Higgins

[Maz]

Can you imagine having two Nibbles?! . They take up quite a bit of attention don’t they? . So the downside is that while I can give them both attention, it’s not as much as if I just had one.

Whereas with a Syrian and a Robo , they needed different types of attention at different times and were out at different times as well - plus robos are a bit less demanding!

 

[Amy]

Can you imagine having two Nibbles?! . They take up quite a bit of attention don’t they? . So the downside is that while I can give them both attention, it’s not as much as if I just had one.

Whereas with a Syrian and a Robo , they needed different types of attention at different times and were out at different times as well - plus robos are a bit less demanding!

Two Nibbles? No that would be a bit too stressful he is extremely demanding. Getting him out of the playpen is not a problem anymore, i dare not write about our new successful ritual.

 

[Maz]

Moved the rest of the posts to Nibbles' thread

 

[Amy]

Moved the rest of the posts to Nibbles' thread

Sorry Maz, I was thinking of that.

 

[Maz]

Sorry Maz, I was thinking of that.

No need to say sorry It just sort of happened

 

[Amy]

No need to say sorry It just sort of happened

 

[Maz]

Higgins is due a clean out . There is a job I have needed to do for a while which is replace the back bars on his plaza. Two of them broke ages ago when I was trying to fix a wheel to the bars - so I covered that up with a piece of Perspex to make it safe and he’s had the trixie wheel ever since - tied to the bars. And it constantly needs adjusting. I actually have a new unused plaza cage I was going to swap the back panel with - but it means completely dismantling everything. So then I thought maybe just assemble the new cage and move everything across and reassemble again. Except he has a lot of shelves screwed to the bars. Also he’s nearly two so I don’t want to change things for him at this stage and keep everything the same - in which case might as well keep his set up as now and just replace the back bars and have everything smelling familiar.

I’m partway through removing shelves with both cages in various states of assembly and still deciding what to do! It’s actually harder removing one panel than setting up a new cage!

Higgy is in the pet carrier - by the time I’ve finished he will have a better wheel at least.

 

[Amy]

Higgins is due a clean out . There is a job I have needed to do for a while which is replace the back bars on his plaza. Two of them broke ages ago when I was trying to fix a wheel to the bars - so I covered that up with a piece of Perspex to make it safe and he’s had the trixie wheel ever since - tied to the bars. And it constantly needs adjusting. I actually have a new unused plaza cage I was going to swap the back panel with - but it means completely dismantling everything. So then I thought maybe just assemble the new cage and move everything across and reassemble again. Except he has a lot of shelves screwed to the bars. Also he’s nearly two so I don’t want to change things for him at this stage and keep everything the same - in which case might as well keep his set up as now and just replace the back bars and have everything smelling familiar.

I’m partway through removing shelves with both cages in various states of assembly and still deciding what to do! It’s actually harder removing one panel than setting up a new cage!

Higgy is in the pet carrier - by the time I’ve finished he will have a better wheel at least.

That sounds like a big job do you think the new cage would upset him? I am worried about setting up the new cage too.
I hope everything goes well, take care of your back. These cage cleaning actions are very painful to the back if you have issues. It really takes it out of me, I need various tea breaks to get through

 

[Maz]

Had to get OH to help. At first I decided to put the new bars on the old base as they were assembled. Then found the door was really terrible on the new cage far too tight and stiff. And one corner was broken on the roof part - it can be sorted but another time …. So back to the old bars and we managed to replace the back panel only- and at the same time replaced one end panel for a Perspex panel I had. So everything is the same except two panels.

Before starting I had done a big spot clean and checked the cage in case of moths as hadn’t done that since doing the other cage. There didn’t seem to be any hence deciding not to set up the new cage.

Then just as we were moving the old bars back onto the base (still with some shelves attached) a moth flew out!

I am hoping it was just a leftover moth and not from Higgins cage - because I’ve just got it all put back together again! And now I don’t have a new cage as we have been swapping panels around and putting various things on the new base while cleaning out - so I’d end up having to disinfect both cages if there do turn out to be moths…..

My brain is not the greatest today and somehow working out swapping panels felt really complicated!

Anyway nothing at all crawling around in Higgins cage so I’m assuming it is moth-free. Hopefully the stray one was just in the area ….

Yes I’m being careful with my back - keeping moving I’d supposed to be good though as it was getting more painful sitting still.

He’s a good boy though. He doesn’t pee in his house or his wheel. He uses his central large ceramic hide as a toilet - unfortunately he also hoards in there so I end up having to remove a lot of hoard.

 

[Amy]

Had to get OH to help. At first I decided to put the new bars on the old base as they were assembled. Then found the door was really terrible on the new cage far too tight and stiff. And one corner was broken on the roof part - it can be sorted but another time …. So back to the old bars and we managed to replace the back panel only- and at the same time replaced one end panel for a Perspex panel I had. So everything is the same except two panels.

Before starting I had done a big spot clean and checked the cage in case of moths as hadn’t done that since doing the other cage. There didn’t seem to be any hence deciding not to set up the new cage.

Then just as we were moving the old bars back onto the base (still with some shelves attached) a moth flew out!

