They frequently wake up during the day but just stay in the burrow, sometimes briefly coming out when I'm not in the room (I can see signs of activity). I go to bed at 9:30-10:30 p.m. and they usually come out after 11:00-12:00 pm. (In the morning I can see signs that they were active, like food in the wheels, hidden treats that have been eaten, etc). How am I ever going to tame them if they just come out at the dead of night? It's not like I can stay up until 2:00 am just to tame them. Sometimes I just want to scoop them out of their burrow when they are awake but at the same time I don't know if that'll just make them scared of me. I know hamsters are nocturnal but I see so many YouTube videos and such of people taming and interacting with their hamsters during the day. Help!

cypher · 04-16-2017, 11:58 PM

You haven't had them long yet so don't despair!
I do find that most of my hams have gone through an initial few days to a week when everything is new & exciting so they are out & about exploring & scent marking everything then they get a bit more settled & go through a bit of a quiet more reclusive stage but gradually become more confident & start to come out more.
For now I would be sure to sit by the tank & talk to them quietly even while they're hiding away so they really get comfortable with the sound of your voice, you could try gently rustling the substrate & scattering a few treats for them so they can learn to associate that sound & your presence with nice things, maybe feed them at that time too.
If they do come out just sit & talk to them at first until they seem comfortable being out with you around then move on to putting your hand flat in the tank, it takes patience as you do need to just keep your hand still for some time, it can take several attempts but they should get curious enough to come to you with time then you can move on from there.
Good luck with them, robos that haven't been handled from a young age aren't the easiest to tame so it does generally take time & patience.

flowerfairy · 04-17-2017, 02:37 AM

I never managed to fully tame mine. They were hand shy (only got one left now, rip Flower).

Fairy will eat and explore when I am around but prefers to wait until the lights are out before coming out to play on her wheel.

I had them from tiny babies from the breeder. They fell out and had to move cages so perhaps that unsettled them. They have always fled as soon as my hand came near them!

I have seen plenty of youtube vids where robos will take treats and even allow handling so it is obviously possible although not common.

DennisJones · 04-17-2017, 05:13 AM

I am in the same boat, and am keen to do what I can to tame Dennis-Sama to the point he doesn't fear my hand.

I did find this Video by Erin at Erin`s Animals which has some good advise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7hf9d6TF_A

Keep the box high enough so he they cant escape they will eventually calm down and start to climb on you, do it regularly enough they should become accustomed.

Dennis-Sama was quite happily climbing up my arm to escape, even to the point he sat on my hand for a while assessing what to do.

Crystalroborovski · 04-17-2017, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

You haven't had them long yet so don't despair!
I do find that most of my hams have gone through an initial few days to a week when everything is new & exciting so they are out & about exploring & scent marking everything then they get a bit more settled & go through a bit of a quiet more reclusive stage but gradually become more confident & start to come out more.
For now I would be sure to sit by the tank & talk to them quietly even while they're hiding away so they really get comfortable with the sound of your voice, you could try gently rustling the substrate & scattering a few treats for them so they can learn to associate that sound & your presence with nice things, maybe feed them at that time too.
If they do come out just sit & talk to them at first until they seem comfortable being out with you around then move on to putting your hand flat in the tank, it takes patience as you do need to just keep your hand still for some time, it can take several attempts but they should get curious enough to come to you with time then you can move on from there.
Good luck with them, robos that haven't been handled from a young age aren't the easiest to tame so it does generally take time & patience.

Ok thanks cypher! It definitely does take a lot of patience to tame a skittish robo. I have been talking to them when they are out and touching their toys and wheels with clean hands to get my scent familiar with them. On Saturday I started slowly placing my hands with a treat in the tank when they came out, but both will go over to their wheel and frantically run on it until I remove my hand

hopefully they will be less scared of me as I tame them.

cypher · 04-17-2017, 11:00 AM

Running frantically in the wheel is quite normal during the early stages of taming, they tend to do that when they're a bit stressed but it's a lot better than them running away!
If you can just be patient & not move your hand & continue talking to them then they should become less stressed/fearful & more curious, keep at it

Sounds as though Dennis is doing well DennisJones!
One of my Chinese girls used to do that when I tried using a taming bin, she would much rather run up my arm & sit on my shoulder than stay in the bin!
If they do that it helps to have some kind of play pen to sit in with the bin so they can run around on you if they like.

Crystalroborovski · 04-19-2017, 01:27 PM

UPDATE: the boys have started coming out around 7:30 pm if I have my bedroom lights turned out. If the lights are turned on, they usually come out when I go to bed at 9:30. I have started staying awake for about 30 extra minutes with my lights turned out so I can tame the hammies. They seem to be more relaxed while I have my hand in the cage and they don't freeze up nearly as much as when I started. They still run on their wheels, though not as frantically and they will mind their own business, walking around my hand cautiously. Last night Key Lime came up to my hand and took a dried banan from it and ate it just a couple inches from my fingers. Such a tiny action yet I feel like I've hit a milestone in the taming process

cypher · 04-19-2017, 11:10 PM

That's great, it may seem like tiny steps but it is real progress, well done to you & the boys

flowerfairy · 04-20-2017, 02:03 AM

Well done with the taming. How lovely.

Crystalroborovski · 04-20-2017, 07:19 AM

Another question about taming: what are your thoughts on a taming tub? Kind of like a playpen but in a bin. The boys are a lot more comfortable with my hand being in the cage and will eat treats right by my hand. I don't want to force them to interact with me but I wanted to know when or if I should start doing it. Just short 5-10 min sessions in the evening, nothing more. I noticed on Erin's animals "how to tame roborovski hamsters" video she put her litter of robos in a small-ish box with her hand in it. I've seen other people use a taming tub, I just wasn't sure if I should as well or if I should give the boys more time with the taming.