I bought a hamster 3 weeks ago (he's 8 weeks old now), he was friendly when I bought him, now he's very nervous and when he's awake just gnaws on his cage all night, is he sick?
2006-08-10 00:34:57 · 12 answers · asked by Katie 4 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
more like bored or malnurished.
Make sure he has plenty of room - at least twice as much as you think he needs. Give him dustfree woodshavings to live in, a tray of sand to dig and bathe in and lots of fresh highquality hay every day. I assume you feed him a comercial brand hamster food. This need to be supplemented with hay, protein (hard boiled egg, insects, ground beef) and a small amount of fresh veggies and a very small amount of fruit. Some fresh grass and dandelion leaves are counted as veggies. Be careful when you start out with veggies - start with peasized amounts and gradully over three weeks build up to like two dandelionleaves or similar. Slowly is the point, otherwise his stomach will not be able to handle it. (!) Carrots are also good. Fresh branches (from fruittrees are best) to give him something to gnaw at.
Remember that he need to use his brain = use his nose - give him the pellets scattered around in stead of in the bowl, give him branches, both for the fiber and for the stimulation of sniffing. Live insects (or those wormes the petshop sell for fodder) are stimulation too (one or two a day is enough)
Also go to www.clickertraining.com to learn how to stimulate him and have fun by teaching him small tricks.
Remember to clean his cage once a week, and make sure he always have dry beddingmaterial. Male hamsters pee alot in my experience.
2006-08-10 00:57:31 · answer #1 · answered by snowwings 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The vet's answer is great, I just wanted to add that it may help to change the style of your cage. If it has wire bars, they really seem to chew the bars a lot, and if you have a glass cage, they chew on the sealant, so the plastic cages with all the tubes and connector houses are nice. They still can chew the plastic of course, but they can be replaced easily and you can change and expand the set-up to keep the hamster entertained.
2006-08-10 01:35:43 · answer #2 · answered by Emily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he's so young & he's getting used to his new environment. the cages they make are too small & he's bored. he's trying to get out. u can buy 2 cages & connect them. ( i have one with 3 cages connected by tubes) u can buy a hamster ball if u cant get a bigger cage & let him run daily until he stops running.(sometimes 2 hrs!) keep tape on the lid because they pop open. mine chews until i come over & then jumps right in her ball when i hold it up to the cage door. she runs about 2 hr and while shes gone i hide food around her cage. she comes back, finds her food, the n goes to bed. also make sure u have a wheel in his cage. one of mine actually has 3 because her cage is so big they can fit. the more room the happeir the hamster.
2006-08-10 02:52:07 · answer #3 · answered by galaxygurl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not sure...did you hold him when you got him so that he could get used to you? I've read that it is not good for hamsters to knaw on thier cage it can damage their teeth...I have 3 dwarf hamsters and they do this too...I have wood blocks and hard mineral wheels in their cages...but they chose to knaw on the cage. If you are not sure of the behavior, yo ucould always call a vet for some advice.
Good Luck
2006-08-10 00:56:02 · answer #4 · answered by blueyedangel71 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you put your Hamster in one of those plastic, transparent balls, you can have ever so much fun.
What can you do with a hamster in a plastic ball...spin the ball, hit the ball with a bat, place it in water (recreate the Titanic,) place it in the Microwave...
There are many fun things for a boy and his Hamster...why you could even place it up your butt. As the Hamster dies, you reach Orgasm...
So have fun little Timmy
2006-08-10 08:01:14 · answer #5 · answered by Matthew 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He wants out of his cage to go exploring thats what Hamsters do. Look up hamsters / care on google.
2006-08-10 03:33:11 · answer #6 · answered by Who am I? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had the same thing happen with mine...put him in his wheel, get him out and play with him when you can, or try some toys that he can climb on and hide in
2006-08-10 00:48:49 · answer #7 · answered by sassy2sloppy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats perfectly normal.
2006-08-10 02:57:30 · answer #8 · answered by Mikey 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
classic case of bordome stress, put some toys in with him.
2006-08-10 00:40:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its alright they chew on everything and sleep allday and stay awake all night
2006-08-10 00:54:38 · answer #10 · answered by jody n 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