Socks: Mouseworks Dynamic Cardboard Redesign and Basic Tunneling

Yes, that is the plan. It will be much easier, I kept dropping screws into the bedding!. He is being a bit elusive tonight, although he was out earlier for his dinner.
 
I want him to come out and try out his hammock! Perhaps if I pretend to go to bed...
 
After his run in the playpen, Socks had a quiet night, but was up at 6am for breakfast, oats, and some pats. I lifted him onto the hammock last night and he sniffed it over and explored it with his whiskers. He tried to find his way back onto it later, but took a right instead of a left and went back to the centre of his cage. I'm sure we can work out the route tonight. I dropped a wing nut and was cursing, looked round to see Socks in his playpen gazing up at me wide eyed. I had to spend some time playing with him to reassure him and then be serene, which helped to get the job done. When he was more interested in climbing out the pen than running round it, I gave him a lift back to his cage and we went through his food bowl.
 

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I think I will try a large Savic Roly, but I want to check the reviews a bit first. 🛞
 
I dropped the height of the hammock a bit. I need to remove the fins on the MCH so that Socks can get all the way round the back without needing to squeeze through
 
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Socks sounds full of beans and very energetic. He is going to be so happy when he gets a wheel. My hamster uses his wheel all night long! :)
 
Socks Mum said:
Yes, that is the plan. It will be much easier, I kept dropping screws into the bedding!. He is being a bit elusive tonight, although he was out earlier for his dinner
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I had that problem the first time - took me 20 minutes to find it again. They just disappear! I think I used a magnet in the end! Didn't help much though. After that I always put the panels on before putting the bedding in - but if it's an existing set up that doesn't make it easier. I also regularly dropped the odd wingnut or washer on the floor and couldn't find them.
 
The giant savic rolly can be noisy and rattly I've heard. But it does attach to the bars. If you do get one, I'd check it's the right size - the descriptions can be confusing. There is a "jumbo" one which sounds like the large one but is only 7". The Giant one is the 27.5cm one.
 
It's probably ok unless Socks is particularly large - it's just under 11" really. A 28cm wheel is classed as 11"
 
I tried to measure and weigh Socks last night. Initially the scale said 190g, but I decided to weigh him again in case of peanuts in his pockets. I need to use a jug though as he gets restless after the first attempt. Still, it looks like 190g. He's about 14cm in length, so not tiny. He got a bit fed up with all the restrictive handling and ran round the playpen several times quite quickly. He stopped in the tunnels to listen to (I think) a fox outside and I told him he would be safe in his cage. His whiskers twitch when I talk to him ❤️🐹. He isn't wild about the hammock, but he likes the tunnels going under the bedding overhang. He came out this morning when I got up and hastily stashed almost all the food left in his bowl while I patted him and whittered on. I have fully closed all the windows so the room should be warmer although bit stuffy possibly.
 
He's a good healthy weight :-) Not that small no - maybe average to getting large at the moment - he may still grow some more. Do you know how old he is? He may start using the hammock at some point - it can take them a while to get used to changes :)
 
They said four to five months back in early December when he came to live with me. I'll put more bedding on the hammock. Otherwise I might put it under his cereal box as originally planned and put a cardboard tube in it's place.
 

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He may have a bit more growing to do then. They can grow a bit up to about 9 months old sometimes.
 
Socks was up early and meerkatting, but looking towards his Roly wheel. I got up and he went over to his wheel and ran on it, he seems to like my being there to keep him company. I think I must invest in a treadmill 😀. He seemed restless, so I put him in the playpen and he immediately went to the spot where his wheel had been the night before, and paused there, one paw raised. I put him back in the cage and he demonstrated what his hammock is for, he can use it to access the top door if it's open 😄. No problems finding it when the door is open! He ran for quite a while and then when I went for a shower he went to bed. I heard a funny little noise he makes coming from inside the cereal box, perhaps he was dreaming of his new wheel!
 
Setting up the wheel is quite important as clanking noises startle nervous hamsters and distract them from venturing on the wheel. However the more rattling the better from Sock's point of view, he isn't averse to time on the drum kit. Luckily the axle is quite quiet, but does make a soft rubbing sound. I have it on its stand with loo paper cushioning it where it touches the cage side.
 
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