HELP!! LOST HAMSTER
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hi i have another question... what does it mean when she sometimes jumps in her food bowl in stuff when she sees me? like she does come out but idk what it means.. she mostly does it when i come around but she has food in her bowl so i dont know.. she also rolled over in her bedding once but never again while moving it and i'm just making sure nothing is wrong
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Does she have a sand bath? Robos clean themselves by rolling in sand. Would you like to post a picture of your cage so we can give you tips?
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Robos are really funny in that they sit in their food bowl to eat often 
They are so small it's probably easier for them. As Rainbow says, they often wash and clean themselves and usually do the rolling and so on in a sand bath but might just do it in the substrate as well. They all sound like normal behaviours which are interesting to watch! The only time to have any concern really is if she was spinning in circles. Even then there isn't much you can do about it (it's a sign of a neurological problem). But if a hamster is spinning it's even more important to keep stress levels low and not clean them out too much. Robos do enjoy a sand bath - it's just a dish with sand in. The cheapest sand is sterilised childrens play sand.
They are so small it's probably easier for them. As Rainbow says, they often wash and clean themselves and usually do the rolling and so on in a sand bath but might just do it in the substrate as well. They all sound like normal behaviours which are interesting to watch! The only time to have any concern really is if she was spinning in circles. Even then there isn't much you can do about it (it's a sign of a neurological problem). But if a hamster is spinning it's even more important to keep stress levels low and not clean them out too much. Robos do enjoy a sand bath - it's just a dish with sand in. The cheapest sand is sterilised childrens play sand.
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You can get a dish and put some hamster safe sand in then put it in the cage. As sand is heavy I would put the dish on a platform because hamsters like to burrow. I find adding an open bottom hide in the sand works as robos always like to feel secure and do not like open spaces.
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Most people just put it in some kind of dish. Like a pyrex baking dish (if your Mum will allow that!) Or an old washed out plastic ice cream tub. You'll see her go and wash in it. They like to roll in sand to clean their fur They are very clean little things generally. The only smelly bit is their pee and you can just spot clean that out (if you can find it). General rule is - if it doesn't smell, don't worry. When it starts to smell you feel around in the substrate for the damp stuff and take a handful or two of that out (this is spot cleaning) and put another clean handful or two in. It works out cheaper on the substrate/litter and less stress for the hamster. For that to work though, you need 4 to 6" of litter in the cage. It sounds like a lot but it lasts a lot longer and you don't need to do a big clean out so often.
The dish might be ok on the floor of the cage if it's on the base of the cage and the substrate is up around the edge of the dish - that also makes it easier for the hamster to get in and out of the dish! If the dish is sticking above the substrate, then some kind of little step up to it might be necessary. Or something to step on. Or you can just slope the litter up to the edge of the dish so it makes a ramp.
You'll soon become an architect doing all this!
They are very clean little things generally. The only smelly bit is their pee and you can just spot clean that out (if you can find it). General rule is - if it doesn't smell, don't worry. When it starts to smell you feel around in the substrate for the damp stuff and take a handful or two of that out (this is spot cleaning) and put another clean handful or two in. It works out cheaper on the substrate/litter and less stress for the hamster. For that to work though, you need 4 to 6" of litter in the cage. It sounds like a lot but it lasts a lot longer and you don't need to do a big clean out so often.The dish might be ok on the floor of the cage if it's on the base of the cage and the substrate is up around the edge of the dish - that also makes it easier for the hamster to get in and out of the dish! If the dish is sticking above the substrate, then some kind of little step up to it might be necessary. Or something to step on. Or you can just slope the litter up to the edge of the dish so it makes a ramp.
You'll soon become an architect doing all this!
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okayyyy, is it ok if i put her cage on my bed to hang out? it seems like when she's awake she's bored or lonely so i want to put a movie on my laptop and we can watch it together! also can she eat beef jerky? i have beef jerky and i want to share a little piece with her. The brand is vermont and it says uncured pepperoni turkey and its gluten free (whatever that means)
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Pepperoni might be a bit strong! They're not good with spices. I sometimes let our hamsters have a snack of our leftover dinner - veg is usually best - a bit of potato eg. They can have the odd bit of meat as a treat but it needs to be plain - no spices or gravy etc.
If she's seeming bored you could maybe have half an hour with her out of the cage, but until she's tame and won't run off, then it would need to be in an enclosed area if you can rig something up. Do you have a bathtub? Some people use the dry bathtub as a playpen type area (make sure it's dry though and put the plug in as hamsters can get a chill if they get wet. They should never get wet. Then she can run around in the bathtub and get used to you handling her a bit. Once they get used to handling they can be quite tame - but it can take some time with robos!
