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Old 07-05-2019, 04:38 PM   #11
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Playpen and space

The cats would need a little restriction. They shouldn't be allowed in the same room as any hamster, and there needs to be a secure closed door between the room and the cats(some cats will open doors, so if yours do this the door may need to be locking).
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Old 07-05-2019, 11:55 PM   #12
Schwartzie
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Default Re: Playpen and space

Thanks Serendipity, Luna’s G and Amity for the advice. Do you do outside play daily? Will make a plan with the cats. Any routine that you follow?
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:37 AM   #13
ToastieHammy
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Default Re: Playpen and space

Hi Schwartzie,

I find playpen time very useful for my ham as she's cage aggressive, so I really only get to interact with her directly when I take her out into her playpen. I usually do this every other day as she is quite stressed in her nature so I give her a day to chill, but I also take note if she seems especially stressed that day and will leave it for an extra day if need be. I use a diy playpen I found online which is a cube storage unit with the panels instead attached in a row with zipties. It works well apart from the fact she can push it up if she gets a hold with her teeth so I have to watch her carefully!
I do also have cats, but I make sure my cats have absolutely no access to the room she's in pretty much 100% of the time as I'm certain if they even knew she existed they would stake out the room constantly, so they've never seen her! But I am sure my ham can smell them on my clothing and carpet and she doesn't seem bothered (although she is a generally stressed hamster so she spends most of her time running at 100mph and trying to escape the playpen anyway!!), but maybe try putting a blanket or sheet on the floor in case
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:48 AM   #14
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Playpen and space

I play it be ear with Newt. Usually he wants to come out every 3 or 4 days. Sometimes every day! Sometimes I don’t see much of him for a few days Some of that may depend on weather and their moods! Newt was in the regular habit of coming out every 2 or 3 days. When I moved our other hamster’s cage into the same room he suddenly wanted to be out every night and sometimes twice a night! (Jealousy and attention?). That settled down again to the usual routine. I was then away for a week and he went quite reclusive afterwards (sulking?) and has just started coming out again. He will come and sit at one of the cage doors if he wants to come out. Or alternatively sit on his house looking out through the cage bars with an expression that says - how can you leave me here? (Guilt making!).

Our last hamster never voluntarily came out - a few times he did want to late at night, when he was on a less large cage. But generally he had to be tempted out. But enjoyed it and benefitted from it once out and was able to interact with us more. He’s the one that used to go to sleep on my knee under a blanket or would sit between us on the sofa for ages!
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:51 AM   #15
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Playpen and space

It does help with bonding and taming.
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:54 AM   #16
Schwartzie
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Default Re: Playpen and space

Quote:
Originally Posted by ToastieHammy View Post
Hi Schwartzie,

I find playpen time very useful for my ham as she's cage aggressive, so I really only get to interact with her directly when I take her out into her playpen. I usually do this every other day as she is quite stressed in her nature so I give her a day to chill, but I also take note if she seems especially stressed that day and will leave it for an extra day if need be. I use a diy playpen I found online which is a cube storage unit with the panels instead attached in a row with zipties. It works well apart from the fact she can push it up if she gets a hold with her teeth so I have to watch her carefully!
I do also have cats, but I make sure my cats have absolutely no access to the room she's in pretty much 100% of the time as I'm certain if they even knew she existed they would stake out the room constantly, so they've never seen her! But I am sure my ham can smell them on my clothing and carpet and she doesn't seem bothered (although she is a generally stressed hamster so she spends most of her time running at 100mph and trying to escape the playpen anyway!!), but maybe try putting a blanket or sheet on the floor in case
Thanks so so much for this piece of advice. Are you able to send a pic of your playpen or a picture off the internet so I can see please? Thanks for the reassurance with owning hamsters and cats. I was worried that I would have to act like I was acting out a scene in that old movie “Outbreak” and morph into Dustin Hoffman and place myself through quarantine every time I handled my hamster incase he smelt cat - lol!

What I’m going to do is wait the next three agonizing days for my first shipment to arrive, start setting up Ragna’s cage and then those 3 days of him settling get myself thinking about ways to take him out etc.
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:59 AM   #17
Schwartzie
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Default Re: Playpen and space

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
I play it be ear with Newt. Usually he wants to come out every 3 or 4 days. Sometimes every day! Sometimes I don’t see much of him for a few days Some of that may depend on weather and their moods! Newt was in the regular habit of coming out every 2 or 3 days. When I moved our other hamster’s cage into the same room he suddenly wanted to be out every night and sometimes twice a night! (Jealousy and attention?). That settled down again to the usual routine. I was then away for a week and he went quite reclusive afterwards (sulking?) and has just started coming out again. He will come and sit at one of the cage doors if he wants to come out. Or alternatively sit on his house looking out through the cage bars with an expression that says - how can you leave me here? (Guilt making!).

Our last hamster never voluntarily came out - a few times he did want to late at night, when he was on a less large cage. But generally he had to be tempted out. But enjoyed it and benefitted from it once out and was able to interact with us more. He’s the one that used to go to sleep on my knee under a blanket or would sit between us on the sofa for ages!
Newt is just so adorable! Thanks so much, when Ragna arrives and I can gage where his head is at then we can figure out how we going to entertain him out of his cage. My baby is too small to enjoy interacting with him right now and unfortunately she won’t interact much with Ragna in his lifetime but once she is old enough to be able to learn how to gently handle and love animals we will hopefully have moved to the next country where we have more space and I can create a playpen that she can interact with the hamster as well as my husband and I. The set up with the cats isn’t ideal but you have made me more aware so will figure something out.
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Old 07-06-2019, 09:34 AM   #18
ToastieHammy
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Default Re: Playpen and space

Quote:
Originally Posted by Schwartzie View Post
Thanks so so much for this piece of advice. Are you able to send a pic of your playpen or a picture off the internet so I can see please? Thanks for the reassurance with owning hamsters and cats. I was worried that I would have to act like I was acting out a scene in that old movie “Outbreak” and morph into Dustin Hoffman and place myself through quarantine every time I handled my hamster incase he smelt cat - lol!

What I’m going to do is wait the next three agonizing days for my first shipment to arrive, start setting up Ragna’s cage and then those 3 days of him settling get myself thinking about ways to take him out etc.
I hope you don't have end up doing that! When I first got my ham I was so worried I would put on extra layers and tuck my trousers into my socks in case my skin smelt different!! But I think they're a lot more hardy than we think they are and aren't actually bothered by much! Just keep an eye on his behaviour, he'll probably be a bit stressed at first in a new area but keep at it for short periods of time, and of course if you think he's too overwhelmed just put him back home and alter things a little next time.

Here's the link to the video I used and also a hamster central thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SKo...l=ThePiggyRoom

Stylish playpen

Good luck, just take your time!
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