Nibbles - 5 wks old

sy278 · 01-19-2009, 02:32 AM

We just bought our first Hamster (A syrian male) on Saturday for our 6 year old, and he has named him Nibbles.

Nibbles has a Peggy Metro cage, when we first put him into it on Saturday he quickly established a bed in the wee house that comes with it, and was enjoying playing in his sand box. However on Saturday night he took all his bedding and apparently all his food up into the tubes.

I read on here that they its not good for them to nest in the tubes, so I removed the access tubes and cleaned them out to force him to nest elsewhere, it took him about 3 seconds to stand on his hind legs an d pull himself back up into the tubes ( I had only removed the access tubes within the cage and not the outer part.) so I got him back out and have now sealed them with plastic plates that I have tied in place to the bars of the cage with wire.

He seemed a little distressed last night after I sealed the tubes (so now keeping a close eye on him for signs of wet tail) but this morning seems to have set up bed in the wee house again.

Nibbles is 5 weeks old and the woman in the pet shop said we shouldn't try to handle him for another couple of weeks, though putting our hand in to feed him treats would help him get used to us. He has already let me stroke his back so seems to be getting used to us.

Would you more experienced folk here agree with the pet shop that we should longer before handling him? I don't want to leave it too long and have him get too much older making it harder to tame him.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I'll try to post pics of him later today.

haziebabie · 01-19-2009, 03:18 AM

Sounds like Nibbles is settling in already. I think you have done the right thing with the tubes, hopefully in a while you can remove the plates and Nibbles will stay put!

I would say 2 weeks is too long. Starting today should be fine. There are some taming tips on the Wiki I think, not read them myself but something to do with the bath

no water though!! If Nibbles is allowing you to stroke him and is taking treats that's a good start. When I bought my pet shop hamster I used to get her out at first using her ball and then the kids and I (boy of 6, girl of 3) would lock ourselves in the dining room and let Mavis wander around and come to us of her own accord. She would climb over us and we just starting picking her up more and more. We also have a playbox with toys and we all sit around it and have turns for a cuddle. I think they say little and often with a new hanster, just 10 mins or so a time. The kids weren't confident to start with so the hamsters just got put in their laps for a climb and I did the carrying. Now she is beautifully tame.

Good luck, I am sure Nibbles will be cuddly very soon.

souffle · 01-19-2009, 05:05 AM

Have answered this in your other post so hope that will be helpful.

sy278 · 01-19-2009, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haziebabie

Sounds like Nibbles is settling in already. I think you have done the right thing with the tubes, hopefully in a while you can remove the plates and Nibbles will stay put!

I would say 2 weeks is too long. Starting today should be fine. There are some taming tips on the Wiki I think, not read them myself but something to do with the bath

no water though!! If Nibbles is allowing you to stroke him and is taking treats that's a good start. When I bought my pet shop hamster I used to get her out at first using her ball and then the kids and I (boy of 6, girl of 3) would lock ourselves in the dining room and let Mavis wander around and come to us of her own accord. She would climb over us and we just starting picking her up more and more. We also have a playbox with toys and we all sit around it and have turns for a cuddle. I think they say little and often with a new hanster, just 10 mins or so a time. The kids weren't confident to start with so the hamsters just got put in their laps for a climb and I did the carrying. Now she is beautifully tame.

Good luck, I am sure Nibbles will be cuddly very soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

I disagree with the pet shop lady. We have bred and tamed many hamsters and two weeks is too long. I would start handling after two days. Look on the WIKI at our 'Taming Tips' article. To get him out either wait till you see him up and about and quickly stuff a sock or something in the tube entrance so he cannot shoot up there or take off the tube and put it under a cloth or something. Maybe in the dry bath so he cannot escape. They usually come out in the dark! You could likely tempt him ot with a teaspoon of babyfood. Ours adore the Hipp turkey, vegetable and cranberry jar! Just a wee teaspoon though every second day in a pringles lid is enough. I am not sure how you block the gaps but I have seen end pieces you can buy to fit over if you take the tubes off. I really would avoid the tubes with untame babies untill they are fully settled and tame and confident.
With our baby hamsters we handle them as soon as their eyes open so they are nice and tame when they go to their new homes however most pet shop hammies have never been handled so can take longer to settle.
Good luck and start taming now. It is good to get in the bath (dry) to handle as if he jumps away you will not lose him.

Thanks both of you, I was pretty certain two weeks was too long to wait.

Will start trying with him tonight after work.

haziebabie · 01-19-2009, 06:29 AM

Good luck!

sy278 · 01-19-2009, 07:17 AM

Here's a few pics of Nibbles, If anyone can confirm his coat/colour it would be nice to know.

Larger images and a few more by clicking here.

chase · 01-19-2009, 10:45 AM

Nibbles looks like he's settled in already. He looks more of a golden banded to me but I am no expert on colours. Good luck with the taming.

haziebabie · 01-19-2009, 02:30 PM

Nibbles look very very cute!! Don't know anything about colours really....sorry!

souffle · 01-20-2009, 05:10 AM

He is not a Golden Band chase as Goldens have black eyes.
I would say that Nibbles is a Cinnamon Satin Banded hamster. I think I can just see a greyish undercoat in some pics. If you blow his fur up is it sort of grey underneath?
If it is not grey and is the same colour all the way to the roots then he is a red eyed cream satin banded or possibly a mink banded though I don't think he is mink. The colours dvelop more as he gets older. Is he very shiney as he does look satin?
He is lovely

sy278 · 01-20-2009, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

He is not a Golden Band chase as Goldens have black eyes.
I would say that Nibbles is a Cinnamon Satin Banded hamster. I think I can just see a greyish undercoat in some pics. If you blow his fur up is it sort of grey underneath?
If it is not grey and is the same colour all the way to the roots then he is a red eyed cream satin banded or possibly a mink banded though I don't think he is mink. The colours dvelop more as he gets older. Is he very shiney as he does look satin?
He is lovely

I'll need to to check under his coat, but his eyes are black, just my crappy camera that allowed red-eye.