Hamster spinning? Or Normal Behaviour?

[aragneer]

Hi everyone!

I signed up to this just to ask this question!

So first, some context: I had hamsters (two robos and a syrian) when I was about 12 or 13. I am now 22 (23 in a week) and my boyfriend and I bought two albino russian hamsters. We initially thought and were told that they were two girls but low and behold, a few weeks later, we found two little pink things in the nest. The pink things are now 5 weeks old - one has already gone to his new home, alongside the father. The mother is in a seperate cage now, happy as can be. However, I think there is something wrong with the other baby..

The other baby, Rasher, was always super shy and would get absolutely petrified if anybody tried to hold her and suddenly, after trying to have a moment with her the other day, she started running in really fast circles in the play pen. She didn't stop until I scooped her up and put her back. This happened again last night. She runs in quite wide circles but still eats and drinks water and builds her own little nest. She can walk in a straight line but she does it very fast and tries to climb up against the walls of her cage too. It's like really erratic crazy behaviour.
Today, she has slept all day and now, she's just started running in circles again whilst also going back and forth for food and racing around her cage. I can't seem to see if she is leaning or not and she goes to her new home next Thursday so I want to just get some advice before I give her away..She is going to an extremely experienced owner, who rescues hammies and rehomes them so I know she would be familiar with this but I wanted some online advice as the week is going to be along one really :/

Is this spinning and therefore, a neurological disease? Or do I just have a hyperactive, stressed baby hamster?

[DrKMcK]

Hello Aragneer, and welcome to HC. If you can get her on video it will be easier to say if this is a neurological issues or not, although it does sound like it. We have had a number of folks who had hammies with spinning issues and they have helped others to work with their hammy and set up their cages in ways that help them not spin so much. I'm sure someone will pop up with some ideas for you.

[freyashamsters]

Yes I agree, a video would need to be seen by someone to confirm whether it is neurological or not - if so, there are plenty of people on the forum who are very knowledgeable about neurological problems with hamsters and would be happy to help

[aragneer]

Hi guys! Thank you for the welcome message and the help!

I will try to get her on video after work today. This morning, she scared me as she was just sat under her water bottle with her eyes open and body close to the ground. She was sat like that for a while until I put my hand in and then she shuffled further into the corner and then when I left, she ran to her bed.

She's so timid and I'm very worried something is going wrong with her. I've read a few spinning threads here and the help has been amazing so I will post a video hopefully soon and get some help

Thank you again!

(P.s. I had a picture of her but it says my post is denied, any idea why?)

[souffle]

Neurological problems like spinning they cannot stop doing so if she is not doing it in the cage and acting normally in there it may not be this. It could be something developing though as she grows. I'd tend not to place her in the playpen as this may be making her very scared so she is panic running. Try gently taming and stroking in a smaller enclosed box and don't come down on her from above. Gently stoking then back in to her cage again may be better for her. Let her know you are there in case she has poor or no eyesight. Talk gently and move your hand slowly.

[aragneer]

Thanks souffle!

As I said, she is suuuper timid so she could be doing the 'spinning' whenever there is a loud noise or we have held her - which has happened each time now. I live in the middle of a busy city and last night, a car alarm kept blasting and that was when she started doing the running in circles again. She calmed down later though.

At the moment, every time I see her out of her nest, I sit by the bars and talk to her, just so she can hear my voice. I'll monitor the symptoms anyway and try getting a video in a while Thank you!