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Cookiedoe
This is cookie we got him last Sunday for my 9 year old son, he was 6 weeks old and he seems very nervous we haven’t managed to hold him yet been offering treats which he will take from finger tips but can’t get him to climb onto my sons hand to take a treat
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RainbowBrite
Hello and welcome to the forum. Cookie is so cute. 
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Sorry, I posted before you had finished! He is still a baby at 6 weeks old so he will be scared and shy at first. It's really hard but you need to be a patient for the first week or two. While he starts to adjust to his new home, scent marks things in his cage, makes a nest and so on. It can take a week to 10 days (without any clean outs) before they suddenly start to act more confident or seem to want to come out.
So it will need a bit of patience before handling will be easy. Initially you can just talking to him through the cage and maybe offer the odd treat through the bars. But I wouldn't try to get him out just yet.
What cage do you have?
So it will need a bit of patience before handling will be easy. Initially you can just talking to him through the cage and maybe offer the odd treat through the bars. But I wouldn't try to get him out just yet.
What cage do you have?
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Ok so this is hard when the child wants to cuddle and pet the hamster and has to wait! I'd say do the talking and offering treats through the bars for the first 10 days and then get him out in a "taxi" and have him in the dry bathtub for some hand taming (with the plug in and maybe a tunnel and a mug on its side as a hide). There is a guide to how to hand tame on the home page. It can happen quite quickly or take a bit longer, but it's about both you/your son and the hamster building confidence and trust. Have a look at the taming guide 
If he shows signs of wanting to come out before then, then it's fine to let him out, but don't try to carry him or he will "ping" and could fall and get hurt. So something like a tube as a taxi - put a smelly treat at one end of the tube. When the hamster walks into the tube, put your hands over both ends of the tube and lift him out that way. Have a box next to the cage and put the tube down in that (it needs to be tall enough the hamster can't jump out) then carry the box to the taming area - eg bathtub or a playpen.
With a bit of patience, he could be easy to hold and more confident within a month. If he pushes against your hand while in the tube it might make you jump or fear being bitten, so wearing gloves can ensure you don't drop the tube!
Hamsters don't really bite unless they are scared or in pain. But if he isn't tame yet and is held a bit hard he might nip. Once he's a bit tamer you won't worry about that.
If he shows signs of wanting to come out before then, then it's fine to let him out, but don't try to carry him or he will "ping" and could fall and get hurt. So something like a tube as a taxi - put a smelly treat at one end of the tube. When the hamster walks into the tube, put your hands over both ends of the tube and lift him out that way. Have a box next to the cage and put the tube down in that (it needs to be tall enough the hamster can't jump out) then carry the box to the taming area - eg bathtub or a playpen.With a bit of patience, he could be easy to hold and more confident within a month. If he pushes against your hand while in the tube it might make you jump or fear being bitten, so wearing gloves can ensure you don't drop the tube!
Hamsters don't really bite unless they are scared or in pain. But if he isn't tame yet and is held a bit hard he might nip. Once he's a bit tamer you won't worry about that.
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Thanks for posting the cage photo Ok so his cage is too small for a Syrian, but for now you could make it cosier for him so he settles in better. He maybe feels a bit exposed, although does have the shelf to sit under. Is that a little house under the shelf? That's probably too small for him to build a nest in as well. It's annoying they sell these small cages with things in that aren't big enough! For now, what I would do is add a lot more substrate/litter for the base of the cage. So he can burrow down and bury his hoards - they love lots of substrate. And make a cardboard box house for the left back corner opposite the shelf. A child's shoebox is an ideal size. You just cut the base out, keep the lid as a lift off roof and cut a hole for a door on on of the long sides, near one end (it means the other end is darker and they like having a dark place to go). Then put a big pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper near the cardboard house. Maybe put a tiny bit of cucumber and a small bit of food inside the house. He'll probably move in overnight, take some of the toilet paper strips and build himself a nest in there. Then he'll start feeling more secure gradually.
It means he can have normal behaviours like building a nest, and burying hoards under his nest. It looks like wood shavings you have. Does it say pine on the bag and kiln dried and dust extracted? If it just says softwood then they're not suitable. If it says pine and kiln dried then it will be ok for now, but paper based bedding is safer and it's what most people use these days.
Ok so his cage is too small for a Syrian, but for now you could make it cosier for him so he settles in better. He maybe feels a bit exposed, although does have the shelf to sit under. Is that a little house under the shelf? That's probably too small for him to build a nest in as well. It's annoying they sell these small cages with things in that aren't big enough! For now, what I would do is add a lot more substrate/litter for the base of the cage. So he can burrow down and bury his hoards - they love lots of substrate. And make a cardboard box house for the left back corner opposite the shelf. A child's shoebox is an ideal size. You just cut the base out, keep the lid as a lift off roof and cut a hole for a door on on of the long sides, near one end (it means the other end is darker and they like having a dark place to go). Then put a big pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper near the cardboard house. Maybe put a tiny bit of cucumber and a small bit of food inside the house. He'll probably move in overnight, take some of the toilet paper strips and build himself a nest in there. Then he'll start feeling more secure gradually.It means he can have normal behaviours like building a nest, and burying hoards under his nest. It looks like wood shavings you have. Does it say pine on the bag and kiln dried and dust extracted? If it just says softwood then they're not suitable. If it says pine and kiln dried then it will be ok for now, but paper based bedding is safer and it's what most people use these days.
