Wally
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M
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Aww, that's so cute that you can watch him sleeping now.
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So, last night we accidentally found out that he created 2 new exits. He too a slip inch or so space between the end of the hideaway and the cage wall, and created his own tunnel. I found this out by accident. We were about to go to sleep and I opened the cage top to add more food. I looked down and there he was, staring up at me, as he had just exited his tunnel!
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M
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Maybe he's not shy but likes his own company. I had hamsters like that.
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True! Another good perspective. I have to say, I am a little glad that he's so happy on his own. We have a longer vacation planned in June, and we have a neighbor to stop by and take care of him, but knowing that he probably won't care (and may even be happy) if he doesn't get much personal attention (petting or taking out, etc.) relaxes me a bit more than if I was worried that he would miss human interaction.
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I have had a shy hamster before (or rather he was more lazy and a home bod and slightly sensitive). They definitely do notice if you're not there even though they may seem like they like their own company. He'll be fine though - he might hide away when your neighbour comes in to feed. But he will definitely be pleased to see you when you get back! It's not so much the human interaction, as the familiar human interaction - you're his family and he knows all your scents and sounds.
My petsitter is always disappointed that she never sees the hamsters! They both hide away when it's a strange person coming in to feed - even Raffy!
My petsitter is always disappointed that she never sees the hamsters! They both hide away when it's a strange person coming in to feed - even Raffy!
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That's good to hear! We will probably try to have him do a play session or free-roaming session with our neighbor's child a bit before we leave. He's played with Wally before, but with Wally's schedule he's not frequently over when we take him out. Still, at least then he'll get a bit accustomed to his new caretaker. The first time we took a shorter trip, we told them that they were welcome to take him out if they saw him, but otherwise not to worry. We did get a few playtime photos!
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So here is the strange saga of behavior from Wally over the past 2 days. So yesterday we were about to go to sleep and I opened Wally's cage to put in some extra food. I hadn't realized that he had quietly come up through one of his new tunnels until I turned to drop food in. I think we surprised each other. Of course then daughter wanted to pick him up before bed, which means we have to use his transport, because we can't pick up from his cage or he'll immediately scramble.
So we took him into a new play space we'd put together and he was like "Sonic the Hedgehog," darting from place to place. After awhile of letting him play and petting him or giving him treats we put him back. He looked around at his food and then got very still in an open spot on his platform. He stayed frozen for so long that I thought he was going to fall asleep like that. (see 2nd pic below- where his eyes are half shut). I swear he kept eyeing me like he was afraid I might take him out again if he moved, even though he'd been his usual gentle self with us when he was out- no aggressive sounds or movements. We were reading in bed and he moved around a few more times, but when if he caught me looking at him, even from afar, he'd freeze for awhile. After we turned the lights out I heard him go on his wheel and he was active as usual throughout the night.
I was a little worried about his odd behavior after we'd put him away- between that and the holing up of his hideaway, was he regressing in terms of his comfort with us?
Fast-forward to last night: again we are close to our bedtime, and we notice that he's come out. This time we let him take time cleaning himself before we took him out. He was aware of us and must have been fine with our presence as he kept going about his business. We took him to the new play area and he was again a bit Sonic-like, darting around quickly in and out of objects we'd put out, going on the old wheel, occasionally munching snacks. For the first time ever I wasn't sure if he wanted to go back in his cage as he wasn't slowing down much and didn't seem too quick to get back in his transport, but we had to get to sleep!
After I put him back he did the same thing- poked around his food and then stilled himself on the edge of his platform. This time I went back over to him a few times over 5+ minutes, thinking that maybe if I pet him he might snap out of his "trance." I would pet him and talk to him, and he would occasionally move his head a bit, but otherwise just stay in that space and let me pet him. Even after I pet him he didn't move for several minutes, though eventually he did, and once again was active once the lights went out.
