Dandelion

[Madison]

Hello,

I went to a pet shop today and a lovely little hamster was looking at me, I feel very bad for them in pet shops! I have had them before as a child,

When she was in her cage earlier she literally jumped at me squeaking! I have never seen a hamster do this! Is this aggressive behaviour? I am assuming I scared her - I was just holding my hand in there however I did have the flash on my phone!

Does anybody have any taming tips, I assume the handling she has experienced is little, I am not no longer a fearless child! Those teeth are big! - I currently have a hedgehog, spines are much less scary than teeth!

Should I let her get herself into a box and lift her out that way, I’m not going too today, I will try and look at her again tomorrow, she is very cute I must say.

I’m going to put my hand in again in a little bit, I haven’t touched her nor am I going too, I have mealworms I have chucked around in her home for her to forage - is feeding her from my hand a bad idea? Will she associate my fingers with food and bite me? - life with a hedgehog is all about smells, I must use the same soap before holding her and never hand feed her - is this the same for a hamster?

Any advise would be great, anything at all! I know the basics abo it food and water and vitamins, a large home with a wheel and things to chew, it’s more the taming and handling side I am not sure on (seems obvious but I do not want to upset her) - i am going to try bath bonding time like I did with my hedgehog.

She is apparently around 8 weeks old, I am assuming the younger they are the more of a chance I get of taming her. I am very excited! Also any DIY ideas I would love, I spent a fortune on beds and snuggly sacks for my hedgehog, only for her to love an Amazon box!

Thanks a lot!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It is best not to even try to attempt to hold your hamster this soon. I understand you want to bond with her but she has not settled in yet and will be very nervous.

I would not attempt to put your hand in her cage until she has settled in. A big human hand will be frightening to her until she gets to know you.

Always washing your hands before handling her food is perfect.

It is lovely you are so excited but bare in mind some hamsters do not like being handled. Many prefer to do their own thing and once tame can be interacted with on their own terms.

Hamsters do not need any added vitamins so you do not have to worry about that. If you post what food you bought then members can advise you.

It would also be great to see a picture of her set up.


It is lovely to have you on here and I hope I have not put a downer on your excitement by my post.

 

[Member ID2]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

yes, Dandelion needs time to settle in and get comfortable in her new home.

Best to leave her alone for a week or so and only talk to her gently so she gets familiar with your voice.
You could put some tissue paper or sheets of plain white toilet paper up your sleeve for a few hours and then tear it into strips to give your hamster for nesting material so she gets used to your scent.

If you have a barred cage, you could offer her treats through the bars. Is she a Syrian or dwarf hamster?

Personally, i don't ever use the flash to take photos of my hamsters and wait until they are more relaxed before taking photos.

Have a look on the Home page. There is a very good article on Taming to read in the meantime.

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome to you and Dandelion I really love the name Dandelion! At eight weeks old she is just a baby and easily scared - that's probably why she squeaked. Also for the first few days they need to settle into their cage, get into a routine, and they will scent mark everything. This is partly to help find their way around as they don't see well. so they leave scent trails. It's also partly to claim it as their territory so they feel secure.

After a few days she should have decided where to build a nest and started feeling more at home. So it's quite important not to start disturbing things or cleaning her out. They need the first two weeks to build confidence in the cage. After 10 days to 2 weeks you should see her acting more confidently.

Best to start with talking to her through the cage and offering the odd treat through the bars (if you have bars) or mesh - so she starts to get to know you and get used to your voice and scent. It's all about building up trust.

Do you have a photo of her or know which species of Hamster she is?

This is the taming article. It can be very frustrating when you have a new hamster and want to pick them up, but it takes time and patience. Hamsters are not biters naturally. It's usually only if they're frightened (ie if someone handled them a bit roughly) or if they are in pain. Sometimes they will give you a very gentle nip that doesn't hurt - just to let you know they don't like something (ie holding them up in the air!) which is not a good idea anyway! They might jump.

How to tame a hamster

Hand taming a hamster can make life with your hamster very rewarding. Suddenly they will sit on you to be stroked or even go to sleep on you, and will be very easy to handle. It can take a bit of time and patience initially.

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Maz]

Keep coming on here and updating us! Yes it sounds like you're doing all the right things. I agree about not giving vitamins. It isn't necessary if their hamster mix has the right ingredients and quantities. Which hamster mix are you using? Plus they really like a bit of fresh veg each day. At first only give it about two or three times a week or they can get diarrhoea if they're not used to it. So their digestive system adjusts. After a couple of weeks it's fine to give a tiny bit daily - kind of thumbnail sized. They tend to eat all of it if it's a tiny piece. Any more than that and it might get hoarded somewhere and go off. With vitamins especially it's not good to put them in the hamster's water as it can put them off drinking and they need their water!

