Hello from a new hamster mamma!

AlbaFlora · 10-23-2015, 01:56 PM

My new rescue hamster baby (a Syrian hamster) arrived a couple of days ago. She is about 6 weeks old, her mother was rescued and gave birth at the rescue centre. Am a bit worried about her because she is very shy. Like, she won't come out to play until I switch the light off and go to bed. (The room isn't very bright with the light on though, specially where her home is) I've managed to get her to take a little bit of apple, carrot and parsley from me, but she will emerge (well at most her head does) take it and retreat. I think it's because when she first arrived I tried to pick her up and gave her a fright

(That was the evening of the day she arrived, I hadn't read about waiting some days first until after that - I held the day she arrived, as the rescue ppl put her in my hands and she was fine, and I popped her in her home, and she has been handled plenty by them, so it hadn't occurred to me that it would be a problem...Now I feel really bad..)

Any ideas how to help her settle in better?

Look forward to learning lots from you all in time to come.

Artisans_uk · 10-24-2015, 06:18 AM

Hi Albaflora - congratulations on your new baby and taking in a rescue. What is her name? Hamsters need a good week to two weeks to settle into their new environment, so I am sure she is just getting used to the changes, including the smells and noises where she now is.

It's a good idea to let her settle and take the lead from her. Talking to her lots when you are near her cage can help her get used to you and you can also put a tissue up your sleeve for a few hours and then put it into the cage so she gets used to your scent. It's lots of little steps that lead to the big improvements in the long run.

Try to simply spot clean her cage so her new home is not radically changed and she shouldn't have a full clean out within the first month.

Go slowly and be led by her.

Looking forward to meeting her once she is settled.

Snowz · 10-24-2015, 06:21 AM

Hello and congratulations on your new Syrian Hamster.

Does she have a name? I named my Syrian Hamster Oreo because she looks like a Oreo Biscuit!

The reason she comes out at night is because they sleep during the day and come out at around 6-7pm and midnight.

She isn't tamed yet so don't worry.

cypher · 10-24-2015, 07:00 AM

Hi & welcome to the forum

Congrats on your new rescue.
Just be patient with her & give her time, follow the advice Artisans has posted & I'm sure she'll soon begin to settle in.

AlbaFlora · 10-24-2015, 02:07 PM

Hi all, thanks for the responses! Her name is Flora.

I did the tissue thing last night (I slept with it tucked down my front than gave it to her this morning but like super early so she was just on her way to bed) and she used it to plug up one of the holes in her little house. And when I wake up during the night and she is out and about, I do talk to her. Today she did run away straight away she stayed for a little while and I just lay outside the cage talking to her. Probably just a couple of minutes. Then she retreated. So I offered her a bit of parsley, which she took from the safety of her little house. But I feel like that was an improvement.

And during the night last night when I woke up, she was on her wheel and stayed on it and I talked to her briefly. Thanks for the tip re no full clean for a month. She does have a hamster toilet but she seems to have put a bit of poop here and there around the cage, I guess she is marking her territory, spreading her scent etc. She is so adorable.

So far she has been here, well this is her 4th night.

Artisans_uk · 10-24-2015, 02:27 PM

That's certainly progress, congratulations. Seems like you're doing all the right things for Flora to gain her confidence. Lovely name by the way.

She'll use her toilet for wees mainly as they tend to favour one particular place but you'll find droppings throughout the cage, they are less fussy about that. You can clean out the litter tray a couple of times a week, depending on usage and then spot clean around the cage as necessary.

When you do clean her cage, don't replace all the substrate, as you get rid of her smell if you do. Just throw away the bits that are messy and then top up with fresh. When you clean her toys and the cage, it's only necessary to use water and a cloth, don't use detergents as that also removes her scent and they are usually quite strong in scent and of course chemicals.

By the sounds of things, Flora will be making steady progress.

AlbaFlora · 10-24-2015, 02:35 PM

At the moment I have her on wood shavings/sawdust, but when the rescue ppl dropped her off, they suggested changing to another type of bedding like wood pulp or something as it is hypoallergenic. But it sounds like it would be better to wait a while before making the switch. Maybe I can top up with new stuff and eventually it will all end up being new stuff. Rather than doing one big switch. Should I do the spot cleaning during the day when she is sleeping? It was so nice to see her this evening. Don't usually get to see her until during the night when I wake up to go to the loo. I think it's because I was out so she had the place to herself!

Tazius · 10-24-2015, 08:23 PM

Hi!! I'm new here too, I got my Syrian Faolan almost a week ago

As everyone said, don't worry too much. I've had some nervy hamsters in the past that I tried to rush contact with but they all turned out fine as long as you follow the advice given here. I find that softly talking to them and giving them the tissue is a really old way to get them familiar with you without you having any bodily contact yet

cypher · 10-24-2015, 10:40 PM

I'd do the spot cleaning while she's asleep to begin with, she may wake up & come out to see what you're up to & if she seems happy enough about it it may help with her getting more used to her, if it seems to be disturbing her just stop & have another go later.
She's certainly progressing already so you probably won't mind too much!

AlbaFlora · 10-25-2015, 02:06 PM

Good news!!! She is out and about this evening AND I AM STILL AWAKE AND IN THE ROOM!!

She is on her wheel currently. She was when I came back into the room from the bath, and she didn't directly run away when I came back. Since I have been back in the room, she has been on her wheel, she has climbed the bars of the cage a bit and she has ben on her rope ladder/swing set. So lovely to see her out and about rather than hiding. Of course I haven't tried to pick her up or anything. Just want her to be comfortable out and about.