Everyone asks how, but no one asks where...

[Dezzi]

So I must post the question: Where is an ideal location for hamster taming? I have a dog and a house that isn't finished, so I haven't had my hamsters out much. One of them is tame and I let him roll around the ball on my bedroom floor with the door closed when I'm in there. (I let him run until he stops or seems stressed) My room isn't safe for him to be without the ball, because he could get into places he shouldn't be. My new hamster is scared of almost everything it seems, and he rarely lets me touch his back, much less pick him up. (then again, I've only had him for a few days) I plan on letting him run around in the other ball, but is there somewhere I could have them out without risking them falling or getting stuck somewhere? I had heard that some people take them out in their bathtubs with the plug in, but is that safe? Would it work? I need some suggestions.

EDIT: I checked the calendar, he's been here for 4 days.

[Die Fledermaus]

>> My new hamster is scared of almost everything it seems, and he rarely lets me touch his back, much less pick him up. (then again, I've only had him for a few days) <<

You want to wait a few weeks!?

Two days is nothing. Leave him alone totally for the rest of the week other than gentle talking. Don't touch him. Be sure he has a hide box, and plenty of quiet and privacy. Never wake him. latwer, be sure he associates you and your voice with food. Even later, gently touch the back so he gets used to you.

I will ask a few others to add more. I will be back later.

[Dezzi]

Ha ha, the only time I have touched him and had to pick him up was when I was putting him from the cage at the pet store into the cardboard transport box, and then from the box into his cage when he got home. (for the second one he was so scared from being in the transport box that I took the cage in half and let him crawl out) Whenever I open the cage to change his water or feed he runs and hides. That's the only time I go in his cage. I was thinking of moving him to my room so the rest of the family will leave him alone too. (and my room smells like me as well) I've always been told that you were supposed to let them do their thing for the first 3 days, but then after that you can leave your hand in the cage with treats until they come over to you. That's what I did with Darko and it worked. Then again, he has a completely different personality than this one.

[Die Fledermaus]

Certainly they all have different personalities, even from the same litter. I know that from experience.

I asked Kate, hamsters82, to add her comments. She knows hamsters well. Me? I am trying to catch up on posts, PMs, e-mails, and a lot of other stuff! Just be patient with the ham and leave him alone for days! Dark safe, secure place to hide and sleep is definite.

[hamwolf89]

There are playpins you can buy at the store just for hamsters. I have one.




Otherwise a bathroom is a good place. Bathtube is even better. I usually use the whole bathroom since there is nothing to hid under or anything.

But really if you go in the middle of your room or someplace, you can just let the hamster play around on you. You can hold them, let them run on your hands, if they manage to get on the floor simply put your hand in front of them and quikly pick them back up again.

though latly I have just let Yuiko (my syrian hamster) let lose in a room. There is nothing dangerous, not too much furniture, but if she does get under something it's fine since it's just more carpet. all the cables are too high for her to reach too.

[pinky]

A few comments:

I started taming Fuzz in the bathtub because it was the ONLY place where this tiny creature that moved at the speed of light would be safe! I waited a while before I started this--three days at least.

Bathrooms are often good places to let critters wander unless there is a footed tub with lots of dust underneath (in one apartment of mine) or a radiator and carpet on the floor (current one). In the former I just blocked the tub area with my hand or foot. But in that apartment Pinky had the run of a lot of it (with my eagle-eye supervision) because there wasn't much on the floor and there was a long hallway for sprinting. Hardwood floors, too--easy to clean.

I returned a playpen such as Hollie depicted because Fuzz shimmied up the bars and went over the side!

[Die Fledermaus]

Hamsters are indeed surprisingly dexterous and capable of surprisingly nimble escapes. Never underestimate that because they seem a little awkward! I had one knock over a wheel in a bin, stand on it, gnaw a hole in the plastic top while standing on tip toe, do a remarkable chinup, and squeeze up and out. I caught her later, safely.

I could never let mine roam anywhere except the bathroom as there is too much stuff and places for them to disappear.

The only times Syrians have bite me: one was sick and in fact dying, and one I help all his legs, all four, and he didn't like it.

Spiny mice almost never bite. I have recently sexed scores holding them in my gloved hand. But there is always one who wants to bite, and he got me through a worn spot in the glove!

[Dezzi]

>>knock over a wheel in a bin, stand on it, gnaw a hole in the plastic top while standing on tip toe, do a remarkable chinup, and squeeze up and out<<

Sounds like my best friend's hamster... That thing is a Houdini (and really big for a hamster). He's managed to escape from every single cage he's been in.

On another note, the nameless one still is in hiding and insanely shy. He still hides when I put food in, but last night he stayed out and ran in his wheel instead of running away. So I guess that's a step in the right direction. Oh the joys of being patient...

[Die Fledermaus]

Patience, patience. Let him get used to your and your voice and smells. Maybe that one is young? I had a really young one and he was difficult for awhile in terms of taming.

I had one Syrian gnaw through the thick side of a 20 gallon Sterilite bin--unique!

[hamwolf89]

Apr 23, 2008 16:38:17 GMT -4 Die Fledermaus said:

I had one Syrian gnaw through the thick side of a 20 gallon Sterilite bin--unique!

Shows that your hamster was really stessed. Or due to the lack of toys. Hamsters don't gnaw through the cage for fun.

[Dezzi]

>>Maybe that one is young?<<
I'm not sure how old he is, but he is young. He's only 1/2-3/4 the size of Darko, and they're both Syrians. (That being said, Mr. Delicious [my best friend's escape artist] is from the same litter as Darko and the size of my entire hand. I should find out what she feeds that thing...)

I'm thinking that the location of his cage isn't great. He's in one of the main rooms and I'm worried that it's too noisy. Maybe I should clear a spot on my desk and move him into my room...

[Die Fledermaus]

As I've said, for new hamsters as much seclusion and quiet as possible is preferred. And never wake them up either by poking or by noise.

A good wheel they actually use is also a must, as are tubes and stuff. Best wheel? For me those metal mesh wheels: they are not that expensive and they almost never wear out and are entirely safe. Olive oil on the "joints" as needed if it squeaks. One good thing about them is they can be hung from the plastic lip of a tank (after drilling or melting holes in the plastic) so they can never be knocked over and have bedding kicked on them. All my critters use such wheels so deployed: fancy mice, spiny mice, gerbils, hamsters. Sadly, as you may recall, all my rescued dwarfs have passed.



As for the hamsters of mine who did the gnawing described above. One was the recently deceased Galadriel who gnawed through everything--why she ended up in a glass tank. And the other was one of Rainy's litter* and was the only one of that bunch, or many others who ever did that or even tried it. My hamsters are not stressed.

*. 1/3/03. Got Rainy, a hamster who turned out to be pregnant. I kept the entire litter of 12 (ten survived after 2 1/2 months) and a lot of nice people online denoted hundreds of dollars of stuff to house them. It was so very nice. The stuff is still in use: Habitrails, ceramic logs, etc. One plastic strawberry hide away has however been chewed a bit by spiny mice! The story of Rainy and her litter can be found with a site Search. All of their obituaries can be found below in the link to my memorial gallery.

[Dezzi]

I managed to get a picture of him in his wheel last night.

He seems to enjoy it and it doesn't make too much noise. After the cages are cleaned, I'm moving him upstairs.

[Die Fledermaus]

I have never seen a wheel like that. The surface he is running on is what? Or did you (or Megs) extemporize something?

[Dezzi]

Ha ha, it's one of two wire wheels that Megs put cardboard on.