I just got him 4 hours ago and his name is jeffry. He's only a month old and the girl told me that he is a ''normal'' hamster, I mean, whats that about, I think its a syrian but im not sure. I have the cage and everything, everything. I try to pick him up but he just wants to slip away. he doesnt bite, Im glad but still i want him to get used to me, what should I do, know a good website?
2007-01-28 12:58:22 · 17 answers · asked by c.c. 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
btw, the contract thing worked for those who heard about it, its a good idea and I had to do nothing
2007-01-28 13:14:36 · update #1
Unfortunately you have not done all your homework regarding hamster ownership BEFORE purchasing a hamster, contract or not. Nor did you bother to ask the store associate to explain what he/she meant by "normal". You need to do some serious research on hamster websites about hamster ownership. A good one is the California Hamster Association. They have several articles written that would be beneficial to you:
http://www.geocities.com/CalHamAssoc/
By "normal" the associate was probably referring that it is agouti. There are several ways to tame a hamster. Several articles are on the website listed above. I suggest you read them all.
You will not get the in-depth answers that you need posting on Yahoo! Answers. You need to do a little more work yourself.
-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com
2007-01-29 02:03:42 · answer #1 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Syrians are generally pretty sweet. If you can already touch him and he doesn't bite, that is great. Be very careful not to approach him with the smell of food on your fingers. I don't know that I would try to get him a friend. Many times, when you buy them from separate colonies, they fight. Just make sure you clean and sterilize his cage once a week. Play with him at least once a day so that he has human contact. Clean water, get him a ball that he can roll around in. He should exercise daily. Wooden treats are always nice. He is a rodent and their teeth are constantly growing. He'll need some type of wooden chew toy to keep his teeth filed down. Other than that, they are pretty self sufficient. I actually had a couple of mine "potty" trained. You will see that there is one particular place in the cage that he is peeing in. If you will put a little potty in there (you can buy them at pet stores, along with potty litter) they will go to that particular place if you put it where they've been going. They are nocturnal, so put him away from your bedroom, he will play at night. Other than that, good luck, have fun.
2007-01-28 23:34:01 · answer #2 · answered by cathy c 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your hamster is still really young...you might not want to mess with him to often for a while unless you are cleaning his cage,feeding him or refilling his water.It might take time for him to trust you and as silly as this might sound,one of the best ways to comfert him is by comunication.Let him know that you aren't there to harm him.When you pick him up,don't hold him to tight but just tight enough so that he won't slip away.Let him sniff your fingur every time you hold him so that he can memorize your scent. He is scared of you because he doesn't know you to well.Pet him with two fingures or so gently to calm him down and don't pick him up every time you see him.Don't bother him while he is sleeping-hamsters hate that.And don't shake him around or anything like that.This will only frighten him more.Just give him some time to get use to his new suroundings and to get use to you.If you have any others pets,be sure to keep a close eye on them so that they do not go near your hamster.He might get frightened and believe it or not it is possible for him to have a heart attack.Don't believe me? look it up.Anway,i'm sure everything will turn out okay. Good luck :)
2007-01-28 21:10:50 · answer #3 · answered by Nikki 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey congrats on getting a hamster :]
here are some good links that will help you with all you need to know!
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/hamsters/...
http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/hamst...
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbit...
http://www.hamsterific.com/selectingaham...
this one is my favorite^^^
http://www.aspca.org/site/pageserver?pag...
There if you need more info id be glad to help :]
Good luck !!
PS. Be sure to buy him some food with variety with like pellets, mixed seeds, etc* They love variety! Also chew sticks (about a dollar at a petstore) are amazing for your little guy their teeth are constantly growing and they need things to chew on to keep them at a good size. Hamsters, Mice, Rats almost all small pets just love toilet paper rolls it is perfectly fine for them No health risks or anything because most of the time they spit the cardboard out but they love to chew it and run in and out of them. Make sure to get them a little hide out hamsters like their own space just as much as the average person would. If you decide to use woodchip bedding for your hamster NEVER EVER USE CEDAR. Small pets are very prone to respiratory infections and cedar bedding can be the first to cause this! I use pine for my guinea pigs ive also heard aspen is very good. ALSO he needs a wheel hamsters are very entergetic and need to put that energy somewhere! NEVER Get him a Wire wheel, (the metal ones) it can cause alot of problems! Also do not get him a female friend Many babies will be produced i promise. On getting him used to you talk to him in a soft voice and every now and then put your hand in his cage this will help him get used to you and when picking him up do it slowley he may run a little bit but he will get used to you eventually. Before exssively playing with him let him get used to his cage and his surrounding, Also for a treat you can give him ( cornflakes, honeycombs, cheerios etc*) they love these.
Good luck i hope my information was helpful!
2007-01-28 21:04:28 · answer #4 · answered by catieann 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
okay i have had 8 hamsters i have 2 at the moment so i am an expert. he is nervous right now you must give him 3 days without touching him because he needs to get used to his new enviornment. If you have any other questions email me.
2007-02-03 20:43:06 · answer #5 · answered by Miss Casey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seems like you have it covered....oh and do not get him a female friends unless you want about 15 new hamsters that you don't know what to do with!
2007-01-28 21:09:17 · answer #6 · answered by ♥ Mary ♥ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they need 24 hours to adjust to new home. offer her treats to take from your hand. get her an exercise wheel, play with her 2-4 times an evening. fresh food and water.
2007-01-29 17:45:35 · answer #7 · answered by sandy e 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my sister is an expert and this is what she told me.....give him lots of different treats and find out which he likes best......then put him in a coffee cup (he will feel more safe) and feed him his favorite treats ONLY there.....as he gets use to you hold him and give him treats he will eventually look forward to your hand....keep up the good work
2007-01-28 23:12:30 · answer #8 · answered by Rhylie and Paiyden 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you just got him he is still scared of everything around him including you so give him time to adjust to his new home
2007-01-28 21:11:40 · answer #9 · answered by IDK 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you need a wheel that produce energy, stick the hamster in and free power to the people!!
2007-01-29 01:56:32 · answer #10 · answered by Vu 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