Adopted an old hamster from a bad home -Advice Please!!

[Hailey-Albus11]

Ok so my fiance and I already have one hammie who is just over a month and he is absolutely amazing! Buuuuut yesterday I made an impulse choice to get another one today. I found this one on craigslist, hes a 2 year old teddy bear hammie. I was so excited I went out and bought him everything he needed and was ready to go! But when we got to the ladies house (which is a 2 hour drive from ours...) her house basically looked like an episode of hoarders! And as soon as I saw my teddy to be, I was angry! He is very large and was in the most tiny wire crate,covered in rust that wasn't even fit for a mouse! His water bottle was empty, his bedding (in the entire cage) was soaked with pee, water, and whatever else looking like it hadn't been cleaned for months! His food bowl was covered in poop (diarrhea to be precise) which there was also a giant pile in the corner where he slept Complete neglect! She said he didn't even have a specific diet! When we spoke before she said he would come with a nice cage, all new bedding, a hideout (which he didn't have) and a full bag of treats...wrong again it has 3 left in the bag. and the biggest thing of all...she told me he was very hand tame and never bit....HA he hates being picked up and every time I attempt too he tries biting yes I notice all of this before taking him home, but we had to get him out of there! so now hes relaxing in his new tank. Now I'm not sure if I should keep him and hope his attitude changes or find him a new home....will he grow out of being afraid? hes already 2!I took him because I wanted to give him a good ending to his life, and take him out of that neglectful home and hope for the best but now I'm not sure what to do our other hammie travels with us, sleeps in my hands, and is just perfect! anyone else ever adopted an older hammie from a bad home? should I keep him till his end ? should I find him anew home? ugh at least he's better off with us than where he was previously !

[evel_lin]

Poor thing! I don't think it would do him any harm to live the rest of his life untamed and at least he's out of that horrible situation. Yes he isn't the hamster you thought you were going to get but you can give him a wonderful retirement where he has a clean cage, healthy food and lots of space to explore

[SoapyVP]

Oh keep him. Sounds like finally he might have landed on his feet with you. Poor thing.

[caro317]

I agree you've done a wonderful thing rescuing this poor boy and you should definitely hang onto him and make sure his last few months are as happy as possible. He'll think he's in heaven already with you

[ANGELBABIES]

Sometimes its not always about what we want. You rescued him even when you found out about the his true circumstances - You were meant to take him home. So give him the home he deserves - he may even surprise you by living a long life. But what matters now that he has a lovely retirement home with you, and remember rescuing a little defenceless little animal is a blessing, and thank you for doing this. All the best xx

[souffle]

I changed the title for you
You have done a lovely thing for this little guy and you know in your heart that whatever he stays like you are giving him a wonderful retirement.
He may well settle and become much more tame but he will likely bear the scars of his previous existence which is just something you need to accept. You can well understand why he may be like this.
Get his tummy settled and keep him quiet and calm then start treating him like he was a new baby hamster and gently interacting with an aim to taming. See how far you get without pushing him. Remember he will be satisfied and content with his home and you are giving him the best you can and meeting his needs.
I would keep him quarantined from your other hammy for now with strict hygene when moving between the two till you ensure he is healthy.
All the very best for a good outcome x

[Hailey-Albus11]

thanks so much everyone! We have decided to keep him and make him as happy and comfortable as we can! I wont be introducing him to my baby hammie though, just because I don't want anything bad happening! The girl I got him from txted me today asking how he's doing and when I said "doing fine thanks" she replied and said "good, he probably would have been food for my brothers snake if he'd stayed with us" AHHHHH I was so mad I didn't even reply!

[BrainGirl]

Glad you're keeping him but no introductions between Syrian hammies! They will almost certainly fight or at least stress each other out badly.

[DrKMcK]

Hello Hailey-Albus. That's one lucky hammy. Even if he never sits in your hand, his life has done a 360 degree turn around, which means his last days will be like heaven for him. Considering how he's been kept, he may feel unwell. Once he's settled in and feels better don't be surprise if he starts to be interested in you...what you do, the sounds you make, and what you bring him. Like Souffle says, treat him like a baby ham. I think you guys are great for saving him from a truly miserable existence. Now he'll have all of HC rooting for him.

[Char]

oh what a horrible text from that girl. So glad he was not snake food, bless his little heart. I'm glad you are keeping him. He might be able to tame, you never know, it might just take you longer. At least he is going to be loved.