My little companion, Hammy

[Eric65]

I do have a large hut for her I could put in. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

 

[Maz]

What does her set up look like at the moment and we can see if there's anything that might help with that What kind of large hide is it? Something like a shoebox house is fine - big inside and dark inside if you cut the entrance door near one end of one of the long sides (light doesn't go round corners).

There's no rush to change anything straight away while she's still settling in though.

 

[Eric65]

I've just put the hut in as you'll see.

 

[Eric65]

This is the set up now.

 

[Maz]

Ah that is quite a large hide. I'm thinking you could use that bendy stick bridge over the doorway to make a tunnel entrance as that temps them in and also makes it darker inside. It looks like quite a long bendy bridge but you could just bend the tunnel shape the right size for the door and have any leftover length flat at the sides - if that makes sense. Then try putting a smelly treat in the house tonight and a trail of seeds to the door and a bit pile of torn up toilet paper strips near the door. She will investigate tonight. She may not move in straight away - sometimes it takes them a few days to make a decision if they've already been nesting somewhere else. If she still hasn't moved in after say 5 days, then if it was me I would take her nesting material out of the tube and pop it inside the house (smells familiar) and remove the tube for now. However there is no harm in just giving it longer if she's just sleeping in the tube, but in the house she'll be able to bury hoards under her nest and have everything in one place. At some point maybe add some more bedding, at least at the house end

 

[Eric65]

Little Hammy still up, full of energy.

 

[Tulsi]

She is so pretty. A little chocolate sweetheart.

 

[Eric65]

I had to be quick taking that photo this morning. Didn't know how long she would keep that pose. What I have noticed, though she's not up yet, when she does, she sit in her pumpkin hide and wait for me to turn the light off when I go to bed before her night starts then when I get up in the morning, she'll still be active and doesn't settle down till about 10 in the morning.

 

[Maz]

It's a great photo

 

[Eric65]

Little Hammy has just got up. She let me gently stroke her. I try to do a little bit each night to build up her confidence. As long as I move slowly enough, she's ok.

 

[Maz]

Hello little hammy She's adorable.

 

[Rescued One]

Have now found a couple of places where Hammy sleeps in her tunnel purely by chance. While my hands were touching the base of her cage as I was looking into it earlier, I noticed one spot was warm. Wondering why, I opened the gate and gently picked a small amount of bedding off. Just then, who should make an appearance, none other than Hammy herself. I've just found another spot where it is warm, but i won't disturb her this time. It seems she is sleeping up against the base of the cage, and the heat of her body is what I can feel seeping through. Not surprised shes down there in this weather. I think I would be as well.

You might consider putting down a layer of cardboard under the bedding the next time you clean out her habitat. The cardboard will insulate the floor and keep Hammy warmer, and it also soaks up pee, preventing stains on the habitat floor (my Luna is a burrower and primarily pees in her bed LOL).

 

[Tulsi]

How brilliant that she allows you to stroke her. She is a little beauty.

 

[Eric65]

I'm surprised she let me do it. Only for a few seconds. I didn't want to spook her. She's come so far in the 2 weeks I've had her

 

[Tulsi]

Aww look at her little white paws holding the bottle.

Cindy has a bottle and a bowl and chooses the bowl every time. Different hamsters seem to have different preferences. I always give mine both.

 

[Eric65]

Hammy has 2 bottles and a bowl. One bottle upstairs, one on ground floor and a bowl near her nest.

 

[Rescued One]

Have now found a couple of places where Hammy sleeps in her tunnel purely by chance. While my hands were touching the base of her cage as I was looking into it earlier, I noticed one spot was warm. Wondering why, I opened the gate and gently picked a small amount of bedding off. Just then, who should make an appearance, none other than Hammy herself. I've just found another spot where it is warm, but i won't disturb her this time. It seems she is sleeping up against the base of the cage, and the heat of her body is what I can feel seeping through. Not surprised shes down there in this weather. I think I would be as well.

You might consider lining her habitat with cardboard the next time you clean the habitat out. The cardboard will help insulate the bottom and keep her warmer

 

[Eric65]

Thanks. I'll do that. I have plenty of cardboard now. Though I've been trying to encourage her to use the main hut as her nest, she seems to prefer it underground at the moment. Can't say I blame her in this weather though. The hammy I had just before her, preferred above ground. Maybe she'll change her mind when it gets warmer.

 

[Maz]

Another lovely photo of her - she really is adorable

 

[Eric65]

I know I've not had her very long, but I've fell in love with her, and it's helped a lot. When I took this one, she let me tickle her belly