i need some advice

[auroraxo7]

hi, i have my new hamster lenny, i have a few questions. i have a detolf for him and in his sand bath he tries digging in the sides, is this normal and does it show hes stressed and is trying to get out? also his cage really smells i think of pee but i cant seem to find the areas hes peed in, does anyone have any recommendations for what i should use for spot cleaning? also im going to begin to try and tame him but he is very timid and when i tried to feed him he bit my finger, hes a dwarf, 1 month old i was thinking if anyone had any advice for taming him if you could reply please, sorry for saying a lot but any replies would be helpful! thank you.

[Petite]

Congratulations on giving a lovely home to lenny. A detolf is a great home for him (I have one for my dwarf too). I wouldn't worry about him digging in the sides of his sand bath - he's just being a hamster and exploring his new environment.

As he's only one month old, I'm guessing you haven't had him very long, so it seems unlikely that it would be pee you are smelling this early on. Are you sure it's not just a natural "hamster smell"? If you give him areas of deep substrate you can clean less often, and there still shouldn't be much of a a smell.

For spot cleaning, it's just a case of taking out any wet or soiled substrate and replacing it with new, and the same in his sandbath. If you mix the new substrate in to what's already in the detolf it will help to give it his scent, and he will be less stressed. I can never find any wet substrate for my hammy, Freya, either! It's a good idea to check in or under his house from time to time, as sometimes they pee there.

Taming can take some time, and it's important to take it at lenny's pace. He may have bitten you because you inadvertently startled him (eg a hand coming from above can be seen as a threat), so start by just talking to him gently so he gets accustomed to the sound of your voice. Then you can try putting your hand on the floor of his enclosure with a treat in your palm, and see if he will come to retrieve it (wash your hands with unscented soap first so you don't smell like food, and you can also run them through his substrate). If he does walk onto your hand, don't move or lift your hand, just let him sit there if he likes, or walk off again with his prize. This will help to build his trust.

If you give him out of cage time, a play pen is a good idea, but be sure to supervise him at all times. Hamsters are master escape experts! Try using a mug or jug to transport him to the play pen and back at first, as hamsters can jump out of your hands at the speed of light, and possibly suffer a severe injury.

Enjoy your time with lenny!

[auroraxo7]

thank you so much for such a detailed response! ill be trying out your tips or him. but im sure it is pee ive seen some clumps in his sand which seems soiled and a bit of yellow bedding which i just removed other than that i guess it could just be his smell. thank you again