Won't come out of hiding

[PiggyParadise]

Hello,

If someone could please help, I would really appreciate it. I just got a Syrian hamster for the first time (I've only had experience with dwarf hamsters) almost two months ago. He won't come out of hiding from his house, even if I stay up at night. I try to coax him with treats, shuffle his bedding, tap gently on his home to see if he'll be curious enough to come out. I would really love to tame him and have a relationship, but it seems like he's really scared of me. If he see's me, he'll freeze for like two minutes and walk away slowly. My other robo hamster will come out often knowing I come bearing treats. I know dwarf hamsters and Syrians are going to have different behaviors. But I don't think this is a normal syrian behavior either. I'm really confused and worried, help!

[Aegis]

There could be other reasons that your hamster won't leave the burrow, such as maybe your house is too cold and their bedding is warm, and that is why they won't leave. If he is scared of you, luring him out with treats is a really good idea. I recommend carrots, strawberries, raspberries, cucumber, lettuce, and sunflower seeds, (these are treats that every single one of my hamsters love). If bribing him with treats doesn't work, maybe try bonding excercises such as just picking him up and letting him crawl on you, talking to him in a soft voice, and just give it time. Because he is new, it is totally normal for him to be a little freaked out. Hopefully this helps,
-Aegis

[PiggyParadise]

Thank you for your response! �� That's just the thing, he won't come out for me to feed him treats or do any bonding exercises. His cage is pretty huge, it's a Niteangel wooden cage about 47.2 x 19.7 x 23.6 size (roughly 4' x 1.64', 2'tall). I have about 6" of bedding and a lot of hideys, toys, chews, and treats for him. When i feed him, I'll notice he'll empty his bowl and take all his food to his burrow so it's hard to keep up when he's really running low on food or if it's all in his burrow with him. I lifted his home up this morning to check on him and he was fine so I fed him a treat and he took it from my hand! He doesn't seem scared of me, he just won't come out. The only time he comes out is if the tv is off, lights are off, and it's quiet. If I turn everything off but stay on my phone, he won't come out. I've stayed up to see if I can catch him but have not. I feel bad because he has such a huge cage but he only uses one corner of it. ��

[Bardiel]

I had a hamster just like this. I think the term I heard from a YouTube video is called a “ghost hamster”. It means you won’t be able to bond or see him and that’s the way he is. It sucked not being able to bond, but she was healthy and happy and that’s all that mattered to me. She only came out at night when nobody was around, no lights or tv. She wasn’t scared of me it was just the way she is and I accepted it. I hope my experience with a ham like this helps you. As long as he is healthy he’ll be ok and this is his personality.