Please Read: New Hamster worries

**minyoongi** · 12-31-2017, 09:08 AM

Hi, sorry I keep posting so many threads because I am just really worried about my hamster. So I've recently noticed my hamster making these abnormal sort of squeaking/hissing/clicking noises. That usually happens in the mornings. I feel like my hamster is getting stressed out and I got her a few days ago. She is only 6-8 weeks old and I'm very worried if she has wet tail. I have checked on her recently and she doesn't have diarrhoea but she is very skittish and is grooming excessively. I too am very stressed for my hamster and I do not want her to have any problems. Please help me, what do I do. I am always tensed and am worried for my hamster, she is a Syrian banded hamster and she lives in a bin cage which is a bit over 450sq inches. I have provided her with many toys, foods, etc. I will try to leave her alone though I need to spot clean her cage.

Also to add, my hamster's poop is normal and she eats all her food but doesn't drink all her water from her bottle. And she doesn't like her chews (I've given her 3 loofah chews, toilet roll tubes with treats inside and 2 wood chew toys)

cypher · 12-31-2017, 09:32 AM

As you've only had her a few days her behaviour sounds normal to me, as long as she's not showing any actual symptoms of illness, is eating & drinking ok then she probably just needs more time to settle.
Keep cleaning to an absolute minimum for a few weeks at least, just spot clean as needed but leave everything else, don't change anything in her cage & go slow with taming.
Lots of quiet reassuring talking to her will help you both relax together, plenty of time to move on to the next steps.
They drink very little, maybe a teaspoon a day so you may not even notice if she's had a drink or not but check the bottle is working ok when you change the water each day by running a clean finger over the tip to see that water is coming out ok.

**minyoongi** · 12-31-2017, 09:58 AM

Sorry cypher, I cannot directly reply to you. Thanks for your replies and I will try and leave my hamster alone. My hamster shows signs like she does not feel comfortable and always just hides away. Her cage has also been continuously been smelling bad and me and my family try to take the cage out in the hallway (we live in a flat and out our building, there is a hallway) to get the smell out. Now my hamster has been pooping a little less. I will try to keep everything under control and let her have more time. Thank you

Rads · 12-31-2017, 04:44 PM

Hi Min,
Your described behaviour sounds quite normal, Ghost used to Click his teeth all the time, and occasionally hiss at me when I tried handling him when we first had him so I left him alone, chatted to him and after a few weeks he would let me handle him briefly before wanting out and getting back to his wheel.
As Cypher has said, let him be himself and get used to his new home, chat to him in a quiet and soothing manner, try holding a treat for him to take that way he will get used to your smell and not see you as a threat.
So give him time and don't stress..!

CMB · 12-31-2017, 05:00 PM

Hope your hamster settles in well. It can take them a while. But most will settle and you can then start getting to know your hamster.

cypher · 12-31-2017, 10:52 PM

Moving the cage will be quite upsetting for her, some females do smell more than males but she's probably just been scent marking her new cage a lot as she makes her home her own so try to just let her get on with it for now.

**minyoongi** · 01-02-2018, 10:27 AM

Thank you for your replies, I've got something else to say (I'm very sorry I am not going against anyone's opinions haha), so now I've noticed my hamster keeps making this annoying clicking sound hand she keeps making this sort if snuffing sound (I don't know what it's called) and I've read other posts and I am very scared because all those posts say that the hamster could have respiratory problems. I have not given the hamster any scented, pine, cedar bedding, given anything scented, etc. Now it doesn't even want to take any treats from me and it doesn't even run on it's wheel. I have had my hamster for a week now. What do I do, should I arrange an appointment or is this normal.

**minyoongi** · 01-02-2018, 10:28 AM

Oh also to add, now my hamster has been hiding a lot, even at night.

CMB · 01-02-2018, 11:32 AM

Your hamster is likely to be settling in still. Mine was ok at first. Then hide away more, before becoming tame.

Sometimes mine can still have times when they hide/sleep more. It can be due to temperature/weather, cage cleaning even a new item in the cage.

If you put a treat/food/veg somewhere in the cage and see if it has gone in the morning. It will show that your hamster has been active, even if you didn’t see it.

**minyoongi** · 01-03-2018, 04:40 AM

Thank you CMB, sorry I cannot directly reply to you. So I'm really worried because my hamster keeps wheezing really roughly but it does stop later on. Do I need to go to the vets?