Hamster Central - View Single Post - First-time Hamster Challenges

lovehamsters01 · 01-21-2024, 12:37 AM

ok so first of all, welcome to the world of hamster owning! a few points:
saucers are okay but ONLY in addition to an upright wheel. for a Campbells, I believe the minimum height requirement is 9in but the bigger the better.
if you are US based, I highly recommend a niteangel wheel, I've tried many and in my opinion, niteangel is the best!
I have a Campbells named Dusty, and while he is super friendly (I got him that way from a breeder) he is my most inactive hamster and I can go weeks without seeing him. He does wake up during the day more than my other hamsters, usually to get some food and water and take a quick lap around the cage but he wakes up super late for the night and goes back to sleep very early. so I think Campbells in general are a less active breed.
as for taming, there are many methods, although I don't know them so well because I buy my hamsters very tame. You can search around on the forum but a very popular one I've seen people discuss is the bathtub method, where you let your hamster run around in a tub and try to get him used to you. You can also try putting in a tissue with your scent on it (put it in your sleeve for a little while first), talking to your hamster, and trying to get him to eat from your hand. after your hamster feels comfortable taking food for you, you can work on touching/holding him.
If your taming sessions are stressing him out, take a break and try again when he seems calmer, maybe a few days later. A lot of taming is just a waiting game, and letting your hamster see he is safe. But again, this is really just stuff I've seen on this forum and I'm definitely not a taming expert.
good luck!

01-21-2024, 12:37 AM
lovehamsters01 Hamster Pup Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 119	Re: First-time Hamster Challenges ok so first of all, welcome to the world of hamster owning! a few points: saucers are okay but ONLY in addition to an upright wheel. for a Campbells, I believe the minimum height requirement is 9in but the bigger the better. if you are US based, I highly recommend a niteangel wheel, I've tried many and in my opinion, niteangel is the best! I have a Campbells named Dusty, and while he is super friendly (I got him that way from a breeder) he is my most inactive hamster and I can go weeks without seeing him. He does wake up during the day more than my other hamsters, usually to get some food and water and take a quick lap around the cage but he wakes up super late for the night and goes back to sleep very early. so I think Campbells in general are a less active breed. as for taming, there are many methods, although I don't know them so well because I buy my hamsters very tame. You can search around on the forum but a very popular one I've seen people discuss is the bathtub method, where you let your hamster run around in a tub and try to get him used to you. You can also try putting in a tissue with your scent on it (put it in your sleeve for a little while first), talking to your hamster, and trying to get him to eat from your hand. after your hamster feels comfortable taking food for you, you can work on touching/holding him. If your taming sessions are stressing him out, take a break and try again when he seems calmer, maybe a few days later. A lot of taming is just a waiting game, and letting your hamster see he is safe. But again, this is really just stuff I've seen on this forum and I'm definitely not a taming expert. good luck!