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Cookiedoe
Thankyou for your reply I have explained this to my son that it will take time he’s gone from not coming out to taking treats from our hands so maybe need to let him settle a bit more
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He has a nice tube in there and with a shoebox house and his shelf and more bedding he will probably feel less scared. Then it's a case of waiting for him to come out of the house each night! He may wait until after dark, but you can get them in a routine of having feeding time early evening and they come out for food then - so your son can actually see him!
He will need an upright wheel as well that's 11" or more in diameter. The saucer is too small unfortunately and he won't be able to run properly and that could stress him too.
It might sound a bit mad talking to a hamster you can't see through the bars, but it means they get familiar with your voice, presence and scent. The other thing your son could do. With the sheets of toilet paper for nesting - put them up his sleeve or inside his top for a while, and then tear them up into strips and add them to the cage. They will have your son's scent on them and so the hamster will get used to his scent while he's in his nest
He will need an upright wheel as well that's 11" or more in diameter. The saucer is too small unfortunately and he won't be able to run properly and that could stress him too.
It might sound a bit mad talking to a hamster you can't see through the bars, but it means they get familiar with your voice, presence and scent. The other thing your son could do. With the sheets of toilet paper for nesting - put them up his sleeve or inside his top for a while, and then tear them up into strips and add them to the cage. They will have your son's scent on them and so the hamster will get used to his scent while he's in his nest
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Cookiedoe
He’s made himself a bed in the corner under the corner but he’s got a wooden bridge and made a home in there , I’m not sure about the wood chips I’ll have a look to see what they are …. Funny the pet shops sell you all this stuffThanks for posting the cage photo
It means he can have normal behaviours like building a nest, and burying hoards under his nest. It looks like wood shavings you have. Does it say pine on the bag and kiln dried and dust extracted? If it just says softwood then they're not suitable. If it says pine and kiln dried then it will be ok for now, but paper based bedding is safer and it's what most people use these days.
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Cookiedoe
Again the pet shop told me to use a saucer we threw the side wheel away they said only suitable for dwarf hamstersHe has a nice tube in there and with a shoebox house and his shelf and more bedding he will probably feel less scared. Then it's a case of waiting for him to come out of the house each night! He may wait until after dark, but you can get them in a routine of having feeding time early evening and they come out for food then - so your son can actually see him!
He will need an upright wheel as well that's 11" or more in diameter. The saucer is too small unfortunately and he won't be able to run properly and that could stress him too.
It might sound a bit mad talking to a hamster you can't see through the bars, but it means they get familiar with your voice, presence and scent. The other thing your son could do. With the sheets of toilet paper for nesting - put them up his sleeve or inside his top for a while, and then tear them up into strips and add them to the cage. They will have your son's scent on them and so the hamster will get used to his scent while he's in his nest
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Unfortunately it's a commercial thing. They will want to sell their own brand of bedding and food as well probably. Kaytee Clean and Cozy bedding is very popular and hamsters love it - it's soft and fluffy. You don't need to worry about pee or hygiene if you have enough bedding. Syrians tend to just pee in one place (usually a corner of the cage) and can be quite easily toilet trained to pee in a litter tray - then life gets much easier! The cage stays clean and dry and you just empty the litter tray every few days and replace the sand. It needs to be hamster safe sand though.
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Yes the wheel for that cage was probably too small for a Syrian. You'll need to upgrade his cage fairly soon as well! What some people have done is return the cage, once they've upgraded, for a refund, even though used, and say it's too small for a Syrian. Not sure if you could do that with the saucer as well. The trouble is once you get a wheel the right size it will probably half fill the cage! So that might need doing at the same time. I'm not sure if that cage is tall enough to fit a 28cm wheel - it might be.Again the pet shop told me to use a saucer we threw the side wheel away they said only suitable for dwarf hamsters
This is a good budget wheel - the 28cm version. They're usually quite quiet as well. I think it's about 33 cm tall on its stand though. Except they keep going up in price! They used to be £10 then £13 and now £16!
Trixie 28cm wheel - click here
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Probably the best thing to do cage wise is look out for a second hand Savic Plaza cage. It's a good cage for a Syrian hamster. There are usually quite a few available on places like ebay and gumtree for between £30 and £50. A new one costs £80 from Pets at Home.
www.petsathome.com
Savic Plaza Rat and Syrian Hamster Cage | Pets At Home
ProductShortDescription is available to buy online at Pets at Home, the UK's largest pet shop with fast delivery and low prices
www.petsathome.com
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The wheel that comes with the Savic Plaza cage is too small for a Syrian hamster as well! But at least a bigger wheel fits. If you read the reviews for that, you'll see people find it a good cage It also has a really big front opening door and that makes interaction with the hamster a lot easier and easier to get the hamster in and out - they sometimes don't like a hand from the top.
In about 10 days time I'm sure your son will have had chance to handle Cookie a little bit or at least a stroke.
It also has a really big front opening door and that makes interaction with the hamster a lot easier and easier to get the hamster in and out - they sometimes don't like a hand from the top.In about 10 days time I'm sure your son will have had chance to handle Cookie a little bit or at least a stroke.
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Cookiedoe
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