We recently got a dwarf hamster and he seems really scared

[Zuzia]

Hi I have just joined hamster Central because I was googling how to make my hamster less scared. We recently got a Russian dwarf hamster and was told to let.him settle for a couple of days which we did and he started to come out more after a couple of days and going on his wheel but he hasn't really been eating or drinking very much at all. But he was starting to get used to me he was coming out when I put things in his cage and sniffing my hand ect but then he stopped and has become really jumpy first I tried to give him some seeds in. My hand he came up to me and. Was. Okay but I. Moved my finger a tiny bit and he ran off screaming literally lol. Then last night he came up to the plastic and I came close and said quietly hello mister hamster and again he made a scream noise and ran Into his bed bit. Now tonight he runs in every time I walk in the room and I just checked on him a moment. Ago. And he is curled up between. The plastic and his wheel and wont move he has nt eaten much today I only put a little food in his bowl so I could see how much he is eating and looks like he hasn't touched it. I don't want to keep putting my hands in and scaring him more. It. Has only been one week now since we got him is just me and my partner. No kids I just wan t to know how I. Can help him settle in and be happier if anyone can help pleasd

[Petite]

Hi Zuzia, and welcome to Hamster Central. Hope you find us friendly and helpful!

Congratulations on getting your dwarf hamster. Is he your first, and does he have a name yet? Since you've only had him for a week, it's very early days. He probably just needs a bit more time to really get settled; he's getting used to a whole new environment, and the process can't really be rushed.

Give him a bit more time, and just let him get used to hearing your voice. He will hear it even if he runs into his nest. You could try tempting him out with a tiny portion of fresh vegetables or some mealworms. He will gradually get to trust you. Dwarfs only drink around 10 ml of water per day, so it's very likely that he is drinking, but his water level will seem to go down very slowly. He could well be eating too, but a dwarf only needs around a teaspoonful of food each day (this is what I feed my fully-grown dwarf) so if you are filling his food bowl it may look as though he isn't eating.

When I brought my dwarf home, she was quite skittish (and still is!) The only way to get to interact with her was to get up during the night when she was busy hamstering, but as she grew she came out more late evenings. Don't worry if your hamster doesn't want to interact with you during the day. My Freya won't either. They're just being hamsters.

Some other things you could try are washing your hands with unscented soap before you put them in the cage, and try not to approach her from above. A hand coming towards them from above can be seen as prey, and they will either run or freeze.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon with some other helpful tips. Good luck!

[cypher]

Try not to worry too much, it can be a bit of a one step forward one step back process as they settle & get used to you, sometimes I find that their natural inquisitiveness makes them seem quite brave at first then they get a bit nervous again as they begin to feel that the cage is their own territory.
I would just keep talking to him for now even if he seems scared & runs off just spend time gently talking to him for a while.
Try not to put your hands in the cage except for food & water for now, do the minimal amount of spot cleaning if he’s peeing in a regular place but other than that leave things alone for a couple of weeks at least while he settles & gains confidence. Once he gets a bit braver begin to offer some treats again either through the bars or at the door to begin with just keeping your hand still & letting him come to you.
They do only eat a very small amount, is he having the same food he had before you brought him home?
You may not see him drink but it is a tiny amount, probably not more than a teaspoon a day so as long as the water bottle is working ok I wouldn’t worry.

[Zuzia]

Hi.thank you for your advice have been trying to talk to him for a while each night and he does come out sometimes when he hears me talking now but runs away we noticed when he see our shadows moving in. His cage. I have seen people suggest putting tissue up yoursleve then put it in the cage so he gets used to My scent and he did take it into his nest so guessing that's a good sign lol. I was thinking if it would be better if I move him into the bedroom rather than the frontroom but not sure. If to just leave him in one place would be better? Ido apologies for the way I write my screens broken and. Adds stuff as I type lol thanks. For all your advice I really do think it is helping him get used to us I have also started putting different bedding in this really soft one I think he likes it better but again not sure if it is the best for him it is natural fiber and says good for hamsters but the guy at pets at home sold me different stuff but he told me I should completely clean his cage out even his nest and iqve been told by other people this stresses them out so instead I sopt clean a bit and I don't put bedding inside his nedt but just inside the cage so if he wants it he can take it in sorry for so many questions I just want to make sure I am doing it good so he is happier xxx

[Zuzia]

Originally Posted by Petite

Hi Zuzia, and welcome to Hamster Central. Hope you find us friendly and helpful!

