Overwhelmed & Stressed

[DobbyTheSyrian]

Before buying a hamster i did a lot of research, but i still don't feel prepared.
Here's a little bit of Dobbys story
I was going to buy a hamster from a pet store that was selling around 39 hamsters ( all kept together), but the females were all pregnant (the pet store worker told me this) and the pet store people couldn't identify which were the males and females, so i looked for someone who had hamster babies and didn't want them or was looking to sell ( Here in india , atleast in my state there's no adoption places )
I picked up dobby, who was so tiny and the prev owner said he was 21-24 days old.
He was crawling with lice, and was tiny but fierce
After 2 days of him settling in i took him to the vet who thankfully used mild medication and got rid of his lice.
I got him on 12-6-19
Its 22-6-19
I still haven't figured out his behaviour yesterday he was playing with me and today morning i woke to the sound of bar chewing.
I immediately took him out to let him roam and he bit me multiple times. And he'd stopped biting me last week.
I also had another post where i wrote that he squeaked at least once during the day time. Im so stressed and worried and i feel so unknowledgeable. I never wanted to cause an animal harm.. but i feel like I'm stressing him

[DobbyTheSyrian]

I'm not sure how to attach photos but his cage is somewhat similar to this


Sage Square Brown Playhouse with Spare Floor, Exercise Wheel, Water Bottle, Hide House and Food Tray for Hamster, Dwarf, Gerbil and Mice https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07B2WH2BP/..._odBdDb0QF027Q

[Ria P]

You are not harming your hamster, you are looking after him and it is very early days. To me it sounds like you have rescued this little hamster from a place where he got lice to provide him with a loving and caring home. He is a baby who is still scared, learning to make sense of his world and getting to trust you same as you are getting to know him. It takes time to build up trust and for the hamster to feel safe and comfortable with you. Try and figure out how to post photos here so people can advise you on your cage set up etc. I'm hopeless with technology myself but i use photos directly from my phone via attach files-managr attachment section below additional options.

[Schwartzie]

The cage that you attached...are your dimensions the same? There is lots of discussion on what size your cage should be. Bar biting is a sign of boredom. Would you be able to see if you can fit the furniture below into your cage? If you cant fit the furniture in your cage it's too small. They recommend at least 100cmx50cm for a Syrian but like I said there is lots of discussions on it. Take a ruler and see if you can fit all these goodies into your cage.

Hamster house 26cmx17cmx12cm - it could be a little smaller or bigger
Wheel 28cm diameter
Sand bath - a container that your hamster could dig in or pee
Tunnels or logs
Hanging chew toys or chew toys of any kind
Water bottle
Hideouts on platforms and around the cage

This is just a basic and other owners have so much more knowledge than me and can add information. Go through the housing section on this forum and search topics about cages etc.

What bedding are you using? It is a good idea to have at least 6 inches deep of bedding in a part of the cage so your hamster will dig and burrow. Some don't dig but they can if they want to if you are it available to them.

If you are able to get your cage sorted out and filled with lots of exciting adventures for your hamster it will forget about the bars.

Look on this forum for the thread about cage pictures. Pinterest has so many amazing pictures of natural habitats and layouts.

[Schwartzie]

Posting pictures...

1. Check that the picture you take is not a big picture...change the settings so the resolution is small.

2. Click reply to type in s reply but before you type scroll down to manage attachments

3. Click on it and it will ask you to upload a picture. Click browse and find the picture on your phone to click on. Once you have clicked on it click upload.

4. Go back to the reply you clicked on..you won't see it has been saved but its there. Type what you want to type about the picture etc then click reply. You will see the link comes up.

[DobbyTheSyrian]

Originally Posted by Ria P

You are not harming your hamster, you are looking after him and it is very early days. To me it sounds like you have rescued this little hamster from a place where he got lice to provide him with a loving and caring home. He is a baby who is still scared, learning to make sense of his world and getting to trust you same as you are getting to know him. It takes time to build up trust and for the hamster to feel safe and comfortable with you. Try and figure out how to post photos here so people can advise you on your cage set up etc. I'm hopeless with technology myself but i use photos directly from my phone via attach files-managr attachment section below additional options.