I can remember one other time when he exhibited similar behavior. This was once when he wasn't as acclimated as he is now and I took time to play with him in the bathtub in the middle of the night. He was really active for awhile and then suddenly got very still even though he was out in the open, as opposed to hiding in a sheltered place. I pet him for awhile and then coaxed him into his transport. At the time I thought maybe he'd spooked himself while we were playing, but now, thinking about the last 2 nights, I'm not sure- maybe there are occasions when he's extra-active around us that he suddenly feels burned out and quiets himself? Maybe it is a spooked reaction but still unpredictable? (since I can't find a common trigger regarding what happened prior to the reaction). Maybe it's just one of his personal quirks to have that variety in his behavior? Anyone seen anything similar in other hammies?
So we took him into a new play space we'd put together and he was like "Sonic the Hedgehog," darting from place to place. After awhile of letting him play and petting him or giving him treats we put him back. He looked around at his food and then got very still in an open spot on his platform. He stayed frozen for so long that I thought he was going to fall asleep like that. (see 2nd pic below- where his eyes are half shut). I swear he kept eyeing me like he was afraid I might take him out again if he moved, even though he'd been his usual gentle self with us when he was out- no aggressive sounds or movements. We were reading in bed and he moved around a few more times, but when if he caught me looking at him, even from afar, he'd freeze for awhile. After we turned the lights out I heard him go on his wheel and he was active as usual throughout the night.
I was a little worried about his odd behavior after we'd put him away- between that and the holing up of his hideaway, was he regressing in terms of his comfort with us?
Fast-forward to last night: again we are close to our bedtime, and we notice that he's come out. This time we let him take time cleaning himself before we took him out. He was aware of us and must have been fine with our presence as he kept going about his business. We took him to the new play area and he was again a bit Sonic-like, darting around quickly in and out of objects we'd put out, going on the old wheel, occasionally munching snacks. For the first time ever I wasn't sure if he wanted to go back in his cage as he wasn't slowing down much and didn't seem too quick to get back in his transport, but we had to get to sleep!
After I put him back he did the same thing- poked around his food and then stilled himself on the edge of his platform. This time I went back over to him a few times over 5+ minutes, thinking that maybe if I pet him he might snap out of his "trance." I would pet him and talk to him, and he would occasionally move his head a bit, but otherwise just stay in that space and let me pet him. Even after I pet him he didn't move for several minutes, though eventually he did, and once again was active once the lights went out.
I can remember one other time when he exhibited similar behavior. This was once when he wasn't as acclimated as he is now and I took time to play with him in the bathtub in the middle of the night. He was really active for awhile and then suddenly got very still even though he was out in the open, as opposed to hiding in a sheltered place. I pet him for awhile and then coaxed him into his transport. At the time I thought maybe he'd spooked himself while we were playing, but now, thinking about the last 2 nights, I'm not sure- maybe there are occasions when he's extra-active around us that he suddenly feels burned out and quiets himself? Maybe it is a spooked reaction but still unpredictable? (since I can't find a common trigger regarding what happened prior to the reaction). Maybe it's just one of his personal quirks to have that variety in his behavior? Anyone seen anything similar in other hammies?
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To be honest he just looks like he's falling asleep on his shelf 
They can do that sometimes. The trance thing is something they do sometimes too - if they hear a noise or sense something. I think it's their prey instinct. Although I've only had it with one syrian before. He would sit in a frozen state for so long I used to have to pick him up - then suddenly he'd go back to normal and come out of it.
They can do that sometimes. The trance thing is something they do sometimes too - if they hear a noise or sense something. I think it's their prey instinct. Although I've only had it with one syrian before. He would sit in a frozen state for so long I used to have to pick him up - then suddenly he'd go back to normal and come out of it.
M
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Tbh, i wouldn't overthink things or try to analyze a hamster's behaviour too much. I used to do that but it didn't get me very far.
Now i accept them for who they are including their at times odd behaviours. As long as they are happy and healthy they can behave any way they want.
To me it looks like Wally is nodding off or waiting for the lights to go off. My Syians have always done that, some more than others. They'd race around and then suddenly stay still with their eyes half shut, nodding off. And then suddenly spring into action again.
Here's a photo of Clive nodding off and there will be some on Jack's thread.
