Clover
- Thread starter Doro
- Start date
E
elusive
Lovely photo of Clover.
- Messages
- 19,487
- Reaction score
- 36,617
- Points
- 1,373
He is a very beautiful hamster. And at 2.5 months old he is still a baby 
Because he was so young when you got him, he could take longer to get into a routine and taming as he's behaving like a baby hamster still. To be honest I think it's fairly normal for hamsters to chew at the corner of playpens to get out. I also put them back in the cage if that's all they're doing in there. Do you have a wheel or flying saucer in the playpen? I find that helps. But their main mission seems to be to want to get out of the playpen! What does his cage set up look like now? Just wondering if there's anything that could be tweaked so he doesn't bar chew (although I get he's doing it to tell you he wants to come out).
He will just be super bouncy and speedy at this age, and a little bit of a stroke each day will slowly help, while he's out. Have you tried just having some food in the palm of your hand and then having your hand flat on the floor of the playpen? So he eats from your hand and gradually starts to step onto your hand to eat?
I agree it's better not to have him free roaming yet - or until you come back from being away. He will just be harder to tame. You could maybe try some bathtub taming as well? A change from the playpen. But you need something secure to carry him there in.
Because he was so young when you got him, he could take longer to get into a routine and taming as he's behaving like a baby hamster still. To be honest I think it's fairly normal for hamsters to chew at the corner of playpens to get out. I also put them back in the cage if that's all they're doing in there. Do you have a wheel or flying saucer in the playpen? I find that helps. But their main mission seems to be to want to get out of the playpen! What does his cage set up look like now? Just wondering if there's anything that could be tweaked so he doesn't bar chew (although I get he's doing it to tell you he wants to come out).He will just be super bouncy and speedy at this age, and a little bit of a stroke each day will slowly help, while he's out. Have you tried just having some food in the palm of your hand and then having your hand flat on the floor of the playpen? So he eats from your hand and gradually starts to step onto your hand to eat?
I agree it's better not to have him free roaming yet - or until you come back from being away. He will just be harder to tame. You could maybe try some bathtub taming as well? A change from the playpen. But you need something secure to carry him there in.
Last edited:
Hello everyone!! I realised I haven’t written about Clover in almost three months! There is lots to tell… first and most importantly, Clover seems well and happy - though still not fully tamed. The reason I’m saying “seems” is that we ended up having a housesitter for our 6 week vacation over the summer - you guys might remember the discussion here. Unfortunately that turned out to be a disaster, not to be repeated. The guy despite good references, despite seeming very likeable and despite emphasising he had experience looking after hamsters ended up totally neglecting the house (it was disgusting), overfeeding the fish and neglecting the fish tank, not doing any gardening, and eating all of our food!!! So never again. The one good thing is that he seems to have looked after Clover and followed instructions. I’m sceptical that Clover ended up getting fresh vegetables every day as the sitter seemed to have mainly lived on staples he found in our house. When we came home the hamsters water bottles were nearly empty (both of them!) and there was a large bowl with far too much food in the cage. So that makes me think that he didn’t really look after him. But Clover looks really well and is friendly and curious and doesn’t seem to be in the least stressed. So that makes me think it was ok. We also got videos from the sitter where Clover is in the play pen ans eating treats from the sitters hand. He’s happy to come out and play. Are there any other signs of neglect I need to be looking out for?? He’s now absolutely enormous but doesn’t look overweight. He’s very agile - he’s actually trying to JUMP out of the play pen! He settled on top of the biggest box in the middle, aims and then jumps - and actually manages to hold on to the rim of the pen and topple over it! So one really needs to watch out…
I’ve got a few questions. One is about the nest. Clover uses the litter tray in the nest to hoard some of his food and pee on it. There’s other food in the nest as well so am not sure it’s his actual hoard. The nest is generally a bit smelly, though am not sure whether it’s pee or just a hamsters nests smell…? Should I maybe try and put the litter tray out of the nest. He never seemed to have used any other parts in his cage to pee. Give that the nest seems a bit smelly am also wondering whether I should clean it out (most of it). I know this is not recommended but as said am unsure whether he actually pees in it. But maybe I should wait a bit given he needs to get used to us being back first again (though as said before he doesn’t seem stressed and seems happy to be around us)? I’ve so far never cleaned the nest other than removing some small smelly bits.
The other question is about taming. Clover is now 5 months old but still not hand tame. He doesn’t mind being stroked and fed if you give him sth, but he still shies away from our hands when we put it flat in the play pen (he doesn’t take a treat if it’s on the open palm, just if he can take it from our fingers without coming onto the hand). The other day my son caught him from going over the play pen and he seemed ok on the hand but he would come there voluntarily. Should I do anything specific to support the taming or do I just need to be patient? I used to go into the play pen with him but there’s not much space and given his ability I worry he might simply use me to climb over the edge within seconds. I’m still thinking about letting him free roam but as said he’s not tame yet, and also he seems quite happy in the play pen (other than the occasional attempt to jump out ).
