Higgins

So Higgins came out tonight - but didn’t seem to want to be out for long and wanted to go back again. Maybe because it was feeding time. Typical - last night he was desperate to come out.

I was trying to get a photo of him in the playpen and lowered the phone into the playpen - which he investigated but then I realised I had my finger over the lens so moved my finger out of the way of the lens - Higgins saw this finger dangling near his head and bit it! Ouch. Silly me. It drew a bit of blood too! Serves me right for dangling a finger that might have been edible. I had just handled a hamster treat with it.

While he was out, Tino decided he wanted to come out - so as Higgins was pestering to go back I swapped them round and put Higgins back and let Tino out.

Higgins then hoovered up all his food and disappeared into his ceramic hide. Here he is - full pouches on the second two

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Oh Higgins, you know your not supposed to be biting fingers... It's lucky your so cute you probably get away with it!
 
Both Higgins and Tino are looking super healthy. Love the dark markings around Higgins' eyes. It's great that he's eating so well, but perhaps trying to eat your finger is overdoing things, ouch, I hope if wasn't too sore!
 
Hello gorgeous Higgins. I hope your finger is better
 
No it’s not too sore thank you 😊 Just a small puncture. Not as painful as a paper cut.
 
Either that or he has only just learned how to pouch it 😊
 
Maz said:
Either that or he has only just learned how to pouch it 😊
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I bet he's sneaking it to his burrow while you're asleep. Shame about the bite, sounds like a bit of a confusing interaction but those will happen. I'm happy to hear they both want out and are active. Looks like they're doing well :love:
 
Higgins came out as soon as he heard the cage door open at feeding time tonight! He pouches every bit of his food as soon as it appears - apart from a few husky bits.

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He kept taking the food into his ceramic hide and depouching it and then coming back for more. After storing his food he had a little stretch, but still came back to pouch a bit more!


He then seemed keen to come out and kept coming to the cage door. So he had some playpen time. And I decided to try him on the sofa for some handling time. Had the door blocked off and pulled the playpen right up to the edge of the sofa in case he jumped off. This wasn't completely foolproof as he could have jumped over one of the sides, but if he did, the room was hamsterproof - I just didn't particularly want to have to find him at that time of night, in case he ran off!

He was very wriggly and fast while on the sofa, and not keen to be held (although happy to be stroked) and would definitely have jumped off! He nearly jumped off one of the arms until I picked him up and brought him back to my lap. So back into the playpen for a bit.

Here he is on the sofa

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I didn't get many photos as too busy fetching him back every time he went near the edge!

Here he is in the playpen when he first came out (before he went on the sofa) - very short clips


And then later. He found some crumbs and investigated my shoe - I had my feet in the playpen as it was right up against the sofa.


I then tried him on the sofa again as he didn't seem interested in much in the playpen and he was a bit better on the sofa the second time and was able to hold/stroke him for about 3 seconds a few times! He still seemed more interested in trying to jump off one of the sofa arms though. So back in the playpen again where he had a good go of climbing up my dressing gown that was hanging in there, and then back to his cage.
 
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Higgins is looking fabulous! He is quick and very keen to investigate everything ❤️
 
Awww, couch time with Higgins? This is lovely Maz, great to see him having an adventure with you! :love:

Think you could pile a big blanket or comforter in front of the couch so he can fulfill his dream of safely jumping down?
 
He could jump safely down anyway :-) He'd only land on the carpet inside the playpen. But if he jumps off the arm of the sofa, that is a bit higher. Good idea though. I'd be surrounded by floor cushions! To be honest, even from the sofa arm isn't too bad if it's onto soft carpet.
 
Ah yeah, I'm so used to dwarf hamsters I forgot that probably isn't a big distance for Higgins. Well I'm really happy they're both so active with you, great footage and pictures
 
Maz said:
So Higgins came out tonight - but didn’t seem to want to be out for long and wanted to go back again. Maybe because it was feeding time. Typical - last night he was desperate to come out.

I was trying to get a photo of him in the playpen and lowered the phone into the playpen - which he investigated but then I realised I had my finger over the lens so moved my finger out of the way of the lens - Higgins saw this finger dangling near his head and bit it! Ouch. Silly me. It drew a bit of blood too! Serves me right for dangling a finger that might have been edible. I had just handled a hamster treat with it.

While he was out, Tino decided he wanted to come out - so as Higgins was pestering to go back I swapped them round and put Higgins back and let Tino out.

Higgins then hoovered up all his food and disappeared into his ceramic hide. Here he is - full pouches on the second two

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Oh my goodness! What adorably full cheek pouches!
 
Is he a big boy? He looks like quite a chonker in the videos (so cute!), but I feel like animals can look smaller or larger than normal on video and it's hard to predict.
 
He’s not nearly as big as Tino! I’d say he’s about average or slightly larger than average 😊. He’s long rather than chunky but he does look chunky with his full cheek pouches and does seem to have filled out a bit.

After all these weeks of ignoring sprays and his sunflower I watched him strip all the petals off the sunflower the other night at pouching time and all the flax has gone as well. He has clearly learned that foraging and pouching is inportsbt for hansters - sadly that was after I had to throw his hoard. Although I did put new food back.

He hoards inside that large round tees its hoard that his food is in top of - but also uses that as a toilet too!

I might try adding a separate toilet nearby. At least he doesn’t pee in his house.

He had a slightly unsettled time with food for three weeks when I was unwell and OH was doing the feeding - I found OH had been putting the food in his corner Bucatstate hide (I had just said “terscotts hide”! So he couldn’t get in it !

@ilguy - yes that height is not so bad for a Syrian 😊
 
Great videos of Higgins, love those little legs and paws as he whizz’s about. His coat looks super smooth and shiny and so nice they are both so happy and enjoy their time out to play 😊
 
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