Tino's thread

[Maz]

So Tino is awol tonight - not coming out of his house. Normally he comes out at feeding time and is waiting for his baby food. I suspect this is the cage change. First night exploring - then hiding away for 2 or 3 days when they realise it’s permanent and not going back to his old cage. He had a good go at his sunflower head during the night and dragged a baby food lid with hemp seeds on into his house and was up at 10am this morning so I think he’s ok - but probably won’t come out till lights out.

I’ll probably need to leave him for 2 or 3 days now while he adjusts to the change - which is tricky because his eyes need keeping an eye on. Mind you last time he had a cage change he disappeared for 8 weeks!

 

[Amy]

I hope he comes out tonight maybe he’s tired from zoomies the day before. Bless him, he’s very sweet

 

[Socks' Mum]

Great that he is tackling his sunflower seed head and taking home the hemp seeds, tin lid and all. Sweet Tino, he's a great ham

 

[Vanessa1]

Come on tino, we're all supporting you. Sending lot's of hammy hugs. Ness

 

[Maz]

Aw thank you - I am sure he will feel the love and support Having a hamstercam is very reassuring. He came out a few times in the night, a short time at 2am and then longer around 4am. He did plenty of foraging for food, his sunflower head and from his bowl as needs to build up a hoard again. It also meant he had his metacam much later than usual which is a slight concern.

It's understandable, after a cage move, all new items and no hoard, that he would want to avoid us at first sadly. The positive is he is still doing hamstery things and getting organised. Last night was only his second night in the new cage.

 

[Maz]

Last night I put Tino’s baby food and Metacam just inside his house door under his bridge. Sure enough it had mostly gone by 10.30am. Via the hamstercam he was then out and about quite a bit last night - just after midnight, 3am for a while and again at 6am. Mainly foraging but also climbed on top of his cork log. And came to the front bars looking out for a while. So he clearly does want to come out. Maybe after a few days of settling in and building up his hoard, he’ll be coming out at feeding time again and want to come out

 

[Socks' Mum]

Aw thank you - I am sure he will feel the love and support Having a hamstercam is very reassuring. He came out a few times in the night, a short time at 2am and then longer around 4am. He did plenty of foraging for food, his sunflower head and from his bowl as needs to build up a hoard again. It also meant he had his metacam much later than usual which is a slight concern.

It's understandable, after a cage move, all new items and no hoard, that he would want to avoid us at first sadly. The positive is he is still doing hamstery things and getting organised. Last night was only his second night in the new cage.

Lovely that Tino is up and busy with his hoard and exercising

 

[Maz]

It's difficult as he still wants to climb - he tried really hard to pull himself up onto the top of his Omlet hide but couldn't quite manage it. I could put a little bridge in front of it but not sure I want him climbing up onto things as he could fall with his back leg issue. His front legs are still pretty strong it seems.

 

[Vanessa1]

Oh tino! Wonderful little hammy. Sending lot's of hammy hugs Ness

 

[Socks' Mum]

Aw Tino Yes, I changed to a shoe box house as Socks would sort of throw himself through the round opening in the roof of the Omlet hide. When he got old, he would catch his hip on the edge of the roof hole which looked painful

 

[Maz]

Tino is in a long wood house at the end of the cage - he just has one of the small omlet hides as an extra hide (it came with the sand bath which I haven't used yet). He has two shallow ramps leading to the roof of the long house, which he is using but I've noticed he jumps off the roof rather than bothering to walk down the ramp the long way round back to his house entrance!

I was thinking about adding the Omlet Sand bath as a dig box with cork granules in and hide treats in it, but he only has about 6" of substrate right now, pressed down firm so he can walk on it better. The legs on the sand bath are about 6" so it would sit above substrate level and he'd have to try and climb in and out of that then. I suppose a small bridge up to it might be ok. I'll have a think about that. On the other hand it's not that large and he's still a big hamster.

 

[Amy]

Lovely little Tino, it does sound like he wants to come out. That’s a good sign he’s enjoying himself. The metacam must be working well, otherwise he wouldn’t try to climb. He is really a strong little hamster

 

[Amy]

Tino is in a long wood house at the end of the cage - he just has one of the small omlet hides as an extra hide (it came with the sand bath which I haven't used yet). He has two shallow ramps leading to the roof of the long house, which he is using but I've noticed he jumps off the roof rather than bothering to walk down the ramp the long way round back to his house entrance!

I was thinking about adding the Omlet Sand bath as a dig box with cork granules in and hide treats in it, but he only has about 6" of substrate right now, pressed down firm so he can walk on it better. The legs on the sand bath are about 6" so it would sit above substrate level and he'd have to try and climb in and out of that then. I suppose a small bridge up to it might be ok. I'll have a think about that. On the other hand it's not that large and he's still a big hamster.

Good morning Maz
I read about your concerns of Tino climbing and thought I would share this idea I had for Nibbles. His house is very high and although he managed to climb iit (it’s was funny to watch as he pulls himself up with pull ups and kicks his little hind legs) I wanted to make it easier for him. I placed a ladder, but unfortunately sometimes they slip when he’s zooming. I came up with the idea to glue these little wooden circles together (three of them) to make a step up. He loves it and uses it all the time. It’s easy to make a low step up, using various different hights. Maybe two stuck together then three, four depending on how high the platform is.
I don’t know if it would be suitable for Tino, but I thought it can’t harm to share
Sendung lots of hugs and prayers for Tino, he has stolen my heart

 

[Maz]

Thank you - that is a lovely idea He did actually have some little shallow steps I made out of glueing cork rounds togethter, but offset so that it made 2 or 3 separate steps. Unfortunately I binned those as part of his cage disinfect. I did think about baking them but they had glue - plus he does seem better with a shallow ramp now. But it's such a lovely idea, thank you Hard to explain but with it being his back legs, he seems to find it easy walking on something flat up a shallow slope, but not something an irregular shape.

However yes it looks a perfect step up to his omlet hide roof But I think any small steps or bridges right now are risking falls and injuries - much as he would like to do it I'm not to keen on him accessing his main house roof either but it is quite low and two wide secure ramps up to it

 

[Amy]

Thank you - that is a lovely idea He did actually have some little shallow steps I made out of glueing cork rounds togethter, but offset so that it made 2 or 3 separate steps. Unfortunately I binned those as part of his cage disinfect. I did think about baking them but they had glue - plus he does seem better with a shallow ramp now. But it's such a lovely idea, thank you Hard to explain but with it being his back legs, he seems to find it easy walking on something flat up a shallow slope, but not something an irregular shape.

However yes it looks a perfect step up to his omlet hide roof But I think any small steps or bridges right now are risking falls and injuries - much as he would like to do it I'm not to keen on him accessing his main house roof either but it is quite low and two wide secure ramps up to it

☺ yes your a right, a shallow ramp would be easier for him
It’s hard when you can’t explain to them why something is not good for them and he sounds like a right little marine he still goes for it

 

[Maz]

I know - it's like I can't explain to him why he needs to be in the playpen now and not free roam - it just isn't safe for him to free roam now - he falls asleep somewhere and I can't find him and he could hurt himself trying to do something or get stuck somewhere I can't find him.

 

[Amy]

I know - it's like I can't explain to him why he needs to be in the playpen now and not free roam - it just isn't safe for him to free roam now - he falls asleep somewhere and I can't find him and he could hurt himself trying to do something or get stuck somewhere I can't find him.

I can just imagine him having a nod somewhere under the sofa

 

[Amy]

Nibbles had a short nap once in my black flip flops I kept calling him and only found him through his pink nose. He was camouflaged