Hi everyone! Just joined and have an urgent new question if anyone can help

Kylarachael · 08-18-2019, 06:39 PM

Hi guys I just bought a hamster 3 days ago and unfortunately haven't seen her drink from her bottle at all yet. I was woken up one night by her chewing on the side of the metal piece but it still didnt look like she was drinking. I did a little surfing the web and found out peanut butter on the nozzle could work. I tried it and nothing... shes still not drinking and I dont want to freak her out by trying the little pinch test or whatever it's called to see if shes dehydrated. What else can I do?? If anyone knows anything please help. Shes so sweet and I feel terrible not knowing these things.

Ria P · 08-19-2019, 12:57 PM

Hello and welcome!

Please check the bottle and make sure that it is working alright.
You can also put a small bowl of water in your hamster's cage. My hamsters have both, a bottle and a bowl.

Could be that she's drinking when you are asleep.
What kind of hamster is she?

Don't feel bad about not knowing everything, nobody does. You've done the right thing by joining this very helpful forum.

Kylarachael · 08-19-2019, 01:12 PM

Thankyou! and she is a short haired syrian

I checked the bottle and it's working fine. Hopefully she is just drinking while I'm asleep

Wisper · 08-19-2019, 03:29 PM

You could provide some small amounts of veggies just to make sure your hamster is getting some water while they figure the bottle out. Cucumber, broccoli and grapes are good options.

Kylarachael · 08-19-2019, 03:54 PM

Should I just give her one grape a day with the seeds out?

Kylarachael · 08-19-2019, 03:57 PM

And if i give her a part of an apple can i give her green apple and how much? I'm sorry i know i have a lot of questions lol

emma_teddy · 08-19-2019, 06:46 PM

hi there! when i first got my hamster i didn't think he was drinking at all. i took a sharpie and marked a line where the water was on the bottle and waited to see if i saw the level going down (it did!). this was all within the first few days of having him. hamsters drink very little water anyway, so it can be hard to notice if there is water gone or not.

as other users have recommended above, giving her some cucumber is helpful if you're worried about her getting dehydrated.

as for the apple, i don't think it matters what kind. i've given mine gala and also pink lady because those are what we buy. i give him 1-2 small, dime-nickel -sized chunks. they are sugary so you shouldn't give her too much.

and don't apologize for asking questions because it means you care! lots of hamster owners just go by what the pet store tells them and oftentimes that's not the correct information. you're doing a great job!

Kylarachael · 08-19-2019, 06:54 PM

Thankyou all so much I fed her a tiny piece of apple earlier and she ate it just fine gobbled it down in fact lol it was adorable shes now running on her wheel though so I'm guessing shes happy!

emma_teddy · 08-19-2019, 06:57 PM

that's great to hear! you could also try a water dish as well, see if see likes that better! but i'm sure she's just drinking when you're asleep. soon, if she is, you'll be able to see the water level going down in her bottle! you've only had her a few days and it does take them some time to settle in!