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RainbowBrite
Hello. When you say you have tried sorting his cage, I am unsure what you mean? Would you like to post a picture of the cage so members can give you tips?
Many hamsters do not wake up before 11PM and Grommit is still settling in so perhaps he has not established a routine yet.
This is a great article all about taming your hamster:
www.thehamsterforum.com
Many hamsters do not wake up before 11PM and Grommit is still settling in so perhaps he has not established a routine yet.
This is a great article all about taming your hamster:
How to tame a hamster
Hand taming a hamster can make life with your hamster very rewarding. Suddenly they will sit on you to be stroked or even go to sleep on you, and will be very easy to handle. It can take a bit of time and patience initially.
www.thehamsterforum.com
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grommit217
I clean his toilet and tip his food bowls up, he wakes to watch me, then he goes to sleep again. I'll post hos case picture tomorrow. He's got lots of things to discover in there. His breeder worked nights so his day / night routine was very different to how it is for him now. Grommit would if had dark and silence before and now living with us it is brighter and we have noise from the tv.
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RainbowBrite
It takes time for a hamster to settle in so you do not have to worry about trying to tame him yet. I have noticed hamsters can behave differently in a new home. 
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grommit217
Should I leave him be and watch or take him out for play pen time?
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RainbowBrite
I would let him settle in first. He is getting used to a new home, new smells and new people.
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grommit217
OK thank-you. I'll leave him be. I'll keep talking to him, as I have been
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Welcome to the forum It's very early days if you've only had him a week He is just building up trust with you and adjusting to his new environment. I think you've done well to have him out of the cage at all this early! Some show signs of wanting to come out after a few days, for others, it can take about two weeks. As he's 12 weeks old and not quite a baby, he may be a bit used to humans already. But he still needs to get used to his new humans.
Most people start by offering treats through the cage bars (or similar) to help build up trust and familiarity, and then the hamster gets familiar with your scent and sound of your voice. Talking to them through the cage helps as well, even though that sounds strange!
I'll reply more in a moment and I think you'll get more responses tomorrow - it's a bit late now
It's very early days if you've only had him a week He is just building up trust with you and adjusting to his new environment. I think you've done well to have him out of the cage at all this early! Some show signs of wanting to come out after a few days, for others, it can take about two weeks. As he's 12 weeks old and not quite a baby, he may be a bit used to humans already. But he still needs to get used to his new humans.Most people start by offering treats through the cage bars (or similar) to help build up trust and familiarity, and then the hamster gets familiar with your scent and sound of your voice. Talking to them through the cage helps as well, even though that sounds strange!
I'll reply more in a moment and I think you'll get more responses tomorrow - it's a bit late now
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He will probably guide you in this in the next couple of weeks. If he comes to the cage door looking like he wants to come out then it's fine to have playpen time. But it's difficult if he's not coming out till 11pm. Again that might be because he's still a bit nervous. But it has been cold in some places recently and if it's cold they can stay in their nest longer (although it's been hot in some places too).
One thing you can do is start having a set feeding time maybe, early to mid evening. If you don't already. Make a bit of cage noise or rattling when doing it so it rouses him (like when you do his food bowl). It's also good to give a tiny bit of veg each day - and they really love fresh veg! But just a really tiny bit, no bigger than his ear. They tend to eat fresh food straight away, rather than hoard it, if it's only a tiny piece.
It can be their main reason for getting up if they smell the veg! Anyway this can get him into a routine of waking earlier for feeding time, and gradually he may start to want to come out around that time as well - if you offer him a tube to walk into (put your hands over the ends after!).
With the veg - if he isn;t getting it at the moment, start with every 3 days then after a week it can go to every day - once their digestion has got used to it..
When I had a very shy syrian boy, I used to put his bit of veg on a separate dish on the far side of the cage away from his house, so he actually had to walk across the cage to get it. And he couldn't resist it so would get up for it. Then on his way back to his house I'd offer him a tube.
One thing you can do is start having a set feeding time maybe, early to mid evening. If you don't already. Make a bit of cage noise or rattling when doing it so it rouses him (like when you do his food bowl). It's also good to give a tiny bit of veg each day - and they really love fresh veg! But just a really tiny bit, no bigger than his ear. They tend to eat fresh food straight away, rather than hoard it, if it's only a tiny piece.
It can be their main reason for getting up if they smell the veg! Anyway this can get him into a routine of waking earlier for feeding time, and gradually he may start to want to come out around that time as well - if you offer him a tube to walk into (put your hands over the ends after!).
With the veg - if he isn;t getting it at the moment, start with every 3 days then after a week it can go to every day - once their digestion has got used to it..
When I had a very shy syrian boy, I used to put his bit of veg on a separate dish on the far side of the cage away from his house, so he actually had to walk across the cage to get it. And he couldn't resist it so would get up for it. Then on his way back to his house I'd offer him a tube.
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grommit217
I've been feeding him at 8pm
I take out the old food and put in treats.
He doesn't come out for a while,he takes some cucumber and goes back to his rube, he stay there till around d 1030.rhe food bowl is the furthest part of the cage from where he rests. I speak to him and i feel he scurries away because I've noticed him.
I take out the old food and put in treats.
He doesn't come out for a while,he takes some cucumber and goes back to his rube, he stay there till around d 1030.rhe food bowl is the furthest part of the cage from where he rests. I speak to him and i feel he scurries away because I've noticed him.
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RainbowBrite
You do not need to remove his food. I assume you are talking about his main food? You can try scatter feeding this as it encourages natural, foraging behaviour. If you take out the old food then you will be removing the hoard which is so important for a hamster.
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grommit217
Oh no, I take out what was fresh from the night before that he's left. Anything he's hidden I leave.
I've scattered fed him. I hide food in his hides and tubes
I've scattered fed him. I hide food in his hides and tubes
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RainbowBrite
Ah, you were talking about the fresh food! Now I understand. It is a lovely idea to hide treats to encourage him to look for them.Oh no, I take out what was fresh from the night before that he's left. Anything he's hidden I leave.
I've scattered fed him. I hide food in his hides and tubes
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grommit217
Yes, sorry for the confusion. I'll try to be clearer with what I'm trying to say x
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RainbowBrite
No, not at all! It was me. I get confused easily.
It is lovely to have an update on Grommit. Is he named after the character?
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grommit217
Me too. Haha
We couldn't find a name " good" enough for him. He didnt have a name for a few days. Then I gave him a dried apple treat and he took it from my fingers, he sat up with the treat in his paws, I thought. "Oh he's called Grommit " and that's perfect for him
We couldn't find a name " good" enough for him. He didnt have a name for a few days. Then I gave him a dried apple treat and he took it from my fingers, he sat up with the treat in his paws, I thought. "Oh he's called Grommit " and that's perfect for him
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RainbowBrite
That is such a lovely and sweet story! It is wonderful how the name just came to you like that. He really suits his name too.
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grommit217
He's such a sweet boy, I love him. I've never had a hamster before. He's my first 
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RainbowBrite
That is so precious. I am new to hamsters also. I have my second hamster but I have only had hamsters for about a year and a half.