nervous hamster

[Snippysnips]

Would someone be able to start a nervous hamster in the advice and a colouring in the off topic it they are allowed please, thanks

Thanks for posting this for me

Wondering if anyone has experience on hamsters, I had a little guy for almost two years, a Russian dwarf an honestly was spoilt with him, he was so great, I lost him an after a while started to miss having a little guy around, he had been the first in years so I don't have a huge deal of experience

Now I have a syrian, he's around 12ish weeks an I've had him since 8 weeks, he's a black bear breed an I've been told they are the friendliest breed to have an very laid back, my problem is his behaviour seems to contradict him, he is completely fine being petted, will even sit there totally happy, he streatchs an yawns about his cage which I've been told is a sign of being comfortably, however he freaks out at EVERYTHING in his cage, walks past his wheel an freaks, walks past his tunnel an freaks, like everything spooks him, I also can't hold him as he's freaking being picked up, does anyone know what could be causing this? I had thought by now with daily interactions he wouldn't be as nervous as he seems to be an would be a bit more settled

 

[lozzapaloozza]

Would someone be able to start a nervous hamster in the advice and a colouring in the off topic it they are allowed please, thanks

Thanks for posting this for me

Wondering if anyone has experience on hamsters, I had a little guy for almost two years, a Russian dwarf an honestly was spoilt with him, he was so great, I lost him an after a while started to miss having a little guy around, he had been the first in years so I don't have a huge deal of experience

Now I have a syrian, he's around 12ish weeks an I've had him since 8 weeks, he's a black bear breed an I've been told they are the friendliest breed to have an very laid back, my problem is his behaviour seems to contradict him, he is completely fine being petted, will even sit there totally happy, he streatchs an yawns about his cage which I've been told is a sign of being comfortably, however he freaks out at EVERYTHING in his cage, walks past his wheel an freaks, walks past his tunnel an freaks, like everything spooks him, I also can't hold him as he's freaking being picked up, does anyone know what could be causing this? I had thought by now with daily interactions he wouldn't be as nervous as he seems to be an would be a bit more settled

Oh bless him. You’ve had him a month or so? I can’t remember how long it took my Syrian to completely settle but we had to put a lot of effort in for a while to get her to be comfortable being held. I would carry on with the daily interactions and talk to him when you’re in the room or near his cage. Maybe introduce some treats whilst petting him so he knows that it’s a positive thing? You could even place treats on his wheel and in his tunnel so he knows they aren’t scary. You could put some extra bedding in his wheel and tunnel so that he can interact with them and that will get him used to being around them. You could place treats in the palm of your hand and let him take them from you, then when he’s used to that try letting him sit in your hand (don’t pick him up yet - let him get used to it), then you could try holding him (no petting) and then eventually hold him with petting. It will take time but you’re already doing great. Make sure he has plenty of space. Does he go in his exercise ball okay? Hopefully this helps and let me know how he gets on

I love your avatar by the way - my Syrian girl looked so similar

 

[Snippysnips]

Thanks, right now I've been letting him take treats from my hand an also letting him smell as well to get used to me scent, my last little guy had no fear I was carrying him about on day 3, I just don't want to be to quick to grab him to pick him up or carry him since he spooks so easily, he seems to be fine with his actual toys/wheel/hidys he has he more spooks as he's walking past them, he's always a ton of bedding as well an his cage is a huge one on two levels with a really deep base for plenty bedding to burrow, I had looked up the min size cage requirements an got a cage slightly bigger, I haven't had him in a ball just yet for fear maybe he's not ready for it an it might cause more stress

And thanks lol, I love that little image, although my guy is jet black with huge bat ears lol

 

[lozzapaloozza]

Thanks, right now I've been letting him take treats from my hand an also letting him smell as well to get used to me scent, my last little guy had no fear I was carrying him about on day 3, I just don't want to be to quick to grab him to pick him up or carry him since he spooks so easily, he seems to be fine with his actual toys/wheel/hidys he has he more spooks as he's walking past them, he's always a ton of bedding as well an his cage is a huge one on two levels with a really deep base for plenty bedding to burrow, I had looked up the min size cage requirements an got a cage slightly bigger, I haven't had him in a ball just yet for fear maybe he's not ready for it an it might cause more stress

And thanks lol, I love that little image, although my guy is jet black with huge bat ears lol

He sounds adorable! I agree they’re all so different, my first hamster was a Roborovski and she wanted to be held as soon as we got her and never bit me, but with my Syrian she made me work for her love and loved to nibble my fingers I do think that’s just their personalities and so your boy might just be that way inclined! Maybe he forgets they’re there, how cute I’m sure soon enough he will settle and he sounds incredibly happy!

