Taming problems

n_eszter9 · 04-25-2016, 12:46 PM

hi there, my hamster, Borcsa, is doing the same as in this thread: Taming and behaviourial problems.

I adopted her two weeks ago, she was left in the shop for too long so now she is 4-5 month old. Her cage is 100X60 cm so plenty big enough, she's got lots of toys, hideaways, tubes, stuff she can climb on to. Im also giving her DIY food dispenser, I get her out in the ball which she seems to enjoy, I talk to her, she accepts food from me and she doesn't mind me in the cage, sometimes climbs on my arm as well, but when I put her in the bathtub the only thing she's interested in is climbing out. I got her toys as well as treats and it just doesn't interest her.

When back to her cage she climbs up to the top and starts chewing on the bars. I try and distract her but I cant be there all night. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong... :S

CMB · 04-25-2016, 01:13 PM

Always check the wheel is spinning well and the water bottle is working. The chewing could be because they are not. Your hamster may be a more active hamster so more ball time with toilet,food, water breaks very 15 minute.

Make cardboard roll food parcels, hide food, treats around the cage under the substrate to help keep her busy.

n_eszter9 · 04-25-2016, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMB

Always check the wheel is spinning well and the water bottle is working. The chewing could be because they are not. Your hamster may be a more active hamster so more ball time with toilet,food, water breaks very 15 minute.

Make cardboard roll food parcels, hide food, treats around the cage under the substrate to help keep her busy.

Thanks for your reply. Her wheel is working fine (11 in) and she likes to use it as well, she's got two water bottles I check them both daily.
I will definitely try to hide food under substrate that's a good idea I haven't tried yet.

cypher · 04-25-2016, 11:02 PM

Hams like exploring so trying to climb out of the bath is quite natural, could you maybe make a safe play area or play pen that you could put more toys, a wheel & some substrate, things like cardboard boxes & tubes or just piles of plain brown paper, hide some treats in there for her to find, she might enjoy that more & it might be easier to interact with her.

Definitely try scatter feeding & hiding food around the cage, wrap some up in little tissue or cardboard parcels to keep her busy!
If she climbs & chews the bars in particular areas try threading card through the bars & do make sure she can't fall on anything hard.

It sounds as though she's becoming quite tame so I don't think you have a problem there you just need to find ways to work with her that she enjoys!

n_eszter9 · 04-26-2016, 11:16 AM

oh thank you! yes she chews on three points in the cage, I managed to hide one. I will do the others as well. I was thinking to have her in a playpen but was scared that she would either climb out or jump when I would try and stop her. But yesterday she seemed a bit better with my hands. She wasn't as jumpy as before. There is hope!

Thanks for the great advice!

n_eszter9 · 04-28-2016, 11:23 AM

So I tried to block the spots she was chewing and put cardboard there and a bendy bridge thingy but she just finds new places to chew. I am thinking though (having read the bar chewing thread) that she might do that because she wants my attention. She isn't placed in my bedroom so I'm not sure how much bar chewing she does when I'm not around. But like yesterday she came to the end of the cage where I was sitting and started chewing there. I have her out of the cage for about 2 hours each night. She loves the ball she doesn't want to get out whenever I let her have a little break.. I do scatter feed her now and get new toys in every so often. I had two hamsters before her and I never paid this much attention to them (which I kind of regret now) but I can't believe that this isn't enough. Good news though that I can stroke her back now and she can sit on my palm without jumping away.

CMB · 04-28-2016, 11:30 AM

My hamsters were the same way with their exercise balls. I had to tip them out, carefully of course. They learned to steer around obsticals and hardly bumped into things.

Good news on the taming. It will just get better with practice. You may find you end up with a hamster who loves a cuddle and will sit still for awhile or even have a sleep while being cuddled. Keep up the good work.

Pebbles82 · 04-30-2016, 02:49 AM

I would try the bathtub taming again

They do slither up and down the sides but it's a safe place to get used to being handled gradually so they calm down. It helps to have some towels in the bottom to land on if they jump (I didn't know about that when we did it) and a few toys so your hammy can hide or explore things - eg a tube, a cup on it's side or anything else you have to hide in or climb over. I've added a little video of our bathtub taming if it helps

It's just time and patience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjyEme2xcq4

GeorgeSyrian · 04-30-2016, 03:13 AM

Taming my syrian George took me around 2 and 1/2 months! I know that's quite long but it just shows it's okay to take your time and it'll work out. It sounds like you're doing great so far though considering it was that old when you adopted them

flowerfairy · 04-30-2016, 12:39 PM

Thats amazing about hamsters learning to steer their exercise balls cmb. How clever!