advice re hamster

[purplelady]

I got a new hamster today just wondering how long it will be before it begins to settle down, he/she has not been out of its bed much since it came home is this normal

[Sarah]

Yes its normal. A day or two to settle in and get used to its new cage is usually recommended. Then you can start taking him or her out and starting with taming. :)

Do it have a name yet? What type of hammy? :)

[purplelady]

it is syvian and brown and white not sure if it is a girl or boy yet was thinking minnie or maxie xxxxxxxx

[Dadie]

Syrian hamsters are nice and big (as hamsters go) and although may seem speedy they are slower than their littler cousins, the dwarf hamsters.
You can toilet train them easily to use a jamjar as a loo for peeing in, by placing the jar in the corner they use as a loo with some of the soiled sawdust in it. It saves cleaning out the whole cage so often as you only need to clean out the jamjar every couple of days...so your sawdust will last longer.
If its a bit nervous to start off just handfeed it tasty treats to get used to you then pick it up and feed it in your hands etc...
Tasty treats can be anything from bits of fruit, veg, top of a boiled egg, bacon, mealworms, toast or dried fruit and sunflower seeds.
Do not give hamsters chocolate even the pet safe stuff as they will store it in their pouches and it will melt causing problems for the hamster and an expensive visit to the vet!
Invest in a silent spinner instead of a wheel as they dont make so much noise, but, they are not really as silent as they make out on the box!