My Hamster......

Question
Hi! Just yesterday (6-28) My brother and I got a Panda Bear Hamster from a petstore.

I've already had two hamsters a couple years back that died of old age, and thought they were great pets.

Anyway, I know that naturally my Hamster is going to be very shy and afraid in his new home, but this little guy is very shy... he trembles when I or my brother come into the room, and when I went to put him in his cage yesterday, he was squeeking and almost like- hissing at me...along with literally jumping out of my hands....

Since then I've left him alone...but I was wondering if there's anything to do that can help him get more used to humans, and how long do you think I should leave him in his cage without petting him/putting him in his ball?

I don't want to terrify him...So I'm not sure what to do....

Also, are Panda Bear Hamsters just like Syrians? I'm not sure on that either, I've tried to research them, but not a lot is coming up...do they require special needs/etc...? I've never heard of Panda Bears until yesterday, when I went to PetSmart to buy a Hamster, and I thought Panda Bears were very cute, and he looked very healthy, etc....so I got him! Panda Bears were also more expensive then regular Syrians...is there a reason?

please help!!

Thanks so much!
-Cassie  

Answer
Dear Cassie,
thank you for your question.
Panda hamsters are a colour form of Syrian hamsters, just like Teddy hamsters are Syrians with long fur. They are more expensive because they are popular, that's all.

How big is your cage? Almost all hamster cages that are sold in pet shop are way too small even for dwarf hamsters, let alone for Syrian hamsters and a too small cage can make hamsters aggressive. A good Syrian hamster cage is at least 3 ft long, 2 ft wide and 1.5 ft high, with some second storeys. Tanks that are not higher than wide (because of ventilation) can be made into hamster cages very well and you can often find cheap ones at garage sales or in the local paper.

Don't try to touch the hamster now, just put your hand in the cage and leave it there until he comes to explore by himself. You can feed him treats on your hand, too. Once he is comfortable sitting on your hand, you can move it around slowly and when he isn't scared by that, you can try to take him out of the cage. Form a cave with both hands around the hamster to make him more comfortable and to prevent him from jumping off your hand. If you put an old t-shirt of yours into the cage, he can get used to your smell.

Please don't use a hamster ball. Hamsters rely on their sense of smell, hearing and touch to find their way around and to explore. In a hamster ball they can feel nothing but the surface of the ball, they smell only the plastic and all they can hear is the rumbling of the ball (and it must be very loud for them). Apart from that, the legs of the hamster can get caught in the ventilation slits and this may result in broken bones. I know that hamsters do get into the ball voluntarily, but that's because they explore every cave they find, not because they want to run in the ball. A hamster play pen is a much better option or a hamster safe room (for example the bathroom). If you get some ply wood panels and tape them together with thick duct tape, you have a cheap play pen that can be folded together and stored away easily when not in use. Put some cardboard boxes, tubes, branches, toys to climb ect. into the play pen and let the hamster explore, maybe hide some food for him to find. This is much more fun to watch than a hamster in a ball and you can interact with him.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer