Robo Hamster Questions!

Question

Ok so I just got a male robovroski (robo) hamster 8-4-08. The little guy, Jasper, is quite a mysterious one. There are a lot of wonders and questions I have about him and thats why I've come to you all. Please help me keep him alright and healthy...thanks <3.

1. HE'S ADDICTED TO HIS WHEEL!!! How do I break him off of his addiction without harming, frustrating, or stressing him??? All night long he'll be on his wheel never getting out, only to go to sleep, and constantly run. I know they exercise a lot but this is insane!! Sometimes he'll stop running but he'll only stop for two seconds, look out to the rest of the cage, and keep running. It almost scares me!! He won't even get out for food or water!! well at least not while I'm around...I don't know what he does when I wander off!!

2. I know hamsters are nocturnal but this guy sleeps so much in the day that I'm not sure he's drinking any water!!! He's definitely not drinking any in his wheel but he won't even wake up to get some water. He used to do the same with food but I put some in his home so thats taken care of. Anyways, he only drinks water when I hold the water bottle up to him....idk what else to do!!! But I can't keep doing that obviously. But what's going on with him?? Is he drinking? He doesnt look dehydrated at all!!!

3. A couple days ago I put him in his exercise ball and noticed his tail was wet! Immediately I was like uh-oh wet tail!! But then when I put him back in his cage he was acting normal and he didnt have a wet tail or anal. I was totally shocked especially when I found he didnt have any of the symptoms except for one. And that was the hunched back due to abdominal discomfort. And I'm not even sure if it was hunched! So my question....Does he have wet tail....or not??

4. He's not chewing on ANY of his chew toys. Since rodents teeth are constantly growing I learned they need to gnaw on things to keep them naturally trimmed. But how is he supposed to do that if he chews on nothing but his food?!

5. Whats the best way I can train him without stressing, harming, or scaring him? I want him to be happy and comfortable with me but I want to make sure we are both safe. Also any tips on getting them to not bite while training? And even teaching them to feel more comfortable with being handled??

Well I think thats about it. I know I have a mouthful to say and quite a bit to read. I'm so srry. I'm such a worry hog when it comes to keeping him totally satisfied, safe, and healthy. I have asked more experienced people and all have had the same answers. So please please if you have an answer to either all or some or even one of my questions please comment!! I'd really appreciate it and i bet Jasper will benefit! :) Thanks a bunch!

Answer 1

1. Robos are by far the fastest moving of the hamster family, and indeed are rarely still, except when they are asleep. The reason he is exercising on the wheel all the time is because he is a robo and robos are the most active hamsters you can ever see!

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 &quot;cuddle&quot;. When they are being handled, it is best to do so over a &quot;playbox&quot; or normal cardboard box from the supermarket. (If a Roborovski&#039;s hamster once gets loose on the floor it will be a major challenge to retrieve!) 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.

2. He is sleeping a lot in the day since he is so hyperactive in the night, afterall he needs to recharge himself. As for the water, hamsters know exactly when to drink water, so don&#039;t worry about that. If you are still not sure, then you can feed him water with a spoon 2-3 times a day so that you are rest assured that he is hydrated. If he refuses to drink, let him be, his water requirements are not aplenty probably. My hamsters drink water hardly 2-3 times a day and that too maybe just a few drops. They are desert rodents and do not require a lot of water to keep them going anyways.

3. Dwarf hamsters DO NOT get wet tail. Only syrian hamsters get wet tail. Dwarfs can get a diarrhea similar to wet tail. If you see abnormal p**p or a stink in his cage due to the p**p, then you have to take him to a vet immediately for treatment. Otherwise it is possible your hamster water bottle was leaking and he could have sat near that and got his tail wet (happens in most cases that way). Just check out his p**p, if it is hard and pelleted, it is nothing to worry about.

4. I have attached my hamster taming guide for your reference. Hope it helps you train your hamster. All the best!

Guide to taming hamsters -

Taming your hamster can be a long process, don&#039;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&#039;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&#039;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&#039;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&#039;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&#039;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.

Answer 2

1. Hamsters are nocturnal and that&#039;s actually good that he is addicted to his wheel. Mine only likes her ball, lol. He does eat and drink because if he didn&#039;t by now he would be dead.

2. My hamster sleeps all day too. You answered your own question, hamsters are nocturnal. So just like you and me we sleep alot(may not seem like long because we are asleep) and so do hamsters.

3. http://www.hamsterific.com check out that website to see if he for sure has wet tail. He might not, but if he does(or you think he might) obviously take him to the vet asap! Wet tail is deadly, if you don&#039;t catch it soon he is a gonner(spelling?).

4. Do you have wood blocks? If not get them, they love them. If you already have wood blocks and he still doesn&#039;t like them get some new toys. Once again try http://www.hamsterific.com its a great site.

5. I&#039;m not quite sure what you mean by train. But try washing your hands before and after you hold him so he gets the same scent. Try giving him a treat while your holding him. Again http://www.hamsterific.com fantastic site.

Good Luck!!!