what to do if a hamster never leaves his shelter while i'm awake?

rumpelstiltskin · 11-26-2023, 10:49 AM

he just patiently waits for me to go to sleep (which is about 1+am usually), and so i never get a chance to see him (apart from on an IR spycam i installed to monitor the insides of the shelter).
he was 6 weeks old when i got him, and first i made him a cardboard shelter 1.0, which he also didn't like leaving, but at least he used to go out at about midnight. but since that shelter got soaked in his piss i had to replace it with much better wooden shelter 2.0. i made sure i he was awake when changing it, but he still clearly didn't like it and now he doesn't leave it at all while i'm around.
so the question is, how ok is to lift the shelter at least to clean it, while he's still inside? will he get over it, or hold a long-lasting grudge? and secondly, is there a gentle way of moving his waking hours so that they overlap at least a little with mine? managing an empty cage is a bit underwhelming. he doesn't seem stressed; eats, drinks, and runs in the wheel fine, doesn't chew bars, etc. so seems like he's doing alright, just maybe is a bit of an asshole.

rumpelstiltskin · 11-28-2023, 06:19 AM

..i also tried waking up in the night and sneakily blocking the entrance to the shelter while he's outside, so that he'd have to settle elsewhere temporarily, presumably in a (much smaller) "summer house". but he dug under the wall and got inside anyway. i'm thinking of re-trying it, but also block the bottom entrance beforehand.
also, i read that this situation is fairly common and is called "ghost hamster". and apparently there's no "solution", apart from living with it.

velma · 12-06-2023, 01:56 PM

Hi Rumpelstiltskin. Welcome to HC. It's frustrating when you want to interact with your ham and they want to hide. You mentioned he was 6 weeks old when you got him but not how long you've had him for? It can take some hams a while to settle in, aside from their nocturnal behaviours. Personally, I don't think I'd want to block entrances or the base to his house as I think that could stress him out, not having his safe place to retreat to. With shy hamsters I have given them a house I can easily lift up (so no base to it) to check on them without disturbing them too much. They can used to you being in their cage without feeling threatened. When I've needed to do that to check them, I've gently rustled the bedding and chatted to them to let them know I'm there, before carefully lifting the house. I might then offer them a treat in the hope they'll take it. They get more used to you as the nice thing that brings treats. In time they should associate that rustling and chatting with that which will hopefully move them more towards coming to see you when they hear you. The other thing you could try while doing this is getting some red lights - some hamsters might not stay out if the main lights are full on but they can't see red lights well, if at all so it means you can see them but they don't think it's light.

But mostly I just think some hamsters time and to get to know you better, and I'm sure you'll have a great time with your hamster before you know it.

rumpelstiltskin · 12-06-2023, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velma

Hi Rumpelstiltskin. Welcome to HC. It's frustrating when you want to interact with your ham and they want to hide. You mentioned he was 6 weeks old when you got him but not how long you've had him for? It can take some hams a while to settle in, aside from their nocturnal behaviours. Personally, I don't think I'd want to block entrances or the base to his house as I think that could stress him out, not having his safe place to retreat to. With shy hamsters I have given them a house I can easily lift up (so no base to it) to check on them without disturbing them too much. They can used to you being in their cage without feeling threatened. When I've needed to do that to check them, I've gently rustled the bedding and chatted to them to let them know I'm there, before carefully lifting the house. I might then offer them a treat in the hope they'll take it. They get more used to you as the nice thing that brings treats. In time they should associate that rustling and chatting with that which will hopefully move them more towards coming to see you when they hear you. The other thing you could try while doing this is getting some red lights - some hamsters might not stay out if the main lights are full on but they can't see red lights well, if at all so it means you can see them but they don't think it's light.

But mostly I just think some hamsters time and to get to know you better, and I'm sure you'll have a great time with your hamster before you know it.

it's been almost a month i have him now. i also abandoned the idea of blocking the entrance as possibly more stressful than the alternatives. the new house is bottomless, so i can lift it to clean, and i use the camera to only do it when he's already awake. i tried to apply some science to make the house lifting experience less stressful by using frankincense smoke to calm him down Incensole acetate reduces depressive-like behavior and modulates hippocampal BDNF and CRF expression of submissive animals - PubMed. not sure if it worked, but he didn't appear *super* stressed during the procedure and just relocated to a "summer house". still though, he's only awake at night currently, and doesn't seem to care about treats when i lift the house, as it still pisses him off i guess.

velma · 12-10-2023, 01:15 PM

It's not that long really, some hamsters can take months to really get used to you. I think consistency and routine can help with that. I would caution against using the frankincense smoke. Hamsters respiratory system is very sensitive. But another way to use scent to help them become familiar with you, is the tissue trick. Pop some cheap white loo roll up you sleeve or down your top and leave it for a while, then rip t up and put in their cage. It will help them get used to your scent in their cage so they're more comfortable when yourbhand is in the cage.