Hi guys i just want to see if im doing this right

[lukebandoo]

Hi guys any advice i can get is helpful im looking for the best care for hammy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOwm2BbCrMA

[Amethyst_ice]

Hello,

Welcome to you and Hammy!

Firstly let me say Hammy is a gorgeous little guy and from watching him I think the bite was perhaps more you maybe scaring him and not him being nasty. He seems very eager to bond and play with you considering you have had him so little time! And I think you already know that you need to try be more confident. Is Hammy your first hamster? If so that is perfectly understandable to be nervous but I think you are going to be a wonderful hamster daddy already.

For some advice I would say don't clean him out too often as he will want to get the place how he wants while he is settling in. This is the time you should start building up the trust and bonding with him. I'd suggest getting in a secure place, maybe your bath tub with some towels in and getting a box for hammy to climb into. Then sit in the bath tub and let him run over you and stroke him, perhaps try to gently scoop him up to get him used to be handled.

He will likely grow quite quickly so his cage may start getting a little bit cramped and his wheel a bit too tiny for his back so you may want to think about that in the future.

It is normal for hamsters to store their food and other things in their house so if he wants to do that let him, it's his house after all

Looking forward to seeing how you both bond and any questions please feel free to ask

x

[lukebandoo]

thankyou so much for your input it is really helpful

[Drago]

Hello and welcome to HC!

He's an adorable little guy. I'd suggest reading through all the subforums here, it's an archive of great knowledge and advice! Asking specific questions will help get you quicker and more detailed answers Best wishes

[Rads]

Hi and welcome to HC
Hammy looks like a lively little critter.! Hams all have there own personalities yes they can bite, Pip nibbles me sometimes and she has bitten me properly just once not long after I got her.
You need to get a bigger cage she needs more space and a lot bigger wheel Syrians normally need something in the 28cm range.
Pip lives in an Alaska Cage which is probably2-3 times the one you have Hammy in. She also has a 28cm Trixie wheel. Small wheels can cause spinal damage to Syrians also they may not use them either.
I would suggest taking a look at the Zooplus website their products are decent quality and well priced.
Pip says hi and waves a paw.
PS hope this helps.

[worldturns]

Hello and welcome to HC,
just to add to all the great advice above.
cage ideas looking in the housing forum at the thread called show us your cages you can get great ideas there.
as for the taming I can only advise to go slowly. if you have a bath get him in to his ball, sit in the bath, and let him run around and over you try not to flinch. take some treats in with you (I use sunflower seed) and offer them to him.
there are some great videos on utube as well on taming. I would suggest Erin's animals. she has some great videos.
as suggested above go through these forums pages and you can get some great advice.

[Hamsterita]

The other members already give you great advice!

I agree with Rads and Amethyts, his cage looks a little bit small. He probably will need an upgrade soon. An affordable one is the Alaska, but you can find other cages on zooplus. That way you could add deeper substrate that I'm sure he would enjoy. That way it's easier to clean too, because you can spot clean and then only remove the upper layer of the substrate every now and then.

It's very important that you look for a bigger wheel too, if not he can develop back problems.

Don't worry for his behaviours, they are completely normal.


If you're worried of the pee you could try to potty train him. It's fairly easy, but some hams just don't want to be potty trained.


It's true that you look more scared of him than he is of you I think that's good for taming though. Did you use the tissue trick? It's a good trick for bonding. If you're really worried of bites you could always use gardener globes, but watching the video I don't think you'll need them. He looks completely fine with you touching him, anyway, they usually are more confortable if you approach them by one side (not from above).

I hope it helped!!

Looking forward to know more about your little furry!

[Jennie F]

Your hammy has adorable markings and colourings. As people have already said, he seems to be confident already, so I'd get the taming process going now. I knows its easy to be weary after your hamster has nipped or bitten you. My girl bit me under my thumb nail and drew blood, but then I made the rookie error of not washing my hands after I broke up a treat for her so my fault. Bonding is a process of trust building between both of you, which takes time but its lovely to see how far you have helped them to come out of their shell by the end of it. Just take it easy and at your hamsters pace. Try the bathtub trick or get/make a playpen and sit in there with them. As others have mentionned, hamsters grow ridiculously quickly, so he will probably outgrow that wheel in a matter of weeks. My girl cerrainly did. I have 6 wheels for 1 hamster! And only 1 is big enough, the one in her cage is borderline, which is why she will be getting her third (and bloody final) cage upgrade in the next month for the big wheel to fit into.

As someone else said, have a look through the various threads to pick up loads of tips. You can alway ask for advice, no matter how daft it might seem (they put up with my multiple questions haha) Its always better to ask and everyone is really nice and helpful.Good luck with the taming sessions and let us know how its going. Ps post cute pics, we all love hammy pictures

[Cotton]

Welcome to Hamster Central, Luke. I noticed my current hamster runs for my hand when it moves in front of her or above her head. She also lunged for my thumb a couple times if my thumb moved above her head while she was sitting in my palm. I don't know if being prey animals has anything to do with that or if it's just a quirk of that hamster. As long as I keep my thumb pressed against my forefinger and the hand still, she just sniffs it, sits in the palm or tries to climb my arm.

In this cage, your hand comes from above his head...I wonder if resting your hand flat on the bottom and keeping it still would make a difference.

Although others have commented on the size of the cage, I like it with the hideaway on one end. He may outgrow it quickly, though.