OT Question for the hamster experts....

[junior_n_sweetpea]

We've had little Pippi for about4 daysnow. He sure is a stinky little guy. I've had to clean out his tankonce already and it already stinks again. Is this normal? He alsoalways seems to be sleeping, even at night when I've checked. The kidsgot him out yesterday and let him run in his little play pen for ashort time. Does he just need more time to get used to us? I've beentold to leave him alone for a couple of weeks and also to get him usedto us by playing with him everyday. Which is right? I need a Hamsterfor Dummies book LOL.

 

[dreamgal042]

i have 2 hammies...I cant smell anything, butthats prolly cuz im used to the smells of animals. Hamsters arenocturnal, so they sleep when we're awake. It is good to get them usedto people by playing with them. The reason you were told to leave themalone was probably because, with any animal, you dont wanna take themout and play with them as soon as they get home. you wanna leave emalone for a day or 2 to let them get used to their new house. but afterthat, its okay to take 'em out. id say the more the better so they getused to people, and get the idea that people area good thing.hope this helps

 

[gjsara]

oh i miss my hamsterginger!!! she was the smartest thing for being so little, i had herwhen i was about 14 and my bed time was 9, one day i woke up and hercage lid was poped open she was sleeping in her corner w/ a buckeye inher cage, i got mad and went and yelled at my brother saying dont putbuckeyes in her cage!!!! well the next morning i woke up in it was thesame thing, this went on for about a week and by then it was world war3 in the house i was convinced my brother was doing to be a jerk wellone night i came to bed at 10 and the lid was poped open and she wasnowhere to be found, so i thought ryan had let her out we serched andserched, and couldnt find her i figured she was gone, the next morningthere she was sleeping in her corner with her buckeye.she new when iwent to sleep and she broke out every night to roam the house i missthat little girl!!!

 

[MyBunnyLovesMe]

My lil HamHam Rahoon smells TERRIBLE! You can'teven go near his cage without gagging lol, we clean it all the time,hamsters just stink. lol. He never wakes up until about 12:30/1:00AM,then he goes back to sleep around 8:00AM. Dont handle them too much atfirst, if they get scared, they bite, and they bite hard. My ham almosttook the edge of my finger off. So if you're told to leave him, then Isuggest you do that. They get used to you after a few weeks. Anyway,hope that helps.

 

[CuddlesMom]

Hamsterssleep all day and up all night!Me personally id be thankful that he is sleeping im sure he is justgetting use to his surroundings..as far as smell id use that care freshfor his bedding i had 2 hamsters that seemed to work well just makesure his "bottom" is nice and dry i had a hamster that ended up havingwet tail.....he died

 

[DaisyNBuster]

I always had hamster upto having Alyssa. I justlove them to bits. I had, Honey, Biscuit, snowflake, Bamstie and Polo.I found that they did stink after about a week, depending on the sex. Ifound my females always used one corner to do everything, but my malesdid it everywhere (even in bed, eugh) so they needed cleaning moreoften.

My first rabbit , honey I made a mistake of handling straight away andshe really bit me hard. I was scared to death after that and didn'treally get her out as I was so scared. I used to clean her out withgloves on after that. I find if you leave them just for 2-3days and let them come to you. Stick your hand in with a treat and doit gradually and stroke him - don't just pickhimupas it will scare him andlet him walk on you.

I have lots of stories about my lil hammies,I could be hereall day. The best was when biscuit managed to find her way out of hercage, out of my room,past the cats and down the stairsand hid behind the cooker in the kitchen!?! I was so upsetas I though the cats had got her but all of a sudden my Mum heard ascratching noisebehind thecooker - My Mum wasn'timpressed as she had to disconnect it to get the little rascal!!

Anyway like I said before,I could go on all day - Just gotta love those hammies

 

[junior_n_sweetpea]

Well, he/she did nip me once. But it reallydidn't hurt LOL. I haven't let the kids handle him yet. Hopefully he'llget used to us soon. Poor little guy. We have a little play pen for himand we have let him out for a run twice, but he just seemed scared todeath.