Looking forward to meeting your new hammy!

 

[Riven]

Welcome to the forum Madison and Dandelion. Wow, exciting times! I agree with the above. The only thing I'll disagree with is feeding through the bars (sorry Beryl). This is down to my own experience that they tend to nip at anything poking through or near the bars and it doesn't matter if that's a curtain, some clothing or a finger.

When it's time for taming, you may want to put on some thick gardening gloves if you're nervous. I've only been bitten (when I refer to bite, I mean draw blood) by Syrian hamsters and that's only happened twice. The first time was completely my fault as I woke him up, and the second was from another hamster just before she had a seizure. While not pleasant it's not the worst pain imaginable. But if you're worried, there's nothing wrong with having a pair of thick gardening gloves to help build confidence.

I can't wait to see little Dandelion and I'm rather interested in hearing about your hedgie (she too can have her own thread over in the 'other pets' section).

Regarding the squeaking that's normally done of they're frightened or in pain. Considering she's so new, everything is scary for her so it's probably fear based. With time that should resolve.

 

[Maz]

Pumpkin seeds work quite well through bars You keep your fingers on the other side of the bars! I think young hamsters often try and nibble a finger wondering if it's food so yes wash your hands so you don't smell of food! And avoid honey scented or flowery soaps or you might taste edible.

It's tricky as if you're nervous the hamster will be nervous too and you set each other off! Gloves is a great idea for taming initially, so you can be more relaxed and not worry about jumping or dropping her. I've only had to use gloves with one hamster - our current syrian - who had probably been handled roughly before I adopted him as he was very scared of hands and would nip sometimes. He stopped quite quickly but gloves helped me persevere!

For getting her out, a tube can be a good idea or a hamster ball. If a hamster ball fits in the cage you can put a treat in and then pop the lid on when she goes in for the smelly treat (eg cucumber) and lift the ball out and carry it to where you want to let her out for some taming.
Or use a tube. Same idea - a smelly treat at the far end and then when she goes in the tube you put your hands over the ends and lift the tube out and into something (like a high sided box) next to the cage and put the tube down in that. Then carry the box to the taming area. At the moment I would only get her out if she shows signs of wanting to come out (eg coming to the cage door) as it's early days. And only have taming sessions every 2 or 3 days so she can settle in and have a rest in between.

Yes bathtub taming works well for hamsters. I am also intrigued to hear more about your hedgehog!

 

[Madison]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It is best not to even try to attempt to hold your hamster this soon. I understand you want to bond with her but she has not settled in yet and will be very nervous.

I would not attempt to put your hand in her cage until she has settled in. A big human hand will be frightening to her until she gets to know you.

Always washing your hands before handling her food is perfect.

It is lovely you are so excited but bare in mind some hamsters do not like being handled. Many prefer to do their own thing and once tame can be interacted with on their own terms.

Hamsters do not need any added vitamins so you do not have to worry about that. If you post what food you bought then members can advise you.

It would also be great to see a picture of her set up.


It is lovely to have you on here and I hope I have not put a downer on your excitement by my post.

Thankyou all for your replies I am very grateful! I bought her burgess complete nuggets, which I am glad I did as I have learned since getting home that they pick their fave foods from musli and can sometimes lack! I have lots and lots of mealworms for her (I’m sure Cherry blossom the hedgehog loves them more tho), I have used carefresh in her cage and cut her out w little home from a cardboard box my nail tips came in (I have learned my lesson on spending hundreds on small animal beds), she had a multicolour ladder in there which she has taken a shining too, I have a bowl for her to put some sand in for a little bath (I didn’t know about sand baths), a Terry’s chocolate orange box is very interesting to a Syrian hamster it seems! She loves it!, I have lots and lots of old clothes and fleece I cut up into strips for Cherry blossom so I have filled her little house with them and have since scattered lots around on the floor for her to make her own bed after I took the picture, I tipped the bit of sawdust from pet shop for smell: she has a flying saucer wheel!, I am abit cross eith the pet shop as the cage I have seems too small? The lady that worked there told me to get it - It’s fine for now while she is tiny, I have seen ones with big deep spaces under for digging, I can shop around for a new cage I woudknt want to move her yet. I haven’t tried to touch her and I won’t, she is very timid! She has liked listening to me a lot it’s very cute how she stands and stares! She’s eaten a few nuggets, had a few poos! I have put a fluffy sock in that I wore last night for abit of my smell! My boyfriend has a adult hamster and has lots of toys for her, a see saw, a ball, a activity house, a maze hes bringing them for her tomorrow, I took a pic of her best I could without flash and with the little lamp on (assumed she would like it darker) - any cage suggestions I would love too for in a few weeks, I kept her rectangle box from the shop I will use this to pick her up when I try! I’ve learned lots this evening (should have probably researched beforehand but she was far too cute to leave on her own in the sawdust) is there any specific types of brands of stuff for bedding to use thag anyone likes? I’m going to not out her treats in her cage yet as I’m going to use them to get her to like me haha! -

