I got a month old teddy bear hamster 2 days ago. I'm really confused. I'm sure I've done everything right. Big cage, wheel, some tubes, a house, a wood chew toy. Water, food. But she doesn't seem happy today. She was sleeping in her little house pretty much all day and occasionally sneaking out to get food. She's awake now, and she looked bright and curious for a few minutes. But she only was on her wheel for about 30 seconds, and looked around a little. I gave her a piece of an apple, and she nibbled a little off of it, then went back in her house. When I first came into m room she was frozen for about a minute, and then twitched a little. It looked really wrong... like she was scared. :( I've been so nice to her. I talk to her a lot when she's up and walking around. The night before last she was a little fire ball! Very energetic. She acted strange yesterday, too, but then got a little hyper in the evening and was on her wheel for an hour or more. (While I was awake, anyway.) It's like she's having weird little mood swings. Happy, nervous, shy, energetic, happy, nervous, shy... It's confusing to me.
Heh, sorry if I seem like a total noob. She's my first hamster and I thought she'd be happier. I know it takes them a while to get used to their new home, but still. I'm worried about her. Just a little baby. :( Please help me out. Does it sound like there's something wrong with her?|||Hamsters are solitaire animals. She is getting used to not only a new surrounding, but now a weird larger-than-her object (you) that keeps talking and poking around her home. She'll get used to you in time. Just give her, her space for now. Keep trying the treats from your hand as this will help her to learn to trust you.
Hamsters are also nocturnal. She will be more active at night than during the day.|||Nothing is wrong with her it's just that hampsters sleep during the day and like to play at night.|||watch her at night theyre nocturnal
she might be more active and happy then|||i think she needs to meet my python reggie|||sweetie... she's brand new... you've uprooted her from the only place she's known, and brought her to a brand new place. She doesn't know you from beans. It will take several days for her to recognize you, and several more to trust you.
also, hamsters are nocturnal so they will be more active at night.
Keep the hamster away from direct sunlight and drafts, keep her away from high trafficed areas to lower the stress...
talk to her every single time you walk by her cage... even when she is sleeping, so she gets use to your voice.
place your hand in and let HER approach you. Don't even bother petting her, just let her explore your hand to realize you're not a threat. Offer treats...
yes she will run the treat into her little house. They're pack animals. they will stuff food in their cheeks and bury it away. that's why you need to clean the cage of fruits daily. If they don't eat them that night, remove them before they rot.
once you've shown you're not a threat, a few days later, start petting her. Eventually that will lead to picking her up, holding her close to your chest, sitting on the floor... this will make her feel safe and secure.
eventually she'll feel at home, and calm down.
make sure she has fresh food and fresh water daily... plenty of chew treats for her teeth, and hamster blocks accessable at all times.|||give her a few more days it usually takes at least a week for them to get used to being in a new habitat and all the new noises of you house. Don't try to hold her right away and just keep an eye out for wet tail sometimes pets can get stressed out from going from one place to another. i used to work in a pet store and we recommended the use of wet tail in water for the first week in smaller amounts than the normal dose.|||One thing you need to know is that hamsters are nocturnal. They sleep most of the day and are relatively inactive when they're not. You shouldn't expect to see too much of her activity, unless you're normally up quite early/late.
She's going to be nervous of you for awhile yet. At a pet store, us giant two legged creatures just bring food, water and clean. It's going to take time for her to adjust to socializing with you. She's also still adjusting to her new environment which has some funny new things but not a single warm fuzzy body to curl up with/on - quite the opposite of the only world she's ever known.
You're on the right track. Just keep doing what you're doing and she'll come around. Don't give up, and don't back off just because she doesn't come around right away. Keep talking to her, offering treats from your hand, and just watching and/or petting her.|||Hi :)
First off, when you bring a new hamster home, you should give it a full week to adjust without touching or petting it. I know this sounds difficult, it's new and cute and you really want to love her - but if you stress her out she could get wet tail which is really really bad.
[Edit: Do NOT give her any of the wet tail "preventative" or "dri tail" drops in her water - she's healthy now and they're a broad spectrum antibiotic that kill ALL the bacteria in a hamster's body, not just the bad stuff. If your hamster ever does get wet tail, take her to a vet, do NOT use the pet store products to try and cure her!]
She's acting like EVERY hamster does in a new home - she's perfectly fine and healthy!. Hamsters aren't actually nocturnal, they're crepuscular. Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk.
She's surrounded by new smells and sounds, new cage, new toys, new everything - she's going to be hyper, curious and also cautious for a little while when she's awake checking these things out - but yes, she will sleep a lot. You're also about 300 times bigger than she is - she's going to have to get used to you being around :) Here are some tips on handling her after your week is up:
Remember to never wake your hamster up to play! They'll be calmer if they've been running in their wheel for a while as well, and lastly, just like a human -- they may not be in the mood to play some days!
1. Wash your hands carefully with a non-fruity or heavily scented soap - this will keep them from wanting to taste, and possibly bite your hand. Others may advise you to wear gloves - this prevents the hamster from learning your scent, and you want them to know YOU when you're handling them, not the smells on a glove.
2. NEVER reach into the hamster cage and try to *grab* your hamster. Hamsters are quite protective of their homes and will try to defend them (aka bite you or flip over and scream -- which is a defense mechanism). Females tend to be more "cage aggressive" than males, although with time and patience, this will diminish with either one.
3. Hold a small cup or bowl in front of the cage door with a yummy treat in it - the hamster will crawl in almost every time.
4. Slide the lil guy out of the cup/bowl into your hand - and voila! You're holding your hamster and haven't been bitten!
Be careful as they will be a bit skittish. Of course you'll want to be sure to be extra gentle as they are still animals and can bite when they get scared! They may also lick/nibble your fingers, don't mistake this for biting, it just means they're curious. Nibbling tickles - biting hurts ;)
Once your hamster gets more accustomed to you and how you smell, you'll be able to skip step 3 and they'll crawl right into your hand.
Best of luck - and have patience!|||i had a hamster... when it was new it always used to sleep and sneak out for some food... and its probably a little shaky cause its scared. It might not be used to you yet. Hamsters are not that exiting when they are tired. It will sleep all the time and go on the wheel every while, but not stay on it for a while. A thing that hamsters love are finished rolls of toilet paper, the center cardboard. My hamster used to always have fun going through it and chewing on it. It turned out mine was a girl, she had 6 kids! You shouldn't get another hamster and put it in with this one because hamsters don't get along well. the siblings always used to fight :-)|||Here's a site to help you learn more about your pet.
http://www.hamsterific.com/hamsters.cfm
Your hamster sounds pretty normal. Syrians are nocturnal and will sleep most of the day and be more lively in the evening and night.
Freezing when you approach - hamsters are food to pretty much anything bigger than they are - it freezes to keep you from seeing it and eating it! Ok, we all know you wouldn't eat your pet, but your hamster doesn't see all that well. You can help get her used to you walking in by announcing your coming, call her name as you come into the room and talk to her.
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