Hamster advice

MattW · Aug 8, 2024

So I'm currently looking after the neighbor's hamster for a couple of weeks. I've never kept an animal that small before. The closest thing I've kept to a hamster was flemish giants which are probably 20x bigger

. Food, bedding, cage, water bottle, wheel, etc, have all been provided. Is there anything I need to look out for like behavior? amount of interaction with humans? amount of cleaning? and feeding a varied diet? I am aware these little guys don't usually require much attention and keep to themselves but I just wanted to check I've not missed anything that the internet hasn't told me yet.

TIA

emeraldking · Aug 8, 2024

They don't really ask for one's attention from what I've noticed as a child. They can enjoy themselves. But hey, that's been a long time ago...

MaloK · Aug 8, 2024

I had many of them.

Just put your hand flat in the cage if he jumps on it, he want's to interact.

Be careful, if you handle him, they have a notorious tendency to jump off, from hands, tables etc...

It's like they have no idea the height they are at, and it's dangerous for them to get killed in a fall.

Besides that they nearly never stop moving and are very good to find small holes to get in, so watch-out :lol:

AJ356 · Aug 8, 2024

Some hamsters don't like being woken up. I learned the hard way when younger. Am being serious.

Uberhoust · Aug 8, 2024

AJ356 said:
Some hamsters don't like being woken up. I learned the hard way when younger. Am being serious.

I have experienced an upset hamster, they can bite and with their incisors it can be deep. I would leave most of the handling to the owner.

AJ356 · Aug 8, 2024

Uberhoust said:
I have experienced an upset hamster, they can bite and with their incisors it can be deep. I would leave most of the handling to the owner.

Well said. I got bit and felt like someone chopped off the tip of my finger. Lots of blood.

Naughts · Aug 8, 2024

Yet if it’s tame it will need handling to keep it that way.

The new sounds and smells will scare it so give it extra cover (thick bedding to burrow in, cardboard tubes to hide in) to help it feel secure.

If it’s stressed (biting cage bars) give it more exercise. In nature hamsters run literally miles every night. Some toys and hides in an empty bath is a safe way to give it time out of the cage. Or an exercise ball if it was provided - keep an eye on it though.

Enrich its diet with bits of fresh fruit and veg - things like carrot, corn, cucumber. Soft things like banana should be avoided.

jaylach · Aug 8, 2024

Actually a hard question to answer as a lot depends on normal interaction with the owner. If you were just keeping for a couple of days I would say to just feed and leave alone but you are talking a couple of weeks, not days. I would have to suggest that you talk to the owner to find out the kind of interaction the beasties are used to experiencing and try to match as it may help with the stress of a new location.

Just be careful as indicated already they can have a much bigger bite than one would think. Even if the owner has a lot of interaction such as holding you may experience problems with this. There is just too much of a size difference for the critter to recognize a face and probably rely on smell as a trust indicator. You will not smell the same as the owner resulting in a possible bite if you were to try to pick up. If the thing is used to such interaction put your hand in but like a foot away. If the beastie is used to such interaction, and you 'smell' OK, it will approach your hand. Do NOT just reach in and try to pick up.

As an example, when I was a kid, I had a pet field mouse that I saved from a cat. It really seemed that it 'knew' that I saved it and became my 'sidekick' and would go around with me riding in my shirt pocket with its paws holding the top of the pocket and its head poking out. Anyone else that tried to touch ... it would freak out.

anewbie · Aug 8, 2024

I always look for a stray cat to keep hamsters company.

anewbie · Aug 8, 2024

jaylach said:
As an example, when I was a kid, I had a pet field mouse that I saved from a cat. It really seemed that it 'knew' that I saved it and became my 'sidekick' and would go around with me riding in my shirt pocket with its paws holding the top of the pocket and its head poking out. Anyone else that tried to touch ... it would freak out.

Unlike hamsters mouses are incredibly smart. there is a video someone ( I think a scientist who was studying mouses) posted. Basically the mouses learned what drawer had food; but they knew that the food moved if the person knew they had been there; so they created this routine to steal some of the food (but not all) and did some other things to 'trick' the person into thinking they had gone elsewhere - really entertaining video. They (the mouse) during his studies did some other incredibly smart thing and showed a knack for learning from mistakes.

MattW · Aug 8, 2024

Judging by the first 24ish hours of caring for this little guy. I assume he's an asocial hamster. I've seen him once come out of his burrow to get some water and a bite of dry food and then quickly retire back inside. I did drop in some thinly sliced carrot but that hasn't been touched yet. I haven't attempted any close interaction yet as I don't want to risk a chunk of my hand going as some members have mentioned :blink:

.

Naughts said:
The new sounds and smells will scare it so give it extra cover (thick bedding to burrow in, cardboard tubes to hide in) to help it feel secure.

I never thought of that tbh. Its bedding is about 4-5 inches thick where it made its burrow. It has a tree log hide, a few shelves on the back wall, and its wheel. Would that be sufficient?

jaylach said:
If the beastie is used to such interaction, and you 'smell' OK, it will approach your hand. Do NOT just reach in and try to pick up.

I have no idea I'm afraid. The owners work full time and have 2 kids.. which I don't think was a wise choice in getting a pet such as a hamster. I'm not going to attempt any interaction if not needed. I assume the safety of the burrow is the only thing it's comfortable with at the moment. In a few days, I'll see what sort of behavior the little guy has and try your method of putting my hand on the other side of its cage. That's if he comes out of the burrow.

Thanks for all the advice from other replies :thanks:

Uberhoust · Aug 8, 2024

When I got bitten it was because I was trying to pick up the hamster. I know better now. I have handled other hamsters since. I think you could put your hand in and see if he sniffs it, if he climbs into your hand then he likes you. Right now he is in a new location with new people, generally better to take things slow, and not push the little guy. If he feels secure he will likely not bite, if not he would typically not bite first but try and move away. They are essentially wild animals and in the wild they are pretty tough.