 

[Maz]

Edit - if lifting her out in a tube with your hands over the ends, that's a time to wear some gloves initially. They can push quite hard against your hand and it make you jump and almost let go! I just have some normal gloves - suede ones were thicker but even a pair of wool ones helps.

 

[Madison]

Thankyou all for your replies I am very grateful! I bought her burgess complete nuggets, which I am glad I did as I have learned since getting home that they pick their fave foods from musli and can sometimes lack! I have lots and lots of mealworms for her (I’m sure Cherry blossom the hedgehog loves them more tho), I have used carefresh in her cage and cut her out w little home from a cardboard box my nail tips came in (I have learned my lesson on spending hundreds on small animal beds), she had a multicolour ladder in there which she has taken a shining too, I have a bowl for her to put some sand in for a little bath (I didn’t know about sand baths), a Terry’s chocolate orange box is very interesting to a Syrian hamster it seems! She loves it!, I have lots and lots of old clothes and fleece I cut up into strips for Cherry blossom so I have filled her little house with them and have since scattered lots around on the floor for her to make her own bed after I took the picture, I tipped the bit of sawdust from pet shop for smell: she has a flying saucer wheel!, I am abit cross eith the pet shop as the cage I have seems too small? The lady that worked there told me to get it - It’s fine for now while she is tiny, I have seen ones with big deep spaces under for digging, I can shop around for a new cage I woudknt want to move her yet. I haven’t tried to touch her and I won’t, she is very timid! She has liked listening to me a lot it’s very cute how she stands and stares! She’s eaten a few nuggets, had a few poos! I have put a fluffy sock in that I wore last night for abit of my smell! My boyfriend has a adult hamster and has lots of toys for her, a see saw, a ball, a activity house, a maze hes bringing them for her tomorrow, I took a pic of her best I could without flash and with the little lamp on (assumed she would like it darker) - any cage suggestions I would love too for in a few weeks, I kept her rectangle box from the shop I will use this to pick her up when I try! I’ve learned lots this evening (should have probably researched beforehand but she was far too cute to leave on her own in the sawdust) is there any specific types of brands of stuff for bedding to use thag anyone likes? I’m going to not out her treats in her cage yet as I’m going to use them to get her to like me haha! -

I will post a post about Cherry blossom, she is honestly the most amazing little being! I’ll post plenty of pics of her!

 

[Madison]

My girl

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hamsters are actually best fed muesli and not pellets. Burgess make hay based products which are not suitable for hamsters. It is great you have found us as it can be so hard to know what is best when you are new to hamsters.

I hope she likes the mealworms. I find it is mainly dwarf hamsters who do but she may like them too.

It is best to remove the cloth and rags as with hamsters they are likely to chew them and may ingest them.

A flying saucer is okay for fun but she will need a suitable wheel. I am afraid pet shops just want to sell their products and have no understanding of hamsters. Do not worry though as you will soon learn all about hamsters yourself.

Paper bedding is best. Fitch and kaytee clean and cosy is great for holding burrows. Have a look at the cage thread which will tell you all about suitable cages for Syrian hamsters.

A ball can be used to carry her but I would not use it otherwise. The best way for a hamster to have free roaming time is in a play pen.

Dandelion and Cherry Blossom are both so cute!

