scared, and not sleeping or drinking

[Frusham]

I`m new to this site, so hello.
I was very lucky to have got a lovely little hamster for christmas, my partner got the cage and took me to choose the little chap on the 27th. Initially he seemed ok, encamping himself in his play tube attached to his cage with all food and bedding. but yesterday his mood changed dramatically, I got him some toys and treats for when he woke up, around 4pm when i introduced them to his cage, initially he liked them, but the about an hour later he seemed to be scared, running into his tube and not coming out. he moved all his bedding out, and i dully replaced it with clean stuff so he could nest again as i have done before. but he hasn`t touched it since, and he hasn`t been to sleep yet, he has been up for a whole day and night now. Yesterday later in the evening he became even more seemingly scared and jumping all around his cage, climbing the walls, quickly and erratically biting the bards and trying to push his face through them very hard, it must have hurt him to do so. he then ran in his wheel all night and i found him doing so this morning, the wheel had urine in but he was still running. He is now back in his tube, but still hasn`t made a new nest or gone to sleep. I`m worried he may have had a reaction to the milk drop i gave him as a treat.... or is this normal behavior for a new hamster - im really worried and scared for the little chap.
If anyone can reassure me or give me some advice i would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[fadedpages]

For starters, don't replace his bedding for a week or two unless you absolutely have to. It will smell of him, and having familiar smells will help to calm him down. Sleeping in the tubes isn't ideal but I'd probably be more concerned about him settling first, and then see about getting him to nest in a better place.

You say he freaked out when you added some new toys - have you tried taking them out again and maybe introducing new things to him one at a time? If he's very young, too much change at once might just freak him out a bit. Also, if the room he's in is noisy, you could try moving him to a quieter room for a few days to help him settle.

Also, what kind of cage do you have? You mentioned tubes - is it a modular cage? Hamsters generally prefer a more open cage with more space to run around, if this is at all an option for you.

It might just be that something has spooked him, and he'll settle down again with a bit of peace and some love. You obviously care about him to have come on here to ask questions - good luck!

[GhostsInSnow]

What kind of hamster is it that you have? I know it's not entirely related but the mention of treats and the shop suggesting sugar rush got me thinking. Some dwarf hams types are prone to diabetes. It might not have caused him to be like this but it's worth noting that if you have a dwarf that could be prone to diabetes then you should avoid sugary treats and fruit
Faded Pages has given some good advice though. He needs time to settle and get used to all the new smells and sounds

[Frusham]

Thank you for all your advice.
He isn`t a dwarf, but i will keep an eye out for sugary treats anyway.
his cage is metal with a plastic base. Its two levels, the upper being a mezzanine floor. the tube runs from the bottom, up, along the outside of the cage and back in at the top.

I didn`t know about leaving the bedding in, i just took it as a subtle hint to remove it as he pushed it out of the tube, he still hasn't got any of the new bedding made into a nest. I shall leave it in future incase he wanted to move it somewhere else.

I removed all the new things this morning, apart from a hamster sleeping bag looking thing.... just in case he gets cold i wanted him to have that a retreat to go to.

I have to admit I have moved his things around a fair bit, i though thats what i was supposed to do so he had an adventure each night finding them all again, he started to use the plastic house bottom as a toilet, but since i moved it he has been urinating in the tube, which is dripping though. should i clean this? I have done previously but maybe i shouldnt.

I have given him some space today, shutting him in the dining room to settle, I have been in another room, my partner and i are out this evening so when we get back im hoping he will have calmed.
It was suggested to put the open cage in the bath for a run around.... is this a good idea? i don`t mind staying up with him until he is tired, and should i get in the bath with him- it might defeat the whole "space to run about" objective though!!

[Nush]

It sounds like he's marking that's why he's urinating on everything. Don't clean anything with water or soap. If his things get too yukky, then try to absorb the fluid with some tissues.

