some problems with Cedar

[JamesEnsor]

Okay, right now I am a bit concerned.

I will start with my main concern, I woke to find of my hamster's eyes shut. Her other eye is completely open and alert, but the other is closed like she is asleep. Any ideas? I guess if it is still shut when I get home from work tonight I will be truly concerned, but I thought I would pose the question now.

Also, she is no longer affectionate towards me. When I first got her, she was very nice, and come up to my hand in the cage, and I could take her out easily. Now, she is very skittish. She doesnt bite, but when I try to take her out of her cage, she just freaks out and runs all over away from my hand. Usually, if I get her, to like put her in her wheel or something, she is still struggling like a crazy hamster to get out of my hands and has succeeded a couple of times of jumping out of them. Also, with this, she is so freaked out, she usually pees or poos on my hand. Anyone know what this is all about? Shes about 2 months old now, and i have had her for 3 weeks.

thanks!

[Mitchandozzie]

about the eye thing, it happens to Corkey(1 of my hamsters) and you can rub it gentaly with some water on a papaer towel. in corkeys case he goes under his bottle lets a few drops fal on him then goes to sleep in his shvings.

also do you have any little brothers or sisters? they could have treated oyour hamster badly causeing her to be scaredf of you.......

[JamesEnsor]

No siblings or anything. The only thing I can think of is that I have taken to putting her in the bathroom at night so that I can sleep, and then in the morning I bring her back into my room. Is this maybe causing her too much stress?

Thanks for the tip with the eye. Like I said, if it is still closed when I get home from work, I will take care of it, but hopefully all will be well.

[qazwsxedc]

similar to my hammy's prob i think though that its to go with them growing into hamster ladys :D :p

[qazwsxedc]

the eye may be because of bedding

[Mitchandozzie]

i think its just how they act with the bedding because ozzie never has that happen to him and i use the same bedding.

maybe ur hamster is just going though a phase( is taht how you spell it) Ozzie and Corkey whent through one too.........

[hamz]

yeah she might be allergy to the bedding.. or some particles has fallen into the eye..

is she tearing (watery discharge)? if so.. and the eyes continue to be shut.. it might have an eye infection

[BlueSandpiper]

Sometimes mucous dries up over the eye and causes the eye to be temporarily shut. It's kind of like when you sleep and wake up to find gunk in the corners of your eyes. You can take a damp q-tip and gently rub your hamster's eye until the mucous is gone.
What kinf od bedding are you using? If you are using pine or cedar, your hamster could be having an allergic reaction to the aromatic oils in the bedding. Switch to either aspen or carefresh bedding.