changing cage due to scared hamster?

Avelia · 10-30-2018, 03:15 PM

Hello all,

need some advice for my newest hamster.

I have 3 other hamsters and done the same taming for them and all worked out fine but with this new guy its not going so well.

My new guy is still very scared, had him over a month i know its not long but I have been taming him but so far he's still scared stiff, he lives in a living world eco cage and anytime I go towards the cage, put my hand in or even when taking him out in the playpen he is always shaking in fear. Im wondering if I should change him into a different cage?

As the eco habitat I can only go in from above him and with the clear sides I'm wondering if it might be having a negative effect on his taming?

He has 2 sides of the cage beside a wall and loads of hides and deep substrate but he still seems very exposed and scared in this cage so taming isn't going well because of it.

alpacassei · 10-30-2018, 03:43 PM

Sometimes top opening cages can have that kind of effect on new hammies, I think it’s quite intimidating for them to see a giant being coming towards them from above like that. try putting a little box or something he can climb onto in the cage and lift him out that way.

Is he like it all the time or just when you approach him? Some hamsters do better im a smaller cage at first since the amount of space in an 80cm+ cage can be very overwhelming at first compared to those tiny pet shop tanks. I like to start my super anxious hammies in a mini duna until they become more confident. Filling his cage with lots of hides and tunnels will make it feel saver and less open.

What species is he? Dwarf hamsters, especially robos, can take longer to tame.

Avelia · 10-30-2018, 04:26 PM

Hes a Syrian and this is my first open top cage, if im in the room and I know hes awake he will stay in his hide, I see him crawl across the cage even when im no where near it and become startled even if I talk before coming close to the cage, he shakes terribly when lifting him out of the cage even in a toy/cup and he now doesn't get up until after 3.30am
.

Pebbles82 · 10-31-2018, 10:23 AM

I would try adding “overhead cover” type toys. The like the space for running around but feel scared if too exposed. Tank style cages like that din’t have So much scope for roof hanging toys but one thing I think is great are the large cork logs/tunnels - the larger the better. Because they’re quite tall they effectively give overhead cover and are also a hidey place, a tunnel and something to climb over - plus an interesting texture. It’s also harder to fix shelves in that cage so it would need to be a freestanding platform and that is quite important to have - they need something to sit under. And it’s also somewhere level to put heavier tos, food bowl etc so you can have more toys/variety in the cage. They also need somewhere dark to retreat to - a large house that’s dark inside is ideal. With that lovely cage and deep substrate you could have a subterranean house and just scoop some substrate out of the way for the door entrance. The rule of thumb with a large cage is to fill it and not have too much empty space. They will naturally want to dive under things to feel secure in a large space - just for when they’re not feeling too confident.

After four weeks I wouldn’t expect him to be still shaking so it does suggest either something in the cage isn’t quite right for him or maybe you’be cleaned out a bit too much? With a lot of substrate and a large cage you rarely need to do full clean outs and can just spot clean if necessary - a litter tray helps a lot. Adding something new may also distract him from being scared and give him more interest. Also hiding treats around the cage can be a good distraction. For getting him out maybe lower a hamster ball in for him to hop into with a piece of cucumber or cheese in it.

Pebbles82 · 10-31-2018, 10:24 AM

Sorry for any typos am on my phone

Do you have a photo of his set up and we could make some suggestions to get it so he will love it!

Avelia · 10-31-2018, 01:36 PM

https://imgur.com/a/6e9Up83

https://imgur.com/a/vEE6gTA

thank you for your help here is his setup.
I even have covered one side with a towel for weeks so he doesn't feel so scared, ive only spot cleaned his cage so far and this is his setup with log and platform. he mostly goes from the log out back to his wheel. I put mesh on the top of the lid to hang toys from also so would be greatful for some more help on how to make him happier

alpacassei · 10-31-2018, 02:23 PM

It looks really good! He might appreciate an area with some deeper substrate tho! Syrians like to burrow but they can be quite fussy and sometimes will only burrow once the substrates reached around 8 inches

The only other thing I can think of right now is to add another hide near the front of the cage? I’m more of a dwarf hammie person tho so I’m sure you’ll get more helpful suggestions from more experienced Syrian owners.