 

[Maz]

Thankyou all for your replies I am very grateful! I bought her burgess complete nuggets, which I am glad I did as I have learned since getting home that they pick their fave foods from musli and can sometimes lack! I have lots and lots of mealworms for her (I’m sure Cherry blossom the hedgehog loves them more tho), I have used carefresh in her cage and cut her out w little home from a cardboard box my nail tips came in (I have learned my lesson on spending hundreds on small animal beds), she had a multicolour ladder in there which she has taken a shining too, I have a bowl for her to put some sand in for a little bath (I didn’t know about sand baths), a Terry’s chocolate orange box is very interesting to a Syrian hamster it seems! She loves it!, I have lots and lots of old clothes and fleece I cut up into strips for Cherry blossom so I have filled her little house with them and have since scattered lots around on the floor for her to make her own bed after I took the picture, I tipped the bit of sawdust from pet shop for smell: she has a flying saucer wheel!, I am abit cross eith the pet shop as the cage I have seems too small? The lady that worked there told me to get it - It’s fine for now while she is tiny, I have seen ones with big deep spaces under for digging, I can shop around for a new cage I woudknt want to move her yet. I haven’t tried to touch her and I won’t, she is very timid! She has liked listening to me a lot it’s very cute how she stands and stares! She’s eaten a few nuggets, had a few poos! I have put a fluffy sock in that I wore last night for abit of my smell! My boyfriend has a adult hamster and has lots of toys for her, a see saw, a ball, a activity house, a maze hes bringing them for her tomorrow, I took a pic of her best I could without flash and with the little lamp on (assumed she would like it darker) - any cage suggestions I would love too for in a few weeks, I kept her rectangle box from the shop I will use this to pick her up when I try! I’ve learned lots this evening (should have probably researched beforehand but she was far too cute to leave on her own in the sawdust) is there any specific types of brands of stuff for bedding to use thag anyone likes? I’m going to not out her treats in her cage yet as I’m going to use them to get her to like me haha! -

Ok. A few tips!

Yes it is extremely annoying when a pet shop sells you a cage that's too small - it happens a lot. Was it Pets at Home by any chance as it looks like one of their cages. That one isn't too bad and, as you say you can upgrade her later. But - why should you spend extra money? What many people have done is get another cage and got a refund for the one they were sold - even if it's been used - saying it's unsuitable for the hamster. Pet shops vary on this but I'm aware of people having success with this from Pets at Home.

Agree and great idea to use cardboard boxes! Love the idea of the Terry's Chocolate orange box! I'll have to remember that one.

Food - it's kind of the other way round. The nuggets do contain everything needed but hamsters actually do much better with a muesli mix so they can have normal behaviours of foraging. Yes they pick bits out but they still get a balanced diet. You could maybe mix them for a while and switch over gradually. Just a thought.

You'll probably get a few people warning you about fabric and fluffy things! Hamsters are chewers and are hardwired to find soft things to destroy to line their nest with. Fabrics and fluffy things can be quite dangerous for them if they swallow some of it or get threads wrapped round their teeth, so it's best to stick to conventional beddings and nesting materials. If they sold you any type of fluffy bedding then take it back. It's notorious for causing serious ill health and even deaths.

For nesting material, torn up strips of plain white toilet paper in a pile are safest - and hamsters love them! They pouch them and take them to weave into their nest.

I have actually heard of someone who used chop up fleece in a hamster cage but it's a bit unconventional and personally I wouldn't risk it.

None of this is intended to criticize by the way! Just to warn you, because pet shops don't give very good advice sometimes!

 

[Maz]

My girl

She is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[Riven]

It's ok. Sometimes a smaller cage at the beginning can be beneficial for taming and also for observing her for signs of illness. Long term, that cage is too small which you are aware. Flying saucers from pet shops are typically 8" so this will need to be upgraded sooner rather than later. For adult syrians the smallest you'd want to go is 11".

But let's talk about the here and now. I'd fill the base up with bedding. Hamsters burrow and deep bedding will allow this. In barred cages I like to put a sheet of cardboard against the bars so you can make a section much deeper.

I'd add a few more hides, boxes and cardboard tubes are fine. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. I'm not sure about the shredded cloth. Hamsters pouch material so you want to make sure it's safe for them to ingest. Personally I'd replace it with shredded unscented toilet paper.

Carefresh is ok to use but you may find it expensive in the long run especially with bigger cages. Fitch and megazorb hold burrows well and come in large bags (10-20kg) the only problem is storing it although fitch do sell a smaller 4kg bag.

I have also used hemp substrate which is cheaper in equine/livestock stores. Again this comes in large bags so storage may be an issue and you'd need to mix hemp with another substrate like hay, paper bedding or megazorb to hold burrows.

Unfortunately pet shops don't really know/care about good hamster care (or other animals they sell for that matter) and at one point or another we all find out that something we have isn't ideal (or even dangerous!). It has happened to us all and will happen again. It's great that you're here and wanting to do your best for Dandelion. She's so lucky to have you. We will help guide you and answer any questions you may have for as long as you may need.

