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Old 08-09-2019, 08:23 AM   #11
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Im confused and scared ive done something wrong.

How big is she? That will tell us whether she is a Syrian or dwarf hamster. Either way it all sounds quite normal apart from the biting which is fear (and may also be cage rage if it’s too small).

So she is way more scared than you . You’ve had lots of advice so I’ll just add

1) Start again from scratch - ie leave her alone for a couple of days apart from putting food out.
2) Don’t do any cleaning for two weeks. Other than the pee area after about a week(you can just take out a handful of Pee’d on substrate and replace it.
3) Accept that until she has been full tamed, it is best not to put a hand in her cage. Generally hamsters din’t Like a hand in their cage anyway but a scared, untamed baby hamster may attack the intruder! You can instead, use a tube to get her out in - r if the ball fits in the cage, put that in near the house entrance with a smelly treat inside - when she walks in, pop the lid on and lift her out that way. With the cardboard tube (eg kitchen roll tube) - similar - put a smelly treat at the far end eg cucumber or cheese, put the other end of the tube near her house entrance and when she walks in the tube out both hands over the ends (wear gloves so you aren’t nervous) then lift the tube out and put one end in the ball so she walks out of the tube into the ball and pop the lid on. Once she is in the ball you can carefully carry her in it to a safe place to let her out for taming and out of cage time. Eg dry bath tub or playpen. Their behaviour out of the cage is usually very different to in the cage but she may still bite out of fear until tame so wear glove s.
4) Taming. Bathtub 2 or 3 times a week. She will probably slither up and diwn the dudes trying to get out. At that time a stroke on the back with one finger. If she jerks around as if to bite then wait and try again later. Maybe 2 or 3 attempts first session. Continue with this next session. Eventually she will accept it, won’t jerk her head round or bite. So she has accepted touch and beginning to be familiar with you. After that move onto putting your hand flat in the bathtub, palm up, in front of her so she walks over it. Still wear gloves. She’ll get used to that. Then move onto to raising your hand very slightly as she walks over it - maybe 1cm. But still let he walk off. From there you raise it a bit mor and let her walk from hand to hand with your hands like a tunnel - just for a few seconds. She should then be tame, trust you, and able to be handled and picked up and stroked. Even when fully tame some hamsters still don’t like sitting still long for a stroke and will want to be off somewhere - especially when they’re young.

If she is nesting in a tube that will be additional big to the problems as it will need cleaning out more often and disturb her nest (they really don’t like their nest being messed with).

So a cafe change could really help. No internal tubes, 4” minimum depth of substrate. 8” to 11” diameter wheel depending on species. A house that is open underneath and sat in the substrate so she can bury hoards under her nest and build a big cosy nest. She would probably choose a corner of the cage as a toilet so then her nest would stay dry and can be left alone for a very long time.

The Alaska cage from Zooplus is a good inexpensive option for a Syrian Hamster. For a dwarf hamster, the Hamster heaven us better as it’s lower in height (without the internal tubes although you could use sections of them as floor toys).
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Old 08-09-2019, 08:29 AM   #12
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Im confused and scared ive done something wrong.

As for tearing up toilet paper - normal! She is being a busy housewife and enjoying getting it the right size for her nest. Sometimes they pouch it to take to the nest. Some female hamsters will destroy a cardboard tube - to make it into good nesting material. Good for their teeth and claws and keeps them occupied. She may enjoy a treat parcel. Toilet roll tube with some treats inside, fold the ends over. She’ll try and pull it apart to get to the treats.
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