Refriending a neglected hamster.. :/

[Nacho77]

Hello guys, I have hamster named nacho, he is a Syrian hamster. I've had him since November. My husband got it for me while I was pregnant. I love nacho and I always had fun with him. I used to clean his cage often, give him treats and play with him. He was a very happy hamster. BUT ever since I had my baby I have been neglecting him and I feel very bad about it. I sometimes forget to feed him and I dont clean his cage often. Please dont call me a hamster abuser! obviously I am seeking for help. Taking care of a new born baby is very time consuming and I cant seem to fund the right time to attend Nacho while I feed the baby cook and do other chores. My baby is now 4 and 1/2 months old so hes settling well now. Nacho has been very weird lately. He wasnts to always escape his cage and he doesnt seem friendly anymore and I feel horrible! I also dont like his cage and I want to get him a new one that would be easier to clean and fun for him. I have a two floor metal cage or aluminum idk what material it is but Im sure you guys know what Im talking about. I want to spend more time and start to gain his trust again. Can someone recommend any good cheap hamster home thats not caged. How should I gain his trust again? any help will be appreciated!

[Redame]

Congratz on the new born!
You could start by buying Nacho a single level cage which is easy to clean. A syrian should have a minimum of a 70 cm by 50 cm cage. If you cannot find a cage, you could buy a large bin at large chain stores to make your own hamster cage, see topics on that on other area's of the forum.
To gain the hamsters trust again you could try the bath method: dry the bath, put a towel in it and sit in it together with your hamster. That way he can scurry around you, getting to know you again and get used to your smell. This has worked wonders for my Choco.
I hope you do find the time to share the bond again, be sure to check his cage every time to make sure he's got enough food and clean water.

[Fidgetthefirst]

"Can someone recommend any good cheap hamster home thats not caged."

Do you mean a wire cage? Well im not sure, but i definetley reccomend these for time of cleaning out! You just clip the top wire off, put hammy under the wire so he' secure and then tip the bedding into a bin, spray clean it, dry it, put everything back in, sorted! It takes me about 20 minutes

You could do spot cleaning, so instead of a big clean out every week, you could do it every other week, and just spot clean the wee corner. Saves time and bedding!

You need to find a time that you can feed him, change water and spend time with him. My sister had her baby in september last year, (shes currently living with us!) and only a few months ago he finally got into a routine, so now she has time for other things, have you got a routine with your baby yet? Congratulations btw! And i know how tiring it can be, so play time with your hamster would seem hard i guess- but you could just chill on the sofa with him while he runs over you - watching my sister do everything while her boyfriend is at work, is hard work for her and she was always shattered!
Good luck! Sorry if i rambled on, i think i did

[mangoandmimi]

some nice cages are
criceti 15 - barred
savic ruffy / ferplast mary - barred
zoozone 2 (lid needs meshing) - plastic
not sure what you mean by *not caged* :P
but yeah the bath/playpen method , lots of treats and cuddles really help and also be really patient and dont be put off by them chewing your finger x