).Last, when do you guys make changes to the cage set up? Everything I have in the cage (including all of the cardboard boxes) has been there from the start. I wonder whether it would be good to replace or add some things to make the cage newly exciting for Clover - but I know that changing things in the cage can also be stressful? He seems happy in it, there are no signs of boredom, but I was wondering whether you do change things occasionally.
- Messages
- 19,487
- Reaction score
- 36,617
- Points
- 1,373
Hi there. Glad all was ok when you got back. Right now I’d give it a bit of time for Clover to get used to you all again. How long have you been back? Raffy (my Syrian) used to do exactly that - climb on something in the playpen, jump, hang on the sides and climb over. I had to just remove the item he was climbing on and it stopped that.
What else does he have in the playpen? I added a flying saucer as well as a wheel and he loved that and it kept him happy (needs to be 12”).
I’ve also had the experience of coming back from holiday after 10 days away and the hamster no longer tame with us - he had got used to someone else. It takes time for them to adjust again.
So basically I think you need to start taming all over again. Just for a couple of weeks.
If he’s owed on food in the potty you’ll need to tip it all out, clean it, put new sand in then I put a handful of new food back next to the potty - to show him where to put it! You might need to do thdt more than once but sometimes it starts to work.
If the nest is smelly (is it wet?) then maybe remove some of it but leave some behind that’s dry and put a big pile of new nesting material out near his house so he can rebuild it.
Maybe go that first and leave any cage changes for a week or two.
What else does he have in the playpen? I added a flying saucer as well as a wheel and he loved that and it kept him happy (needs to be 12”).
I’ve also had the experience of coming back from holiday after 10 days away and the hamster no longer tame with us - he had got used to someone else. It takes time for them to adjust again.
So basically I think you need to start taming all over again. Just for a couple of weeks.
If he’s owed on food in the potty you’ll need to tip it all out, clean it, put new sand in then I put a handful of new food back next to the potty - to show him where to put it! You might need to do thdt more than once but sometimes it starts to work.
If the nest is smelly (is it wet?) then maybe remove some of it but leave some behind that’s dry and put a big pile of new nesting material out near his house so he can rebuild it.
Maybe go that first and leave any cage changes for a week or two.
R
RainbowBrite
Sorry to hear the pet sitter was so awful! I hope the fish are okay after having their tank neglected and being overfed.
Quite a few of our baby fish died. They never all make it and we’re used to that but it’s pretty clear that this time it was neglect and not other factors. But the majority made it - they’re pretty sturdy. But it’s a lot of work now as my husband (who is the fish person in our house) has to reset the whole tank as it’s overgrown with Algae (so new sand, new shells, etc etc). So disappointing.
R
RainbowBrite
Oh no! I hope you report this pet sitter. I really am so sorry for the baby fish passing away and the huge work your husband now has to sort out the tank.
M
Member ID2
I'm glad Clover is alright. If he looks well fed and happy then i wouldn't worry. I don't think that you need to look out for any other signs of neglect.
Not all hamsters climb onto hands. My Syrians don't but i've never asked them to or expected them to either.
I simply pick them up but in a way that they are aware of me. I talk to them and face them at first or place them onto my lap via a taxi and pick them up from there until they get used to it.
Not all hamsters climb onto hands. My Syrians don't but i've never asked them to or expected them to either.
I simply pick them up but in a way that they are aware of me. I talk to them and face them at first or place them onto my lap via a taxi and pick them up from there until they get used to it.
- Messages
- 23
- Reaction score
- 61
- Points
- 543
He's a baby!He’s now 2.5 months old
- Messages
- 23
- Reaction score
- 61
- Points
- 543
Same. My Syrians climb on once in awhile when I have food, but not often. Cinnamon is about 7 months old now (I think he was about 2 months when we adopted him, but not completely certain). He stays on my hands calmly for a few seconds now before wanting to move. Longer if I am cupping his back. I have definitely seen a shift in comfort with cuddles recently after 5 months of having our Syrian... and he's a shy boy in terms of personality.
Clover did not come out of the cage for three days now - it got later and later with him waking up, three days ago it was 11pm (while previously it used to be 10). The following night I just couldn’t stay up that late I was so tired so went to bed prior to him coming out (my bedtime is usually 10.30 so I really struggle staying up that late just to take Clover out). Then last night he got up at 11 but when I opened the cage and showed him his normal tube to come out, he just looked at me and went back into his house. I waited another 10 min but he did not appear again. And tonight again no sign and it’s now 11pm, I really need to go to bed. He is clearly active at night and he eats normally - do I have to be worried? I read somewhere that hamsters can go through phases with wanting to come out. Or is it a late bout of anxiety over us being back in the house after having been away that long? But we’ve been back for a week now and he’s always been happy to come out and play so far, just the last three nights we’re different.
Playing in the cage I mean.
