need help

[michelle0489]

Hi, I got a hamster for my son Thursday(4-15-04) she was really good for three days now she is biting and acting really weird when you touch her she rolls over and acts scared. she has bit 4 of us in the past two days. and she is making squeaky noises and little noises that sound like little sneezes. are these sign of pregnancy? the pet store said to give her a couple more days and they would exchange her. My son is so sad but we are afraid to hold her now. any advice would be great.:confused:

[Padfoot]

My nieces bought a hamster a few years ago, and my younger niece has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects the motor part of the brain. She didn't knew how to hold her, so she squeezed her a bit the tiems she holded her. The hamster became afraid of being held and would act exactly as you described. Is there a possibility that something like this happened? Anyway.. it took a lot of time and patience, but I managed to tame her again and teached my niece how to hold her. Just put your hand in the cage away from her and leave it still... give her a chance to calm doing and after a few weeks she'll stop rolling on her back when you put your hand in the cage. Then, try getting closer to her and try feeding her in your hand. In a couple of weeks more she'll be taking the food from your hand and perhaps sitting there to eat it. If she does sit to eat it, try to slowly lift your hand with her sitting on it, see how she tolerates it. Soon you'll be able to take her out again...

[Zouave]

Sneezing is not a sign of pregnancy.

Three or four days is nothing in terms of taming a hamster. Be sure she has peace and quiet during the day; let her wake up on her own; do not touch her until she trusts you after you give her treats from your hand; never try to suddenly pick her up from above or behind and never surprise her; etc. Patience.

And keep an eye on the sneezing - any labored breathing could be a respiratory infection.

[Halogengirlie]

My hamster when I first got her made lots of little sneezing noises... I'm not a hamster expert... but she seemed perfectly healthy (minus the noises).
I've now had her about a week and she's getting more used to me... gradually.. I can't grab her and pick her up.. but she will crawl out of the cage onto my hand when she wants to, and she will crawl around on me.

The point is... she stopped making the noises... completely.. but her health still seems the same... I have been suspecting that she was making the noises when she was scared... I never heard her make them when we weren't next to her cage.

As I said.. I'm not an expert... but I did notice a pattern with my little girl... So perhaps feed her a tiny bit of banana, and let her get accustomed to you gradually.

[jostring]

Yeah - please be patient - don't give up on the little guy! If you exchange him at the pet shop and he behaves like this now because of the misfortune of the way you have gone about handling him then he will never get a good home - you need to give him time to settle in - take it slow. Let him get used to you not the other way round. Don't hate him or be scared of him.

Let him have a few days in the cage on his own with no actual handling.
Do as previous post says - just let him get used to your hand again - feed him treats (veggies, cheese) - leave the door open and speak gently - get him a ball to run around in when you eventually do get him out again....
They start to look forward to coming out then.

Indy my male hamster is not keen on being picked up and since I put him in his ball a couple of times, when I open his door now I put the ball outside the door ready for him to step in and because he recognises it he steps into it - I let him adventure around for half an hour and then when its time for him to stop I have to get him out and handle him for a bit, stroking him and letting him climb on me then scooping him up not grabbing I gently lower him back into his cage.
The opposite - Halo my partners female hamster she actually just climbs out onto my partners hand as soon as you opens the door! She is completely confident in him and trusts him now - because we were patient...

They need to have confidence in you.
They need a routine.

PLEASE be patient!

Let us know how you get on...

Jo
xx

[Rohini]

My hamster , Honey has been with me for a week. She was just 8 weeks when I got her. She made loud noises and initially I too was concerned. I was very slow and gentle and now she is a bit scared but I don't try to pick her up all the time and sometimes just open her cage and talk to her; she is coming round. Your hamster is an individual, and will take time to settle. In a month she will be fine. Encourage your son to be gentle and explain that the hamster is still only a tiny baby.