I am hoping it was just a leftover moth and not from Higgins cage - because I’ve just got it all put back together again! And now I don’t have a new cage as we have been swapping panels around and putting various things on the new base while cleaning out - so I’d end up having to disinfect both cages if there do turn out to be moths…..

My brain is not the greatest today and somehow working out swapping panels felt really complicated!

Anyway nothing at all crawling around in Higgins cage so I’m assuming it is moth-free. Hopefully the stray one was just in the area ….

Yes I’m being careful with my back - keeping moving I’d supposed to be good though as it was getting more painful sitting still.

He’s a good boy though. He doesn’t pee in his house or his wheel. He uses his central large ceramic hide as a toilet - unfortunately he also hoards in there so I end up having to remove a lot of hoard.

Fingers crossed that no more moths appear.
I wonder why they keep their hoard in the toilet? Nibbles does that too, and I have often read about other hamsters doing this..

 

[Vanessa1]

Gosh it sounds like you've got your work set out, I don't know how your doing it with a bad back ! I hope you manage to get on top of it all. I'm sure Higgins will appreciate all your hard work Ness

 

[Socks' Mum]

I think you are right about moving gently, it should help your back. I hope it is not so sore now and gets better soon

 

[Maz]

So he’s had a two thirds clean - I left his house end alone - it was neat and clean inside and he’s sleeping in there.

No moths found anywhere in the cage. He has a silent runner wheel now, screwed to the back bars. So the only change is new back bars - new Perspex panel at one side and new wheel. Left everything else set up exactly the same.

I’d like to give him deeper bedding but then I’d have to change his whole set up and raise various things and lose various things and freak him out. He had 6 to 8” and seems happy - he loves his Sputnik and roof rub and he loves his underground ceramic hide (with the food on top).

So just as I had finished putting everything back in the cage that moth appeared and flew right inside the cage! Aargh - I managed to waft it out again but it disappeared before we could catch it.

Eek. It’s only one but why did it fly in the cage? If it comes back I hope Higgins eats it.

 

[Maz]

So he’s had a two thirds clean - I left his house end alone - it was neat and clean inside and he’s sleeping in there.

No moths found anywhere in the cage. He has a silent runner wheel now, screwed to the back bars. So the only change is new back bars - new Perspex panel at one side and new wheel. Left everything else set up exactly the same.

I’d like to give him deeper bedding but then I’d have to change his whole set up and raise various things and lose various things and freak him out. He has 6 to 8” and seems happy - he loves his Sputnik and roof run and he loves his underground ceramic hide (with the food on top).

So just as I had finished putting everything back in the cage that moth appeared and flew right inside the cage! Aargh - I managed to waft it out again but it disappeared before we could catch it.

Eek. It’s only one but why did it fly in the cage? If it comes back I hope Higgins eats it.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Higgins' house is looking lovely. I hope the moth has gone away.

 

[Amy]

It looks brilliant
That moth is probably just out for revenge, I hope Higgins eats it
A bit of extra protein

 

[Maz]

Higgins is back in the cage now. He carefully and slowly checked everything out and seems to approve. He was curious about the wheel and inspected it and walked in it a couple of times. He seemed to approve that things were less messy! I knew he was ready for a clean out when he chucked a huge pile of smelly substrate in his wheel yesterday.

I took a video of him checking everything out which I’ll add later. When I went to bed he was running in the wheel and seems to really like it. Spins much better than his trixie wheel.

It was a horrible job having to start unscrewing shelves and removing and replacing panels. Which is why I had been putting off doing it for so long but his trixie wheel was always getting stuffed up with bedding and getting stuck and not quite the right height. With screwing the silent runner to the bars it works better. Mind you it is a little lower than I wanted and might bang against the top side of the cage base - will have to see. If higher it would have ended a step and no space for a step due to his big ceramic hide in the middle - or much deeper bedding which would have meant changing his set up.

I know I will have to adjust his set up in 2 or 3 months as he gets older and remove the roof run and some higher level shelves which is why I didn’t want to change everything now and keep familiarity after a clean and some minor changes.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to video him running happily in the wheel as was just going to bed. Just him trying it out.

He was naughty in the pet carrier - I put the hamster fleece blanket over the top as I always do and when I went to get him out he had pulled bits of blanket in through the gaps in the pet carrier and chewed holes in it. Only one other hamster has done that before. Worried me a bit but I’m sure he didn’t eat any - he just likes ripping things.

 

[Maz]

Here's Higgy checking things out after going back in his cage. He had a few curious sniffs of the wheel before trying it out and made sure he checked out anything different - like his hay hide step put the right way up again You'll see his little tongue at one point when he's having a drink and he stops to have a wash. He's so funny when he keeps diving back into his Bucatstate hide every time he finds a treat. He has a hoard in there.

It's a bit long - nearly 6 minutes. The second video is when he was then doing his normal night time routine - pouching food and also then some strips of toilet paper and pops his head out of the cage door. That one is less than a minute.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Socks' Mum]

Lovely videos. Their familiar things mean a lot to them. Higgins has a very happy expression as he collects his stash and gathers some bedding

 

[Amy]

awww, he still looks very young, a beautiful colour