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Small pets

Regressing, Scared Hamsters

4 replies

VoluntaryButlerScheme · 28/06/2018 12:46

I brought 2 little 10 week oldish female russian dwarf hamster 12 days ago and they are still unbelievably so so skittish.

They were both in a large enclosure together with lots of space and 2 of everything (they were in the cage at Pets at Home) but a few days in I saw them scrapping and decided to separate them after monitoring them for 1 day and seeing it constantly.

Before then (but I can't be 100% sure this was the turning point) they were nervous, but they would run on their wheels when I was beside their cage and eat etc. If I was to put my hand in the cage, they would just run like crazy on their wheels. They were nervous, but they managed.

I would sit with them every night and speak to them. I'd let them sniff my hand and try to feed them from my hand.

Since then, both have become more reclusive. After 7 days, their cages were smelling and they really needed a good clean. I hadn't even been able to change their bedding since then because they would just dart about and go mental. Because they tended to just hide when I went to try and pick them up, I had no option but to allow one to wake up and mess around in it's bed before unscrewing the tube it was attached to to get her in her ball via her bed while I cleaned the cage. The other one wasn't waking up until later at night (even with me trying to stir her by speaking quietly), so I had no choice the next day but to get her out somehow. It resulted in my husband having to effectively chase her around her cage with his hand for about 5-10 minutes before we managed to block her in and get her in her ball for cleaning of the cage. She didn't try to bite or anything, or even make any noise, but just ran around really, really quickly; under and over any obstacles. It was awful and I felt so so guilty that she was so scared, but we had no option. I have since then realised the other option I'd have in the future would be to let her run to her tubes then take the tubings off to put her in her play pen.

Since then, she won't get our of her bed while I am around. When she does venture out, she runs straight into her tubes and sits there still until I go.

Now, the only way I can try to interact with her to get her used to me is by taking the tube off when she's in it and putting her in her play box thing I have made for her. She just sits there frozen until I put the tube back in however. I don't know if I am doing the right thing or just need to leave them both to it theirselves.

I am at a loss as to what to do now, as they seem to be regressing. How can I begin to tame them when they wont even let me get anywhere near them? Do I just have to keep talking to them and trying to let them sniff my hands and hope they grow in confidence?
I know they can take weeks to tame and get comfortable around you, but darting off and hiding whenever I come in the room at almost 2 weeks in seems way, way off.

Ahhhh! Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated please! Thanks [SMILE]

OP posts:

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IVEgotthePOWER · 06/08/2018 13:25

How are your hamsters now op? We have a similar situation

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IrmaFayLear · 06/08/2018 13:31

Are you supposed to keep two hamsters together? They are solitary animals and one is quite likely to eat the other if kept together!

Ds's friend's hamster ate his mother!

My hamster is from Pets At Home too. Reduced for clearance, no less. She can give a mean nip if surprised, but is ever so friendly and always staggers out of her nest to say hello, even when she's been fast asleep.

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IVEgotthePOWER · 06/08/2018 13:40

Apparently russian dwarfs can be kept together

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VoluntaryButlerScheme · 06/08/2018 20:16

Hello

Thanks for your response.

Exactly the same, honestly. One of them I have taken out in a bigger play pen thing I made and put my hand into the cage and left it there for a while. She just freezes still until I go away. Very weird. The other one i will be lucky if I ever see her honestly. She doesn’t ever come out really. She will sometimes poke her nose out or I will catch her off guard if I come in the room late at night and she’s out and about.

Sadly, with the way they both are, it’s really difficult to not lose interest when you try so hard and they just don’t seem to be interested or progress!

Unfortunately have no good news for you, but I’m hopeful that if I can spend a few weeks just getting them out every night and being near to them, they might get better, but who knows!

What’re yours like?