What would you do? (Christmas hamster)

[Dandelion07]

Originally Posted by racinghamster

You will have to let us know when you pick up your new hamster! Syrians are lovely. My lad is well over two now and has only just started to allow me to gently scoop him up for health checks and kisses because he was always a jumpy lad so I worked with and around him, which he preferred. But I can see how frail he is now and it`s sad to think he may not be with me too much longer. Hopefully he will be for a while at least.

Racing hamster - it will be Friday. I'm sorry your boy is getting a bit frail nowadays. It sounds like you are the perfect parent though by being so patient - lucky boy

[racinghamster]

Is she a syrian breeder or did her hamster have an unexpected litter? I`ll bet the babies are gorgeous though! Syrians need that week or two for settling in. Even after that as it can be a few months before they have a proper daily routine.

[Dandelion07]

Racing hamster - the babies ARE gorgeous. I totally see why people don't stop at one.

The lady has bred the hamsters for a petshop (she had two litters, ie two different ages of babies).

She told me on Saturday that the pet shop they are destined for is struggling to sell them so she is also selling them privately. On the plus side, it was a family home and the hamsters are being handled everyday. I specifically didn't want to get a 'mass produced' baby from a big pet shop. It doesn't sit well with me if I am honest, but once I had met the hamsters, there was no way I could not get one. I felt loyal to them straight away.

[linford27]

Originally Posted by Dandelion07

Racing hamster - the babies ARE gorgeous. I totally see why people don't stop at one.

The lady has bred the hamsters for a petshop (she had two litters, ie two different ages of babies).

She told me on Saturday that the pet shop they are destined for is struggling to sell them so she is also selling them privately. On the plus side, it was a family home and the hamsters are being handled everyday. I specifically didn't want to get a 'mass produced' baby from a big pet shop. It doesn't sit well with me if I am honest, but once I had met the hamsters, there was no way I could not get one. I felt loyal to them straight away.

So what did you decide to do about christmas?

[Dandelion07]

Hi linford,
I am collecting him on Friday. Initially I was going to ask her to keep him until Christmas Eve, but now I really think he'll be better home with us, nice and quiet. I think the sooner the better really, but he isn't old enough until Friday.

Thank you everyone for your advice

[alisont]

Hope you get on ok with your new hammy.
The neighbours told me they were getting a hammy for their 7 year old daughters Christmas present. I found them a rescue one and he has been at my house for a week - and will move next door tomorrow night, this has worked so well as hammy has been able to settle in here where its quiet and its given the neighbours time to buy a big cage (well 3 level glass tank) and a bigger silent wheel.ive been handling him loads and he's not nibbled once.
Neighbours had hammys when younger and it means a little rescue hammy has got a great new home where he will get spoilt.
This is exactly what he needs as he is so quiet and tired and I reckon to is because he's been kept for his first 6 months in a mini Duma with a wheel that's too small for him to use so he seems depressed. He's so beautiful - and has a great forever home to go to.

[Dandelion07]

Hi all, we'll, we succeeded in keeping hamster in a quiet room for a few days without my daughter realising. It was good because he settled into his own space. I've been playing with him each night and he is so gentle and tame.

We moved him into the lounge for Christmas Day. In the morning, we came down to open the presents and my daughter didn't see the cage at first. Our hamster was still up, and came to the front of the cage to see us - v cute. Eventually she noticed and was so happy. She went over to look at him and talk to him and he stayed for a minute or two but ran ff and burrowed himself away (for the rest of the day, to her disappointment). As he burrows down, it would be a major disturbance to him to wake him, so he got to sleep all day.

He woke up very late and I had a play with him. He walked into my hand from his shelf, after he had had a big drink and food. I gave him a brush - so fluffy!

In the morning, my daughter came down with me just after 7 and he wasn't around. We called him and he came out of hiding. He went for a drink and food (I see a pattern here!) and walked onto my hand. I took him out and gave him to my daughter. She LOVES him. They played for ages. He nipped her hand (new smell I think) but she didn't jump or freak out and carried on playing. He seemed to me to be sniffing and then took a quick nip!

He was out for about 10 mins and we put him back. He went on his wheel and then came to his bars again. I got him out again for another play! We brushed him again. He went to bed shortly after that and we've only seen him once nice then.

I think playtime will be mornings...

He has the obligatory Christmas Pringes tube as his new toy, and we've swapped his sand bath for an even bigger one as he loves it and is using it as a toilet.

We love him. My daughter named him: Fluff Puff. He really suits it and he is a bundle of fluff!

Thank you for all your tips. I don't think he would have settled so quickly had it not been for you

[HorseyMandz]

Make sure your daughter cleans her hands before handling the hamster because the nip might have been a result of her hands smelling like food. Most likely it was just a 'ooh, what's this? This is small and smells different to the other mummy thing!' nip though

[souffle]

Your Christmas sounds magical thanks to the little Fluffpuff man He will soon get used to his young mistress and I'm sure her scent. It sounds like you have got him trained to come out when you call which is fab Looking forward to hearing all about him and his new family life

[Dandelion07]

We do love him so much!

When we got him, your advice about giving him some quiet days to get used to his cage was the best thing we could have done, so thank you.

My daughter named him Fluff Puff (he is very fluffy lol). We've been getting up early to come down and cuddle/brush him. She understands about always being gentle and us not getting him out of his den. We also made a rule that Fluff ONLY comes out if I am there. It sounds a bit controlling but I think for the best as he is a fast little thing!

This morning I made the big box the cage came in into a kind of child + hamster playpen (or rather, a contained area) and they had an extra long play together with some of his toys, wheel and sand bath while I tidied up his cage. He had a little bit of egg white too.

We also went to the pet shop today to get a second water bottle. We saw lots of lovely accessories we wanted but resisted because we think we can make some of his future toys ourselves (plus he has loads already).