Savvy Settling In

[whortleberry]

It's now nearly a month since Savvy arrived.

She has settled in well to her Savic Plaza 120, creating her sleeping nest and allocating her hoard store and toilet area. I'm amazed at how she knows exactly what to do with resources! She's chosen the most hygienic house for her hoard, which she organises and sorts through regularly. She seems very excited by small pieces of kitchen towel - she runs immediately to her nest with them. She also really loved some millet sprays I got her.

I've constucted her a cardboard run which is attached to the cage. (She accesses this in the evening under supervision only). She comes out of her own accord and seems to really enjoy exploring the various houses / tunnels and sand. She also nibbles at the cardboard a variable amount, I suspect this varies with her oestrus cycle.

I've made a giant really useful box into a safe area for her to be when spot cleaning, with some of her bedding and a couple of tunnels.

She seems to recognise my voice as she will come to investigate whether I might have any treats when I approach and talk to her gently.

There are still improvements to be made (additional bedding, dig box with different substrate, multichamber house, probably a corner litter tray). Overall though, I think Savvy is settling in and reasonably content and I'm very glad that she isn't bar biting any more.

 

[Steve]

Hello gorgeous Savvy, such lovely photos. Glad she is settling in so well.

 

[Hank]

She is gorgeous. It does sound like she has settled in nicely

 

[Maz]

She's adorable It's a lovely big cage. I'm sure she'd love more bedding

 

[whortleberry]

She's adorable It's a lovely big cage. I'm sure she'd love more bedding

Yes, an enormous bale of Kaytee was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. But it is now delayed by some days... When it does finally arrive I think I will fill the end with the platform to the height of the platform. Hopefully that will give her the digging and burrowing opportunities she needs.

 

[Socks' Mum]

She is just so cute and engaging! Her little bare feet in the fourth picture are delightful

 

[Zara]

Savvy is gorgeous, I really like the photo of her peering out of her enclosure with the door down, she has a fabulous coat colour. Sounds like she’s settling in well

 

[Tulsi]

What wonderful colouring. I love her cage. How great to have really deep bedding for her. Looking forward to seeing more pics.

 

[Maz]

I'm so pleased you've started a thread for Savvy I'm really looking forward to more of her progress.

 

[whortleberry]

Savvy is a very sweet being. She seems curious and friendly and keen to interact with her human carers. She will explore my hand when she's in her run and we are both working out how our interaction differs between a food offering (which we have down well) and developing physical contact for handling (I think we are gradually both working out that we won't hurt each other, but this is a work in progress).

Last week the bale of Clean and Cosy finally arrived and I piled as much as possible under the platform end of her cage so she can burrow properly. She didn't initially seem as interested in digging but immediately stuffed her cheeks absolutely full of the new bedding and took it to her nest - just as she does with bits of torn up kitchen towel.

 

[Maz]

She's so gorgeous! I really love those last two photos of her meerkatting and peeping over that box She looks to be really having fun.

 

[whortleberry]

Savvy is still very sweet, curious and friendly

Over time she has moved the deep bedding under the platform to the other end of the cage, where her nest is. It's a bit like she is building a burrow where she wants it to be.

She has definitely grown. I still can't pick her up to weigh her or check her over. I'm going to try weighing her in her ball, as she seems comfortable enough in it.

She is generally happy to come and investigate my hands and run over them and I've also managed to gently collect her with my hands from the outside of the cage (when she's escaped from the run). Looking at Maz's posts and videos of (very cute) Tino, I think we're probably going in the right sort of direction and that it will take the time it takes

 

[Socks' Mum]

She’s such a beautiful hamster

 

[Steve]

Great to hear she is settling in, those are lovely photos. To weigh her, if you have some flat scales you could put a little treat on them while she is out of the cage, she will probably climb on of her own accord to get the treat. Worked for us in the past and I know other members have done the same.

 

[ilguy]

I love the way she peeks at things while standing up, what a cute hamster!

When you say you're going to weigh her in a ball, do you mean a hamster ball? Hamster balls are not safe under any circumstances unfortunately, their feet can get caught easily in the air slots and it's stressful for them. It's messed up that they are still sold and recommended by some pet stores.

For weighing her you can get a different container like a mug or large measuring cup. Give her a treat to keep her busy while she sits in there. It's great that she's good with handling, some of us also use containers as hamster taxis to and from play areas. Even with a hamster that's good with handling, it's useful for communication as them learning to get in it is a clear sign they want out or are done.

 

[whortleberry]

I will try bare scales in the run with a teeny bit of millet (she seems to love it and it should keep her still ) and see how we get on with that. If that works then maybe I can use the same amount of millet each time. If it doesn't I will try a different container

 

[Maz]

Lovely photos Especially the last one where she is looking up at you. She is very sweet and looks happy there. I use these flat kitchen scales with a treat on Hope you don't mind a photo of Tino on Savvy's thread.

As ilguy says, hamster balls aren't recommended any more, but they can be quite useful as a "taxi" to carry them to and from the cage to a play area

If you don't have flat scales like that then normal kitchen scales are ok but you might have to read them quick as they climb out of the weighing tray! Any food on the scales helps - I find a smelly treat like a tiny bit of cheddar cheese or a bit of cucumber usually tempts them on!

 

[whortleberry]

To reassure, the only thing I have ever used a hamster ball for is transport from cage to temporary box for cleanings (long story but essentially Savvy is a rescue hamster who arrived with a ball and utterly inappropriate cage). Probably because it smells of her, or maybe because of something positive the other end, Savvy seems very keen to climb in it, so my sense was that it would be somewhere she knows to be in briefly on the scales when she's already in it for transport (obviously with a support to stop it rolling around!).

 

[hamster lover 123]

Savvy is adorable Her fur is such a nice colour

 

[Maz]

Aw - if she was used to using a ball before she came to you, she probably would be keen on jumping into it! I do remember when hamster balls were seen as ok and some hamsters did used to like jumping into them and running in them. I have mixed feelings about the whole topic. It's better they are now basically banned (although not legally) because there were too many accidents - trapped toes and balls falling downstairs and people would leave the hamsters in them far too long. Careful owners used to use the large Savic rat ball (which had narrower slits than most) and only for 10 minutes max and monitor. And there will be owners who will swear their hamsters loved running in their rat ball! But it is much better that they are now advised against because not all owners were careful enough unfortunately. There is also the argument that they can't smell through them which they can actually a bit, because of the ventilation slits. But a playpen is much better and safer and hamster balls were just too small. The worst thing about them was people using them for dwarf hamsters which wasn't safe at all or enjoyable for the hamster. Some Syrians did enjoy them (IMHO) and were quite clever at getting the top off and escaping also! But the balls are too small for Syrians and Rat balls have too large slits - generally. Plus they are an escape risk! I fully endorse the guidance not to use them any more though (and I know you don't use it anyway) because they are just not safe generally.

It does sound like it will be a useful taxi! If she likes jumping into it. I have often used one as a taxi for transporting and I can see it would be a useful way of weighing a hamster