Hiding in tubes, problem?

[Shannonmcn]

Cc doesn't like the sound of my stupid squeaky door opening, a lot of the time I come into my room and I find her in her one tube. She also does it sometimes if I am getting changed or otherwise making unusual noise when she's asleep. She's always still half asleep, her eyes are still closed and she's yawning half the time so it's an automatic reflex thing I think. Like this but in reverse, she's usually going down.
http://i.imgur.com/ISL8sX3l.jpg

I usually sit for a second and chat to her so she knows it was just me moving around and she usually just goes back to bed or comes downstairs to say hello and beg for treats so I know she's not actually scared but I don't know if it's bad for her nerves to be automatically darting into her tube at the slightest noise?

I don't like her doing it, it makes me feel really bad to see her hiding but I don't know if I'd be being selfish taking the tubes away just so I don't have to see it? She'd be having the same reaction if she was in her downstairs bed but it would just be invisible to me, right? I try and be as quiet as possible during the day but I can't eliminate all noises and it's been two months with my everyday noises, it's not like she's new.

Anyway, does anyone else think this is even an issue to be concerned about? She's tame enough, not cuddly but I can lift her when I need to and she's all over my hands for treats and she was very nice to my mum over Christmas so it's not like she's afraid of people or hands.

[DrKMcK]

I wouldn't change a thing Shannonmcn. It's all instinctive for Cc. She's a prey animal and her reaction is perfectly normal. It would save her life in the wild. You're seeing this as a reaction to you personally, when it's just reflex for her. The fact that, once she realizes that it's you, she'll come back out and interact with you or just go on as usual just shows she's feels comfortable and safe in her own home. That tube is her bolthole and she knows nothing can get her there. Nothing to worry about. :-D As for stressing her, all small rodents's lives are somewhat stressful. There really is no way to completely remove it for them. What you describe shouldn't really be harmful to Cc. She forgets it all fairly quickly. :-D

[Shannonmcn]

Thanks DrK! I'm glad it's me being mental and not her :) I hate hearing that scrabbling noise, I know exactly what she's doing and it's so depressing but yeah I know it's just instinct in the end. I guess I was thinking more along the lines that if she isn't in the habit of having somewhere to bolt then the habit of wanting to bolt would be lessened and she might feel less agitated by my moving about? Maybe that's too deep for ham psychology :)

[DrKMcK]

Taking away her bolthole would just leave her with no where to go when her instincts tell her "run!". I'd imagine that would be even more stressful. :-D

To get a clear idea of the hammy pychology behind it all, you'll have to ask Skeever. He's the hammy psychologist around here. :-D LOLOLOLOL

[Shannonmcn]

You're probably right and she does love having her two story house so I would hate taking it away.

Skeever is the Freud of the hamster psychology world, his ideas are very intruigung but not necessarily 100% relevant outside psychosexual behaviours ;)

[DrKMcK]

Lololololol. :-D

[Thin Lizzy]

I'd only worry if she started making a nest in her tube. This is her safe place as it's the perfect fit to squeeze into and she knows nothing can get by her and also she can look through the tube to see what's happening.
Maybe get the door fixed so it doesn't startle her?
As for her doing it when you're getting changed, maybe she wants to give you some privacy lol!

[Shannonmcn]

I've tried unsqueaking the door and its v determined to squeak! I'm going to try keeping it open for a bit even though my room currently looks like a clothes bomb went off! She adapted quite well to mums house over christmas where doors are never closed so this might help.

She's a wee perv tho TH. She always comes to have a peek when I'm getting dressed at normal times in the morning ;) Christmas holidays ruined her timing!

[Thin Lizzy]

Just think Shannon, I bet she'll be glad to get back into her routine now Xmas & New Year are over lol!

[gifinim]

My Syrian Perry does the exactly the same thing - if there is a noise or she's startled by sudden movement in the room she'll leg it into one of the corner angled tubes and then see what's going on. It does make sense, as DrKMcK said, for a prey animal to bolt for cover, and the clear tubes must feel enclosed and safe yet at the same time offer good ventilation for smells and good visibility.

Try saying her name as you open the door, it might lessen the "what's that???" feeling for her if she can associate the squeaky door noise with you rather than just as an odd noise.