Orko's adventures

[Maz]

It's not something I know much about. Is it like hemp mat or is it more like sand? On the photo above it looked like hemp mat but on the video it seems like loose stuff. Or are there different options?

 

[RainbowBrite]

Great videos of Orko enjoying his new box!

Thank you. I loved watching him digging. I have not seen that properly before.

 

[RainbowBrite]

It's not something I know much about. Is it like hemp mat or is it more like sand? On the photo above it looked like hemp mat but on the video it seems like loose stuff. Or are there different options?

I think you may have noticed the cork tile his box is lined with. This was just to protect the box and make it softer for him. The coco fibre looks like soil but it is made with coconut.

 

[Maz]

Ah that explains it. Did you line the box with cork yourself then? Great idea. I thought coco fibre was the loose stuff in it

 

[Member ID2]

Ah that explains it. Did you line the box with cork yourself then? Great idea. I thought coco fibre was the loose stuff in it

It is but it looks like sand in the video. Must be the night camera because its really dark brown.

 

[RainbowBrite]

My partner did. He lined the box and the little shelf. I am hopeless at anything like that. Before I adopted Orko, I painted everything with plastikote. I now prefer to line things with cork but I am lucky as he never toilets on anything.

 

[Maz]

It's an excellent idea. I do some things with plastikote - other things, like the shelf, I just put hemp mat on. Only had one hamster pee on a shelf before and the hemp mat sort of stops it getting through and is easy to replace. I've had more water stains from a spilled bottle than pee!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Orko does not like monkey nuts any more. When I first left one out he loved it. This is only the third one I have given him but he has ignored it for three days. This is a sign he is not interested.

He still does not seem to have any routine or patterns. He gets up during the night and different times, sometimes staying out the whole time and other times not.

 

[Maz]

That’s interesting as Pip did that too. The first time he had a monkey nut he was interested in getting the nut out (I started it off by cracking a bit of the shell open at one end before giving it to him). After that he used to get a nut out but not eat it and then lose interest. Maybe robos aren’t that keen on peanuts!

 

[RainbowBrite]

So I guess it was a novelty for them both. I always crack them for Orko too as I know he would not be able to open them himself.

 

[Member ID2]

Finley was very keen on a walnut half slightly cracked. Maybe they like variety.
Must get some brazil nuts and give them a half in the shell. Should keep them busy to get the nut out.

 

[Maz]

All of ours have adored walnuts! Especially Syrians. I buy them already shelled though.

 

[Member ID2]

All of ours have adored walnuts! Especially Syrians. I buy them already shelled though.

Noo, it's more fun and natural for them to get the nut out of the shell. I do crack it a little bit to give them a head start.

 

[Maz]

I stick to peanuts for that!

 

[RainbowBrite]

I give Orko tiny pieces of walnut sometimes. I do not think he likes them enough to try and get them out of a cracked shell.

 

[Maz]

Robos eat such tiny amounts don't they - I give Pip a quarter of a halved walnut - he nibbles it but doesn't eat all of it usually.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Robos eat such tiny amounts don't they - I give Pip a quarter of a halved walnut - he nibbles it but doesn't eat all of it usually.

They really do. It takes Orko all night to eat one piece of food, other then tofu which is eaten in a mouthful. I give him an even smaller piece of walnut then you give Pip.

 

[Member ID2]

I just chuck half a walnut in and let them get on with it. If they can't be bothered with it, it becomes part of the natural look decor.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Orko was so busy removing the seeds from the sunflower last night. There are not many left! It makes a cute noise when he nibbles at it. Here is a video. You can actually see the seeds go in his mouth. A short video after of him washing.

 

[Member ID2]

Orko won't be running low on sunflower seeds this winter, that's for sure. He's so cute.