Leave things as they are in his cage for a bit and see how he does. Also scatter his food around the cage so that it feels more natural to him to forage. It takes a bit of time for them to settle. And I didn't realise this when I first got my hamster but if things are moved in their cage they think a predator came in an did it when they weren't looking. Lol.

The bath tub idea is a good one. I suppose if you can fit his cage in the bath tub you could try that. I normally pick up the hamster or get them in their ball and carry them to the bath tub. You shouldn't let your hamster out for too long without access to food and water. Normally the guideline is 30 mins but depending on how your hamster reacts outside the cage you might want to have shorter sessions first and see.

But you can leave him to settle for one night before you set the bath up. Also I tend to introduce new toys outside the cage (in the bath tub or playpen). Then when I know the hammy has his scent on the toys, I introduce them to his cage. But one at a time and take it gradually.

[fadedpages]

His cage sounds okay for now, just be aware that as he grows he may need a bigger one.

Once he's settled, moving his things around regularly is a good idea, but maybe leave them alone for a few weeks until he's really calmed down after his upheaval.

If the tube is dripping, I reckon cleaning it is fine.

You could either put the open cage into the bath for him to run, or you could transport him to the bath by letting him climb into a tub or exercise ball, then get into the bath yourself and let him climb over you and get more used to your smell and voice. Make sure to talk to him in a quiet, gentle tone of voice if he's a little skittish.

Hopefully some alone time will do him good, and you can have some nice calm bath play time with him when you get home.

[Dandelion07]

It is really good that you've given him some space and left him alone. From what I've read (and in my limited experience) that is the best thing you can give a new hamster.

At the moment he is learning where he is safe (I think he thinks the only place is his tube at the moment). I've read and also seen You Tube videos on hamster care, and they say to move stuff about to create an interesting and novel environment for your hamster, so i totally get why you moved stuff (i did it too and my hamster didn't like it). What they don't say is that is only relevant for a happy, calm, secure hamster (and I think even then, moving their food stores and bed is still stressful).

The only familiar thing a new hamster has is his own scent. I would resist getting him out, resist cleaning the wee, resist checking him and waking him etc at least until you know he is relaxed. It is hard, because all you think about is the little bundle of fluff but I would say hold right back for now. (And i think this is your instinct too, so go with that). I'm sure more experienced hammy owners will confirm that the hamster will come round in his own time, and you can't rush it.

Good luck, and I look forward to hearing about your adventures with him when he does relax

[Frusham]

This is all very helpful.
I will give him another day of chilling out in his cage alone before I go back to him with anything new. i think the cage will just fit in that bath - I cant get close enough to pick him up so its the only option really.

And i promise to not keep him over clean! I think i was just trying too hard to please him and make him like me. I will start again in a couple of days.

[Dandelion07]

Originally Posted by Frusham

This is all very helpful.
I will give him another day of chilling out in his cage alone before I go back to him with anything new. i think the cage will just fit in that bath - I cant get close enough to pick him up so its the only option really.

And i promise to not keep him over clean! I think i was just trying too hard to please him and make him like me. I will start again in a couple of days.

It is hard to know the right balance (as you will see from all the questions I asked at first!). I would think of this in two stages: 1) he feels secure in his cage and 2) feels secure with you.
I wouldn't move his cage to the bath yet to be honest as it might freak him out completely. You could work on helping him trust you by sitting quietly by his cage and talking to him. (I read someone else on HC does this with new/rescue hamsters and it sounds to me like the ideal second step after his peace and quiet).

In the meantime, you get to come on HC lots which can only be good!

I hope my typing makes sense - I am doing two things at once here!

[Frusham]

All the advice is greatly read and taken note of.
I will let you all know how he is doing in a few days, until then i think i will keep well out of his way, you never know.... he might miss me!
Once he has settled i will offer him my hand again and see if we cant start again.

Thanks everyone.... saved me from going a little mad over this.