New hamster - hiding a lot

vikingvampireparrot · 03-16-2008, 06:56 AM

Hi - I am new on here, we have just got a new hamster after not having any for years. I'm not sure if we have forgotten what they are like or he is behaving a little oddly!!

We got our new Syrian hamster Earl on Tuesday and intended to leave him be for a few days to let him settle in. We saw him Tuesday night and Wednesday night very briefly - quick scout around the cage then back to bed. But since them we haven't seen him at all (we know he's ok cos the food goes down each night!). I panicked on Thursday night when he didn't come out and lifted up his igloo to check but have left him since.

The thing is, it's a bit hard to tame a hamster when he won't even come out!! We have been in the living room till at least 11 every night and are usually back down by 7am so he must only be coming out between these times - is this normal? What can we do to try to encourage him to come out earlier?

It's been a long time since I've had a pet that needs proper taming and he seems determined not to make it easy!!

suga · 03-16-2008, 07:03 AM

Welcome to the forum - looking forward to hearing and seeing a flick of the new addition soon, well I guess when you can tempt him out eh?

The good thing is the food is going down, so he's obviously coming out at some point. Do you give food every day? If so you could try doing it at a specific time so that he gets use to it and hopefully it will encourage him to come out more. I think when your in the living room, you should have a chat with him, get him use to your voices and his name and encourage him to come out to see what's going on.

I think they are naturally curious and certainly in my experience very nosey so maybe see how that goes. I know lots of people wake their hamsters up and maybe if you start doing that at a set time, he'll adjust soon to the routine and want to be awake so he can interact with you.

Basia · 03-16-2008, 07:22 AM

I've got a new one the sleeps all the time too. I wake him up to handle him every day and feed him a treat afterwards as a reward. I was actually very worried about the time he spends sleeping and took him to the vet who gave him a completely clean bill of health and says he is just a lazy hamster.

He is the only one I have who sleeps quite as much as that, which is why I was worried. Perhaps you've got a similar one. I would wake him up and start taming him.
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new hammie

vikingvampireparrot · 03-16-2008, 08:42 AM

Thanks - it's good to know he's not completely abnormal!!

I will try waking him up and see how it goes - and hopefully get some pics then!!

Only problem is my OH is completely paranoid about him escaping etc and will be panicking constantly lol!

**Spuds Mum** · 03-16-2008, 09:26 AM

Hi and welcome. Your newbie is probably just settling in and gentling talking and tapping on the cage to wake him at a certain time will help to establish a waking routine that suits you more.

Having said that these lovely creatures do tend to have their own ideas about when to get up, so just keep up the encouragement, and with the taming and treats when he does come out I am sure you will crack it soon!

souffle · 03-16-2008, 12:56 PM

Welcome to you and Earl. He is still very new and will be a bit scared still of all the strange noises in the house. He will settle and I am sure tame well soon.
Here is a link to some taming tips
http://www.hamstercentral.com/user.php? ... ticle&a=44
I too would wake him up as you do need to keep an eye on his health and start the taming. Good luck and you could always join the Taming diary and let us know how it all goes

Catja · 03-17-2008, 12:27 PM

I've had a couple of hamsters like this, they will be fine once they are tamed. My suggestion is you get a large box/playpen and take the house out and put it in the box, the hamster will usually emerge but can'tescape then you can start to handle him a bit.

vikingvampireparrot · 03-25-2008, 04:58 AM

Well we are getting somewhere! I managed to hold him and give him a bit of a stroke the other day and then again last night - took him out of the cage in his house and put him on the sofa.

The rat run should be completed in a couple of days and then he can come out in that for taming! (not with the rats obviously

).

I will get round to some photos soon - it's all a bit hectic at the moment!

Yaffle · 03-25-2008, 06:29 AM

Hi welcome to the forum!
Just from personal experience I tend not to give new hamsters nest boxes such as igloos at first as I found that they tend to use the box as their whole cage and therefore don't leave it! I've even had cases of them doing all their 'business' in the nest box too which became very smelly very quickly

Given plenty of nesting material a hamster will make a suitably comfy and private nest not to need an additional nest box. Might be worth a try!

Smokey the hamster · 04-11-2024, 07:35 AM

My Russian Dwarf Hamster does the exact same thing but seems to sleep all the time and get in the early hours of the morning.
I know this because I stayed up to one in the morning and he still didn't come out but when I woke up a biscuit had moved that I put into his cage so he must of gotten up quite early then gone to sleep quite early aswell.