Meet Mr Basil :)

[Emma Marie]

Hello everyone!

It has been a while but I have a big update. I live with my mum and two days ago she adopted a hamster . My mum has always had hamsters but it has been quite a while since she has been tempted. Basil is a Russian dwarf, we are not sure exactly what breed. We were told he has been through a rough time and is very much not a first-time pet. When my mum first saw him she inquired as he was the only pet in the adoption section. The lady moved the bedding in his cage and he screamed/hissed, the lady said he does that. She turned him upside down to check for wet tail and he bit her. (Which isn't exactly surprising considering he likely hasn't been held while he was in the adoption bit.)
My mum took him home and he is living in a duna multy cage. For the first day he ran to and from his food bowl and froze at the slightest noise so we left him for the first two days and just quietly spoke to him while he was in his nest. He traveled under the bedding and just bobbed his head out when he reached his bowl.

Today I was giving my hamsters some spinach when I decided to see whether he would take some. Basil was burrowed underneath his bedding and I held the spinach in between my fingers and he cautiously came over. I was shocked as I expected him not to come out. He delicately took the spinach and headed back under. I was so proud of him! My mum noticed today that he would eat from his food bowl while we were in the same room and talking. I am super happy for him and glad he has found a good home. He hasn't quite conquered the wheel yet as he is a bit afraid when it moves and also he didn't have one in his cage at the shop.
The lady at the shop was surprised we took him as she thought when he bit we would have said no but everyone deserves a chance and I am hopeful for his future!
Currently, my mum can put sunflower seeds between her fingers and he will pop his head out and take it from her. I did not expect that on day three !

Sorry for the really long post by the way

[cypher]

Hello Basil
He looks really sweet, good to hear he's settling in well now he has a nice caring home

[Pebbles82]

Oh he is adorable! He is probably much happier now he's in a nice cage with nice things and a home environment. The pet shop must have felt like prison. He is able to come out of himself and explore etc now you've given him nice surroundings, and settle.

Giving him a huge pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper somewhere in the cage may encourage him to build a nice big nest to snuggle into and then he may get braver about coming out more without diving under the substrate so much

Overhead cover can help with that as well, so he doesn't feel too exposed on the floor area - a cardboard box or something between his house and food bowl that he can run through, or a kitchen roll inner tube.

[CMB]

Well done for giving him a chance and a new home. He is braver already. Taking food from people and exploring a little. Hope he can get even braver.

[Hammy992]

Oh he is so cute! I'm sure it will make a world of difference for him to have a nice big cage to explore with plenty of tasty treats and encouragement from you and your mum. It sounds as though he is gaining confidence by the day already and settling down well