Congratulations on getting your dwarf hamster. Is he your first, and does he have a name yet? Since you've only had him for a week, it's very early days. He probably just needs a bit more time to really get settled; he's getting used to a whole new environment, and the process can't really be rushed
Give him a bit more time, and just let him get used to hearing your voice. He will hear it even if he runs into his nest. You could try tempting him out with a tiny portion of fresh vegetables or some mealworms. He will gradually get to trust you. Dwarfs only drink around 10 ml of water per day, so it's very likely that he is drinking, but his water level will seem to go down very slowly. He could well be eating too, but a dwarf only needs around a teaspoonful of food each day (this is what I feed my fully-grown dwarf) so if you are filling his food bowl it may look as though he isn't eating.

When I brought my dwarf home, she was quite skittish (and still is!) The only way to get to interact with her was to get up during the night when she was busy hamstering, but as she grew she came out more late evenings. Don't worry if your hamster doesn't want to interact with you during the day. My Freya won't either. They're just being hamsters.

Some other things you could try are washing your hands with unscented soap before you put them in the cage, and try not to approach her from above. A hand coming towards them from above can be seen as prey, and they will either run or freeze.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon with some other helpful tips. Good luck!

Originally Posted by cypher

Try not to worry too much, it can be a bit of a one step forward one step back process as they settle & get used to you, sometimes I find that their natural inquisitiveness makes them seem quite brave at first then they get a bit nervous again as they begin to feel that the cage is their own territory.
I would just keep talking to him for now even if he seems scared & runs off just spend time gently talking to him for a while.
Try not to put your hands in the cage except for food & water for now, do the minimal amount of spot cleaning if he’s peeing in a regular place but other than that leave things alone for a couple of weeks at least while he settles & gains confidence. Once he gets a bit braver begin to offer some treats again either through the bars or at the door to begin with just keeping your hand still & letting him come to you.
They do only eat a very small amount, is he having the same food he had before you brought him home?
You may not see him drink but it is a tiny amount, probably not more than a teaspoon a day so as long as the water bottle is working ok I wouldn’t worry.

Hi am not sure if it is the same food that he was eating before the guy in the store just said it was the best food for him but don't really like what he has to say qnqowq qqlol because a lot of what he said I've been informed was rubbish lol so any advice is great as I am Tring to make him more comfortable and happy I did write a post below but I don't know if anyone will see it as you don't reply to people and I don't get notifications when people waqnswer me but I don't know how this site works properly yet x

[cypher]

I wouldn’t move his cage, just give him time to get used to things where he is, he should settle there with more time.
Pet shops do often give bad advice unfortunately so you’re certainly not alone being mislead with bad advice.
What country are you in? Id you can let us know then we can suggest the best types of food, substrate etc.
When you say soft natural fibre for bedding I’m wondering if it’s cotton which isn’t safe.
The only thing you need for extra bedding in the nest is torn up toilet tissue, perfectly safe & cheap!

If you want notifications when someone replies to a post go to user cp at the top left of the front page, there you will see a menu on the left, select edit options & you’ll see default thread subscription mode, just check that is on & you should get notificiations.

[Zuzia]

Originally Posted by cypher

I wouldn’t move his cage, just give him time to get used to things where he is, he should settle there with more time.
Pet shops do often give bad advice unfortunately so you’re certainly not alone being mislead with bad advice.
What country are you in? Id you can let us know then we can suggest the best types of food, substrate etc.
When you say soft natural fibre for bedding I’m wondering if it’s cotton which isn’t safe.
The only thing you need for extra bedding in the nest is torn up toilet tissue, perfectly safe & cheap!

If you want notifications when someone replies to a post go to user cp at the top left of the front page, there you will see a menu on the left, select edit options & you’ll see default thread subscription mode, just check that is on & you should get notificiations.