 

[Riven]

My girl

African pygmy hedgehog? She's so stinking cute!!

 

[Maz]

She really is cute isn't she. Oh yes believe me I had everything wrong with our first hamster! I bought a 3 tier rotostak cage (the hamster got cage rage and then stuck in a tube!). Hardly any bedding. And then just to make it worse, when I found out his cage was too small and bought a bigger one, I moved him cold turkey and thought he was going to die of fright! He literally sat and shook for a week - I felt terrible.

So as and when you do upgrade the cage, check on here first! There's a way of doing it that reduces the stress for them.

Wheels - you'd get away with an 8" upright wheel until she gets a bit bigger but a 7" flying saucer is too small unfortunately - she won't be able to run on it properly.

But as a starter set up it's fine! Except for the fluffy sock! And possibly the fabric.

 

[Madison]

Thankyou guys I really appreciate all the help! The lady in the pet shop does all these things for her own hamster which is abit concerning, I don’t think she has lied to me I genuinely think she has told me what she thinks is best! - I have taken her fleece and material out, she didn’t jump about or squeak I did it very slowly, she loves the loo roll all ready (who knew) - in terms of food swapping to Musli over time will be no problem, I assumed nuggets would be best, the whole thing is basically loo roll now and she is living her best life! (Shame on the cage size) - I will keep the cage for an emergency one (never know when myself or someone else will need a temp cage! I am still disappointed tho, I do not understand how thy are aloud to sell them, I’ll defo be looking on here for alternatives when the time comes, it’s all about learning and I am so glad nobody is judgemental, I have found a cute coconut hide for her, I will have a few things my boyfriend is bringing I will change them over time - the bedding instead of carefresh is a GREAT IDEA as it is kind of expensive ( I don’t mind paying but if there is cheaper out there great). I will write a complaint to pets at home, even if she genuinely thought her advise was best they as a shop shouldn’t be aloud to sell them for Syrian hamsters if they’re not appropriate! - I want her to live her best life, she didn’t choose to be sold but I chose to buy her so she deserves the best! - she is pygmy hedgehog yes and she is the absolute best!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Thankyou guys I really appreciate all the help! The lady in the pet shop does all these things for her own hamster which is abit concerning, I don’t think she has lied to me I genuinely think she has told me what she thinks is best! - I have taken her fleece and material out, she didn’t jump about or squeak I did it very slowly, she loves the loo roll all ready (who knew) - in terms of food swapping to Musli over time will be no problem, I assumed nuggets would be best, the whole thing is basically loo roll now and she is living her best life! (Shame on the cage size) - I will keep the cage for an emergency one (never know when myself or someone else will need a temp cage! I am still disappointed tho, I do not understand how thy are aloud to sell them, I’ll defo be looking on here for alternatives when the time comes, it’s all about learning and I am so glad nobody is judgemental, I have found a cute coconut hide for her, I will have a few things my boyfriend is bringing I will change them over time - the bedding instead of carefresh is a GREAT IDEA as it is kind of expensive ( I don’t mind paying but if there is cheaper out there great). I will write a complaint to pets at home, even if she genuinely thought her advise was best they as a shop shouldn’t be aloud to sell them for Syrian hamsters if they’re not appropriate! - I want her to live her best life, she didn’t choose to be sold but I chose to buy her so she deserves the best! - she is pygmy hedgehog yes and she is the absolute best!

It is sad the lady is doing this for her own hamsters. It sounds almost like she is following the guides for guinea pigs rather then hamsters as it is guinea pigs who should have pellets and not muesli and can have fleece.

Fitch works out to be a lot cheaper then Kaytee. The cage could be used as a hospital cage. I hope she never gets ill but if she does then the cage could be used for that.

The coconut hide will be great. My hamster likes that hide.

Once you browse the forum you will pick up so much. I do not know if you like to use youtube but there are some hamster people on there who I learned a lot from too.

 

[Member ID2]

Trouble is that pet shops say anything to make a sale.
I was sold the very same 7in flying saucer for my first Syrian hamster and the shop assistant told me they are better for their back!
I didn't know any better then because i bought a hamster without doing any research and wasted a lot of money in the process.
I had to buy a much bigger cage, wheel and house and most of the hides and toys i had to replace because they were for dwarf hamsters and not Syrians like the shop said.

Luckily i didn't buy a hamster ball because they are stressful and dangerous for hamsters but useful as a safe transport vessel from cage to playpen.

At least you are here now and like people on here, you are willing to learn how to care for your lovely hamster properly so she'll live a very happy hamster life.