New Hamster owner with a very scared hamster

[Hector the Hamster]

Hi everyone. I am new here and to being a hamster parent. I am looking forward to getting to know people and their hamster tips!

I got Hector, a little 2 month old Syrian hamster, a few days ago. On the first day he slept and then was very confident exploring his new home, running on his wheel and making lots of burrows. Then the following days I didn’t really see him and when he eventually came out he was very timid and easily spooked.

I have tried sitting nearby and talking softly, offering treats, which he has taken from my hand a couple times. But the other night I moved something in the room without realising he was coming out of his burrow and he got terrified and scrabbled back down! I put a piece of broccoli in front of his burrow to make up for it but he then seemed scared of that and now won’t go back into any of his burrows and sleeps up at the surface.

He seems very easily spooked and skittish now. I hand fed him some sunflower seeds which he took but then tried later and he jumped out of his skin.

I am new to hamsters and terrified I am traumatising him. Please any advice on how to help a scaredy cat hamster get used to you? Thanks!

Here is a picture of little Hector and his home (more hides and sprays and bits have been added since)

 

[Maz]

He's absolutely gorgeous Don't worry. It's only been a few days, and he's also still a baby - they are easily spooked. It can take about 2 weeks for them to fully adjust to a new environment and start feeling confident in the enclosure. It's very common that they excitedly explore the first day and then disappear! Just keep talking to him (even if you don't see him) now and then, so he gets familiar with your voice and presence.

 

[Hector the Hamster]

Thank you so much, that makes me feel a lot more confident I did a little bit of spot cleaning this morning, and he came over to check what I was doing and nibbled my finger. So I’m taking that as a good sign of, he’s not totally terrified of me!

 

[Maz]

Generally it's best to hold off on any cleaning for the first couple of weeks, except spot cleaning the pee (if you know where it is!). If you don't know and can't smell anything then don't worry. When you have a lot of bedding it's not that crucial for a couple of weeks Some hamsters will use their sandbath or a toilet for peeing as well.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Hector is very sweet, little finger nibbler. They are most confident at about 1am, which is a little hard on your sleep. But with some food treats, especially veggies, he should get up a bit earlier

 

[Maz]

It sounds great he investigated your hand Sounds like he was just checking if you were edible or not They are best socialised out of the cage IMO - so after a couple of weeks, you could try offering a tube to walk into I've added our taming guide below.

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]

Mine are weird in the middle of the night! It's like they go into a trance of feral hamster mode. In fact I am often ignored if I interrupt their night time mode! For me, it seems to work best getting them in the routine of waking earlier with a regular feed time. Mine tend to get up between 9pm and 10pm. And usually want to come out (once they get used to coming out).

 

[Hector the Hamster]

Thank you so much for all the advice! Will have a read through the taming guide love hearing about all the different hamster habits and personalities. Very excited to see what Hector will be like once he is comfortable and his personality comes out more