Tino's thread
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It was Tino's turn for a spot clean tonight - just a little bit. He has been left to his own devices for over 2 weeks now and still elusive, but I check the nightcam most days and he has the usual pattern at night. He's making himself at home and has a cosy nest and hoard in his house and made a pile of substrate in front of house house entrance door with poops in it. I couldn't find any pee in his house this time so I suspect the pile at the front door is the smelly stuff he's pushed out of the house. Clever boy! But I still couldn't find any pee, just poops, so will check the rest of the cage tomorrow.
He happily walked into a tube again tonight when I went to spot clean his house - so had some time in the bathtub again, as I don't have a playpen yet. He's really big! He seems more confident and disarmingly laid back (considering he's escaped once already). Still happy to be stroked and he ate quite a bit of food from my hand and sat in my hand and walked part way up my arm. He's learned how to pouch and pouched quite a lot of food. He seems a lot more confident.
His pile of substrate outside his house door
He weighs 212g! The cucumber was to tempt him onto the scales, but funnily enough he ignored it and was more interested in nibbling the corner of the scales.
And a few short video clips.
Here he is eating his Easter treat (the mini Easter eggs I made recently). He seemed to like that
Then had a nibble of the whimzee.
A bit more whimzee nibbling then enjoyed foraging in the cork granules and filling his pouches. He already had quite a bit in his pouches after sitting on my hand and pouching food.
And a bit more eating from my hand
He then climbed in the wheel and sat in it for a while. He didn't try and run in it and I thought maybe he didn't realise it was a wheel like the one in his cage so gently turned it a bit - he still wasn't in running mode and climbed out and had a good stretch.
He happily walked into a tube again tonight when I went to spot clean his house - so had some time in the bathtub again, as I don't have a playpen yet. He's really big! He seems more confident and disarmingly laid back (considering he's escaped once already). Still happy to be stroked and he ate quite a bit of food from my hand and sat in my hand and walked part way up my arm. He's learned how to pouch and pouched quite a lot of food. He seems a lot more confident.
His pile of substrate outside his house door
He weighs 212g! The cucumber was to tempt him onto the scales, but funnily enough he ignored it and was more interested in nibbling the corner of the scales.
And a few short video clips.
Here he is eating his Easter treat (the mini Easter eggs I made recently). He seemed to like that
Then had a nibble of the whimzee.A bit more whimzee nibbling then enjoyed foraging in the cork granules and filling his pouches. He already had quite a bit in his pouches after sitting on my hand and pouching food.
And a bit more eating from my hand
He then climbed in the wheel and sat in it for a while. He didn't try and run in it and I thought maybe he didn't realise it was a wheel like the one in his cage so gently turned it a bit - he still wasn't in running mode and climbed out and had a good stretch.
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What a lovely update on Tino. He looks so much more confident and settled. He really has grown! He looks much bigger then in the previous videos. It was so lovely to see him exploring and that he took food from you.
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You must have been so happy he felt comfortable enough to do that. How exciting.
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Aw thank you. He is unusually sleek - I’ve not seen that before. Yes he seemed very familiar with me this time even though he’s been left to his own devices for a while. Maybe got used to sounds and smells. There was more eye contact this time and not the slightest bit bothered by my hand. Possibly because it had food in it and he has become very food orientated! He went back with full pouches and still emptied his food bowl last night. So maybe the desire for food and foraging is stronger than any qualms about a hand
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Lovely to see Tino again, he does look very laid back & very chunky! He’s grown a lot & is such a handsome boy.
Love the video of him on the wheel, it looks like he’s thinking this is a great place to just sit & chill, then the lovely stretch when he gets off
Love the video of him on the wheel, it looks like he’s thinking this is a great place to just sit & chill, then the lovely stretch when he gets off
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Great job with taking a step back for a bit, it is so hard to resist interacting with hams! I love the video of him taking food from your hand, good progress with Tino. He looks comfortable with your hand in his territory
Think Tino is going to be a big lad he's lovely n chunkyWhat a lovely update on Tino. He looks so much more confident and settled. He really has grown! He looks much bigger then in the previous videos. It was so lovely to see him exploring and that he took food from you.
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Tino was out in his cage tonight! I heard banging noises and there he was. Still quite cautious in his cage and hid behind his wheel at first but then edged his way out. He ran under his cork tunnel when I opened the cage door, but edged forwards to take a bit of food from my hand. He then happily walked into the tube offered so took him to the bathtub again.
Once in the bathtub he did the dopey dark horse "I'm a slow hamster" thing again. I let him walk in the tube again to take him back to his house and he suddenly did the active "I'm going to escape" thing again and tried really hard to get past my hand over the end of the tube! So I had to walk quite quickly back to his cage and let him out in there. So bathtub - boring - he wants out and free roaming. But not yet!
His cage was smelly tonight so I went on a hunt for the pee again (leaving him in the bathtub for a short time). His pile of substrate in front of the door definitely had a pee smell so I think he had cleverly removed that from his house. Removed that and I could still smell pee but couldn't find any more! Had a good feel around. So I'll try again tomorrow.
Here he is in the bath tonight a couple of short videos of clips joined together
On this one he's quite funny - he's rocking in the wheel and washing at the same time
This last one is just a few seconds - after he was back in his cage. I heard another banging noise and he was carrying his peanut and papaya cookie back to his house.
Once in the bathtub he did the dopey dark horse "I'm a slow hamster" thing again. I let him walk in the tube again to take him back to his house and he suddenly did the active "I'm going to escape" thing again and tried really hard to get past my hand over the end of the tube! So I had to walk quite quickly back to his cage and let him out in there. So bathtub - boring - he wants out and free roaming. But not yet!
His cage was smelly tonight so I went on a hunt for the pee again (leaving him in the bathtub for a short time). His pile of substrate in front of the door definitely had a pee smell so I think he had cleverly removed that from his house. Removed that and I could still smell pee but couldn't find any more! Had a good feel around. So I'll try again tomorrow.
Here he is in the bath tonight a couple of short videos of clips joined together
On this one he's quite funny - he's rocking in the wheel and washing at the same time
This last one is just a few seconds - after he was back in his cage. I heard another banging noise and he was carrying his peanut and papaya cookie back to his house.
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Yes he got the hang of the taxi quite early His mission now is to escape the taxi again like he did before. I think he associates it with freedom 
. When his playpen comes I'll progress to that and yes get him used to being handled, then have him on the sofa and see how he is coming back to a taxi before free roaming. The sofa usually progresses to free roaming when they finally decide to jump off. But he might not be as easy to get back as Raffy is - he's more sneaky! So will have to wait and see how it goes.
His mission now is to escape the taxi again like he did before. I think he associates it with freedom . When his playpen comes I'll progress to that and yes get him used to being handled, then have him on the sofa and see how he is coming back to a taxi before free roaming. The sofa usually progresses to free roaming when they finally decide to jump off. But he might not be as easy to get back as Raffy is - he's more sneaky! So will have to wait and see how it goes.