Button

[ilguy]

Hello guys, I'd like to introduce my Chinese dwarf hamster Button. I've had him for 8 months now, and after some small interaction the first month I had him he's become a ghost hamster. Always scurrying and waiting until I'm not around to come out, but he has been in good health and very energetic! His favorites are his bendy bridge and wheel, often jumping to really get it going (which surprises me, the Niteangel runs very fast!).

I recently upgraded his enclosure to a 125 gallon storage bin, and he came out during the day for the first time in ages to explore it. He's now out regularly, and after some scurrying and chattering explored my hand for the first time in ages. I got him to take a treat tonight after trying a few different foods, the only one he was interested in was a cashew. He also gave me some licks and seems to be warming up. Button is super talkative, and Chinese hams have a unique sound. I have some vocalizations to learn!

By my best guess, his first birthday is coming up next week. I'm going to see if he will take a cashew or two, and come up with a present for him. Here's some footage of him since he's been coming out again. I also failed when setting up his new bin, I neglected to properly secure his climber. Fortunately he was fine

Button Exploring
Button Bites
Owner Failure

 

[Zenshii]

What a beautiful hamster! I'm really happy to learn about him. I'm sorry he was being a ghost hamster for a little while, it sounds like maybe he needed a change? It seems like you both are bonding more now that you have a bigger cage for him! 125 gallon bin...that's awesome!! I bet he loves it.

Happy Birthday Button! If you can, please post some Birthday photos! I would love to see that. It is so nice to meet Button, he seems like such a curious and adorable little guy!

 

[Maz]

Lovely to see videos of him enjoying his new cage . He's really exploring it. Chinese hamsters are so fascinating to watch. Elusive knows more about them than me so she might have some info on what the chattering means! But it sounds positive interaction anyway. Shame about the climber. At least it was quite lightweight. I've had that issue with a ladder before so I screw them to the shelf now! But that's in a barred cage which is a bit different.

Did you just push it down in the substrate more?

 

[elusive]

Hello & welcome to you & Button.
Button is gorgeous, I’m glad to hear he’s started to interact with you more now, they do appreciate a larger space as long as they have lots of hides & things in the enclosure.
I don’t really know what the noise is about to be honest but I’ve had some quite vocal Chinese hamsters too! It sounds to me as though Button is just happy exploring his bin.
I would remove the climber, it doesn’t look very stable & I think maybe you could put something he’d enjoy more, they love cork tunnels (the half ones are best rather than the whole tube) they can climb on those & use them as a hide, if you scatter seeds on them they enjoy getting them out of all the little cracks.
Chinese hams are good climbers but they also love to burrow too.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hello and welcome to the forum. It is lovely to have you and Button on here.

 

[Member ID2]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I'm so happy that you have found your way here.
Button is so cute and must be very happy with his impressive new home.
I'm sure that he has forgiven you for not lodging his climber into the substrate. I think a cardboard box climbing frame construction with pop sticks glued on to act as grips could work as well.

 

[ilguy]

Good idea regarding the climber, I'm going to add a cardboard base to it and keep it in the substrate a bit. He does like the thing a good deal though, I don't think I will take it away entirely.

Button was a super busy boy early this morning!!! I woke up to find he's done a ton of nesting & burrowing. I can also see two multi chamber burrows that are up against the sides. I'm a bit disappointed the camera only caught the end of it, looks like it didn't register him kicking out bedding from the dome hide. Super cute to see him pouch and move some bedding though.

The Great Button Wall
Cashew Hunter

Spoiler: Burrow 1

Spoiler: Burrow 2

Spoiler: Much Nesting

 

[Maz]

He's certainly been busy! An impressive amount of digging and substrate

 

[Member ID2]

Looks like Button is having fun in there!

 

[elusive]

Button certainly has been busy, looks like he was having a lot of fun there!
I always think Chinese cages look rather like several volcanoes have just erupted!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Buttons burrows are so cute!

 

[ilguy]

I need some help, I'm not quite sure what these black masses are. Are they his bits, or big scent glands? I got to see Button having his breakfast in one of the visible burrows. When he rolled around, I thought he turned into some eldritch horror all of a sudden. What on earth are they? :O

What Are These?
Button Breakfast!

 

[elusive]

I couldn’t see much in the first video but in the second I can see those fairly large black areas below his ears, I can’t see well enough to tell what’s going on there but that’s not normal. It could be an issue with his pouches or it could be more of a skin thing but I can’t tell, have you taken him out to do a check?

 

[RainbowBrite]

Sorry to hear this ilguy. I hope you can get Button out to do a health check on him. I know how difficult that is with a nervous hamster.

 

[ilguy]

No, as awesome as it was getting to interact with him while exploring the new enclosure, he is already back to being a "ghost" hamster. Hasn't been out the past two days while I've been up.

Figured out the big black spots in the first video were his ears & skin around it, he just really squished himself against the bin. That other spot seems to be him squished up against it too, I watched him go along the tunnel a deal, it doesn't show when he's moving around. Maybe a little fur loss at most? Looks fine otherwise.

I did get him to peek his head out for a bit at the sound of me filling his dish, but he did settle down for a nap so I let him sleep. I will give him a check in the morning, and also start scatterfeeding to encourage him.

 

[Member ID2]

Yes, i'd get him out for a health check.
It could mean that you have to dig him out and that he'll object but sometimes these things just have to be done. I tend to do undesired things like health checks and meds in a swift and efficient manner without too much fussing or worrying but will call the hamster's name and rustle the substrate first. I wear gardening gloves for hamsters likely to bite.

 

[Maz]

I couldn't see much on the first video. On the second video, yes there did appear to be black patches on his full pouches, but they seemed to come and go a bit as he was moving/eating. When his fur covered them they seemed to disappear. I wondered if it was just his normal colouring under the fur. But Elusive has had a few Chinese hamsters, so it sounds as though it is maybe not normal.

To get him out for a health check, I'd suggest as Beryl did, but also maybe have something to gently scoop him into that he can't jump out of. Maybe something like a deep ice cream tub you can put a piece of cardboard over once he's in to stop him jumping out, while you transfer him to say a large cardboard box nearby and you can try handling him in the box to give him a checkover. A good way to pick them up from the box is to have the palm of your hand over them so it's less like a grab, then your fingers are underneath them as you pick them up and immediately turn them over, so their back is in the palm of your hand and they are facing up. They sometimes wriggle less if secured in this kind of hold while you have a look. That works well with robos. Syrians will still try and wriggle. Not sure about Chinese! But still hold him low over the box in case he wriggles free.

Another option is - when he's in the box - let him walk into a large glass jar that you put in the box, and put your hand over the entrance to lift him out, then you can have a good look at him while he's in the jar. He won't like it but maybe it's necessary. It's what vets do sometimes.

You may not be able to tell much though, so it may need a vet check. That might be the easiest option. Just to put him straight in a vet carrier for a vet appointment and checkover. If you can get an appointment the same day. If his pouches are still full it might be a pouch impaction.

 

[Maz]

Be careful not to hold too tight though - they are quite fragile little things. It may be one reason the vets look at them in a glass jar to avoid having to try and keep a grip.

 

[elusive]

I did wonder if it was the skin colouring under the fur pressed against the side there & it could be but it does look a bit too dark to me.

 

[Frida]

I love the glass jar idea. I will remember that one.