Hector & Cleo updates

velma · 10-11-2015, 12:29 AM

Hi guys! I've not posted much lately. I've been lurking but haven't been around much or had time to properly catch up with everyone's news so that's this weekend's plan! But I thought I'd give you an update on Hector & Cleo. Hopefully I'll get some photos uploaded to their individual threads this week.

So, Hector my madcap robo is becoming an old man. By my reckoning he's around about 18months old but he was adopted so that's really just a guess. I've owned him for 14months. I know he's not that old in the grand robo scheme of things but he's started ageing recently. He started by sometimes getting a bit more of a waddle when he walks & he's now got a hunch too. But he's still just as speedy & lively as ever so I'm certain that's not due to illness but is just age. Anyone who remembers him from before will know he's completely unpredictable & a mass of contradictions & that hasn't changed. He's adventurous & likes a lot of change in his cage but doesn't like a big cage (so I decided to keep him in his mini duna after all). And I'm now careful to make sure he has nothing near roof height after I discovered him monkey barring round the roof of his cage! He's still my lovely friendly boy (even though he doesn't like being touched) he'll take treats from me quite happily & comes out to say hello. He gets a big excitable & has a good old chatter but on the odd occasion I've gotten my OH to feed him, he's squeaked at him. Early on he loved my OH but now he only loves me

I will have owned Cleo for a year this week so she will be about 15-16 months old now. She's always been quite shy. The hamsters live in a very quiet room that our cats aren't allowed in & I think not being round noise all the time means she takes a few minutes to adjust when someone goes in. But she's fine with me fiddling around in her cage & takes treats from me - she's so gentle you can barely feel her take them (unlike greedy Hector who grabs). With Cleo, like Hector, I've had to do things the "wrong" way round with her. Taming was slow going as she really didn't like being scooped up, trying all the "proper" ways. And she doesn't want to be picked up to come out of her cage. But if I need to get her in her ball or into her play tank, she'll let me lift her up. Hands round her middle - y'know like a bird claw, the way they're supposed to be really freaked our by! She'll quite happily let me do that. She doesn't like a lot of changes in Her cage but she likes being in her Kerry terrarium. If I change the layout at all, I keep her stuff the same, if I put new stuff in I keep the layout the same. And I clean her in stages. Bedding one time, toys another etc. Hector doesn't mind if you change everything all at once. But neither of them sleep in a house! Epic nest hamsters round these parts!

Hope you guys are all doing okay. It's been lovely to see the new hams on here & I'm sorry for you all that have lost hams too. I've been sad to see that some of my favourites have gone to the bridge. Anyway, sorry for the long rambling post today. Happy Sunday!

cypher · 10-11-2015, 01:25 AM

Good to see you again Velma & catch up with your two little ones.
It's hard to imagine Hector as an old man, he's such a little character! I'm sure it won't stop his adventures though

Cleo sounds very sweet in her shy way & they both sound happy little fluffs, look forward to seeing photos

Artisans_uk · 10-11-2015, 03:40 AM

Hi velma - lovely to hear from you. I've been away myself prior to the middle of September and when I realised that you weren't around, I did check back on posts to see if I'd missed anything but great to know that Hector and Cleo are both in good health.
Looking forward to seeing the photos of them both.

velma · 10-11-2015, 10:09 AM

Thanks guys! Well I just put Hector in his cage after a change & he had a pretty good stab at climbing his wigwam! So I don't think old age is holding him back even if it is a bit premature.

Artisans_uk · 10-11-2015, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velma

Thanks guys! Well I just put Hector in his cage after a change & he had a pretty good stab at climbing his wigwam! So I don't think old age is holding him back even if it is a bit premature.

Well done Hector! I can see him now.

velma · 10-11-2015, 11:44 AM

And because I've said he doesn't use a house, he's currently nesting in his wigwam

virtualkeith · 10-18-2015, 02:40 AM

Any pictures of the wigwam?

Penguin · 10-18-2015, 03:18 AM

Hector really is a lovely boy! I remember, when I just signed up and thought my hybrid was a robo. Someone told me to check out some good pictures you were lucky to get of Hector, and I ended up reading more or less any update about him!
So much character in such a tiny hammy!

Cleo sounds like a sweetheart too, almost like the complete opposite of hector. Looking forward to pictures!

cypher · 10-18-2015, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velma

And because I've said he doesn't use a house, he's currently nesting in his wigwam

Nothing quite so contrary as a little ham

velma · 10-18-2015, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin

Hector really is a lovely boy! I remember, when I just signed up and thought my hybrid was a robo. Someone told me to check out some good pictures you were lucky to get of Hector, and I ended up reading more or less any update about him!
So much character in such a tiny hammy!

Cleo sounds like a sweetheart too, almost like the complete opposite of hector. Looking forward to pictures!

Thanks Penguin. That's really lovely to hear. Hector wants to say he's blushing but he's not really because he knows he's awesome, he's just pretending to be modest. They really are my yin & yang hamsters