Oreo sounds so much like my boy. He’s in a bin-style cage. Here’s a little brain dump of what I’ve found:
-He’s much braver when the light is off and we’re in the dim light from the room next door. My movements are less likely to spook him.
-The tissue trick definitely worked. After he took the tissue I found I could place my hand outside his house and he’d eventually have a sniff. Once he started poking his nose out I was able to bribe him with treats.
-I always put my hand in at an angle, I put it in at the far end of the cage and slowly move it toward him horizontally. This way he can see (and smell) me coming.
-It took a few weeks for me to start figuring out where he was peeing because it didn’t smell at first. Now I can find the dirty substrate with my nose.
-I constantly talk when I’m in the cage, he now pokes his nose out when he hears my voice (because he’s expecting treats or dinner).
It’s been almost 2 months and last night he finally let me stroke him while nibbling on a pumpkin seed. The wait and frustration was worth that moment alone
