I got a Syrian hamster a month ago and I've had some problems with taming her. She's really shy and won't easily come out of her hideout. She usually comes out when I'm already asleep. I've read to her so she gets used to my voice. I've rubbed her bedding with my hands so she gets used to my scent. I've tried to lure her out to a tube with food and sometimes succeeded, after that I have moved her to a large box. She lets me pet her there, takes food from my hand and I'm even able to lift her to my hand for a while. But the next day, I encounter the same problem: she won't come out of her hideout. Am I just too impatient with her? Is there anything I could do differently? I understand it might take some time for her to get used to me.
A really shy hamster
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Hello and welcome to the forum. You are doing so well with your hamster and you are doing all the right things. Reading to her is such a good idea and will help her to get used to your voice.
Some hamsters do prefer their own company and see no reason to seek out human interaction so please do not worry about this. She takes food from you which is great. I like that you use the tube to transport her to her play box. Hamsters often to not like to go out of their cage every night so that is okay if she only goes in the large box sometimes.
Would you like to post a picture of her set up to get some tips? I think it is really hard to set up a hamster cage.
You may like to get a camera so you can find out all she gets up to at night. One month is still early days and she may take a little more time to settle.
Some hamsters do prefer their own company and see no reason to seek out human interaction so please do not worry about this. She takes food from you which is great. I like that you use the tube to transport her to her play box. Hamsters often to not like to go out of their cage every night so that is okay if she only goes in the large box sometimes.
Would you like to post a picture of her set up to get some tips? I think it is really hard to set up a hamster cage.
You may like to get a camera so you can find out all she gets up to at night. One month is still early days and she may take a little more time to settle.
Yeah, I think I'm just too impatient with her and I get frustrated when I'm not able to pick her up every night. My cage setup is quite simple at the time, because her breeder said it's better to not have so many hiding places at first so it's easier to tame her. I guess I have to accept that she needs more time to settle. I keep on reading to her and giving food from my hand, well that seems to be the only way I get her out of her hideout.Hello and welcome to the forum. You are doing so well with your hamster and you are doing all the right things. Reading to her is such a good idea and will help her to get used to your voice.
Some hamsters do prefer their own company and see no reason to seek out human interaction so please do not worry about this. She takes food from you which is great. I like that you use the tube to transport her to her play box. Hamsters often to not like to go out of their cage every night so that is okay if she only goes in the large box sometimes.
Would you like to post a picture of her set up to get some tips? I think it is really hard to set up a hamster cage.
You may like to get a camera so you can find out all she gets up to at night. One month is still early days and she may take a little more time to settle.
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Hello & welcome to the forum.
It does sound as though you’re doing all the right things, it may be about time as much as shyness, some Syrians get up really late & will need encouragement to get up any earlier, some are also up very early in the morning so maybe you could try to work out if she has a routine & then try to gradually get her out a bit earlier.
Also they can get up a bit later in the winter sometimes & spend more time in the nest.
She sounds as though she’s doing really well for a month when you do get her out so don’t worry too much, I’m sure you’ll start to see more of her with a bit more time.
It does sound as though you’re doing all the right things, it may be about time as much as shyness, some Syrians get up really late & will need encouragement to get up any earlier, some are also up very early in the morning so maybe you could try to work out if she has a routine & then try to gradually get her out a bit earlier.
Also they can get up a bit later in the winter sometimes & spend more time in the nest.
She sounds as though she’s doing really well for a month when you do get her out so don’t worry too much, I’m sure you’ll start to see more of her with a bit more time.
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Unfortunately, that is going to make her feel more nervous. I notice this is something breeders say and I personally disagree with that. I think having lots of hiding places will make a hamster feel more confident and safer to come out as it means they will have a place to run to if they feel spooked.
Most hamsters do not like being picked up and especially not every night. They have days they like their me time.
Just in case you do not know, hamsters need a cage size that is a minimum of 100cm by 50cm with deep bedding. I like to have 25cm of bedding.
Most hamsters do not like being picked up and especially not every night. They have days they like their me time.
Just in case you do not know, hamsters need a cage size that is a minimum of 100cm by 50cm with deep bedding. I like to have 25cm of bedding.
