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Pebbles82 · 11-19-2021, 12:54 AM

They need to be left alone for the first 2 or 3 days. To adjust to the surroundings and new cage. Maybe wait for 2 or 3 days before chatting to him through the bars. It will also take a good 10 days to 2 weeks for him to fully settle, so during that time, don't clean anything or adjust the cage or change anything in it or it'll freak him out and set things back. But after the first 2 or 3 days you could talk to him gently through the bars occasionally, so he starts to get familiar with the sound of your voice and your scent.

So maybe keep a distance from the cage for a couple of days.

If he's 3 months old he'll have had a couple of changes already so maybe more scared and nervous than, say, a baby hamster who is just going to his new home for the first time. Although Syrians can be very nervous and skitty at first.

After 10 days or so he'll be confident in his cage and in a routine and his behaviour will change. He still won't be tame and may still "ping" (when they wriggle free and leap 2 feet in the air!) so if you get him out for some taming at that point it would be better to get him out in a tube.

Put a bit of smelly food at the far end of the tube and put the tube in the cage near his house - with the end with the food furthest away from the house. He should walk into the tube, then you can pick it up (with your hands over both ends) and lift him out in it. But you'll need something next to the cage to put the tube down in. Eg a box with sides high enough he can't jump out. So he can walk out of the tube. You can then carry the box to where you want to let him out to do some taming (eg the dry bathtub with the plug in and a couple of toys/tunnel etc).

I found the easiest thing was to use a hamster ball. Ie have the hamster ball next to the cage and put one end of the tube into the ball, keeping my hand over the other end. They walk into the ball from the tube. Pop the lid on straight away. Then carry the ball (carefully!) to the bathtub, set it down and take the top off so he can climb out. That way you don't have to lift him out of the box.

You might want to wear gloves at first, lifting him out in the tube, in case he pushes at your hand if it makes you jump - so you don't drop it.

I used to find when they've had enough of being in the bathtub they would get back into the ball as if to say "take me home now".

But take it steady with taming - maybe every 2 or 3 days so he still has chance to do his own thing in between.

Meanwhile you could do the tissue trick. Put a few sheets of plain white toilet paper up your sleeve or down your bra for a couple of hours. Then tear them into strips and add them to the cage (nesting material to forage for). He'll take some for his nest and get used to your scent.

11-19-2021, 12:54 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: New Hamster Extremely Anxious They need to be left alone for the first 2 or 3 days. To adjust to the surroundings and new cage. Maybe wait for 2 or 3 days before chatting to him through the bars. It will also take a good 10 days to 2 weeks for him to fully settle, so during that time, don't clean anything or adjust the cage or change anything in it or it'll freak him out and set things back. But after the first 2 or 3 days you could talk to him gently through the bars occasionally, so he starts to get familiar with the sound of your voice and your scent. So maybe keep a distance from the cage for a couple of days. If he's 3 months old he'll have had a couple of changes already so maybe more scared and nervous than, say, a baby hamster who is just going to his new home for the first time. Although Syrians can be very nervous and skitty at first. After 10 days or so he'll be confident in his cage and in a routine and his behaviour will change. He still won't be tame and may still "ping" (when they wriggle free and leap 2 feet in the air!) so if you get him out for some taming at that point it would be better to get him out in a tube. Put a bit of smelly food at the far end of the tube and put the tube in the cage near his house - with the end with the food furthest away from the house. He should walk into the tube, then you can pick it up (with your hands over both ends) and lift him out in it. But you'll need something next to the cage to put the tube down in. Eg a box with sides high enough he can't jump out. So he can walk out of the tube. You can then carry the box to where you want to let him out to do some taming (eg the dry bathtub with the plug in and a couple of toys/tunnel etc). I found the easiest thing was to use a hamster ball. Ie have the hamster ball next to the cage and put one end of the tube into the ball, keeping my hand over the other end. They walk into the ball from the tube. Pop the lid on straight away. Then carry the ball (carefully!) to the bathtub, set it down and take the top off so he can climb out. That way you don't have to lift him out of the box. You might want to wear gloves at first, lifting him out in the tube, in case he pushes at your hand if it makes you jump - so you don't drop it. I used to find when they've had enough of being in the bathtub they would get back into the ball as if to say "take me home now". But take it steady with taming - maybe every 2 or 3 days so he still has chance to do his own thing in between. Meanwhile you could do the tissue trick. Put a few sheets of plain white toilet paper up your sleeve or down your bra for a couple of hours. Then tear them into strips and add them to the cage (nesting material to forage for). He'll take some for his nest and get used to your scent.