I got new hamsters! (Roborovski) - A few questions!

Question

I got 2 roborovski hamsters yesterday at the pet shop but I have a few questions for hamster owners and roborovski owners. Please Help!

1. My hamsters dont seem to have drunk any water from their water bottle for the last day. Can they survive a day without water? I've checked and it does work but they haven't drink any. Is this bad???

2. One of my hamsters hurtles around the outside of the cage jumping against the side. It's a rotastak cage with loads of room so I don't think thats the problem. Is she just settling in or is something wrong?

3. When should I start trying to get to know them? How should I handle them as they are so small and how can I make them not scared of me? I know it may take time... Yesterday I opened the cage and they hid away. Any suggestions how to make them get used to me?

Thanks! I love my little roborovski's but some help would be kindly taken :)

xxxxxx

Answer 1

Congragulations on your new hammies. I have attached my hamster taming guide for your reference -

Guide to taming hamsters -

Taming your hamster can be a long process, don't expect your hamster to suddenly like be handled over night. It can take weeks or even months depending on the hamster. Here the the steps to handling a hamster -

STEP 1 - When you first get your hamster leave it alone for the first 2 - 3 days to let it get used to it's new cage and surroundings. If you pick him up on the first day itself, he will definitely bite you since you are a stranger to him.

STEP 2 - Once the hammy seems comfortable in his new cage, start talking to him softly and hang around his cage enough for him to get used to your voice and smell. After this time feed your hamster some treats from your hand so he get used to seeing your hand. This might take a few days to happen but be patient. If you feel that the hamster still bites you, you can use gloves initially.

PRECAUTION - always interact with the hamster only when he is active. If you touch him or disturb him when he is sleeping, he can get angry and bite viciously.

STEP 3 - Once your hamster seems confident with taking treats out of your hand you can try to start handling your hamster. Before you handle your hamster make sure you have washed your hands well. Hamsters have a strong sense of smell. If they smell something on your hand they may mistake it for food and decide to bite!

Get a cup or something similar and place it into the hamster's cage. He should come to investigate and crawl inside. Take the hamster and cup out of the cage and let him walk out onto your hand. While you do this make sure you're sat down or sat close to the floor incase your hamster decides to jump. Let him walk from hand to hand. Be careful you don't grab or wrap your hands around your hamster until he is fully tame as this may scare him and he will jump out of your hand.

STEP 4 - Once your hamster is more confident with you, you can start to pick up your hamster straight from it's cage. Just make sure your hamster is aware that you are there, if not you may suddenly scare the hamster and it may turn around and bite you.

Best way to hold hamsters is to make them climb into one hand and cupping the other hand softly over the body so that his head pokes out from the gap between your two hands. Remember, do not apply any pressure on his body, he will get scared and snap at you.

As for your other questions - hamsters take some time to get used to their water bottles, until then you can keep a heavy dish with water in their cage so that they do not go thirsty.

Robos are by far the fastest moving of the hamster family, and indeed are rarely still, except when they are asleep. If this is the first time you are having them, you would be amazed by their hyperactive behavior, the hamster hurtling and jumping is all part of its hyperactive behavior, so get used to it and enjoy it.

Answer 2

1. Your hamsters mite b nervous or getting 2 kno their new home. when i got my hamester, he wouldnt drink a lot.

2. Your hamster mite b uncomfortable. she mite miss her other brothers & sis's & friends (if u got em in a cage w/ others).

3.u should get 2 kno ur hamsters soon. if u dont, they wont b friendly towards ppl & mite bite when ppl try 2 hold em. u mite want 2 wear gloves until they trust u when u hold em incase they panic & bite u.

also! if u have any other pets...make sure they r in another room or outside b4 u take ur hamsters out!

Answer 3

1. The water thing is okay, hamsters are desert animals and can survive with out water for a while. (Btw, I have a roborovski)

2.Probably your hamster is  thinking "Get me out please!" Roborovskis just wanna escape. Dont worry, my hamster does this but he never gets out. Your hamster soon will adapt to the cage.

3.They cant really get use to you cause roborovskis are the smallest breed of hamster, I have had my hamster for 8 months now and he still wont let me hold him. Plus they may escape. Just pet them softly and even if they run away just keep petting them softly.

Yes, hamsters really dont like anyone touching them, and when they are so tiny!

Good luck with your robos, they are great pets and are so cute!

Answer 4

Hi.

1. I have a hamster who appears not to drink very much, it's not necessarily noticeable to us, but they may well have had some. Also, their natural habitat means that they are able to store water for longer periods of time than us. Rest assured, they will drink and will not starve themselves of water.

2. It's probably just settling in and exploring. Mine did that for the first few days. Just make sure they both have plenty of things to play with. They can get bored easily, so have a few toys to hand and rotate them. Let them have a couple for a week, then swap them over, etc. They also love any interestingly shaped box.

3. Give them a few days to settle. Perhaps 2. They need to get used to the new sights and sounds of your home (and their new home). When you're ready to handle them, don't lunge at them, but instead place your hand in the cage and let them have a sniff. They may seem timid at first but as with all hamsters, curiosity will get the better of them. Give them small treats (raisins, for example) to show that you aren't a threat to them and generally be patient with them. The slower you introduce them into a normal handling pattern, the better. Also, try not to be afraid of them. Hamsters can sense this and it'll make them tense. To my knowledge, Roborovskis have short term memories, so try not to leave them without handling for longer than 48 hours as you will have to start this process all over again.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

1. Yes they can. All baby hamsters don't drink much at first. Make sure the water is cold and fresh.

2.She is settling in and possibly having fun.

3.Hold them once or twice a day make sure you are really quiet. Try and tame them by holding them.