How do I interact with my hamster?

[bluetrooth]

Heya

I've had a Syrian hamster for two weeks now, he's no longer a baby and was already bigger than the others in the store when I got him (not full grown yet, don't know his exact age) and seems to be adapting well.

He runs in his wheel, eats fine, no longer hisses at us and even washes himself on my lap sometimes even though he's usually fidgety but I suppose that's normal.

The problem however is that he sleeps all day and only wakes up really late, and we barely get to see him, so my first question is: is there a responsible way to change that? Can I wake him later in the day?

Secondly, and more importantly, is it okay for me to reach into his nest (tissue pile) where he hides/sleeps, when he's awake?

The only way for me to pick him up is to take the top off my cage, but he often hides in his pile. He never bites or hisses, seems quite friendly, just shy, but I was wondering if it was okay for me to move the tissues and scoop him out, or if that's a traumatic experience for them and I really need to be patient? I've tried treats, but he just takes them and drags them back to his nest.

Once I have him in my hands, he's usually fine to handle though. It's getting there that's hard.
So should I just be more straight forward about it and scoop him out of his nest when he's up, or is that a big nono?


Thanks!

[Demecat]

While many frown on waking a hamster up at all, we all know the inportance of allowing our hamster out of it's cage, so waking it up for that purpose is fine. Try to do it as close to his normal wake up time as possible though.

His nest is his sanctuary... even while he's awake, he may be tempted to bite you for invading it. I've often lured a reluctant hamster from it's nest with a treat (if you have chocolate drops/yoghurt drops, try rattling the container before feeding the hamster one... they learn to associate the rattling with something good and come out in anticipation!).

It will take time, but soon, he'll come out and accept beng picked up!

[bluetrooth]

So under no circumstance mess with the nest? No moving it or reaching in it?

Also would it be wise perhaps to put a blanket over his cage or move it into a darker area during the day so that he doesn't tune his sleeping cycle into our day/night cycle (based on the light)? Or is that just disorienting for them?

[Demecat]

I'd only disturb it when neccesary (cleaning, checking on a possibly ill hamster etc).

To be honest, I don't really think the light makes much difference. Some people assume they are purely nocturnal and will not come out at all during the day/when the light is on. This isn't true. They will often appear to use the toilet, drink and eat.

If you get into the habit of feeding him a set time, every day, he'll learn the rutine and will most likely to be awake when you come to feed him.

[bluetrooth]

Alright, thanks!

What I'm doing right now is during the day (when he mostly sleeps) when I'm home I take the top off his cage, leaving only the plastic bottom with his nest in it, and I put the bottom next to me on the sofa.

I just go about my daily routines, keeping a close eye on it, and I sit next to it and talk to him whenever he's out of his nest, sniffing around, and I try to offer him treats.

This way he just spends a lot of time close to me, within hand reach, without the clumsy bar construction in the way. I can also scoop him up like this when he comes out, and for the night I just put the top back on and leave him to play around.

[Demecat]

Aww that's great. He'll get used to your voice too!

TBH unless you get a hamster from a private breeder, there's no guarantee that it'll be tame. I've often heard horror stories about hamsters being virtually wild when they arrive at their new home and once they pass a certain age, it is harder to tame them!

Even though it's a slow process, the rewards often make up for it!