Twirl Digging

[Jodzie04]

So for anyone who doesn't know I will fill the background info in on Twirl.
I adopted her from pets at home. She is 5 months old so has been there for around 4 months. She didn't have a wheel. Only a bridge and tunnel.

Since I got her back I have noticed that she doesn't use her wheel, or so I am aware and I put some food on it so it would make noise if she went round and it didn't.

Also when she is fright she starts digging frantically, so much I think she is going to hurt herself and she has left marks on the bottom of her plastic cage!!
At the moment I am just talking to her and putting my hand in with my food but when she gets scared I just go back to talking.
I am guessing there isn't much I can do? I am guessing her digging is trying to find a way to get away. I just feel so bad for it. Is it a learn't behaviour from having nothing to do plus being so scared?
I feel terrible for her =(

[shiny]

What sort of hamster is Twirl again? I seem to remember she is a Robo. I don''t know anything about Robos but I know our Chinese Monty loves to dig & to be underground in a nest if at all possible so maybe the digging is a normal behaviour for a fear reaction. Do you have deep substrate so she can really dig in if she feels like it? Might just help her to feel secure & save the bottom of your cage! I expect the more she settles in & feels comfortable with her new environment, the less fear reactions she will have & the digging should be more for fun rather than quite so frantic to get away.

We got a flying saucer for Monty, he came from P@H 5 months old too & nobody wanted to buy him :( It was lucky for us anyway, he is such a lovely chap & I'm so glad we got him. We thought he wasn't using the flying saucer until we were up really late the other night & he was running on it so fast his legs were just a blur! Maybe Twirl will get a bit braver & try her wheel soon.

Best of luck, I'm such you will get there with her sooner or later :)

[kyrilliondaemon]

Digging might be that she enjoys it. Muffin is a robo and spends more time digging than in his wheel as far as I can tell lol
He has an entire network of burrows in his substrate so I'd give deep substrate and be glad she has a hobby :)

As far as taming goes, just keep your hand there and still for a while. After as long as you can tolerate put the treat down and take your hand out. Eventually curiosity combined with the treat and you reliably staying still (and moving slowly when putting the treat down and moving your hand in/out of the cage) will get her to edge a bit closer. Sooner or later she'll be taking the treats without a problem :)

[Lynternette]

As I always say. Its patience and more patience. You're a great mum so its just a matter of time. xxx

[indianna]

I got Cagney & Lacey (Chinese Dwarfs) from pet at home 4 months ago when they were just about 8 weeks old...
Im still attemptig to tame them. Cagney likes me to put my hand in and takes treats off me and loves to run around and get in my way as i clean out bits of her home. And she has 2 wheels but doesnt dig much..
Lacey is so different. She likes to dig and up until last week when i gave her a silent spinner, didnt go in her wheel a lot. She is very timid. She loves me talking to her and lets me put my hand in and stroke her a little, but wont come on my hand yet.
So, yes patience is good advice...

[Jodzie04]

She definitely loves digging and I made it much deeper for her. It's just how she digs in her strawberry and she has moved all the floor bedding out of there and she randomly digs against the plastic when I talk to her. She is slowly getting nosier and starts to come out if I talk but I always think it must hurt to dig against the plastic like she does =(

As I always say. Its patience and more patience. You're a great mum so its just a matter of time. xxx

Thank you =)

[jesselle]

aw twirl :) kiwi has been doing the same lately - running into his house or coconut and digging as if to get away.

he hasn't taken anything from me yet... i think lynternette is right. we need incredible patience with these little ones, with their nature combined with the conditions they've been in, it's going to be a lengthy process. i think they're totally worth it though!! ;)

[Jodzie04]

They will definitely be worth it! =)
She hasn't taken anything from me yet but she runs near my hand when it isn't necessary to go and hide. She also hides under her wheel so she can see what's going on and have a nose! =)