Meet Percy. The Ham who likes to sleep under the stars!

[MaryRobinson]

Hi everyone,

It's been 5 months since we lost our gorgeous Mimi and I swore I couldn't go through that again, but... 2 days ago we brought home baby Percy from a breeder, a 7 week old short-haired black eyed cream. He's tiny and gorgeous!

He's gone from sharing a small bin cage with his siblings to an Ikea detolf, so it's a bit like being removed from a shared bedroom and given your own island! The thing I've noticed so far is he's absolutely not keen on going into - and definitely not sleeping in! - any of his hides. He has a Rodipet grass nest - not seen any evidence he's even set foot in it yet - and a Rodipet 2-chamber house. He definitely hasn't been in there, even though I put his breeder bedding in it so it smells familiar and is all cosy. Nope, he has decided to squish himself into the corner under a mound of carefresh with his little bottom pressed on the glass base! The night before he slept on top of his aspen under a ledge.

Do you think he'll discover his house in time? It would be easier to clean it out if he would and hopefully he'll discover his sand to pee in too (don't yet know where he's doing this!) Both my other hams went, "ooh - house: lovely!" and then to the sand and went "toilet: gotcha" so I assumed baby Percy would do the same. It's early days though; maybe he's just a camping sort of guy!

[cypher]

Congrats! He sounds adorable & quite a character already, I like the sound of a camping kind of guy lol! He’ll probably find his way into the house a or better permanent sleeping spot in time, everything is still so new for him at the moment.

[MaryRobinson]

Originally Posted by cypher

Congrats! He sounds adorable & quite a character already, I like the sound of a camping kind of guy lol! He’ll probably find his way into the house a or better permanent sleeping spot in time, everything is still so new for him at the moment.

Teehee yes, I think he's an outdoorsy little chap! Like the Bear Grylls of hamsters

I am guessing he only had a burrow available rather than a hide at the breeders', so he's just doing what he's only ever known. Hopefully he'll move into his five star accommodation once he realises it's all his!

[Ria P]

Congratulations to your new hamster Percy!

Percy probably has to figure out what's what and that a house may be a good place to sleep in.

I've had my young Syrian for a month now but have no idea where he pees because he uses his en suite ceramic toilet as a store for his hoard, after chucking all the sand out.
He goes into his house through the bendy bridge porch but when i lifted the roof off to check on gone off fresh food i watched his tail disappear down a hole leading out of the house.

Best not to expect hamsters to do things that make sense to us humans because they have quite a unique take on things.

Can't wait to hear more about Percy and hopefully see a photo of him some time.

Our Rory is also a black eyed cream, maybe there's something non conformist in the genes of this particular colouring.

[MaryRobinson]

Originally Posted by Ria P

Congratulations to your new hamster Percy!

Percy probably has to figure out what's what and that a house may be a good place to sleep in.

I've had my young Syrian for a month now but have no idea where he pees because he uses his en suite ceramic toilet as a store for his hoard, after chucking all the sand out.
He goes into his house through the bendy bridge porch but when i lifted the roof off to check on gone off fresh food i watched his tail disappear down a hole leading out of the house.

Best not to expect hamsters to do things that make sense to us humans because they have quite a unique take on things.

Can't wait to hear more about Percy and hopefully see a photo of him some time.

Our Rory is also a black eyed cream, maybe there's something non conformist in the genes of this particular colouring.

Thanks! Haha, you're right. You never know; we Percy was born on the edge of Wilts so maybe he and Rory are related!

Little teenage hoodlum, how funny! Percy is my first ham from a baby (other two were older rescues) so I will enjoy watching him figure out his space and maybe develop a taste for the finer things in life!!

(Must confess, if I could work out how to attach a photo I would but it asks for a url and i don't have it uploaded anywhere else...?)

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by MaryRobinson

(Must confess, if I could work out how to attach a photo I would but it asks for a url and i don't have it uploaded anywhere else...?)

Sorry, that's ancient greek to technophobe me.
All i do is scroll down to Manage Attachment, click on it then Choose File from whatever source you have available, Upload and wait till uploaded while a blue stripe runs a ross top of page then click on Close this window very top right hand corner which takes you back to your reply with a picture attached.

[Savannagh]

He does sound like a character. I think hamsters can be like cats sometimes - you give them a house and they'll sleep anywhere but there.

[MaryRobinson]

Originally Posted by Ria P

Sorry, that's ancient greek to technophobe me.
All i do is scroll down to Manage Attachment, click on it then Choose File from whatever source you have available, Upload and wait till uploaded while a blue stripe runs a ross top of page then click on Close this window very top right hand corner which takes you back to your reply with a picture attached.

D'oh! I'd never noticed that; I was clicking on the 'insert image' icon!!

Looks like I need to edit my images before I can upload them so there's a job for the weekend (whilst I wait for his lordship to emerge...

[MaryRobinson]

Originally Posted by Savannagh

He does sound like a character. I think hamsters can be like cats sometimes - you give them a house and they'll sleep anywhere but there.

Guess I've been lucky with my two previous hams who were very much property connoisseurs and took immediately to the offered mansion!!

[Maker]

Perhaps the size is a little overwhelming for him, you could try just cordening off some of the space until he gets more comfortabl. Also he probably has never met glass he can see through better than plastic. My guess all this is a little overwhelming, try covering some of the glass and just making the space appear a little smaller, he can grow into the full size of his space as he becomes more confident.