The meme is great, isn’t it?

 

[Snippysnips]

I had been thinking about a roborovski but had never ever had one before and the pet shop said they were more just for looking at being so tiny an fast, I probably should have looked into it more since pet shops arnt always the greatest of advisers but ended up getting the syrian instead, I couldn't get another Russian cause they all looked so much like my last little guy an I wasn't quite ready to have a look a like

I hope he is happy even though he seems really nervous, I'll continue what am doing an see if by next month theres a difference in him, just out of curiosity how often was your syrian up? Mine seems to be very mostly night and no day, my Russian was a nap both day an night so he could be up both day an night

Yeah I love the meme that face

 

[lozzapaloozza]

You know what I got it wrong, my first was a Russian! It was so long ago I couldn’t remember properly! He’s just getting settled into his new home and I’m sure soon enough he will be fine! My Syrian would be awake between 7PM-7AM roughly and she’d wake up in the middle of the day a few times. She was so smart, she could hear us opening the front door and when you’d go into the living room she’d be stood up on her back legs waiting to say hello My Russian was also the same! You’re making me want another but I don’t think I could deal with the heartbreak of losing them!

 

[Snippysnips]

Ah no worries, was going ask what it was like having a little roborovski, yeah years ago as a kid it was a Russian I had so I know more about them than the Syrians, he's my first, I've tried to keep watch at all times of the day to see if he will get up but he seems to be mostly around 9pm to 6am an never gets up during the day, I don't want to wake him either by moving his hidy just to get him up

 

[Bleurghgram]

My boy is 2 and a half and is so skittish even now, it’s just part of his personality. He barely tolerates being handled so I put his ball in his cage and he walks into it, then carry him to the sofa and let him crawl out onto me.

He’s definitely a nightowl, especially now he’s an old man. To get him out I have to stay up quite late. When he was young I tried to force him into a routine of coming out at 8/9pm so I could see him but I realised it wasn’t fair and left him to it.

I’ve noticed this morning he has a lump growing between his front legs such a short lifespan for such lovely little things. I’m not ready

 

[lozzapaloozza]

My boy is 2 and a half and is so skittish even now, it’s just part of his personality. He barely tolerates being handled so I put his ball in his cage and he walks into it, then carry him to the sofa and let him crawl out onto me.

He’s definitely a nightowl, especially now he’s an old man. To get him out I have to stay up quite late. When he was young I tried to force him into a routine of coming out at 8/9pm so I could see him but I realised it wasn’t fair and left him to it.

I’ve noticed this morning he has a lump growing between his front legs such a short lifespan for such lovely little things. I’m not ready

Oh no, have you spoken to a vet? It’s heartbreaking how little time we have with them but then I always think it’s so special to be able to give them such a happy life, compared to being stuck in somewhere like Pets At Home

 

[Snippysnips]

If it his nature is skittish then it doesn't bother me, I was more worried I was doing somthing that was perhaps making it worse or keeping him skittish, he seems quite happy just being petted in the cage

That's a shame, my last little guy had a lump growing on his leg, we spoke with the vets but his old age wasn't recommended an the lump never ever bothered him, he still ran round that wheel at 90mph so we just left him be

 

[ElectricDreams]

My Syrian is a year old, he's very skittish too, he'll backflip across the cage if you startle him. He's friendly enough when I get him out but he's very difficult to tempt out of his cage, he won't climb out on his own, and when he is out he spend most of his time trying to get back in

He sleeps a lot... If he gets up at night it must be in the early hours because I never see him. He'll get up a couple of times in the evening for a wee, a drink and some food then go back to his coconut house. I know he does get up because I can see he's peed on his flying saucer wheel and chewed on his chew toys.

