New hamster

[Pwhiskers]

Hello,

I recently got a new hamster 3 days ago, she is still very nervous (I'm assuming this is normal) and any time she sees me or hears movement she goes and hides in her nest.

Yesterday morning I had to adjust her water bottle because she was having trouble drinking from it (it is a ferplast one and I have heard a lot of hammys having trouble with them!), and unfortunately it made quite a lot of noise and the poor thing got very distressed and started squeaking, so I left her alone.

I haven't opened the cage since for fear of upsetting her. I have been sitting by her cage while she is awake (but hidden in her nest when she sees me) and cooing and talking softly at her, trying to offer her treats through the bars but she doesn't come out.

Any advice on how to proceed? :(

[iwasbornwright]

Hello Pwhiskers! Welcome to HC :)

You're doing everything right so far. What hamster have you got?

Patience is the key when taming hamsters. Try to let her settle before you make any major movement. Talk to her and then start introducing your hand into her cage. Let her get to know your scent. Don't be afraid of her either :)

Becky x

[Pwhiskers]

Hello Pwhiskers! Welcome to HC :)

You're doing everything right so far. What hamster have you got?

Patience is the key when taming hamsters. Try to let her settle before you make any major movement. Talk to her and then start introducing your hand into her cage. Let her get to know your scent. Don't be afraid of her either :)

Becky x

Hello Becky, thanks for your advice, it is reassuring to know that everything's normal!

She is a grey coloured syrian, last time I had hamsters was quite a few years ago when I was younger and they were dwarfs.

I might try introduce my hand to the cage this evening then when she is awake then! :)

Courtney x

[iwasbornwright]

No problem :)

It's always best to go by the hamster's terms and let her guide you on how she wants to be tamed!

I had Wolverine tamed within 3 weeks. And to be quite honest he didn't have a choice lol!

Good luck and let me know how you get on :)
x

[Pwhiskers]

An update...

So my hammy is still extremely nervous and jumpy, but has been exploring her cage a little bit more (sniffing, nibbling, digging etc) when she thinks I'm not around. I keep talking to her when shes out but that seems to just scare her... she finishes what she's doing and then dashes for safety.

Putting my hand in the cage is practically a no go, as soon as I open up she is back in her bed, I've left my hand sitting there for 15 mins and she just doesn't come out. She's taken food from me when I've stuck it through the bars only a couple of times, usually she hides if she sees/hears me at all.

So I have been leaving her alone and then just now she started making these scratchy/grinding noises from inside her bed, I'm a bit worried that she's grinding her teeth but then I would have no idea what caused it because there is no noise and her cage hasn't been disturbed? I'm hoping she was just eating something crunchy but it was awfully loud!

I know it hasn't been long but it is disheartening when she doesn't seem to have warmed up at all!

[Cupcake]

Try removing her from the cage with a cup or a mug :)
Put a mug in the cage and curiosity will get the best of her and she will get in, and you can make that a habit. At first my syrian hated to be picked up from the cage so I only took her out like that, but now she just climbs up on my hand when she wants out.
Baby-steps and patience really =, she won't be tame within a fortnight. it takes some time but you need to start handling her :)
Also the grinding noise might be her chewing on something? food or toys :lol: my hammy loves to drag toys in her nest and chew on them when bored :)

[Amethyst_ice]

Hello and welcome to HC,

What bed have you given her?

I she has too many hidey places in here cage she will be running to them. Also you are still in your first week so please dont worry.

Pop her in a quiet room and just go in of an evening, maybe read a book by her cage and occassionally talk. leave off the handling atm, if she comes to the bars just hold your finger near so she can have a sniff.

Don't get disheartened, it is VERY early days :) xxx

[Pwhiskers]

Hello,

Thanks for the advice! She currently resides under her wooden bridge which she has stuffed with bedding to make nice and cosey!

