My new hammy screamed at me..

CharlieHamHam · 06-18-2019, 03:38 PM

Info about Charlie:
He is a Syrian hamster
Adopted from Petco last week (there are no local hamster breeders where I live)
Most of the stuff in his cage is things I am reusing from my old hammy who passed in April (RIP Waffles) But I washed everything down with soap and water.
He does not eat much and I have not ever seen him drink. I got him a new bottle today and I have put out a bowl with water several times, but I am still yet to see him drink.

What happened today:
A few minutes ago I was reading a book on the floor next to my hamsters cage. He was sleeping in his hut and I didn’t even have the cage open. I have not held him this week whatsoever because he has been very shy and scared. All of a sudden, he started screaming and screaming from his house with his ears down and in a ball. My previous hamster NEVER had made any noises so I was very surprised by this.

This is what it sounded like: (WARNING, VIDEO MAY CAUSE DISTRESS- HAMSTER IN SMALL CAGE BEING SEVERELY FRIGHTENED BY A DOG)

https://youtu.be/jC10_3qQ8XQ

(I know the video is a terrible example of how to take care of a hammy, but this is what it SOUNDED like. This isn’t me)
I opened up Charlie’s hut because I was scared and I didn’t know if he was ok. He got even louder so I quickly put his house back and backed away from the cage. He didn’t stop so I left the room to give him a breather and I went and looked up on Google about hamster screaming. I went back into my room where his cage is and he had stopped screaming. I looked inside his cage to make sure he wasn’t in trouble and he did not scream, he just chattered his teeth. So I left him alone and here I am now. I know he is probably just scared, but I am really confused WHY he would be scared. I didn’t do anything sudden when he started screaming. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong or if he is in pain... please tell me what I should do!

CharlieHamHam · 06-18-2019, 10:43 PM

Update about 6 hours later:

He is acting normal, I am making sure to be very slow and gentle with my movements so he knows he can trust me. I put a square of toilet paper with my scent on it in his cage for his nest. We will see if he uses it. I am still not sure what to do about his appetite and his drinking. I know that hammies don’t need to drink a lot, but is he slowly drying up? I would do the neck test for dehydration, but I swore to myself to not touch him until he is comfortable. I don’t know what to do. My first hammy was pretty self sufficient and I am not sure what I should do and if Charlie needs a helping hand.

Shannonmcn · 06-18-2019, 11:31 PM

It is weird that he would scream when nothing is happening but they do have different senses that we do and maybe it was a smell or a sound that spooked him? If it's just a one-off I would keep an eye on him but not jump to any conclusions.

They generally do drink very little anyway. He is probably just doing it when you're not around and if he has bottle and bowl you wouldn't hear him drinking from the bowl. He wouldn't still be around if he hadn't been drinking since last week tho so he definitely is! He won't be starving himself either, they eat about a tablespoon every day or two so again that's not a lot. But you can try him with fresh veg or oats or bread or peanuts to tempt him, just so you know he's getting something, for your own peace of mind. Tasty things are good for taming too.

LunaTheHamster1 · 06-19-2019, 01:25 AM

If your hamster was alseep, he could have been dreaming and maybe having a nightmare or something. My Luna does this, the first time it happened I was terrified and spent ages googling about it. I've noticed with her getting older it seems to happen more frequent and louder/longer. It breaks my heart to hear, they sound so distressed. What i found said not to pick them up or lift the lid off the house or anything like that as you will probably scare them even more and that's why your hamster may have been chattering at you. I just keep talking to Luna till the noise stops. I don't think you are doing anything wrong.

Sparkster · 06-19-2019, 10:06 AM

Re to fact he won't drink:

If the water level in his water bottle is going down then all is good.

If it stops going down, try putting a thin slice of kiwi in his cage as hamsters can have the water in kiwis as an alternative to drinking from their water bottles. (Don't know if I phrased that right.) I have done this with one of my other hamsters. (R.I.P. Ginger)

Shannonmcn · 06-19-2019, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkster

Re to fact he won't drink:

If the water level in his water bottle is going down then all is good.

If it stops going down, try putting a thin slice of kiwi in his cage as hamsters can have the water in kiwis as an alternative to drinking from their water bottles. (Don't know if I phrased that right.) I have done this with one of my other hamsters. (R.I.P. Ginger)

Kiwi will work for water yes! But some people are a bit wary of the amount of citric acid in a kiwi. Cucumber is perfect for the same job (and easier to get a hold of. And cheaper)

CharlieHamHam · 06-19-2019, 06:07 PM

Thank you everyone for the replies, I feel so much better!

CharlieHamHam · 06-19-2019, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shannonmcn

It is weird that he would scream when nothing is happening but they do have different senses that we do and maybe it was a smell or a sound that spooked him? If it's just a one-off I would keep an eye on him but not jump to any conclusions.

They generally do drink very little anyway. He is probably just doing it when you're not around and if he has bottle and bowl you wouldn't hear him drinking from the bowl. He wouldn't still be around if he hadn't been drinking since last week tho so he definitely is! He won't be starving himself either, they eat about a tablespoon every day or two so again that's not a lot. But you can try him with fresh veg or oats or bread or peanuts to tempt him, just so you know he's getting something, for your own peace of mind. Tasty things are good for taming too.

Thanks! I will feed him more fresh food, but I have another question about that. I have been reluctant to feed him food that can rot in his cage because he will usually nibble on it and hide it. Then, I can’t find it. I don’t want him to go back to wherever he hid it and eat the rotten veggie and get sick. Any opinions?

CharlieHamHam · 06-19-2019, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkster

Re to fact he won't drink:

If the water level in his water bottle is going down then all is good.

If it stops going down, try putting a thin slice of kiwi in his cage as hamsters can have the water in kiwis as an alternative to drinking from their water bottles. (Don't know if I phrased that right.) I have done this with one of my other hamsters. (R.I.P. Ginger)

I have not noticed the water bottle level decreasing, I will try some food with water in them. Thanks for the idea. May Ginger and my Waffles RIP. ❤️

CharlieHamHam · 06-19-2019, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

If your hamster was alseep, he could have been dreaming and maybe having a nightmare or something. My Luna does this, the first time it happened I was terrified and spent ages googling about it. I've noticed with her getting older it seems to happen more frequent and louder/longer. It breaks my heart to hear, they sound so distressed. What i found said not to pick them up or lift the lid off the house or anything like that as you will probably scare them even more and that's why your hamster may have been chattering at you. I just keep talking to Luna till the noise stops. I don't think you are doing anything wrong.

Aww, this hurts me! Thank you so much for this reply, I think that he did have a nightmare or something now that you say this. It makes me very sad but I am happy to know that he is probably just fine. It breaks my heart as well to know that his screaming may have been because of a nightmare. If it happens again I will not open up is house or anything, tysm for the advice!