Newt's thread

[BorisPasha]

He looks almost grown up now, not quite so much like a baby anymore! It's amazing how quickly they change (he's still very cute though)

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww! I can't stop looking at him, he's so addictive. I love all pics but pic 5 is my fave.

[Pebbles82]

Yes I like that one He sat still because he was listening to something. The last couple of nights he has slowed down a bit rather than racing around at 90 miles an hour and sat on my arm for a stroke for a little bit. He knows where to look for his treats and food in the cage now and is in quite a routine.

[Coco61]

That is considerable progress Serendipity. Sitting on your arm for a stroke when still so young must have been an aww moment!

[Pebbles82]

Last night I spot cleaned Newtie's cage. He's been in it about two and a half weeks now. I still don't know where he was peeing He seemed to be "sleeping rough" under the Rodipet digging box thing. I found a hoard in the back corner of the cage under the substrate but no nest or pee area as such so just removed the odd whiffy handful. I decided to rearrange the left side and front slightly. I took the house out (which he wasn't using and didn't seem to like walking on the roof) and it's now in the playpen, and replaced the digging box shelf with the large rabbit sized Ferplast Sin house (I had an unused one already). A lot of fiddling about to make sure there were no fall risks and everything was accessible still. And decided to put the wheel in the cage at the same time - he is nearly 9 weeks old now.

So the right hand side is the same as before. The left hand side is a bit more open and a simpler set up. The house mimics an underground burrow in the area where he seemed to be sleeping. He went straight in there and this morning he had blocked off the bendy bridge entrance with Fitch so I assume he's nesting in there!

The large cork log is now at the front where the old house was and helps him get up to the front doors and makes a good tunnel between the house and back shelf. He didn't seem phased by the changes and had a good explore. I think he approved. His ears were right up when he saw the wheel although he did look a bit confused (how did that get there?!)

As he was used to a sand bath at Souffle's and I'm not sure where he is peeing to put a potty in, I put a jar of sand on top of the house and maybe he'll use that as a potty. This morning he had kicked out a load of sand lol.

[Pebbles82]

The last photo here is this morning, showing the blocked up bendy bridge entrance and the heap of sand on top of the house

The old long house is now in the playpen and he seemed to like that. Had to make sure it was right in the middle so he didn't use it to climb out of the playpen.

It's a simpler set up and easier for me to spot clean, plus I think he likes it. He wasn't really using the Rodipet digging box/shelf so that's going in the playpen too! Haven't quite worked out where to put a second water bottle yet.

So the right hand side is the same as before. The left hand lower side is slightly changed and the big cork log is at the front now. Not too much of a change. I retrieved his hoard and a bit of the nearby Fitch and put it inside the house. I'm kinding of wishing I had another Rodipet labyrinth house but had this one already - I'll see how he goes with it You can just see Newtie half in the cork tunnel on the third photo. I put some hemp mat on top of the house just in case he fell on the edge of it from higher up.

If he does decide to jump off the top shelf he can just slide down the sand jar and land on substrate

[souffle]

Fergus and Walnut both have wheels now and they both sleep in their pringles tubes with holes in at the moment. All our hamsters have open nests except Hadrian who uses the Whiskas box!
I would try putting the potty dish in a corner on the floor level. That is where all mine are and all are used.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Souffle Glad to hear the others have wheels too, I thought he seemed ready for it now. The house is a bit like a shelf to sleep under really so maybe he thinks it's an open nest Easier for me to spot clean though as he was quite buried away before, so hopefully it's win win lol. The roof lifts off the house, whereas the shelf before meant half dismantling the cage to see underneath.

I know where he is pooping! In the round ceramic corner house on the shelf - it's full of poops lol. Maybe he thinks it's a toilet. I think if he was peeing in there I'd know about it though as it would run off the shelf

I shall weigh him again in the next couple of days as it's about a week since the last weigh.

[AprilPearl]

Wow, his set up looks great! Very helpful of him to poop in just one area too - must makes spot cleaning much easier!

[BorisPasha]

Newt's cage is looking great Serendipity. I'm sure Newt will approve of all your hard work making it nice, cozy and interesting for him