Hamster help | Imamother

seeker

Mon, Nov 16 2020, 2:22 pm

We adopted a dwarf hamster about two weeks ago. I read as much as I could online and had the kids read a couple of kid books about pet hamster care. Still need some support from people who know more:

1. They say "take your hamster to the vet for clipping if his teeth or nails get too long" but how do I know if they are too long?

2. He has a wooden chew thing that he likes to gnaw on but I also keep hearing him gnaw at the plastic parts on his cage (it has some crawling tubes and a plastic wheel, he gnaws at the edges of these) is that healthy?

3. We are trying to train him to let us touch him. I know this is easier with babies but I'm hopeful that with time and patience we will get through. We are making progress in that he will sniff at our hands without biting now - mostly because we pull away after one sniff. Once bitten, twice shy, eh? Anyway I'm the bravest here and when I hold my hand out, he sometimes does this swatting motion with his paws. I can't figure out if that's friendly, aggressive, or defensive. Anyone know? If it's friendly then I'll stay and play, but if it means he'll be biting next then I'm out.

4. Can't figure out his schedule. I know they're nocturnal. But shouldn't it be some level of consistent? If he's not consistent is that an unhealthy sign? Some nights he's not up and playing until 9, other nights he's up at 5... I'm working from home today and he just (2pm) seemed to want to play so I let him go into his running ball thinking he'll go back to sleep after but he didn't want to stop! At least, I think so. It's a little hard to tell what a miniature rodent wants. In the end I didn't give him a choice, tipped him back into the cage (very gently, no worries, but I can't transfer him by hand because he still doesn't let touching without biting...) but he's still awake in there.

Any other tips please?

ra_mom

Mon, Nov 16 2020, 4:16 pm

seeker wrote:

1. As long as he keeps chewing, you're good re nails and teeth. You'll notice if something is off and he needs to see a vet. (Ours once had a sore that needed to be addressed.) Just make sure he's getting vitamins regularly.
2. Plastic should be fine. Just try to encourage more natutal chew toys. Keep your eye out if he's actually biting pieces from the plastic, then you'll need go replace it to something safer.
3. It's hard to know with the individual personalities. Smile

Kind of trial and error.
4. Inconsistency is very normal. They wake up even through their "night", to eat and spin. Feel free to try to play when he's up.
Regarding the ball, keep him in for no longer than 20 to 30 minutes at first. Once he's really used to it, if he seems to be rolling happily, you may be able to let it go for as long as an hour. But don't let your hamster stay in an exercise ball longer. We never actually went that long.
Don't worry about cutting his exercise short. He'll have his wheel in his cage if he needs it.

seeker

Mon, Nov 16 2020, 4:34 pm

1. How would we notice if something is off if we don't know what his normal is yet? How does keeping on chewing tell us that his nails are fine? They look long to me but I don't know what they're supposed to be.

1b. How do I know if he's getting enough vitamins? We're feeding him a "hamster mix" that lists a zillion nutrients in the ingredients but I don't think he's eating all the different types of bits that are in it. It has seeds, grains, and a variety of cereal-like things and he doesn't seem so interested in the cereal things.

2. OK, so far it seems just tooth marks no actual pieces falling off the plastic, but he's pretty vigorous and constant about it so I worry. He does gnaw at his wooden toy too.

3. So no familiarity with swatting? I usually pull out when he does that in case the next thing is a bite but I do want to make friends eventually.

4. Oopsie, we definitely have him in the ball for longer than that because he really seems to love it! The way we get him to and from the ball is by opening a hole in the side of the cage and holding the ball up to it. A lot of the time when I put the ball back by the hole, he doesn't want to go back into the cage! Or he'll go into the cage and then come running back to the place where the ball was. He does run on his wheel a little but not as much as I would have thought. Is there a problem with using the ball too much? He just seems to really love having the run of the house.

ra_mom

Mon, Nov 16 2020, 5:29 pm

seeker wrote:

1. You'll know if they're too long. If you don't know, that means the nails are fine. Smile

If they have difficulty scratching or cleaning themselves, their nails keep getting snagged on their environment, their nails cause harm to you guys even when the hamster is not distressed, they struggle to hold their food, blood is present around their nail area or paws, walking causes discomfort or awkward movement due to long nails...
3. Put treats between your fingers and put your hand in the cage with it and wait for a hamster to take it from your hand. He will begin to associate you with treats and warm up. You'll get to know each other soon enough!
4. They'll keep going and going if you leave them in the ball. Smile

That's just how they are. You can google and check the different sources for optimal amount of time in the ball.

seeker

Mon, Nov 16 2020, 5:45 pm

Yes, he'll take treats from my hand.

I'm talking about even when I hold the ball still and put it up to the door of his cage, he keeps hopping back into the ball and scrabbling up the opposite side, it seems like he really wants to run.

Then again maybe he just doesn't love being in the cage Sad

The previous owners had him in it for months and seemed to think he was happy. It's a drop on the small side but it has a wheel and tunnels going up to another space on top. But when he sees people he starts looking like he wants to climb out. And I'm like, I'd take you out if I could trust you not to bite me...