Skittish hamster help!

Peach679 · 01-17-2021, 05:52 PM

Hi everyone!

I need some help with my hamster, Gizmo. He’s a male Syrian that I got in December 18th 2020 and I’m struggling reading his behaviour and taming him. Apologies in advance this may be a lengthy post but I just want to make sure I say everything that needs saying!

A bit of background: I’ve owned multiple Russian dwarf & Syrian hamsters before both male and female and they’ve all been pretty docile and enjoyed being handled, none of them were ever skittish, jumpy or afraid of me in any way and all of them were bought from pet shops (I didn’t really know about hamster breeders back then).

Fast forward to 2020 and I’m keen to get another after having such lovely experiences with previous hamsters. Also, I’d been struggling with my mental health during lockdown and animals always make everything infinitely better for me and being a student I knew I’d have plenty of time over the next few years to put into being a good hamster mum. So I did months of research and initially decide I want a hamster from a breeder but with lockdown/covid restrictions and there being no hamster breeders within 150 miles of me it’s just not a feasible option so I decide that I’ll get one from a pet shop instead because I’ve had lots of hamsters from pet shops before and they were all fine and lived long happy lives.

So I buy Gizmo and I make sure he’s got a big cage with plenty of room for burrowing and plenty to keep him entertained. As soon as I put him into the cage he was very nervous and scurried about very fast. I couldn’t go near the cage without him running and hiding in a tube and although I’d never had this with any of my previous hamsters I know that it’s normal so I knew to leave him alone for a bit.

Day 2 he escaped from his cage and I was so worried but I know hamsters are master escape artists so I’m not blaming myself for this (the cage has since been revamped and it’s now completely secure). When I managed to get him back in he was understandably shaken up and squeaked/squealed at me so I left him alone for about 5 days after this.

After 5 days he starts being okay with me being in the room talking to him and giving him treats through the barred sections of his cage so I do this for about 5-7 days and he’s doing well so I decide to get him out to run around in a supervised playpen. I get him out carefully not using my hands but letting him crawl into a ball then gently setting him down into the pen that has plenty for him to explore and hide in. He seems to like the pen and lets me feed him from my hand and when he’s eating he was even letting me stroke him so after about 7 days I try gently scoop him into my hands keeping them low to the floor and he got onto my hand, was fine for about 10 seconds then he freaked out and jumped and ran away - he cooled down almost immediately so I put him back in his cage. For the next few nights he lets me stroke him and scoop him into my hands when he’s nibbling on something but yesterday I tried to scoop him up a few times and he wasn’t letting me so I instead just let him run about but out of nowhere he freaked out and ran full tilt to try and hide. I got him back into his cage and he was still jumpy and ran to his tunnel and then to his burrow so let him cool off for a few nights whilst still feeding him through the bars because he was happy to do that.

But tonight I got him back into the pen and he was fine at first - climbing on the tunnel, looking for the food I hid and letting me feed him by hand. I wasn’t trying to stroke him or pick him up at all I was just sat next to the pen watching him and softly talking to him and after about 5 minutes he freaked out again out of nowhere. He ran and hid in the tube so I waited a bit then tried to coax him out with treats but he was too scared to leave the tube so I carefully carried the tube to the cage, put treats in the cage and waited until he felt comfortable enough to get back in the cage. After about a minute he goes back into the cage and when I close the door he’s fine and doesn’t panic and lets me feed him through the bars.

I don’t understand why his behaviour is so sporadic and changes so much? I really want to be able to hold him and have him feel safe and comfortable. It’s upsetting that as soon as he starts to get better and braver he just regresses

. I’m trying so hard to be patient but every other hamster I had was tame and happy to be held within a week and Gizmo has better living conditions (because I’m more educated now) and I’ve been putting a lot more time in with him.

I feel awful because I’m really attached to him, I love hamsters, but I really wanted and needed a relaxed hamster that was happy to be held because it would help my mental health interacting with a pet and having him to put my time into. I can’t give him up because I’m attached to him plus I’d feel like a terrible pet owner just giving him up but I’m worried that if he never makes progress then owning him is just going to stress me out because I can see it’s stressing him out.

So I need help. What do you think is spooking him? At what point will I know if he’s never going to respond well to taming? Am I doing something wrong? Why is he so jumpy? Any advice is welcome!

If you got this far reading my post then I really appreciate that and would love to have your input and opinions!

Thanks

xxxx

LunaTheHamster1 · 01-18-2021, 04:35 AM

Hi and welcome. Love the name.
It sounds like you are just going a little bit too fast for him, each hamster is different and just because all your others were tame within a week, it doesn't mean Gizmo will be.

I would just slow down with him a bit. Give him his space and time to get to know you and the sounds and smells around him.

To help ease your mind a bit, my syrian boy Twinkle took about 6 weeks before he stopped running into his house when I was way across the room and not near him. He is so tame now.

Petite · 01-18-2021, 04:57 AM

I'm really sorry if this is disappointing, but I've had my Russian dwarf for almost a year now and I still can't pick her up. She darts out of my hands, lightning fast, and often doesn't even respond when I call her name.
I know nothing about Syrians - except that I think they are generally a bit easier to handle. All the things you have been trying sound good, and it sounds as though he is making progress, but it's really important to go at his speed, not yours. As much as you want him to friends, he hasn't quite got to the point of trusting you completely yet.
I don't know if this is a possibility for you, but could you run to the cost of a second hamster who might be more docile and helpful for your mental health? That way you don't have to give him up, but could still have one that you could hold, stroke and play with.
Good luck with Gizmo - like Luna, I think it is a super name.

Ria P · 01-18-2021, 03:20 PM

This may sound a bit harsh and too direct but i think that you have to try and consider your hamster's feelings as well as your own because it is not all about you.
I do appreciate that your mental health may not be as strong as you would like it to be and the covid situation and lockdowns are difficult to cope with for everybody but a living being like a hamster may not be the best way to help you cope unless you are willing to become more patient and understanding to your hamster's needs.
You can't compare Gizmo to your previous hamsters because he is who he is and some hamsters take a lot longer than others to become confident and tame.
I would give him a rest and try to interact with him maybe every alternate day so he doesn't feel under pressure and stressed so easily. You could also get an aquarium as a second pet and watch fish which has a very relaxing effect.