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Agree about the hides, sorry I missed that bit, but I also think hamsters gain confidence much quicker when they have plenty of hideouts & places where they feel safe in the cage, leaving them with too much exposed space really doesn’t help although I know it is quite common for breeders to have that approach.
Ok, good to know that adding hiding places would be good. I have a glass terrarium of 120 x 44 x 46 cm and 20 cm of bedding.Unfortunately, that is going to make her feel more nervous. I notice this is something breeders say and I personally disagree with that. I think having lots of hiding places will make a hamster feel more confident and safer to come out as it means they will have a place to run to if they feel spooked.
Most hamsters do not like being picked up and especially not every night. They have days they like their me time.
Just in case you do not know, hamsters need a cage size that is a minimum of 100cm by 50cm with deep bedding. I like to have 25cm of bedding.
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I think once she is settled you will see more of her. Please do not be frustrated. There really is no rush for you to get to know each other.
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Hello and welcome I'm in a similar situation at the moment with a new baby hamster. And doing similar things. Every 2 or 3 nights I lift the roof of the house and he is happy to walk into a tube with cucumber at the far end, and have some handling time in the bathtub (apart from the night he jumped off the sofa and escaped but that's another topic!). He also doesn't come out until well after I'm asleep.
She is probably still a baby and a bit scared - and they stay hidden until after dark. As the others say, she will gain in confidence in time, but they do all have different personalities and some will always be a bit shy. What can help with Syrians (who often do wake up very late anyway) is to get them into a habit of waking at feeding time. If you put the food and fresh veg out around the same time every night - maybe 6pm or 7pm and make a little bit of cage noise while doing it, they soon get in the habit of expecting food at that time and waking up for it - especially the fresh veg - they love that and can smell it. That can be a time to offer a tube for them to walk into for some out of cage time.
At the moment, mine doesn't even come out for his fresh veg. He waits until lights out! Some nights he'll nip out and sneak it if he thinks there is no one around.
So it's a combination of getting used to you and time as they grow in confidence in their environment.
It's a big adjustment for them - the first time living alone usually, new house, new cage and environment. It can help to have a nightcam (ie babycam or small indoor security camera) because you can watch next day and see what they get up to. It's also good for checking there are no issues in the cage (eg wheel stuck) and that they are drinking ok.
It's just time and patience really, but a little bit of encouragement as well. They get more used to you and handling with out of cage time, but you can't push it too much either.
Do you have a playpen? If they get used to being able to run around more in a playpen - and maybe have a spare wheel and hides and tunnels in it - then they can start looking forward to out of cage time and start wanting to come out.
I'm in a similar situation at the moment with a new baby hamster. And doing similar things. Every 2 or 3 nights I lift the roof of the house and he is happy to walk into a tube with cucumber at the far end, and have some handling time in the bathtub (apart from the night he jumped off the sofa and escaped but that's another topic!). He also doesn't come out until well after I'm asleep.She is probably still a baby and a bit scared - and they stay hidden until after dark. As the others say, she will gain in confidence in time, but they do all have different personalities and some will always be a bit shy. What can help with Syrians (who often do wake up very late anyway) is to get them into a habit of waking at feeding time. If you put the food and fresh veg out around the same time every night - maybe 6pm or 7pm and make a little bit of cage noise while doing it, they soon get in the habit of expecting food at that time and waking up for it - especially the fresh veg - they love that and can smell it. That can be a time to offer a tube for them to walk into for some out of cage time.
At the moment, mine doesn't even come out for his fresh veg. He waits until lights out! Some nights he'll nip out and sneak it if he thinks there is no one around.
So it's a combination of getting used to you and time as they grow in confidence in their environment.
It's a big adjustment for them - the first time living alone usually, new house, new cage and environment. It can help to have a nightcam (ie babycam or small indoor security camera) because you can watch next day and see what they get up to. It's also good for checking there are no issues in the cage (eg wheel stuck) and that they are drinking ok.
It's just time and patience really, but a little bit of encouragement as well. They get more used to you and handling with out of cage time, but you can't push it too much either.
Do you have a playpen? If they get used to being able to run around more in a playpen - and maybe have a spare wheel and hides and tunnels in it - then they can start looking forward to out of cage time and start wanting to come out.
