Introducing Adele - Page 3

Amys_Mum · 02-23-2017, 01:19 PM

Adele has finally decided the house is a good place to sleep. On the downside she's also trying to bar chew, despite several things to chew on in the cage.

I've got more toys on their way which I hope will give her some more stimulation.

We managed some cuddles tonight and she's getting better at being handled. No biting, just a bit jumpy of noise. She doesn't stay still for very long though so the weekend task is to buy/create a play pen.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 02-23-2017, 01:49 PM

Sounds like you have chosen the perfect hammy, she is adorable! I like the name Adele too

Hamsterita · 02-24-2017, 02:28 AM

She's very cute. You're very lucky because it seems that everything is going smoothly. If she chews the bars always in the same place you can try to block it with cardboard, but it's better to find something to distracted as you told

ladyntramp002 · 02-24-2017, 02:54 PM

Haha! This hamster seems to indeed like to reconstruct her cage! She seems quite the hammie! Hope you all have an amazing time with each other.

Drago · 02-24-2017, 03:37 PM

Glad to hear she's settling in! Hoppinghammy made a very helpful video on how to make a cheap and easy playpen

I'll leave a link below! Keep us updated on little Adele

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=owtibCd-ygA

BorisPasha · 02-26-2017, 03:33 AM

Awww she really is very sweet and hopefully the bar chewing is just a temporary thing! Hope your playpen plans worked out

Thin Lizzy · 02-26-2017, 05:52 AM

She really is a pretty little thing.

Amys_Mum · 03-01-2017, 03:26 PM

Latest update on Adele - she is driving us all nuts with the bar chewing!

Harvey chewed too, but stopped as soon as she was moved to the Barney cage. Adele has started life in the Barney, so compared to the shop tank, it's a palace! But she's still not happy

She's got a 12" Karlie wheel, her little house, a coconut pod she's using as a food store, sand bath (which she keeps digging underneath so it disappears under a layer of substrate), a second level with water bottle and hanging seed thing, a bendy bridge, a rainbow bridge, a cardboard tube, a couple of willow sticks that she does also chew on, and new today a series of levels from ranchhousetoys that go over her house to a sputnik.

Her food gets scattered rather than put in a bowl so she has to work for it, we hide peanuts or other small treats for her to forage for. I'm at a bit of a loss what else to add in to keep her occupied. She comes out almost every day for a run around.

Today I wondered if her water bottle was failing - as she is chewing next to it - it's a ferplast sippy water bottle as it was all the pet shop had. But it does seem to be working ok and the water has been going down each day - I've added a small bowl with a small bit of water just in case.

I'm at a loss what else to add really. I was going to see if I could get an Antos chew tomorrow, as Harvey loved those and maybe a Rosewood carrot roll too. Any other suggestions welcome!

Other than the chewing, she's a lovely wee thing. Very friendly, will come straight to the door as soon as it's opened, took no time at all to tame her - so top marks to Pets Corner for doing the hard work for us and handling her whilst she was with them. She's getting better over noises as well and has quickly learnt that rustling noises generally equal food!

Thin Lizzy · 03-02-2017, 01:54 AM

It could be that she smells Harvey, or she just wants attention but, giving her attention will only make her chew more so it's important that whenever she chews you walk away and ignore her, when she stops tell her she's a good girl but if she starts up again then walk away. I found this works over time. I also found weaving cardboard through the bars at where she chews will get her focusing on pulling at the cardboard and weaving it inbetween the bars will make it more difficult to pull out easily.
I've had many cage chewers over the years and I've always done this and it does stop.
It sounds like you've plenty in the cage to keep her amused, definitely recommend whimzees, also.

BorisPasha · 03-02-2017, 03:20 AM

Sorry to hear about Adele's bar chewing, only one out of my four has done it (he's an attention seeker!) but I took Lizzy's advice and would walk away. He very rarely does it at all now. Weaving the cardboard through also helped as at least it was the cardboard rather than the bars which was being chewed (safer for their teeth and little noses). I remember reading that someone had success using wooden cloth pegs and putting them in the area they chewed then moving them if they switched to a different area.

Chews are good, mine like the whimzee ones. A favourite around here also seems to be the rosewood dandelion treat stick so worth a try.