Hello!

[Olivia Catte]

Hey guys! Thanks a lot for the help.
Sherlock’s been acting a little weird lately… It’s been more than a month since we brought him home and he’d cozied up to me just great, very comfortable with me holding him and feeding, but suddenly since yesterday he’s been running from my hands if I try to pick him up, doesn’t take treats from my palm, and even if i do manage to lift him up gently he’ll sit still for a while, convince me he’s normal and then spring out of my hands, launch strait out of there and run. I only hold him a few inches above his bedding (if I ever lift him) so he doesn’t hurt himself if he falls, but this has happened every single time. He seems scared of venturing far from his wheel and doesn’t do anything but run on it, doesn’t move around the cage, play with his toys or anything (which is abnormal behaviour than what he’d do until now).
The only thing I can recall that has changed is the layout of his cage, which I’ve only changed twice since we got him, and he’s still got the same toys, bedding and food that he had before. All I did was change the location of his wheel and sand bath, and clean his droppings. I haven’t been able to give him his playtime because I can’t lift him out of the cage, and he doesn’t seem to want outside time anyway, which is something he’d beg for during the hours he was awake.
Today evening, I lifted him up in my palms gently while he was still half awake, and he didn’t mind because he fell asleep on my palm for about half an hour (that’s the most adorable thing ever), so I thought maybe yesterday he was a bit moody and today he’ll be fine, but he’s doing the same again now, just running and running on his wheel. I’m scared that he’s being stressed out somehow and I’m not sure what to do.
Also, I noticed the bin we had for him was too small for the high energy guy so we bought him another box of the same size and connected it with a tube, two weeks ago, and he was happy about that. I hate the thought of him being stressed so I hope someone can help me out here.

[Drago]

He may still be uncomfortable with being handled and that's why he's jumping. I've noticed many of my hamsters (when still being tamed) would tolerate a few moments of handling before nipping or leaping. I'd just hold him for as long as he'll allow you, and then reward him before he jumps. Slowly increase the amount of time you hold him for before rewarding him and he should be just fine. As for him not wandering far from his wheel, does he have sufficient cover? If the cage has sparsely placed items, that may be part of why he's not comfortable leaving. Hamsters who lack in confidence often do best in very packed setups filled with a good amount of bedding. I'd also not recommend doing any further changes (even though they're minimal) due to how he's reacted to the current ones. It's not unusual for a hamster (especially a young one) to run incessantly on their wheels. It's not usually a sign of stress in all honesty, it's actually quite healthy to do that.

Regarding your bin, what kind is it? Do you know how large it is? Connecting bins via a tube really doesn't add floorspace as floorspace is defined by the amount of uninterrupted area your hamster can run in. Luckily, you could always cut out the two end panels of the bins and connect them with zip ties. Maybe adding pics of your cage/setup could help us suggest more things

[dreamtree1234]

Olivia Catte, hi and welcome to HC! Congrats on giving Sherlock his loving, forever home with you. I love the name btw! Everyone has given you plenty of wonderful suggestions so I will not reiterate them. As far as the cage size and setup go, I would definitely suggest posting a picture of Sherlock's current home and layout so we can see what, if any, changes need to be made for him to gain extra confidence. How is his taming process going currently? Has he still been leaping from your hand when he is picked up? I look forward to any updates you may wish to share with us. Also, please post pics of your beloved Sherlock as well so we can all put an adorable face to that wonderful name. BTW, Eros says HI and hopes that Sherlock is having a lovely time with his Mum!

[CMB]

You could use a cup, box or something to get him out for play time. Let him get in on his own then slowly lift it up.

Try to use something tall enough that he can't get out.

[Olivia Catte]

Thanks everyone! Fortunately Sherlock’s acting normal and hyper and crazy again! Update is: I put things in his cage back to the way they were before and he seemed to like it much better. He seems healthy and happy, and very friendly now. I love him to pieces.
So I’ll add pictures of his cage in this post (although a week ago I had done the same and the post disappeared after a few days). Just want to thank you all for the support and advice you’ve given, and I hope I’ll be able to get some advice on his cage as well.

[dreamtree1234]

Hi, Olivia! I am so pleased that Sherlock is back to his normal self again. That is truly wonderful news. I know that must be a relief for you.

Sherlock's home looks lovely. However, I would suggest gluing additional popsicle sticks on his ladder and rainbow-beaded bendy bridge (if possible). As it is, they could potentially increase his risk of falling causing possible injury to your sweetie. Also, he may truly enjoy extra substrate if it isn't too difficult to get some since they love to burrow and hoard their extra stash of food in their nest. You may want to include a few extra toilet roll tubes or even cardboard boxes in there for him to play with and feel sheltered by. These often give them an extra sense of confidence and lets him have additional stimulation. BTW, how large are each of his cages individually that are connected by the tube tunnel? Although he has two cages connected by the tunnel, the minimum standard cage is the total area of uninterrupted running space in a single cage. The additional cage connected by the tube is just a bonus, but unfortunately can't be used in the calculation since he will have to slow down in order to get into that one. You may have the right size, but I can't tell what the dimensions are by the pictures.

I do love the setup of his cages though. I am so happy that he is much happier and friendlier now. You are doing a wonderful job making his home so lovely, and I am so happy for the two of you.

Great pics, and I love Sherlock. He is so cute and charming in his picture. What an absolutely adorable face and lovely coloring as well. Awe, how cute!!!! Give him a cuddles from me, and Eros says, HELLO. . . from halfway around the world! Have fun with him, and good luck with the taming process.

[CMB]

It's good to hear Sherlock is back to normal. His cage looks good. The ladder gaps are best avoided/blocked in case he gets stuck trying to go through them.

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww Sherlock's so cute and fluffy.
Glad to hear he's back to normal now his cage has been put back to the way it was. Some hams can be a bit ocd when it comes to their things being moved.

[Olivia Catte]

Hey everyone! Sherlock says thanks for all the compliments (he uses his cuteness to his advantage)
As for his cage dimensions.... I know it's a little less but it's the most I can do for him- 22*15 each, which is 330 sq. inches. My parents won't let me cut out sides from each of them to make one big box, though that would be awesome.
I do already have plenty of cardboard boxes and tubes though, since I have very few store-bought toys. I try to compensate for his lack of space with plenty of playtime but he seems to always want to come out especially when I'm around. I hope I can get a few ideas for boredom breakers for the guy. Although I have to say he seems like the kinda guy who needs a houseful of space and wouldn't be happy with a cage, no matter what size, so I give him lots and lots of playtime outside in a ham-proof room.
Thanks again for the great advice!