I don't have a playpen yet, thinking of buying one though because there's no safe place for her to free roam in my house. Now I only have this boring box where I lift her after luring her to a tube. But yeah, patience is what I need now. I was worried I'm doing things wrong so I feel much better now and hopeful for the future. I'm going to add some hideouts to her enclosure and buy a playpen in which she can run free. Thanks everyone for advice!Hello and welcome
She is probably still a baby and a bit scared - and they stay hidden until after dark. As the others say, she will gain in confidence in time, but they do all have different personalities and some will always be a bit shy. What can help with Syrians (who often do wake up very late anyway) is to get them into a habit of waking at feeding time. If you put the food and fresh veg out around the same time every night - maybe 6pm or 7pm and make a little bit of cage noise while doing it, they soon get in the habit of expecting food at that time and waking up for it - especially the fresh veg - they love that and can smell it. That can be a time to offer a tube for them to walk into for some out of cage time.
At the moment, mine doesn't even come out for his fresh veg. He waits until lights out! Some nights he'll nip out and sneak it if he thinks there is no one around.
So it's a combination of getting used to you and time as they grow in confidence in their environment.
It's a big adjustment for them - the first time living alone usually, new house, new cage and environment. It can help to have a nightcam (ie babycam or small indoor security camera) because you can watch next day and see what they get up to. It's also good for checking there are no issues in the cage (eg wheel stuck) and that they are drinking ok.
It's just time and patience really, but a little bit of encouragement as well. They get more used to you and handling with out of cage time, but you can't push it too much either.
Do you have a playpen? If they get used to being able to run around more in a playpen - and maybe have a spare wheel and hides and tunnels in it - then they can start looking forward to out of cage time and start wanting to come out.
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Have a look at all the information on here. There are threads about playpens and all sorts of enrichment.
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Our Syrian Cinnamon is very much this way. He is very calm in my hands now if I have to pick him up (after nearly a year), but he doesn't love coming out while we're awake. He can be lured out with food and does periodic playpen time. He's more comfortable coming out around us some days than others, but I've accepted that he'll never be one of those hamsters (I think) that just plays openly in his enclosure while we're around and he does not want to interact with us every day, other than to get food. But he is gentle and fun to take out every few days. It's nice that he has become fairly restful in my hands over time, so I get to give him little snuggles when we do take him out.
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I think a lot of hamsters are like this, mine included! Frankie isn’t coming out until after midnight! I’m just relieved that he has the enrichment in his cage and the right size wheel so he is entertained through the night. Keep going! You’re doing well! 
A little update: we are spending summer in our cottage in the countryside, and we had to buy a little bit smaller enclosure there. Surprisingly, she is much more courageous there. She comes out of her hideout earlier, takes food from my hand and stays there eating rather than retreating to her hideout right away. When I take her out, she doesn't try to escape, she's very calm in my hand. So we've made some progress and I'm very happy about it!
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Aw that's great news. She probably will want to be out more if the cage is smaller so may need a bit more out of cage time generally Some people do start the hamster in a smaller cage (and I don't mean small but smaller than extra large!) until they've adjusted to the owner and find it can help with taming initially - before upgrading them to the larger cage.
It's always a difficult one - in many ways, it's better if they go straight into the permanent cage and don't have to have cage changes and can have a good start and settle. On the other hand, an upgrade is a positive thing and although it's a big change, if done carefully they can settle quite well.
Likewise sometimes you have to use a holiday or temporary cage and that's a change. Some of that depends on the hamster.
But it's lovely she's now interacting with you and I'm sure that will carry on even after she goes back to her main cage as she'll have had that bonding time.
Some people do start the hamster in a smaller cage (and I don't mean small but smaller than extra large!) until they've adjusted to the owner and find it can help with taming initially - before upgrading them to the larger cage.It's always a difficult one - in many ways, it's better if they go straight into the permanent cage and don't have to have cage changes and can have a good start and settle. On the other hand, an upgrade is a positive thing and although it's a big change, if done carefully they can settle quite well.
Likewise sometimes you have to use a holiday or temporary cage and that's a change. Some of that depends on the hamster.
But it's lovely she's now interacting with you and I'm sure that will carry on even after she goes back to her main cage as she'll have had that bonding time.
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That’s wonderful news! Glad she’s much more relaxed now.
