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Old 06-13-2019, 02:45 PM   #1
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Henry's staged escape

My hamster Henry has never asked to come out of his cage and he is even more reluctant to leave his cage since i upgraded his home. Truth is that i have to pick him up and lift him out because he won't climb out of his cage or onto my hand. Sometimes he's fine when out and runs about on my bed or climbs over me but other times he is very huffy and just sits and sulks.
I read on HC that an escape and taste of freedom can get hamsters excited so i decided to organize one.
I spent ages in the spare room, checking and cleaning inch by inch, moving motorcycle gear out of the way etc etc to hamster proof the room. Tonight I set myself up with a glass of wine to calm my nerves and the basil plant in case i had to coax Henry out from somewhere then had second thoughts and went back for the bottle.
Henry didn't want to come out and kicked with his little paw so i had to resort to cheese and picked him up while he was eating.
Henry run down my legs while i sat on the floor of the spare room and the more often i stopped him from running off my legs the faster he run, sniffing like mad. Eventually he "managed" to hop off my legs and took off to explore. He seemed to enjoy it at first, running, nibbling, merkating and climbing over things. After only 10mins or even less as i didn't time it, Henry sat in a corner washing frantically and pooping as well so i picked him up and put him back in his cage.
He is not excited or restless like some hamsters after an "escape" but calmly sitting in the nest under the small platform, nibbling away and looking out with his ears up as if to say "what was this all about?"
Thing is, i don't know what to make of this hamster at all and wonder whether to let him freeroam again or not.
He is in his beloved coconut now munching on seeds....
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Old 06-13-2019, 04:28 PM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Henry's staged escape

He sounds like he had great fun! I think now it's started he'll want to come out and do it again They don't always volunteer to come out. I lower something into the cage for Newt and he just walks in so I get him out that way.
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Old 06-13-2019, 07:49 PM   #3
mikatelyn
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Location: AZ, USA
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Default Re: Henry's staged escape

Lol, I love that you staged an escape for Henry! Sounds like he's just a very content homebody!
Something I do with Smokey that he seems to like: I take him on little "walks" around the house. I let him walk from hand to hand and carry him in the direction he seems to want to go. When we get too close to something, i let him sniff it for a few seconds (like the cereal box, my bike the TV, etc.) This seems to whet his appetite for more exploring. Maybe I'm a helicopter hammie parent, but I never let him to roam around my bed or the couch, because that little guy gets zippy when he senses freedom and my house has way too many potential hamster hidey holes!
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Old 06-14-2019, 10:32 AM   #4
Ria P
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Default Re: Henry's staged escape

I'm glad you thought that Henry had fun Serendipity because i wasn't sure and had no idea for how long hamsters like to free roam. I must say that he run so fast on his wheel that evening that his cage was vibrating!!

Mikatelyn, i've tried walking around the house with Henry but he jumped off me once and i just managed to catch him midair! Phew, what a fright he gave me. We were in my partner's den which is full of computer stuff and i'm sure Henry wanted to get onto the desk as he likes running across the keyboards. I carried him upstairs in my jumper like in a pouch the other day because he was so wriggly.

I'll let him loose again soon but wonder if i should handle him every other night instead of almost daily? He won't go into a mug or something and I always wait till he had a snack, wee etc before i pick him up but he almost always objects so its hard to gage how much handling is too much for him.
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Old 06-14-2019, 12:33 PM   #5
Coco61
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Default Re: Henry's staged escape

I only get Maestro out when he comes to the barney front door which is his sign he wants more treats and come out. I once tried him climbing the stairs. Hamster safe as nowhere else to go. Once he got the hang of it, he got faster and faster and could reach the top in alarmingly swift time. Tried it once more and maybe I will again when I can face it. Also easier for an oldie like me to sit on the stairs with him!
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