Hi am not sure if it is cotton it just says natural fibers not exactly whet it is but it's really soft and says is good for hamsters and he does like it but will try and find out what it is I am I the uk hun and the guy gave me some musli type stuff but at the min he only eats the seeds and one other piece of it and extras bit I got for him he doesn't eat the apple or carrot I give him either mainly likes sun flower seeds when I put them in he takes them all and hides them or eats them straight away so very much likes the seeds I am trying not to give them to him as much but I only put I tiny bit of food in his bowl like maybe 10 bits to see if he is eating them and currently is only eating seeds or his treat of a apple banana and carrot block is half gone in just over a week so am a little worried he isn't eating much else than the sun flower seeds I am thinking of buying him a new cage as he is in a plastic one with only metal wire at the top to open it at the moment is that okay because he has no place to climb but again the guy in the shop told me it was okay so that's what I bought I don't mind spending extra money if it makes him happier thank. You for your help I am a little lost because it's been a long time since I had a hamster and then I was a child lol I just q ant him to be happy and comfortable even if he isn't sure of me it has been just over a week but I love him to bits he deserves to be a happy mister hamster xx

[AmityvilleHams]

Natural fibers and claims of being safe or good for hamsters really aren't a guarantee of safety unfortunately. Things like cotton and kapok fiber are labelled like this all the time, both of which being equally dangerous for the exact same reasons to hamsters.

[cypher]

It does sound like the bedding is probably cotton so not worth the risk really, he should be fine with shredded toilet tissue, they usually love it.
The food doesn’t sound suitable, there aren’t any dwarf specific mixes available in the uk unfortunately & most of the mixes sold in pet shops aren’t good.
You can get good food from Rodipet, delivery costs aren’t too high & you can always get a few bags at a time & store it in the freezer to cut down on costs.
https://www.rodipet.co.uk/pet-foods/...nior-500g.html
Try to give him more green veg rather than the sweeter veg or fruit as they’re prone to diabetes it is best to avoid sweeter foods.
Most love broccoli, cucumber, green beans, lettuce, things like that.

Edit, I forgot about the cage!
Most cages sold in pet shops are usually too small & not suitable for hamsters.
A good cage for a dwarf is the hamster heaven although it’s best used without the tubes & penthouse that come with it (blockers are provided for the holes) it’s a good size, the base is deep enough for a good amount of substate & it’s high enough to fit an 8 or 9” wheel without being too high & posing a fall risk.
They don’t climb well so floor space is the most important thing for them with a good size house & smaller hides, coconuts are good & cork tubes or tunnels are great as both hides & something to climb over & explore.
You can get the hamster heaven cage from Zooplus
https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...YaAk5CEALw_wcB
or amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Savic-Hamst.../dp/B003QRPAR2

Have a look through this thread for ideas on cages & set ups.
Let's see your cages - New thread - July 2017

[Zuzia]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Natural fibers and claims of being safe or good for hamsters really aren't a guarantee of safety unfortunately. Things like cotton and kapok fiber are labelled like this all the time, both of which being equally dangerous for the exact same reasons to hamsters.

OMG I seriously didnt know this I bought it from my local pet shop and was told it was great for dwarf hamsters but I have now looked it up after reading this and I am really worried I have now removed the kapok fiver from his bedding completely cleaned out his cage as I don’t want any of the stuff left in his cage I was putting small bits in at a time for him to make his best if he wanted to but now I’ve removed everything his bed his food his meat the wood shavings cleaned the lot while he was in his ball and put tissue for bedding and just wood shavings everywhere else why would a pet shop sell me the stuff as safe if it is that dangerous?? Should I take him to get checked by a vet or something as it says it can block their throats so they can’t get food or water if the eat it or it can block them up the other end as it can’t be digested plus no water could get through it if he swallowed any so no chance of moving it he does seem perfectly fine and has been using this bedding since I got him but I want to know is that even if he looks and seems fine he is eating and drinking he is running on his wheel for hours at night and his toilet seems okay I don’t know so much his wee but he is deffo pooping fine as he poops loads when I put him in his ball on the floor