jumpy hamster

Question
I have a very sweet hamster who doesn't bite and is fine when you hold him in your hands, but once out the cage and moving around becomes really twitchy and nervous. He has been like this for quite while now. Have you any idea what is causing this and how we could handle him differently to help him calm down. He also has black eyes which seem very red in artificial light.

Answer
Hi Rosie

first of all, a lot of hamsters have red eyes but they are so dark that the only way you know they are red is when the light catches them - so this is perfectly normal.

With regard to him becoming nervous when he is out of his cage - I've got a couple of suggestions to try. Have you got an exercise ball for him?  If not, I would suggest investing in one.  You haven't told me what type of hamster this is, but you can get the standard size ball for Syrians and a smaller ball for dwarf hamsters.  Make sure you tape the doors/joins shut otherwise if your hamster crashes into furniture these balls can sometimes open and you don't want your hamster escaping.  These balls are great in that the hamster feels secure in its surroundings with its own scent, but it can also explore- and they are very nosey little creatures!  When I have a nervous hamster I always try them in a ball - to start with sometimes they are nervous and keep stopping and listening to any sounds, but I always monitor them while they're in the ball and keep talking to them to put them at ease and after a few goes in the ball they are fine - in fact it is hard to get them out of it!  I suggest you put him in it for 15-20 minutes at a time initially.  If he just sits in the ball in the corner, not wanting to move, get him out and handle him a bit before returning him to the ball.  He should only run in his ball for 1/2 an hour to one hour a day/evening.  If he falls asleep in the ball, return him to his nest for a while, then get him out again later.

Is there an area of your home that is completely hamster proof - like a hallway or similar?  It needs to be an area where you can close the doors and block off any gaps under furniture, doorways etc.  If you have an area like this, you could let your hamster wander around freely exploring.  I have spent many evenings sitting on my stairs watching a hamster is explore my hall way - they seem to love this and once they've wandered round a few times they get to recognize the area.  This then becomes familiar territory to them.  Remember that hamsters are such tiny creatures that everything to them is on a giant scale and can be very scary, so it is just a case of talking to him so he knows you're there and it is safe.

Good luck with this - please let me know how you get on.

Regards