Pebbles82 · 10-31-2018, 02:32 PM

He has loads of toys etc in there

Does he have a house or nest under a shelf? I would be tempted to have a lot more substrate in - at one end at least so he can burrow down - maybe a deep end with the shelf from that end butted up to the shelf at the wheel end - so it makes one longer platform and beyond that deeper substrate with a largeish house sunk into it. They are always happier when they can retreat somewhere to a large dark house where they can build a big nest for winter (they do feel the cold) and have space for hoards inside it. Sorry I forgot you’ve had hammies before but each hammy and each cage varies.

I’ve used labyrinth houses for our hammies and they love them and always nest in the darkest room inside. Rodipet make great houses and labyrinth houses but they are expensive. Before that I had the Ferplast sin rabbit house with a bendy bridge over the door - way too small for a rabbit - a bit smaller than a labyrinth house and no rooms but it worked well because a corner potty fits inside. When you give them a large house they invariably move the pee place inside the house in the corner opposite the door and nest in the corner furthest away from the door. With a flat roof it also doubles up as another platform and has a lift off roof like the labyrinth houses so you can check inside and empty the potty without having to take the house out and the nest falling apart.

With the larger houses there is the danger they can tunnel under them and get squashed so they either need supporting underneath to allow for that (Rodipet actually sell legs for their houses) or go the other way and have it on the bottom of the cage with the substrate piled up around it and just a bit of substrate inside the house to make it more comfortable - so then it’s like an undrrgroind burrow.

For all there is a lot of enrichment on the cage I could see he might feel a bit exposed and coukdn’t Tunnel down to get in the dark.

Just a thought. Rodipet also do nice 2 or 3 room houses but also expensive! Or you could just make a shoebox house - cut the bottom ou and a hole at one end of a long side for a door and keep the lid as a lift off roof and put a bendy bridge tunnel over the door so it’s dark inside and makes a ramp up to the roof as well.

I’d also suggest something like a large log tunnel at the front of the cage in the middle - so he’s a bit protected from the open feeling at the front and can go through it from one end to the other.

Obviously making changes will unsettle him but I find it’s accepted well if you add something new that they like and feel happy with - like a large house.

I have the Syrian sized largest labyrinth house with the saucer in the middle- both our Syrians have loved this house. The plate lifts off making it easy to remove the potty without taking the whole lid off. But it is expensive and postage is now about £8 as well. And a home made one or something similR is just as good.

Anyway sorry if he has a good house already and I just can’t see it. Ideally they have one that’s open underneath and on top of substrate so they can feel cosy and bury hoards (or put hoards in a room or area of the house).

Maybe with some changes to make it cosier and more cover and some bathtub taming he’ll start to get more confident.

On the other hand I agree that too access isn’t so good for interaction and I personally prefer cages for that reason like the Slavic PlZa with a big front door. But it seems a shame when it’s such a lovely big Perspex cage. Having the substrate deeper though would mean everything’s higher up so less of A height thing from the top.

Avelia · 10-31-2018, 04:08 PM

thank you for all the suggestions, I'm more then happy to buy him anything that will help him. looked a few times on the stuff at rodipet and always wondered if the tunnel stuff was good so ill prob buy some. I tired doing the playpen taming for 2 weeks and only out for a max 10 mins a time but he still shakes in fear the whole time so I feel like I'm stressing him out when doing it as its not helped him being more confident. Yes I do have other hammys so if the changes don't work I always have the option of swapping cages so it wont go to waste.

Pebbles82 · 11-01-2018, 09:23 AM

Maybe leave the taming for a few days and then do it every third day. I had to do that with our last Syrian who was very nervy. Took about two months but then when it happened it was instant and we had a lovely bond. He would go to sleep on my knee. I got my cork tunnels from Rodipet - they are the right length for a hamster cage - elsewhere they are way too long. I get the largest size and open underneath. They also make a good ramp up to a shelf combined with a tunnel leading part under the shelf.

If you were to get one thing from Rodipet though I’d get the largest labyrinth house and the legs for it. I’m sure he would love that and it could always be used on a cage as well. It would take up a lot of space in an 80cm cage but they’re fine in a 100 cm cage. Will add the link.