I really really hope so, i even considered putting him up for adoption to someone who would treat him better or giving him to someone who could give him a bigger cage asap. I will be getting a very large one but only in 20 days. I spent so much time today worrying about him. Im just sitting by his cage and talking, hoping it'll help him in someway

[DobbyTheSyrian]

Originally Posted by Schwartzie

The cage that you attached...are your dimensions the same? There is lots of discussion on what size your cage should be. Bar biting is a sign of boredom. Would you be able to see if you can fit the furniture below into your cage? If you cant fit the furniture in your cage it's too small. They recommend at least 100cmx50cm for a Syrian but like I said there is lots of discussions on it. Take a ruler and see if you can fit all these goodies into your cage.

Hamster house 26cmx17cmx12cm - it could be a little smaller or bigger
Wheel 28cm diameter
Sand bath - a container that your hamster could dig in or pee
Tunnels or logs
Hanging chew toys or chew toys of any kind
Water bottle
Hideouts on platforms and around the cage

This is just a basic and other owners have so much more knowledge than me and can add information. Go through the housing section on this forum and search topics about cages etc.

What bedding are you using? It is a good idea to have at least 6 inches deep of bedding in a part of the cage so your hamster will dig and burrow. Some don't dig but they can if they want to if you are it available to them.

If you are able to get your cage sorted out and filled with lots of exciting adventures for your hamster it will forget about the bars.

Look on this forum for the thread about cage pictures. Pinterest has so many amazing pictures of natural habitats and layouts.

Okay i will, i did measure i can fit a few things from the list you posted not all.

Not the hamster house, not many hideouts and I don't have a chew toy.

Also I'd like to specify, i live in Goa India so stuff like chew toys aren't available, i use a bedding by chipsi which i thought was aspen but on another post of mine someone told me chipsi didnt do aspen so im not really sure.
I feel like such a bad hamster owner

[Schwartzie]

Originally Posted by DobbyTheSyrian

Okay i will, i did measure i can fit a few things from the list you posted not all.

Not the hamster house, not many hideouts and I don't have a chew toy.

Also I'd like to specify, i live in Goa India so stuff like chew toys aren't available, i use a bedding by chipsi which i thought was aspen but on another post of mine someone told me chipsi didnt do aspen so im not really sure.
I feel like such a bad hamster owner

You are not a bad owner at all!! I live in Saudi Arabia and there is nothing here, like nothing. One hamster brand and shavings. I am ordering everything online and other owners have told me that they live in Europe and have to order online as well. The products you hear of are all online. Are you able to order through an online shop? I used an online shop that is for Saudi and Middle East. I’m sure there is somewhere you can order that delivers to India?

I bought a rabbit cage and put chicken mesh over it because the bars were too wide - it’s a big size 100cmx50cm. It was just too expensive to order a cage online. You are doing a great job with your hamster. That little fellow is so lucky to be saved by you.

If you can afford and are able to order online let me know and I can send you a list of things I have on my shopping cart and brands etc that you can look at.

What are the dimensions of your cage? Maybe it’s too small? Give your hamster lots of love as you have been doing and read through the threads here and post as many questions you have. Owners here are so helpful.

If you are able to order online you can get the right bedding and everything that you need. If you can’t order online then you find things that your hamster can chew like toilet rolls etc. There are lots of threads here about natural chew toys that won’t cost you.

Send a picture of your little one please☺️☺️☺️

[Ria P]

My hamster lived in a cage considered too small because i didn't know any different but didn't come to any harm and now lives in a 84cmx50cm cage not a 100cmx50cm.
It's easy to get hamster stuff in Europe but in Goa it may not be readily available and you may have to improvise and make do with what you've got. You can give your hamster card board to chew on, a piece of uncooked pasta and look into which type of wood, i.e. apple wood is suitable as chew sticks. If you would not have given your hamster a home he would still be ridden with lice and most likely living in a cage smaller than the one he is in now. You took him to a vet, you talk to him and feed him and you care so much about him that you are stressed and full of self doubt.
Yes, the cage he's in now is not ideal and he's telling you that by bar chewing but you are going to get him a bigger cage so he can be happy. Don't give up on yourself and your hamster because things will improve.

[Ria P]

Yes, keep talking to your hamster and Dobby will get used to your voice. You can also rub plain white toilet or tissue paper on your skin then tear it into strips to put in your hamster's cage. Dobby will probably use it as bedding material and get used to your scent. Give him something nice to eat holding it with your fingers and he may take it. He may even let you stroke him after a few times. Hamsters bite when scared and a lot of new owners get bitten in the early days, i did. Once your hamster learns that he doesn't need to be scared of you he'll be glad to be with you.