New hamster play time??

[Moni72mm]

Oreo has been with us now for 10 days. He’s settled down mostly.

We luckily have a camera therefore I can somewhat what he’s up to. Currently he’s a ghost hamster. Only comes out when we have closed the lights and have left for a while. If we happened to come in the room when he was out he’ll run quickly into his hideout. The other day he lasted maybe two minutes with me in the room. He froze in his spot and then eventually ran to his hideout.

He doesn’t come to us if we call him or when we have treat for him. He just eats when we leave.

I’m assuming this is normal. I just have to be patient and wait till he comes to me. He’s only 11 maybe 12 weeks old.

I’ve read about playpen time and weighing your hamster I’m assuming this can all wait until he’s more comfortable. I don’t want to just grab him and make things worse.

 

[Maz]

It's always difficult and sometimes it's just time and patience. It's usually recommended to start by just talking to them through the cage regularly so they get used to your voice, scent and presence. Even if you can't see him You could also try the tissue trick. Put some sheets of toilet paper up your sleeve or down a bra for a while then tear them into strips and put the pile in the cage near where he's sleeping - he should take them for his nest, then he has your scent near him so you'll be more familiar. Ten days is not very long at all - it can take them a good two weeks just to adjust to their new cage and environment, and if you've recently made some changes (which I seem to remember you have) you might need to start the two weeks again from then.

 

[Rescued One]

I agree with Maz, babies especially are shy and want to stay hidden. It's a big scary world out here