Any tips for taming?

[Amy x]

Hi. I recently got my Syrian hamster Timmy on the 23rd of December (2015) he has been settling in well but recently I've noticed him trying to chew on the cage. He has a plastic cage which was recommended by the pet shop. He seems so desperate to get out of his cage and run about but I've only handled him once and that was only briefly because I needed to clean out his cage. He is quite jumpy still and seems to be semi comfortable with my hand being in the cage and stroking him while he was and whilst I talk to him. I desperately want to get him out of the cage but I have some problems...
1) I have recently become ill with what I assume to be either a cold to tonsillitis
2) he isn't comfortable with me handling him yet and sometimes gets a bit shaken up when I stroke him
3) I have looked around for a kind of metal fence I could use incase he was to escape my hands, I used to have one for my now deceased guinea pigs but the gaps between the metal was too big and Timmy would easily escape
Once I am definatly clear of my cold/tonsillitis I am set to gain Timmy's trust so I can handle him and get him out the cage. I would much appreciate any suggestions as to how I can tame him and gain hid trust, I will read all. Thank you x

[flowerfairy]

Sadly pet shop cages are very often too small and Timmy may be trying to tell you that he would like more space.

The RSPCA advice is a cage that is 80 x 50cm minimum although bigger is always better.

Continuous floor space is what hamsters like best so that they can run and dig.

Have a look at the housing section of the forum for some great ideas.

[Shannonmcn]

You seem to be doing okay if he is okay with you stroking him, thats a big step! He will be okay waiting for you to get over your illness! Colds are one thing that can be passed between hams and humans so it's safer for both of you if you wait until you're well mended

Generally the first thing do to is to get them used to your scent by putting a tissue next to your skin (in the bra is the top tip) and then shredding that and giving them it to use for their bedding. This way they know your scent and associate it with feeling safe! The next stage uses food to get them used to hands, hands mean food and nice things! So food comes from fingertips and then it sits on the fingers and then it sits on the palm so they gradually have to move further into your hand. This is the place to seem to be at now? Once they are happy with feet on your hand is the time you want to try scooping them up, with food in your hand, over a soft landing and only for a few seconds. You can work up from there until they are happy to be handled for longer periods!

Basically slow and steady, don't push them, you'll be grand

[Pebbles82]

As Shannon says, it's best to leave him for now while you're unwell. When you put his food and water out, you could wipe your hands with antibacterial wipes or use antibacterial soap first. Sadly I agree it may be that his cage is far too small as most pet shop cages are. For now, until you are better, maybe try and distract him by scattering half his food in the cage, and the other half in the food bowl, then he'll be able to forage for it. Also add as much substrate as you can so he can dig some tunnels!

After that, bathtub taming is quite good - we did it. I would put a kitchen roll tube in the cage for our hamster to walk into, and put the other end in his ball so he walked straight into the ball, let him run in it for 5 or 10 minutes, then carry the ball up to the dry bathtub with the plug in and let him out to run around in there, with his cardboard tube, a mug and any other toys you might have. It acts as a bit of a playpen before they are tame, and also it's a good safe place to start gradually handling. We started by just stroking him on the back with one finger, just for a second or two, until he got used to being touched and didn't ping 2 feet in the air! Then moved onto cupping a hand under his tummy, lifting him a centimetre or two and letting him walk off the hand again. After that he was quite tame and easy to pick up and handle. But always be careful to handle them low, over something soft, in a safet environment, as they can wriggle and jump and injure themselves if they fall.

If you can post a picture of his cage we can advise on set up and whether it's suitable. A hamster can go a bit stir crazy in a cage that's too small. Do you have a hamster ball? I'm not a huge fan of them, but as a temporary thing, when a cage is small, it's a way of letting them get some exercise without being handled. I had this one to start with, which ended up being too small, but was ok at first. The bigger ones I'm not keen on as the ventilation slots are a toenail trap! It's a good ball, all in one piece, not two halves that clip together like some of them - and the lid fits on well - but you still need to supervise as some clever hams can get the lids off! If his cage is too small, his wheel probably will be as well and that could be preventing him getting enough exercise. Cages tend to come with very small wheels only suitable for dwarf hamsters and Syrians need a 11" wheel plus really, so they can run with a straight back or they get back pain and spinal problems.

You haven't had the cage long, so if it turns out to be too small, I would get another one and try and get a refund from the place who sold it to you. A few people have managed to do this. Zooplus have a good range of reasonably priced hamster cages. They don't look that fancy, but can be made nice with a few toys and colourful cardboard tubes. The Alaska and Barney are two of the most popular ones

Alaska Hamster Cage | Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

Barney Pet Cage | Great deals at zooplus!

Or if you prefer the solid sided cages, the Ferplast Maxi Duna Multy is a good cage

Cage Maxi Duna Multy

All those 3 will fit an 11" to 12" hamster wheel.

This is the ball

Living World Exercise Ball for Hamsters: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

[xbuttons94]

My Syrian hamster was very nervous when we got her. We took her home and she was making almost growling noises. I would sit and talk to her in a soft voice then after she was used to my voice I would put a treat on my hand and just rest my hand still in her cage. She then associated me with good things. She can't get enough of us all now and loves cuddles! I hope this helps a little and good luck! Also, I hope you feel better very soon

[Amy x]

Thank you all so much for you're replies, I am taking them all into consideration. Even though Timmy is my first hamster I agree that his cage is too small for him! I am planning to clean out a large corner of my room and build my own cage for him, I have watched many tutorials and know what type of woods to get and also what glass, also when I am building it I will be following the tutorial extremely closely because I want to ensure that Timmy, and any hamster I may get in future, have the best life possible. I am desperately trying to get over this cold so I can start to tame Timmy so I can get him out of his cage for a run around as soon as possible because I feel awful seeing him run around in the same cage whilst, what seems to look like, begging to get out for a larger run.
When I read about the wheel that did brig a bit of panic to me because looking at him now I noticed that the wheel isn't big enough for him either. I am now going to spend most my time after school, as well as homework, tidying my room and clearing things out so I can get this new cage built as soon as possible. I am also going to try giving him tissue for bedding which has my scent on to, I knew it was important for Timmy to be familiar with my scent but I didn't think of doing that!
Thank you all so much, I really appreciate all your tips.
I think if I were to research more about the hamster cages and the recommended size then I wouldn't be so foolish to choose the size that the worker at the pet shop recommended me!
Any more tips I am open to! X

[Amy x]

Also I need the help of the Brits here, is there anywhere I could go to buy plexiglass, melamine boards, melamine edge tape and plywood. If there are any other materials which are more suitable for building a hamster cage then I will take them into considering, I just need to find out where I could buy these supplies so that I don't have to order them online and risk them either being broken or not in good condition, or most likely taking a long time to be delivered. I figured that B&Q would most likely have plywood and possibly melamine boards, but if not I need help finding out where else to buy them, or any other wood materials which would be just as good to use.
Thank you x