I read to her last night for a little while and slowly she came out and started doing her thing while I was reading which must be a good thing! She has certainly been a little more friendly today and is getting more curious by the day!

I will have to get her out the cage by the weekend as I will need to clean it, so this weekend I will introduce the cup!

Thanks everyone for your help :D xxx

[DrKMcK]

Hello Pwhiskers. The slow, quiet, step by step approach is the best way to go. It can take from a few weeks to a few months for a hammy to really be tame. She needs to feel safe and secure before she allows you to handle her. Young hammies will squeak and scream if they are afraid. What I would do since she's starting to come out when you quietly read is to continue that for another week. Then I would do the tub taming. Put either a jar or a runabout ball in the cage and wait until she goes in it. It's safer to transport her to the tub in a container so she doesn't jump out of your hands onto the floor. A cup or ball is better for her because she isn't being restrained which hammies don't like. Once you've completely blocked the drain in the tub put some toys in there and bring a few tasty treats with you,(a bit of green pepper, or carrot or escarole) and you get in the tub, release her, and let her run around the tub and on you without trying to touch her yet. Do this a few times and she's going to start running to the cage door asking to come out when she hears you. I always use the runabout ball and after a 15 minute session in the tub. I let the hammy run around in the ball for another 10 minutes before I put hammy back in her home. By the way, be sure to tuck your pants into your socks before you get in the tub. It can be very startling to have a hammy run up the legs of your pants :-)

[Pwhiskers]

Great news, it was cleaning day today so had to get her out her cage somehow...

So I took the lid off, put her exercise ball in with a treat inside and then sat and waited while reading to her...
I wasn't even at the end of the first page when her little face comes peeking out to have a look! So she crawled into the ball and I took her to the tub and we had 10 mins bath time while she was crawling all over and sniffing, she even came up to my hand to sniff and had a little nibble (not biting, didn't hurt and no blood).
Then I let her run around in her ball for 20 mins while I cleaned her cage and now she is back in it happily exploring with me sat here!

Thank you everyone so much for your help!

[PatricksMum]

I've had a good day with regards to taming aswell, its such a relief isn't it! well done, its taken us four weeks but I think we may have cracked it. He doesn't seem to fear us at all now.

[Buttons]

I've had a pretty good day with taming too! Was able to stroke Buttons for ages, for the first time! Congrats to you as well. Now we just have to keep it up :D

[Pwhiskers]

Well done everyone :D Good days all round!

[PatricksMum]

Great stuff Buttons, good day for you too then!

[Pwhiskers]

My little cupcake came out in her exercise ball today and was having a grand old time... and then I realised she managed to get her ball apart and escaped! 30 mins later of trying to coax her out from under the sofa and she is safe and sound back in her cage... Needless to say her exercise ball is getting some improvements with sellotape!

Here is a cheeky little snap I got of her yesterday with her pouches full of food:

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b606/Pwhiskers/IMG_20130311_105940_zpsaab489b3.jpg

Say hello to Shakira! :)

[samzyzg]

Ahh they do find the best ways to get out of exercise balls. When I got my first hamster since I was a child I actually sat and watched how he done it one day. They are very clever when they want to be :3
Glad she's starting to settle in well :)

[ercvt]

The tub idea is great! We too just got a hamster and he is a little nervous as well. We have been able to get him out, by him crawling in his ball. However my daughter is a little nervous holding him - he is really fast. I think we will try the tub idea tomorrow!

[DrKMcK]

The tub method has always been my favorite. It brings hammy away from his/her territory and is escape proof too. Hammy can't run away and hide, which makes it really hard to interact with him/her. It's another place to use as a playpen when cage cleaning too! The very best thing is that it speeds up the taming process because hammy LIKES the time out and the time running around in the ball. So everyone is happy :-D

[Pwhiskers]

You say it is escape proof but my hammy has worked out that if I am sat in the tub with her she can climb up my jumper and get to the top of the tub that way :lol: Always having to keep an eye on her!