Does she have any toys in her cage? Toilet roll tubes are popular and little hidey places - like a square tissue box eg. Also when you feed her and put food in her bowl, scatter a little bit of it as well on the litter. They like to forage for food and go round finding the bits - that keeps them happy and occupied as well.
If she's seeming bored you could maybe have half an hour with her out of the cage, but until she's tame and won't run off, then it would need to be in an enclosed area if you can rig something up. Do you have a bathtub? Some people use the dry bathtub as a playpen type area (make sure it's dry though and put the plug in as hamsters can get a chill if they get wet. They should never get wet. Then she can run around in the bathtub and get used to you handling her a bit. Once they get used to handling they can be quite tame - but it can take some time with robos!
Does she have any toys in her cage? Toilet roll tubes are popular and little hidey places - like a square tissue box eg. Also when you feed her and put food in her bowl, scatter a little bit of it as well on the litter. They like to forage for food and go round finding the bits - that keeps them happy and occupied as well.
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Do you have a large cardboard box? You could put Comet in there and interact with her. I would not put the cage on your bed as some bedding may go on your bed and it would not be nice for you. She cannot eat beef jerky as that is salty. With meat it will be okay if it is cooked without anything added such as salt. Gluten free means it does not have any flour.
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A cardboard box is a good idea! Some people do that for taming and handling as well. But only for a short time as they can get a bit stressed just running around in a cardboard box after 10 or 15 minutes.
As for putting the cage on the bed. Depends. Usually they like their environment to stay the same and the cage not move. And personally I wouldn't worry about bedding falling out . But you could try it and see how she reacts. Really though it would be better if her cage stays put and you can transfer her into a box for a bit of taming. But - you might get a nice bond with her interacting with her if the cage is on your bed next to you. Some cages are too big to do that with. You could try it and see if she is ok with it.
It can be very frustrating for a while with a hamster as they are skitty when they're young and not tame and it can take time and patience to get them tame enough to pick up and not run off.
One thing you will need is a vet fund - putting away a little bit each month just in case you ever need to take her to the vets. Usually they are healthy little things and it tends to be when they're older they might need some medication from the vets.
As for putting the cage on the bed. Depends. Usually they like their environment to stay the same and the cage not move. And personally I wouldn't worry about bedding falling out
. But you could try it and see how she reacts. Really though it would be better if her cage stays put and you can transfer her into a box for a bit of taming. But - you might get a nice bond with her interacting with her if the cage is on your bed next to you. Some cages are too big to do that with. You could try it and see if she is ok with it.It can be very frustrating for a while with a hamster as they are skitty when they're young and not tame and it can take time and patience to get them tame enough to pick up and not run off.
One thing you will need is a vet fund - putting away a little bit each month just in case you ever need to take her to the vets. Usually they are healthy little things and it tends to be when they're older they might need some medication from the vets.
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It's the cardboard inner tube they like - it makes a tunnel. But the paper is good too for them to build a cosy nest - just sheets of toilet paper torn into strips in a pile in the cage.
You can actually make little treat games with a toilet roll tube as well. You put a few treats inside it and kind of snip both ends so they fold in. The hamster has fun trying to get the ends open to get at the treats.
You can actually make little treat games with a toilet roll tube as well. You put a few treats inside it and kind of snip both ends so they fold in. The hamster has fun trying to get the ends open to get at the treats.
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There's a thread on here you might like - funny moments with hamsters .
.Funny moments with your hamster
Thought I'd start a thread for funny moments - if your hamster ever did anything that made you laugh out loud (stories, photos, videos). It was Beryl's comment about hamsters can be reckless (on Raffy's thread) that reminded me of this. This was when Charlie was exploring his new Barney cage -...
www.thehamsterforum.com
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Keep posting on here if there's anything you want to know. It's good to share . And it's nice to have updates. Comet seems to have a very caring owner. It's a very scary moment when a robo is on the loose!
. And it's nice to have updates. Comet seems to have a very caring owner. It's a very scary moment when a robo is on the loose!
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The other thing is, if she seems a bit bored sometimes, Robos like to dig! They will actually dig tunnels sometimes. So having more litter in helps with this - the deeper the better. But I found when our robo only had 3 to 4" of litter he just piled some up in a heap and dug in that . It might sound expensive using extra litter but see above (you don't clean the cage so often with more litter). The other thing is, when you do need to change the litter, which might not be for ages if you spot clean, you can reuse half of it - most of it is still clean and you can put that half back and mix it with some new stuff. It means everything still smells familiar for the hamster (and saves on substrate/litter).
. It might sound expensive using extra litter but see above (you don't clean the cage so often with more litter). The other thing is, when you do need to change the litter, which might not be for ages if you spot clean, you can reuse half of it - most of it is still clean and you can put that half back and mix it with some new stuff. It means everything still smells familiar for the hamster (and saves on substrate/litter).