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A Week in the Life of - Socks the Syrian Hamster

I can just imagine Socks digging away and then looking back thinking hey, who made that mess. I’d often wake to a tipped up carrot cottage, in the end I decided Ham just preferred it on its side to nibble away at the roof. Great how socks likes to sit in his bowl to eat, I think that’s really cute.
 
Zara said:
I can just imagine Socks digging away and then looking back thinking hey, who made that mess. I’d often wake to a tipped up carrot cottage, in the end I decided Ham just preferred it on its side to nibble away at the roof. Great how socks likes to sit in his bowl to eat, I think that’s really cute.
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Thank you! I'm glad that over turned Carrot Cottages are a common thing! I think the tunnel is so secret that the digging only happens when I am asleep 😄
 
Day 6

A gentle start this morning, feed fishy and laze around in pyjamas. All right for some 😀
Socks was up at 4am and did some wheel running while I watched and patted him when he took a rest. He loves to sit in his sand bath or under his Happy Henry platform after a run and just commune with me. If I go to the loo or for some water, often when I get back he has gone into his MCH. It is clearly important to him to make contact with me every day and to spend time hanging our with me, although he doesn't like being picked up and doesn't sit still for long in my hands.

Socks in contemplation in his sand bath

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Beautiful flowers :-) It's lovely Socks is so comfortable and interactive with you :) He must be comfortable as he even accepted a stroke in his cage and a hand coming from above! I find the handling doesn't come until I've done some in the playpen as it seems to work better than trying to do it in the cage - which is their territory.
 
Yes, he was quite sociable from the start, apart from chattering his teeth on arrival, when he first went into his cage. He loved eating from my hands and I think associates them with treats. He was a bit defensive of one back corner of his cage, but not very much, and soon allowed me to move around there too. But even now, if I move suddenly and clumsily, he sometimes startles and literally leaps into the air 😧
 
Yes they can "ping" before they're hand tame :-) It's amazing how high they can go so fast! It can happen when handling as well - they literally wriggle free and leap 2 feet in the air all at the same time! Which is why people hand tame them low down over a cushion for example :) Even now, with a tame hamster, I never lift them from the cage by hand (if it's high up) as if something makes them jump they can still do it. So I still use a "taxi" :)
Socks seems very happy with your hand in his cage though :)
 
Lifting using the taxi is a good practice, definitely. I think if they are tense being picked up could be uncomfortable. I have been handling him while kneeling on the carpet to get him used too being held though in case we need to visit the vet and to have a squiz at his bottom/tummy to check all is OK. He puts up with it but isn't keen! If I had to make a longer inspection I would need a clear container.
 
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I use a rat tube :-) The hamster walks into it, then I put my hands over either end and lift him out of the cage that way into the playpen. In the playpen I usually start with some food on the palm of my hand and gradually the hamster starts putting a paw on your hand or sitting on it and I move on from there. They vary though. Raffy never did accept being handled in the playpen but he did when I had him on the sofa! Because I was on the same level with him I think. Some people sit in the playpen but my knees are too creaky for that!
 
Day 7

Socks was drinking at his bottle at 5am this morning, so I opened the front door and he climbed out for some time in his playpen and a sandbath in the big bath, which he enjoyed.

Flower forage and flax seed sprays with a bum print where Socks sat down to eat 😄

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A little earlier (3am?) Socks was on his wheel and I thought I must get up to say hello, having last seen him briefly at 8 and 10pm last night, but went back to sleep instead 😴
Sunday morning, after all, is a good time to get up early (especially if you are a hamster parent 😄)

My window box project:

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Aw lovely to see his bum print in the forage :-) He must have enjoyed sitting there. The window box project looks great - I especially like the little solitary green shoot in the nearest flower pot - it looks so promising and natural. Socks seems to have grown! It's lovely he walked out of the cage door - that's what's so great about the big front door isn't it?
 
Yes, easy access! When it gets reliably warmer I'll move his cage onto the floor to make our night time tete a tetes easier. The little shoot is an apple tree. I want to try some bonsai, but I've never done it before, so I'm not sure how well it will work out. It is rewarding seeing them filling out ❤️ Worth all the work and care!
 
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