Chicken Nugget incoming.

[Graham_S]

Hi.
Thanks for letting me in.
Both my wife and I had hamsters as pets as children.
My daughter has made a successful case for getting her own pet hamster.
So the habitat has been bought and installed, and the bedding and food is on its way (should arrive in a couple of days) and once that’s here, we’re off to the pet shop to choose our new family member.
The name my daughter has chosen for her new friend is (for some reason) Chicken Nugget.

I’ll post pictures to pay the hamster tax once it moves in…

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome . Love the name Chicken Nugget . Exciting times! It’s also great you’re setting everything up before getting the hamster - it really helps them settle in . Thst cage comes with those excellent cardboard multiroom houses, and a wheel, which is a good start!

Looking forward to meeting Chicken Nugget

 

[Socks' Mum]

Exciting Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to meeting Chicken Nugget

 

[Tulsi]

Wonderful. I have that cage. It is wonderful.

Can't wait to hear more about Chicken Nugget!

 

[Lovelyness]

Love the name

 

[Hamster Haven]

Love the name, too! can't wait to meet Chicken Nugget!

 

[Graham_S]

Chicken Nugget has arrived.
Sort of.
We received the last of the supplies on Friday, so we set up the habitat, filled the water and food bowls, then went to the pet shop, my daughter excitedly clutching a container for safe storage.
We went to the pet shop, and found her new friend. He’s very friendly and alert, however, he didn’t suit the name “Chicken Nugget”
It just didn’t suit him.
So, meet Fuzzball Maximus the first.
Or Fuzzy, for short.

He had a good explore of his new house, then settled down. We’ll leave him in peace to get used to his new home before we attempt to handle him. I’m planning to take that slowly.
He’s got a nice deep layer of bedding in the habitat to burrow into, a couple of buried houses, things to nibble on for his teeth, and things to play with.
I’ll update more over the next few days.

 

[Socks' Mum]

He's so beautiful Congratulations ❤

 

[Maz]

Love the name We had a Newtus Hamsterus once Is your daughter doing the Romans at school by any chance?

 

[Graham_S]

She has done in the past.
It may also be connected to the Lottie Brooks books, which she loves.
She is very happy with her new friend, and is looking forward to the day when he can start to use his playpen…

 

[Tulsi]

Aww Fuzzy is gorgeous.

He looks very contented in that photo.

 

[Graham_S]

So far so good.
A full day in his new enclosure, and Fuzzy seems to be setting in.
Much to my daughter’s dismay, he didn’t emerge from his bedroom until after her bedtime…
He seems to have a favourite spot, he likes to sit on top of his bedroom and groom himself.
Then go for a run in his wheel.

 

[Maz]

Aw he sounds lovely Dwarf hamsters vary in their routines. Some will come out during the day, some come out early evening, and some not till about 8.30pm. But the first two weeks is "settling in time" and they don't really gain in confidence until after that so do tend to hide a bit at first. During the next week to 10 days he will be gradually making the enclosure his own - scent marking everything, deciding where to sleep, building up a hoard etc. It's almost a turning point about day 10 I find - when they suddenly look confident and out and about more.

You can actually do things to get a routine of waking time earlier though - which is do feeding time at the same time in the evening - say 7pm or even 6pm. They get to know the cage noises (and make a bit of cage noise at feeding time) and smell the fresh veg. That's the main reason they get up - for the fresh veg! So a tiny bit daily - cucumber is popular, as is broccoli and there are various others that are suitable.

 

[Graham_S]

He was out a bit earlier today.
So far he seems to pop his head out at about 6pm, have a turn around his habitat, then go back to bed for another couple of hours.
Daughter sat and read him a story before she went to bed. He perched on top of his bedroom hide and listened...
Another few days and I might start to offer him food in my hand, see how he gets on. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say...

 

[Socks' Mum]

Brilliant, Fuzzy has a lovely home ❤

 

[hamster lover 123]

Hello Fuzzy, he does look very happy

 

[Rescued One]

He was out a bit earlier today.
So far he seems to pop his head out at about 6pm, have a turn around his habitat, then go back to bed for another couple of hours.
Daughter sat and read him a story before she went to bed. He perched on top of his bedroom hide and listened...
Another few days and I might start to offer him food in my hand, see how he gets on. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say...

After he settles, when he pops out at 6 pm have a small treat waiting right by the hide door, then entice him out for more with a bit of veg in your fingers He'll learn to be an early bird.

 

[Rescued One]

Having your daughter read to his adorable Fuzziness is a great idea. I sing simple tunes to mine (with improv verses full of hammie's name). Peanut knows his name and his song, and Luna knows hers

 

[Graham_S]

Well, we've had him for a week now, he's started to come out a bit more, he seems to come out in the early morning for 10 mins or so, for a drink and some food, then back to bed. He does the same at about 4pm, then comes out around 7 for a few hours.
He's really enjoying his wheel, and he really loves his sand bath.
He's got a maze and tubes to play in, but his wheel is his first love.
He's also got a favourite grooming spot, on top of his bedroom.
Fuzzy, is responding to his name, and coming up to see my daughter when she calls his name.
We'll start offering food in the hand in the next few days, and work on handling.

 

[Maz]

All sounds positive!