I have a completely crazy hamster! What can I do to calm her down?

Question

I have had her for about three months, she is still fairly young, but I got her from a petstore so I don't know her exact age. I am very good with animals and have two dogs, a cat, a russian tortoise, a normal russian hamster, and then this crazy little robo hamster. She won't come anywhere near my hand if I put it in her cage. She has already squeezed herself through the bars of her cage twice to avoid my hand when I was changing her food. (I was able to trap her and get her back in the cage, obviously) I have tried talking softly to her when I put food/treats in her cage to get her used to me, but nothing seems to work. I hate to say it, but it seems like I will have just spend the rest of her life feeding her, giving her water, and changing her bedding with no personal satisfaction of having an affectionate, loving animal. Any suggestions on how to get her to be less crazy and afraid? Will vote for best answer!! Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Some hamsters are just like that. She'll calm down eventually.

Answer 2

some hamsters are like that when there young make sure her cage is clean and she has an exercise wheel after it gets older and matures it will calm down give it time.

Answer 3

is she in room wiyh other pets some time that disturbes hamsters they are also nocturnal creatures its best to try to play, touch and feed then also try execisefor her some times adding diffrent things to do will get rid of energy.also when you get a pet from pet store you dont know what they have been through. i have 3 hamster all male and very hyper till they play in there own spheres

Answer 4

some hamsters are just like that i had one a like that a long time ago......one thing if oyu dont have maybe get one of those plastic balls for it to run around in, in the house.  They love those and maybe if he associates you with the ball he will grow more fond of you =]

Answer 5

Try leaving her alone for a while so that she gets used to a new cage, new people, and a new home.

She sounds really funny!

Answer 6

What you are describing is the typical frustration of owner of a typical robo hamster.

Robos are by far the fastest moving of the hamster family, and indeed are rarely still, except when they are asleep.

Robo hamsters are gentle and naturally docile but extremely fast!  They rarely if ever bite but do wriggle -  and if they escape they are difficult to catch, although repeated, gentle handling will calm them down somewhat.

Since they are so wriggly, they are not generally recommended for anyone wanting a pet to "cuddle". When they are being handled, it is best to do so over a "playbox" or normal cardboard box from the supermarket. (If a Roborovski's hamster once gets loose on the floor it will be a major challenge to retrieve!)

She is not crazy but just being what she is - a robo hamster. I am afraid she is not the type you can cuddle and handle like your other russian hamster.

On the plus side, however, their temperament is reliably good; bites or even nips are so rare as to be effectively unheard of. As a pet to watch, busily going about its day to day existence, they are without equal and are an enjoyable sight for pet lovers who just love to sit baack and watch them go about their hyper active lifestyle.

Another thing - wire cages are not ideal for robos since they can easily escape even from hamster specific cages. Only an glass tank, bin cage or plastic cage is safe for them.