Taking an untame hamster to the vets

cookietiger · 08-31-2019, 05:08 AM

I've noticed a bald spot behind my Robos right ear so I booked an appointment with the vet, sadly the soonest I could get is monday.

Anyway my lovely Robo isn't exactly tame. She will take treats from my hand and be interested in my hand but she doesn't like being held at all and she will run if she has the chance (although I assume Roborovskis running is a common issue).
I'm worried that when the vet opens her little travel cage she will make a run for it. Should I put her in a box with high sides instead? Or does anyone have any other ideas or tips?

I know I should have made more of an attempt to tame her but she enjoys doing her own thing and I don't mind it and so I never thought it a big issue.

LunaTheHamster1 · 08-31-2019, 09:20 AM

could you put the travel cage inside a bigger box, if the bigger box isn't secure. - would that help?
Also just make sure you tell the vet that she is not quite tame before they start to handle her. Just so they know and maybe adjust how they were going to handle her. For example one of my hamsters can be squirmy and jumpy and I told the vet this and he picked her up with some kitchen roll type paper so he had a better grip, also he made sure she wasn't going to drop a long way if she made a jump for it! My other hamster is fine to be handled.

Cotton · 09-01-2019, 08:35 AM

Will the travel cage fit inside a high transparent container? The veterinarian can see quite a lot by examining the hamster in the container and also looking through the plastic at the sides before deciding what to do next.

Iavenderae · 09-02-2019, 08:09 AM

If you’re planning to keep your hamster in a smaller box that fits inside a larger clear container, assuming it’s plastic, if it’s tall enough you should be fine. As long as there are no major threats the will stress out your hamster, just ensure the lid of the box is open so he or she can breathe, and nothing is falling in, distracting, or further making your hamster anxious. Like others said, the vet will be able to further handle an untamed hamster, as they’ve done it before.