Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Behaviour

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-06-2021, 02:50 AM   #1
mimmi
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Stockholm
Posts: 2
Unhappy She's scared of me after months being happy

Hello.

I have a dwarf, we got her in August 2020.
It took about 3 weeks to get her to get used to me. After that she's been such a happy hamster. Please guys don't judge me, but I don't keep her in her cage.
She has her cage with everything, but it's always open. She runs everywhere in the flat and seems to be very happy with it. I blocked dangerous places that she could go in like under the oven or fridge.

She used to run after me wherever I went Like a dog!
Every evening when I was standing cooking food, she would climb on my trousers for me to pick her up.
I put her on the floor and she would climb up again
Sometimes I had to leave her in her bedroom so I could cook food.
She has a 1,70 x 90 box with sand. She is a bit of a spoiled hamster

So, out of the blue, from nowhere, she started being scared of me. Since middle January. I have no idea why.
She won't come out of her house until I go to bed. I barely see her.
If I come to her bedroom and she's awake in her pool of sand, she quickly runs away to her house.

I've been a bit sad. I so wanted to know what happened.
The only thing I can think of is that one day she fell from my arms to the floor when I was standing cooking food.
She froze for 2 seconds and ran away.
I went after her to see if she was ok.
She seemed to be ok.
She has no injuries whatsoever. But I guess (not even so sure) that it was around that date that she started to behave like that, scared.

Could anyone please help me to find out what is going on with her?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_0746.JPG (494.4 KB, 18 views)
mimmi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2021, 11:31 AM   #2
Petite
Senior Hamster
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Scotland
Posts: 501
Default Re: She's scared of me after months being happy

Firstly, what an adorable little hammy you have.

Accidents like this happen from time to time. My ham had a similar accident, but was her normal self afterwards, and has remained so. Hamsters have short memories (I have been assured of this by a vet as he was administering an injection to my previous ham) so it's unlikely that she remembers the fall itself. It's often hard to tell the reason for a ham's change in behaviour, but behaviour patterns do change. Could something else have scared her? (I'm assuming you have no other pets if you let her run free.)

Is she her usual self in other ways - eating, drinking, playing, etc? If you laid a trail of treats from her house, do you think she would come out? It might be worth a try. I can see you had a close relationship with her and are keen to re-establish it. I'm sure some other HC members will be along soon to help more than I can.
Petite is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2021, 12:42 PM   #3
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: She's scared of me after months being happy

Hi and welcome to HC!

Does your hamster have access to her cage?

I have a dwarf who likes to free roam but when she's had enough she'll climb up my legs and looks for my hands to take her back to her habitat.

I also think that something else has scared her and you're probably not going to find out what it was.
She seems nervous about something but i don't think that it's you.

What happens when you put her back in her cage? Does she ask to come out or go to her nest, wheel, tunnel etc?
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2021, 02:55 AM   #4
mimmi
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Stockholm
Posts: 2
Default Re: She's scared of me after months being happy

Hello guys,

Oh, I'm so happy I've found this community, thank you so much for your answers! It really helps!

OK, I do agree that a fall like that wouldn't traumatize her that badly.
I have 2 kids (4 and 7) and I considered that Mimmi was a bit traumatized from them, as they picked her up etc. However even though they were a bit too much on her she was very attached to me and used to climb on to me to escape from them. And that has changed, she runs away quickly as soon as she sees me.
This is how she used to be Mimmi - YouTube

Short after she started to change her behaviour I demanded the kids to stop picking her up, only if she comes to them, and they would soon put her on the floor again. They listened and they have been very good with Mimmi. When she's awake they sit on the floor quietly, she comes to them, gets food, stays a bit and then go home. It's not that bad. But I know that she's been scared for quite some time now. She jumps for minimal noise. It feels like she's stressed and scared.

Anyway, sending pics of her house/garden.
She used to make home in other places like behind cushions in the sofa so it's been about 2 months that I put her stuff in those boxes as a new home, and she seems to like it. So, she's not using her cage anymore, at all. I think she goes there to drink water and that's all.
So she seems to like her home in a box, inside another box lol
And she can go home whenever she wants.

Under the kitchen table there's always some fruits and vegetables and seeds, she goes during the night and collect them.

I really can't figure out what I've done that caused her that stress.
I am trying to tame her again, but don't see any progress.

Could it be that she's just grown old?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg mimmi1.jpg (528.8 KB, 11 views)
File Type: jpg mimmi2.jpg (646.1 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg mimmi3.jpg (988.0 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg mimmi4.jpg (981.4 KB, 11 views)
mimmi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2021, 06:01 AM   #5
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: She's scared of me after months being happy

This is really puzzling me as well.

Have you done a health check to make sure nothing is bothering her physically?

Things like teeth or nails too long, lumps and bumps etc.

I still can't see how it could have been anything you could have done to upset her.

Does she run away from your kids as well?

Could you make a meshed lid for her big sandbox, replace half of the sand with paperbased bedding so she can bury herself if she wants to, put in food, water, wheel and toys then leave her be for a couple of weeks, only changing her water and food?

I wonder if it would make her feel safe again by removing all outside stimuli including whatever it is that upset her then gradually introduce her back to her old life.

This idea may be a rubbish one but i'm trying to figure out what i would do in the same situation.

By the way, if i had the space, facilities and courage, i'd keep our hamsters in a similar environment. I'd let them have the run of the house with a hamster setup area like an open and accessible cage to go to as and when they wish.

I don't have the courage nor do i live in a mansion (seven hamsters) but i would be far too worried that they could get hurt when i'm not watching them. Also, as much as they like out of cage time, they like and ask to be put back into their homes as well. I think its because they feel safe and secure in there.

How old is Mimmi?
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
scared, shes, food, happy, climb

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:36 PM.