Zylvan, another new man in my life!

[cypher]

Thanks Penguin.

He was such a brave little guy the first few days it was just sad to see how timid he became after his fright the other morning, still not quite sure what happened there tbh but he is more settled again now, still timid about everything (except taking treats through the mesh in the mornings!) but we did make baby steps yesterday evening & he even took a treat from my fingers so I think hands will gradually become less of a scary threat now!

[SKB_Hamsters]

Sounds like moving Zylvan to a smaller bin cage has made him feel more comfortable and confident enough to take a treat from your fingers. Fingers crossed that his confidence and trust for you will continue to grow.

[Hamsterita]

Don't worry cypher!!

Step by step, sometimes it's hard but we have to keep trying!!

I hope you had a happy new years eve and I wish you the best on 2017

[cypher]

Thanks SKB & Hamsterita, it is very slow going but we are taking baby steps & each day he gets a little braver, he surprised me yesterday as I cleaned his wheel, I felt so bad for him but with two weeks of pee, poo & food glued to it it was a bit rank! He knew as soon as he emerged from his nest something wasn't right & crept around low to the ground looking rather scared but he soon got over it & a little later took a tiny bit of his favourite treat from my finger tips, from the safety of his sand bath still bless him, so I put my hand back with some seeds on & he dared venture out just a little bit & sat with his tiny paws on my fingers as he ate a few seeds, of course my heart totally melted!

I was so tempted to take a photo but didn't want to risk scaring him, soon maybe...
In typical Chinesey fashion he has done his best to bury his house & it looks like a Christmas pudding in a snow drift now

[Coco61]

Lovely baby steps there cypher, but the pic of the pudding house in the snow is just delightful!

[Penguin]

I adore that house and I have been trying to justify the overly expensive shipping to denmark haha

And he definitely seems to like it as well! Look at all of those treats though! He will get a belly ache

[cypher]

Thanks both

lol! Penguin that's his food He wouldn't get that many treats even if he walked right up to me & asked nicely, well maybe he would, that little face is so hard to say no to
It does look a lot there but it's probably less than 2 teaspoons.

Shame you can't get the house without having to pay too much for shipping, I'm very good at justifying shipping costs if you need any tips!

He did well again yesterday & climbed right onto my hand before suddenly going all skittish on me.
Things got a bit disrupted then as the radiator nearest his cage decided to spring a bad leak & I had to have the emergency plumber out but once the chaos was over he was out again & seemed quite happy.

[Thin Lizzy]

Love his set up cypher, it looks so cosy! Great news about Zylvan climbing onto your hand - total bliss!

[SKB_Hamsters]

Zylvan cage looks lovely. Sounds like Zylvan is making good progress now and it so nice reading that he climbed onto your hand.

[cypher]

Thanks Lizzy & SKB.
Only a little update & no photos yet as I want him to settle more first.
He's had a couple of sessions in the play bin now which went quite well, only a few minutes each time but he did ok.
His confidence fluctuates a bit but he's much more comfortable with my hand in the cage now & will often sit with his little paws on my fingers after taking a seed & munching on it.
He was being a little timid yesterday after his play bin session so I broke off a little tiny piece of his favourite crock complete which he immediately took then sat there trying to chew my thumbnail where he could still smell treat