i think my hamster is scared of me

[lilly_the_hamster]

hello guys im new here to this forum and i joined this because i read a lot about this forum yesterday
so here is the problem i am having
4 days ago i bought lily(my hamster) from a local pet store and she was 3 weeks old
i bought all the setup for her and the cage was very small at first and i bought a bigger bin and made a new house.which has around 360 square inches of floor space.she has her food bowl water bottle and her spinning wheel and her hideout.(plz tell me what do i need to add more to the cage)
when she was in the small cage she didnt have any hideout she used to hide under the bedding and sleep.for 2 days she was in the small cage and from that day she is now using the large bin.
she was quiet active when she was in the small cage yet i think that was cuz it was too small and she wanted to escape. LOL !
but now when i made the bin cage i bought an small house for her and she always sleep inside it?
almost 18 hours she lives inside her house and barely comes out for eating,drinking and running on the wheel.
she is very cautious when she is out and she always hears my voice and voices around the house.
i knw its been only 4 days but im really freaking out here because i get the feeling that lilly isnt gonna like me ever again.
is it okay for a hamster to stay inside the house almost 18 hours a day.
plz guys help me out here im really worried.
btw sorry for my english as im not a native speaker.
id be really glad if you could help me and give some advices.
i have added some pictures of her and the cage down below.
Thank you!!!!

[Presley524]

Lily is adorable! As for the sleeping in the house, that's completely normal. They like dark places to nest. Sleeping 18 hours a day is also normal. They are nocturnal so most likely, you're sleeping when she comes out and is active. Don't worry about her being scared of you. Four days is still very early on and her being timid even in her cage is fine too. She's just trying to settle in. For the next few days, I would just talk to her through the cage when she's awake to get her used to your voice. Then once she seems more confident you can start offering treats from your hand. One thing I do when taming a hamster, is take a bit of toilet paper and carry it around in your pocket for the day then put it in her cage. More than likely, she'll bring it to her nest and become used to your smell.

Congrats on the new hamster and good luck on the taming! Some take longer than others, but you'll get there.

[TinyBubbles]

Welcome to the group!

I would spend some time in the housing section as it gives great ideas of things to add that you may already have around the house but also helps you think ideas through to make sure they are safe.

I'm no expert but I would recommend some things she could be in/under as she may make more appearances if she feels she is protected from potential threats. Something as simple as a mug or a folded piece of cardboard (like a tent) would work.

[lilly_the_hamster]

Originally Posted by Presley524

Lily is adorable! As for the sleeping in the house, that's completely normal. They like dark places to nest. Sleeping 18 hours a day is also normal. They are nocturnal so most likely, you're sleeping when she comes out and is active. Don't worry about her being scared of you. Four days is still very early on and her being timid even in her cage is fine too. She's just trying to settle in. For the next few days, I would just talk to her through the cage when she's awake to get her used to your voice. Then once she seems more confident you can start offering treats from your hand. One thing I do when taming a hamster, is take a bit of toilet paper and carry it around in your pocket for the day then put it in her cage. More than likely, she'll bring it to her nest and become used to your smell.

Congrats on the new hamster and good luck on the taming! Some take longer than others, but you'll get there.

thanks for your reply
i highly appreciate it.
now its been around 1 week she wakes up early and stays throughout the night like 10 hours outside of her hideout.
i added some raspberry twigs and some toilet paper roll tunnels to her cage and shes usig them now and even hides inside them and grooms herself.LOOL!!!
i added more bedding for her and now she borrows and sleeps under there.
i gave her some cheese fixed to a little twig and she ate it.i think shes getting familiar to me now and im really happy about it.
thank you again!!!!!

[lilly_the_hamster]

Originally Posted by TinyBubbles

Welcome to the group!

I would spend some time in the housing section as it gives great ideas of things to add that you may already have around the house but also helps you think ideas through to make sure they are safe.

I'm no expert but I would recommend some things she could be in/under as she may make more appearances if she feels she is protected from potential threats. Something as simple as a mug or a folded piece of cardboard (like a tent) would work.

hey thank you very much for the tip.<3<3<3
i am thinking of getting a bigger cage or maybe attaching another same sized bin cage for this one and add a bigger wheel and some more stuff for her to play.

Thanks Again !!!