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Old 07-19-2017, 12:04 PM   #1
Cinnamon Bear
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Default Playpen arrived today, Yay!

I've never owned a playpen before today. I hope I can use a tablecloth that is easy to wipe down in between hamsters.

I bought it mostly for Heaven (Syrian), but also for Dakota (Russian) & Lilyanna (WW hybrid). I don't think the robos or Melody (chinese) would appreciate it. Chloe might?

I would have to wake Lilyanna (WW hybrid) up to get her in it & she doesn't walk into a cup. I rarely see her but when it's 9:00 at night think I should wake her regularly for the playpen?

At the rate Melody (chinese) is going, she might never be tamed. I don't want to overwhelm her with a scary taming bin or play pen when she bites me if I leave my hand in her cage after the treats are gone.

Here's my dilemma, I don't want them sharing scents & urinating on my carpet. So...
1. Use wipeable table cloth (might be slippery for them)?
2. Buy 3 fleece blankets for Heaven, Dakota & Lilyanna

More questions
1. Leave Melody alone in her cage & not tame her, as she clearly doesn't crave human companionship
2. Should I wake Lilyanna at night to put her in the play pen as I see her rarely.

The 2 hybrids aren't tamed yet. Dakota has cage agression. She just about bit through my fingernail a couple days ago

Thus the play pen, Heaven will love it too
Thanks for any advise on playpen use.
Can they share toys? Don't really want them sharing DNA
If the hybrids urinate on the tablecloth I can test their urine which would be a plus.
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Old 07-19-2017, 11:22 PM   #2
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

You could try a wipeable cloth to go on the floor under the playpen & see how they get on, I would think it might be a bit slippery but it could work if not then a different blanket for each would be fine.
I wouldn't share toys unless it's something like plastic that you can wash down between each ham using it.
I'm sure Heaven will enjoy it if you put lots of things in there for her to explore.
It would probably be a bit overwhelming for the robos, most of my hybrids have enjoyed the playpen but only after some initial taming, I usually begin in the cage with them so it depends how far you've got already with taming, females can be a bit more cage territorial than males though so it might be worth trying them in there to see if you can interact with them more. You know them best so only you can judge really.
None of my Chinese have been a fan of playpens, play bins seem to work better for them even if it's just a different space for them to dig around in some deep substrate & explore a few toys, maybe forage for some treats.
It's a shame Melody isn't used to your hand, she seemed quite tame when you first got her (if I remember rightly!) have you tried something like a small box or fleece pouch, put a few seeds inside & let her climb in then put your hand flat in front so she climbs over your hand when she comes out? Only a small step but can really help get them used to hands if they are a bit nervous of them, maybe do that for a while then see if you can move on from there with her.
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Old 07-20-2017, 04:40 AM   #3
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

Thank you Cypher, I used towels but just the table cloth would work fine too. It wipe off clean in between each hamster. I did use towels tho yesterday for all of them except Dakota. I really wanted to see if she would pee for me to test her urine, but no go.

Lilyanna let me wake her up & pick her up and carry her to the bin. She let me handle her in the bin with me picking her up at times. She never nipped even. I had the most success with her.

Melody (Chinese) I woke her up and she did not like the play pen at all. She's not used to being handled by me. So I put her back in her cage and she was upset and went to sleep in her tube after awhile instead of her nest. That's a good idea to get ahold of a pouch with seeds in there. I will have to order one today and use a bin cage with her.

Heaven didn't like it at all, the bars reminded her of her old cage where she was neglected for months. All she did was bite the bars before she came home with me. It was an extremely small base with high bars. Sickening, with moths in there too.

Dakota liked the play pen with a wheel in there that I'll use just for her. I think they poop a lot when they are nervous. So Dakota was nervous but I think she will enjoy it the more she gets used to it.

Paris (robo) might enjoy a small bin cage but Madison in no way would enjoy anything outside of her cage. She's skittish after I just weigh her. She's not skittish now but she would be if I took her out of her cage. So tonight I'll try Paris in a small bin.

They are all used to a lot of treats and attention from me. Just not being handled. Heaven lets me pick her up for cuddles but I don't think I'll put her back in the play pen for now. I thought that Heaven would like it the most but all she did was try to escape and got upset. Maybe a bathtub would be better?

I hate waking Lilyanna and Melody up but I'll never be able to interact with them if I don't. Actually, Melody wakes up at 9:00pm so I could try the pouch at that time. Lilyanna doesn't mind being woken up at all. She was happy to be out and had all this space to explore.

Edit: forgot to mention that Chloe loved the play pen and Dakota wasn't aggressive at all in the play pen, just in her cage.

Last edited by Cinnamon Bear; 07-20-2017 at 04:52 AM.
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Old 07-20-2017, 06:41 AM   #4
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

The playpen seems to have helped some of your hamsters. A solid sided on would be better for Heaven. Could you weave cardboard through the gaps to block the bars.

You may want to adjust the size of the playpen for the more nervous hamsters and give them short playpen time to start with. Then increase it as they get more confident.

I have found putting the wheel, toys etc from their cage in the playpen helps, as it smells of their scent. I have two identical wheels and am going to get duplicates of toys, so I can put them in the cage and playpen, swapping them to keep the scent on both.
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Old 07-20-2017, 06:46 AM   #5
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

I bet you wish you'd got a playpen sooner what with the results. Poor Heaven but, understandably after her past.
Fingers crossed you manage to get Dakota in it.
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Old 07-20-2017, 07:15 AM   #6
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

Thanks CMB & Lizzy, I'm trying to place an order on Amazon today for toys. I found a fleece snuggle pouch from e-bay for Melody. I do wish I had this playpen about 3 yrs ago. Oh well I have it now. I didn't think you could make it smaller but that's a good idea

I could get cardboard & line the cardboard inside the bars possibly? Sounds like alot of work but fun at the same time. I won't wake Melody till I see if the pouch works. The lady was so nice saying that she'd return it if it didn't work out, which I wouldn't anyway after its been used.
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Old 07-20-2017, 07:41 AM   #7
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

Putting cardboard around the inside for Heaven is a good idea CB, might be a lot of work but well worth it.
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Old 07-20-2017, 08:16 AM   #8
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

I will cut up boxes & she may have fun hopefully without seeing the bars. I'd like to put her in the play pen every night as she wakes up at 6:00pm & stays up, so that's alot of time. I can't play with her for hours every night of course but I give her attention every night. She love the exercise ball.
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Old 07-20-2017, 08:36 AM   #9
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

Sounds like it's going well CB, hopefully you can find something that will work for Heaven, it's such a shame about her past.
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Old 07-20-2017, 09:33 AM   #10
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Default Re: Playpen arrived today, Yay!

Me too BP, the play pen would be so much more fun than an exercise ball, I'll still let her run around the apartment every night (almost), she's only turned it down 1x in the past 7 mo! but I can bond with her even more in the play pen if she'll take to it or not?
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lilyanna, dakota, cage, heaven, play, pen, melody, wake, playpen, hybrids, tamed, night, rarely, today, leave, hybrid, chinese, tablecloth, sharing, companionship, human, buy, blankets, fleece, slippery

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