Meet Maddi, my white robo :) - Page 5

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-05-2016, 03:47 PM

My little Maddi has been here for 11 days now & is extremely fearful & nervous. She is apparently very active at night when I'm sleeping with the wheel & fluffing up the bedding with all her underground tunnels

I'm a little discouraged because I can't see her grow. By the time she comes out of hiding she'll be bigger. I'll miss her baby cuteness. She seems to retreat more and more as time goes on? She was hiding in a paper towel tube all the time but I took it out with hopes that she might stop hiding?

She just found plenty of new places to hide so maybe I'll give her back the paper towel tube? Any advice? I put a little log in the place where the tube used to be. I have a feeling that I should give her back the tube cause she's more fearful now. She can't even stick her face out of the bedding for a treat.

I've given her 2 papaya treats on one occasion about 3-4 days ago.
I should know these things about robos seeing it took 8 months to tame Latte.

So I'll put the tube back in right now & maybe she'll feel more secure? It's so hard being patient. Koala hid for 17 days but I was sick so I just left him completely alone & it paid off. Why is this so hard?

Latte came from a local breeder (sold at a small pet shop) so she wasn't exposed to any stress as a baby. Maddi on the other hand has been under stress for all of her life & she's already 3 mo old. So Maddi will be a little harder to tame than Latte.

I have 5 other hammies to keep me company, seeing Izzy is a good companion already, or getting there quickly anyways. Maddi is just so tiny & i'm missing everything!

Update: I started baby talking to her for about 5 minutes not knowing if she would stick her head out or not? But I got pleasantly surprised when she responded to my voice and came out of hiding playing with millet spray so she's biting on this millet seed spray and I'm talking to her and she's looking at me & it made me so happy! Now I know she responds to my voice (I knew she was awake) when I did this just now.

She would have been too fearful to take treats from my hand so I put the tube back in if it will help her feel more secure?

Edit: Decided against the tube, we were making progress today so I don't want her living in a paper towel tube 24/7. No tube!

cypher · 04-05-2016, 10:41 PM

I wouldn't make any changes to her cage, even taking a tube out or putting it back in, give her plenty of time to get comfortable & feel secure in there, coming out when you talk to her is really good so continue chatting away to her, don't expect too much too soon, the more secure she feels in her cage the less likely she is to keep hiding away so just let her get on with her own thing for a while.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-06-2016, 03:45 AM

I ended up taking the tube out & leaving it out. We made much more progress this morning w/o the tube. She continues to respond to my voice & took a treat from me. Last night she was too scared to take a treat so every day is getting better. . This is Robo training 101

Thin Lizzy · 04-06-2016, 04:56 AM

I would've left the paper towel tube in, hams get so much fun from them. Try not to take anything else out as this can stress her, she needs to get use to the cage and everything in it, she'll rub herself against these
things so she can smell her scent. Sometimes you just need to let them be.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-06-2016, 05:07 AM

I agree but this is a class now & will see if my training methods work?
I'll keep this thread going if you'd like with updates on her progress

I didn't throw the tube out, it's a commercial tube. She can have it back once she's not afraid anymore.

She's sleeping in her coconut house now since the tube is gone & I put something else there instead, another hidey log but nothing she can really hide under. So she's more social, she's taking treats from me & she's sleeping in her house!

cypher · 04-06-2016, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinnamon Bear

I agree but this is a class now & will see if my training methods work?

I would try to tailor your taming methods to each individual ham to some extent, they are all different so try to let them lead you at least as far as pace goes.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-06-2016, 07:59 AM

Lol..that made me laugh

The Hammie Army!
I agree, by no means am I going to do anything to scare her, that would defeat the whole purpose!

Just kidding when I said that!

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-07-2016, 05:22 PM

I put Maddi's cardboard tube back in. I felt a little guilty. She is sleeping in her coconut house now which is good, but if anybody thinks I'm making a mistake by putting it back in, let me know? Thanks in advance!

Edit: I haven't decided yet she hadnt woke up yet so before she does, I want to make sure not to scare her any further (if i did?) by putting it back in again. Especially since she is adjusting & using her house now? Probably would make her happy to have it back? Don't think she'd complain about me putting the tube back in?

Edit: she just decided to come out for the first time tonight so I won't put the tube in at this point! Happy she's coming out finally! She got some food & water & smelled my hand for awhile, she's not a biter! Yay

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-07-2016, 06:28 PM

Here is a picture of her leaving her life of seclusion for some boring (temporary) food

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-08-2016, 04:23 AM

Both Latte & Maddi have nice personalities. I think Latte Is one of a kind though