Handling Hamster During Chemo

Cotton · 10-12-2020, 09:46 AM

Hi everyone,

Little Timmy is quite a bit older since my last visit. The shelter staff thought he was about a year old last summer when I adopted him, but he's so energetic and healthy for a two-year old hamster that I suspect he was younger.

I have been getting chemotherapy since July and wondering how to safely handle Timmy without causing him any stress. The instructions from the chemo clinic were to not change any pets' litter/bedding or handle rodents, reptiles, birds, etc. With pandemic restrictions, I can't have anyone in to do it. I wear disposable gloves to change the bedding, but Timmy will not get in my hands while I am wearing them and he nibbled cotton gloves so I can't risk a bite. (He's not a biter. I think he nibbled the cotton gloves because he wasn't used to them.)

I'm not willing to rehome him. However, with the reduced handling, he has started chewing the bars of his habitat so I know he is missing his play time and the attention. Do any of you have suggestions? Thank you.

LunaTheHamster1 · 10-12-2020, 10:01 AM

Sorry to hear that you are having to go through chemo. Re Timmy could you use a jug/mug to carry him from his cage to a play area? Then you wouldn't have to touch him but he still gets some out of cage time.

Maker · 10-12-2020, 12:37 PM

Is it because there’s a risk of you getting an infection from the pets? I would talk to your nurse, would it make a difference if your pet was healthy and you washed your hands after? not sure how it’s different to pet therapy

Pebbles82 · 10-12-2020, 01:40 PM

I use a rat sized tunnel for them to walk into. You could put a smelly treat at one end and put the other end near his house. Then when he walks into the tube just put your hands over the ends and lift him out in the tube. You can wear gloves to do that. You could set up a playpen area maybe for him. I carry them in the tube if it’s to put them down very nearby but if you have to carry him more than a couple of feet it’s probably best to have a cardboard box or hamster ball near the cage and put the tube down in the box and carry that where you want it - or put one end of the tube in the hamster ball and let him walk in and pop the lid on and carry the ball where you want to take him.

This is a very hard situation for you. The only other alternative I can think of is get him a large cage and a big nesting box house and he may not want to come out so much with more enrichment and space.

Amethyst_ice · 10-12-2020, 04:29 PM

Hello, im sorry to hear what you are going through. I have been on many immunosuppressants over the last 13 years and I was given the same advice however after speaking with my nurse, for me personally, she said if I managed general good pet hygiene such as washing my hands after handling them, keeping areas clean etc then I should be ok. your hamster is a caged pet and doesn't come into contact with any wild animals so the risk of contracting anything from him should be minimal. of course consult your own medical practitioners first but the mental health benefits your pet can provide you during this time, not just the chemo but also lockdown, outweigh the very minimal risks of you contracting something from your hamster in my opinion and experience.

Cotton · 10-21-2020, 08:53 AM

Thank you, Luna, Maker, Serendipity and Amethyst! I really appreciate your responses. They were very helpful. My response was delayed because I was recovering from another infusion. Thanks to your posts, Timmy is enjoying play time again outside his home and has stopped chewing the bars on his home. He's a happy little guy. Thank you very much for all your help!