Blacky's Thread - The Black Spanish Syrian Hamster

[cypher]

I'm so pleased for you & Blacky It's really lovely that he's got so much more confident & is enjoying his time out of the cage with you, he really is quite the determined little man lol! He did make me laugh with his stubborn will to escape over the edge

[AprilPearl]

Wow, State Attorney! Good luck - I am sure you will make Blacky very proud. And don't worry about not posting as much. You've got a lot of other commitments and everyone understands that.

Blacky does look extremely sure of himself and confident in those videos. You're absolutely right. He's not scared, just active and inquisitive. He even comes to say hello to you you've done a really good job with him!

[BorisPasha]

Awww it's great to see Blacky looking so confident, I'm really pleased for you. He's looking happy and contented in the videos and I loved seeing his fuzzy butt disappearing down a tiny gap lol. Pasha sometimes gets a bit frantic when he's out in his playpen so I do the same and put him back in his cage, then he just zooms around and jumps on my hand then climbs up my arm so I try to cuddle him for a bit but he's fidgety so I put him back in the playpen and he's still zooming about like he's in either a state of panic or he's really excited I'm not sure which! Sometimes I wish Dr Doolittle would come to my house and tell my what these hamsters are trying to tell me

Also I want to wish you good luck for your next two exams, though I'm sure you'll do brilliantly Totally understandable that you won't be around here so much, exams have to come first!

Give Blacky a kiss from me for being such a brave boy.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Its so lovely to read that Blacky is gaining more confidence and that he coming out more exploring his cage. It was really nice watching those videos of Blacky happily exploring outside his cage - it was so cute watching his running between the cushions.

Good Luck for your next exams - I hope you do really well! Don't worry about not posting as often as we all understand how busy your are with your studies/exams and how important they are.

Originally Posted by Hamsterita

SKB thank you for the tip. So, If I understood well, you recommend to put more substrate in on side of the cage, so that way it makes like an slope, and that encourages digging? I have to try that!

This photo show what I was trying to describe - I don't think my initial description was very clear.

101746000_Unknown_zpsk0ypmt4z.jpg

As you can see the tunnel at the front is angled into the substrate (the substrate in her playbin isn't as deep as I normally would have it), this acts as the start of her tunnel and it encourages her to dig in the substrate. Pumpkin often keeps herself busy burrowing in her playbin when she in there.

[Coco61]

Lovely update on Blacky. Very encouraging. I wish you the very best of luck with your exams. Let us know how you get on!

[Thin Lizzy]

You know how I feel about Blacky, love him loads! It's so wonderful seeing him looking so confident, you've done such a superb job helping him and encouraging him. He looks so happy in the vids and I too love his fuzzy butt.

[Hamsterita]

Thanks cypher, AP, BP, SKB, Coco and TL.. I'm very glad that he is becoming more and more confident day by day. Thankfully my trip to Madrid didn't set things back. I'm trying him in new spaces as the main corridor and he seems to enjoy it, however we need to take it slowly, as I tried to put him in a bigger space, as the kitchen floor and he freaked out. He is also letting me stroke him more and more everyday. I don't think he enjoys it, but he is getting used to it as he looks less bothered day by day.

Thank you all for your wishes too. I'll know the grades around the next Monday.

BP If you get the chance to talk to Dr Doolittle, please, send him to my home. It would be much appreciated LOL

SKB Thanks for the pic. You explained it perfectly back in the day, it was my fault that I didn't understand it, but now everything is crystal clear. On Friday when I arrived home I cleaned his house and the potty, and I put more substrate in the back of his cage, I tried to do what you said with a strawberry tunnel that I have, and maybe it's too small or not long enough because I didn't have any luck. He still isn't digging.

---

As I said, things are running smooth around here. Blacky is improving with his confidence, but I'm afraid that I'm never going to be able to see him playing at daylight in his cage, because he explores a bit and he stays for a little bit longer than before, but not for long. I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't give him treats, as he always flees out of the scene after I do that, maybe he thinks that once he gets what he wants it's not worth to stay. LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPf-Oz3mgk


Some of you already know that in Madrid I had a very good company too. I present you Thor, my cousins' dog. I don't know why but he really loves me and he becomes crazy everytime he sees me or I talk to him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOqk2Uepa8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Oz3mCxPfw


Going back to Blacky, here he is eating peas. I'm sorry that the lighting is terrible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz0hxnmsAn0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaKbgn8548o


This video is a little bit old, it is from when he started to let me stroke him as a regular basis, now he lets me do it and his ears are usually pointing to the stars, so I think we are in the right track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE3NwqRQQJU


This is one of my favourites videos of him. He is too hyper, and I don't like that, but I love that he keeps coming over and over again to my hands and running over my arm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BguFpOl-k6U

[cypher]

Lovely vids of Blacky & Thor
Thor really does have the most beautiful eyes!
Blacky does look very calm in the vids except the last hyper one, he looks happy enough there though & it's so sweet seeing him racing up your arm toward the camera Lovely to see him going about his business in his cage too

I think with some hams giving treats can just encourage them to quickly disappear again, I guess it's natural that they want to take their goodies somewhere safe although both Zeki & Zen tend to run off, hide them quick then come back for more lol! Tinwë seems to have bottomless pouches so will stay out as long as there's anything on offer Zylvan only tends to take a little then vanish back into his hideaway though.
From all your vids it seems as though Blacky is out a lot with you now, he's such a brave boy

[SKB_Hamsters]

It was so nice watching the videos of both Blacky and Thor.
The last video of Blacky was really lovely to watch - it was so cute the way he kept running over to you and climbing up your arm. I also enjoyed watching the video of him exploring his cage he really looks very happy and comfortable in there.

[BorisPasha]

Lovely to see Blacky out and about, he does look very calm and relaxed in those videos. He seems quite happy to have you cuddling him now which is great, loved the second last video, he looks so peaceful

In the last video I think he's thinking "stop putting me over there mom, I want cuddles!"

Thor is a nice looking and friendly dog he seems to love you a lot. He'll be wondering when you're coming back to visit so he can have some more pampering lol.