Now i accept them for who they are including their at times odd behaviours. As long as they are happy and healthy they can behave any way they want.
To me it looks like Wally is nodding off or waiting for the lights to go off. My Syians have always done that, some more than others. They'd race around and then suddenly stay still with their eyes half shut, nodding off. And then suddenly spring into action again.
Here's a photo of Clive nodding off and there will be some on Jack's thread.
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That's true. It can be disconcerting with a first hamster though. I used to worry about everything. I remember the first time I sort of dropped Charlie when he wriggled. He didn't fall far as it was on the sofa and he landed on the sofa. But he suddenly puffed up and started buzzing loudly. Which went on for some time. Scared me!
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Thank you Maz and Beryl! It's so funny because it is like having a first hamster for us in two ways: 1) I haven't had a hamster in about 30 years...2) When I owned hamsters previously, it was the 90s, and I was doing my best from a book I probably got in a pet store. The cage was too small; the bedding was too thin, and there wasn't enough enrichment, even though I took them out each night... though I was letting them run around in a plastic balls. I tell my daughter now that I was doing what I thought was good, we were just a bit ignorant at the time about best hamster care. Why do I bring this up? I feel like my hamsters decades ago had so little space for variant behavior, that now I am like a first-tiime hamster owner with Wally... he actually has a good size cage to express himself and I am obsessing over every little thing he does 
I'm trying not to be the armchair psychologist to my hamster! That is why I love this group- your insight into your own experience with multiple hamsters is invaluable!
I'm trying not to be the armchair psychologist to my hamster! That is why I love this group- your insight into your own experience with multiple hamsters is invaluable!
F
Frida
My Albert is a Russian Dwarf. He sometimes does something similar. He'll go in his sand bath and have a good roll and wiggle around. Do some digging and then just flop on his belly with his eyes half closed. I talk to him but he stays completely still. Eventually he'll just come out of it and carry on doing hamster things.
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They can have such different personalities. It was similar for me. A first hamster a long time ago - who wasn’t tame, didn’t have a great cage or diet but free roamed most of the time (makes me cringe thinking of all the hazards). But when we got our first family hamster it was like it was all new - and he was a shy sensitive boy.
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Any advice on cleaning when they have a deep den? Wally worked on this over the past 2 weeks. He's living well under his raised six-chamber hideaway. I can take the ceiling off the hideaway to clean any dirty chambers above, but at some point, I'll have to reach below, but I'm worried to collapse his tunnel or upset him by compromising his sense of safety and privacy. No smells yet, but I haven't gone into the tunnel at all yet or done a spot clean in about 10 days.
You can just make out Wally sleeping in the bottom right corner.
You can just make out Wally sleeping in the bottom right corner.
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Tricky. I would think his toilet will not be in the same place as his nest, but may be near it. Does he have a litter tray inside the house that he uses?
You'll probably have to do what I do with our robo. Which is feel around under the substrate for a damp area. I tend to go in, in front of the house, down and across under the house. However I don't do that very regularly or it does cause a lot of disturbance (and he does use his potty as well).
It's maybe the kind of thing to do when he's out of the cage in the playpen. I actually had to lift Pip's house out eventually and start removing things from the top and keeping them in separate piles (from each chamber) so I could put them back again. The further down I got I eventually found the damp area and removed that substrate, added a bit more, put the house back in and filled the chambers up as before with what came out of them.
It's possible it might make his burrow collapse - but he'll have to redo then unfortunately.
You'll probably have to do what I do with our robo. Which is feel around under the substrate for a damp area. I tend to go in, in front of the house, down and across under the house. However I don't do that very regularly or it does cause a lot of disturbance (and he does use his potty as well).
It's maybe the kind of thing to do when he's out of the cage in the playpen. I actually had to lift Pip's house out eventually and start removing things from the top and keeping them in separate piles (from each chamber) so I could put them back again. The further down I got I eventually found the damp area and removed that substrate, added a bit more, put the house back in and filled the chambers up as before with what came out of them.
It's possible it might make his burrow collapse - but he'll have to redo then unfortunately.