Hugo's Thread!

[hrl20100]

So a few of you may know, that I now have another hamster... It wasn't planned!
(Sorry, its long!)

On the 2nd of February me and my friend went into a petshop to get some hamster food. Of course, I couldn't resist going to look at all the animals (they had loads!) and thats when I saw him...
He was in a very cramped, tiny tank (smaller than in petsathome!) with no food, no water (just two empty bowls) and one very boring wooden chew block thing. He was kept with another Syrian hamster who had a very matted bottom end (was long haired, but looked as if it was dirty as well...) and little Hugo was just looking so so sad. I'd never seen a hamster this way...
Normally when you see petshop hamsters, they are either sleeping, eating, or trying to escape the tank in anyway possible, whether it be scratching furiously at the bottom of the tank, or trying to chew their way out. Not Hugo, he was sat against the glass door of the tank, just looking out... He looked as if he had given up. He looked healthy enough, just so so bored and so so sad. Like he had no more fight in him.

I felt so sorry for him and knew I couldn't leave him there! So of course, I had to get him. I knew I had an old guineapig cage outside (way too small for guineapigs of course! So I used it previously as a temporary rat home) that had been meshed, all it needed was a good clean and it was ready to house an animal again. I went and told one of the members of staff that I was interested in him and she seemed nice and friendly! I was wrong.

She slid open the tank door (wasn't even locked!) so I could get a better look at him and his cagemate. Then she also opened the tank next to it, explaining to me that there was another hamster in this one. It was sleeping... and she just ripped the bedding off of it, scaring it half to death! He stood up on his hind legs and started screeching in fear! And the stupid woman just laughed at him, said 'oh what a silly boy you are' and closed the tank door again! Made me so angry! I do wish he bit her, really hard! She would have deserved it and all! I wish I could have taken him too!

I did complain about this to her, along with the ill looking guineapigs who clearly all had a respiratory illness. She just said 'we'll sort it out later' just brushing it off!

She scooped up Hugo and put him in the transport box, which I grabbed off one of the shelves. No way was I having a hamster running round the car on the way home! Especially one that probably has never been handled before!

So far he has been very shy. I have had him a good few days now and he has only taken treats off of me twice. That being said, I don't know how food orientated he is. I scatter feed and most of the food is just being left around the cage. I haven't seen a food store yet (unless its in his bed which I haven't touched) but he does eat so i'm not too worried. Just think he's scared, the poor thing

Name: Hugo
Age: Around 8-10 weeks
Species: Syrian hamster
Colour: Golden
Sex: Male

Anyway!
Photos!

[cypher]

Poor little guy, I'm so glad you found him, he may take a little longer to settle than some do but I'm sure he'll get there now he has a lovely home & lots of tlc.

[Pebbles82]

Oh he's lovely! I'm so glad you got him - I recognise that cautious edging pose out of the tube. I'm sure he'll soon gain some confidence. Just keep talking to him! If he's not used to foraging it's probably because he's not used to 'space' - he's probably been huddled in a corner avoiding the other Syrian. Maybe keep an eye on him for a couple of weeks, health wise Meanwhile maybe tempt him with the odd nice treat - a little bit of cheese or banana maybe. But I'm sure you know all that! I used these Rosewood little hearts biscuits for taming with Charlie (he loved them for ages but has gone off them now 'because I don't need taming now thank you and I'm sick of those'). Got ours from Amazon and I think viovet sell them too

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pe...mal-treat-100g

[hrl20100]

Originally Posted by cypher

Poor little guy, I'm so glad you found him, he may take a little longer to settle than some do but I'm sure he'll get there now he has a lovely home & lots of tlc.

So far he seems totally different to Flump when I first got her. Its so strange! I'm used to a hamster that will come up to me whenever I approach the cage (when she's awake) and he's just so much different! Going to take things nice and slow with him

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Oh he's lovely! I'm so glad you got him - I recognise that cautious edging pose out of the tube. I'm sure he'll soon gain some confidence. Just keep talking to him! If he's not used to foraging it's probably because he's not used to 'space' - he's probably been huddled in a corner avoiding the other Syrian. Maybe keep an eye on him for a couple of weeks, health wise Meanwhile maybe tempt him with the odd nice treat - a little bit of cheese or banana maybe. But I'm sure you know all that! I used these Rosewood little hearts biscuits for taming with Charlie (he loved them for ages but has gone off them now 'because I don't need taming now thank you and I'm sick of those'). Got ours from Amazon and I think viovet sell them too

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pe...mal-treat-100g

Yeah I think maybe the new space he has has overwhelmed him slightly. He moves very cautiously around the cage. He is doing better now than when I bought him home though. Moves a bit faster now, but not by much. For taming I have breakfast muesli (with oats and dried fruit in it) but he's not interested really. I also have fruit flavoured treats from petsathome. They look like yogurt drops but arn't. Again, not much interest!

[cypher]

Awww bless him, they're all very different even without coming from a sad start so just try to let him guide you, I have found that very nervous hams are just too scared to show interest in treats but if you go to the cage, talk to them, leave a little treat then go away again they gradually make the connection that the sound of your voice & your scent mean something nice rather than something threatening!

[Coco61]

What a lovely looking boy. It will take time but I am sure he will settle in a loving home.

[hrl20100]

We have made taming progress! Quite a bit of it!
I know I said literally in my previous post that I wasn't going to rush things with him, I might have done a tad... But he didn't act stressed out in anyway!

He was sitting in his purple house and I picked it up and put it in a cardboard box with him in it. After a while he ventured out into the cardboard box and was running around exploring. I used a cardboard box to contain him while I tried stroking him. He was very good and didn't run away like he had been doing previously. I tried offering him treats but he wasn't interested.

After a while of stroking him I tried picking him up. I just scooped him up and put him back down again. No signs of him being stressed out or frightened at all. He was really good! Oh and he's so soft! <3

We worked on him being picked up and put back down for a little while, then I put him in the play area so he could have a good run around with a few of his toys from his cage that he could hide in if he got stressed out because of the large, new open space.

He loved it! Seemed very happy exploring! He let me pick him up a few more times too and came over to me while I was sat with him :') Very happy about his progress so far. That will be it for today, taming wise, but we shall do some more tomorrow.

Photos!

[Coco61]

Oooo not just lovely, he is really beautiful! Excellent news on the taming progress. Sounds as though you picked a winner there!

[hrl20100]

Originally Posted by Coco61

Oooo not just lovely, he is really beautiful! Excellent news on the taming progress. Sounds as though you picked a winner there!

We're just going to spend 5-15 minutes each evening in the playpen depending on how well its going. If he seems fine, then it will extend to a longer time period, maybe 10 minutes, but if he is looking stressed or anything then he will go back in his cage. I don't want to frighten him.

But touch wood, that went really well!

[flowerfairy]

Wow that is wonderful progress. He is a real beauty too.

Gopal will let me stroke him but will not go anywhere near a cup or tube to be transported in and he has been with me for well over a month now! He isnt over interested in food either which doesnt help.