I just have to take the affection from him where I can get it

 

[Snippysnips]

Lol that's cute

I don't mind too much if he's going be a late guy since am usually up late night anyway was just concerned since I was so used to me last guy being both day an night even though he was mostly a night guy too, was wondering if it was normal for them to sleep so much

I tried to see if he would come onto my arm last night, he has a second floor so I put my arm under his floor an tried to tempt him with treats, he would go so far an then it would be a out right nope, he does seem to be getting a little better with mot freaking out his stuff is there, am trying to keep it in the same places for him, my last I moved everything around since he was always exploring but I feel maybe it's best to keep things in the same place for this little guy

Is it normal for Syrians to bite bars as well? I know they say cage frustration is the biggest cause for biting bars since most cages out pet shops are tiny, but his cage is huge an he definitely does not seem to be happy outside it, his teeth look fine as well an he's a ton of chews I know he's using

 

[ElectricDreams]

Lol that's cute

I don't mind too much if he's going be a late guy since am usually up late night anyway was just concerned since I was so used to me last guy being both day an night even though he was mostly a night guy too, was wondering if it was normal for them to sleep so much

I tried to see if he would come onto my arm last night, he has a second floor so I put my arm under his floor an tried to tempt him with treats, he would go so far an then it would be a out right nope, he does seem to be getting a little better with mot freaking out his stuff is there, am trying to keep it in the same places for him, my last I moved everything around since he was always exploring but I feel maybe it's best to keep things in the same place for this little guy

Is it normal for Syrians to bite bars as well? I know they say cage frustration is the biggest cause for biting bars since most cages out pet shops are tiny, but his cage is huge an he definitely does not seem to be happy outside it, his teeth look fine as well an he's a ton of chews I know he's using

All my Syrians have been bar chewers to some degree, and I don't know if it's boredom? My current one doesn't really do it (to my knowledge anyway ) but he has plenty of different things in there to stimulate him so I think he chews on those instead. He once chewed through the rope that was holding his coconut house up and out dropped to the bottom of the cage while he was in it! That really didn't help his jumpiness!

 

[Snippysnips]

I wasn't sure what was causing it, kept buying him toys an hidys incause it was boredom, he gets out to run around as well but really seems to hate that so am stuck between keeping him in since he seems happy an taking him out cause I feel bad he's in all the time, at least I know now maybe it's just their nature lol, he's not in the bedroom so it doesn't bother me if he does it

 

[ElectricDreams]

I wasn't sure what was causing it, kept buying him toys an hidys incause it was boredom, he gets out to run around as well but really seems to hate that so am stuck between keeping him in since he seems happy an taking him out cause I feel bad he's in all the time, at least I know now maybe it's just their nature lol, he's not in the bedroom so it doesn't bother me if he does it

My previous hamster used to love to forage so I would hide food all over the cage and inside this big woven chew thing, she'd keep occupied for ages trying to find it. Current hamster is lazy and would prefer me to handfeed him in bed than go find it for himself

 

[Snippysnips]

My previous hamster used to love to forage so I would hide food all over the cage and inside this big woven chew thing, she'd keep occupied for ages trying to find it. Current hamster is lazy and would prefer me to handfeed him in bed than go find it for himself

I don't think mines is too lazy, but he's not super active either, his wheel isn't used as much as my last, I do a bit of both with hiding food to encourage him to forage an some in his dish to make sure he's definitely getting somthing incause he's not trying to go out an look for it

 

[lozzapaloozza]

My Syrian used to chew the bars also! I ended up buying two cages and connecting them together so she had enough room and more. I got her lots of toys, treats, she went in her exercise ball every day, had cuddles every day and would run around my entire house all the time - supervised of course! But she would still chew the bars! I think she did it because she wanted to get out and run around like a mad woman

 

[Snippysnips]

Lol, it's good to know that perhaps it's their nature, my last little guy never chewed once, he only seems to chew the one spot as well like he's not going round the whole cage so maybe he wants to use it as another chew lol

Thought I'd share a pic of my little guy, his name is orso which means bear, he's quite a alert little guy

 

[ElectricDreams]

My Syrian used to chew the bars also! I ended up buying two cages and connecting them together so she had enough room and more. I got her lots of toys, treats, she went in her exercise ball every day, had cuddles every day and would run around my entire house all the time - supervised of course! But she would still chew the bars! I think she did it because she wanted to get out and run around like a mad woman

I love this idea! I don't have the floor space to do it at the moment but when I do I'd definitely do this. I'd really like to have one of those IKEA units that some people use as a cage but that would need a room of it's own!

Lol, it's good to know that perhaps it's their nature, my last little guy never chewed once, he only seems to chew the one spot as well like he's not going round the whole cage so maybe he wants to use it as another chew lol

Thought I'd share a pic of my little guy, his name is orso which means bear, he's quite a alert little guy View attachment 808564

He's adorable!

 

[Snippysnips]

Thanks

I've seen a lot of those diy cages on YouTube where they take storage tubs an convert them, always thought about giving one of those a go