Newt's thread

[Pebbles82]

I've had a slight change in Newt's cage - it's a semi retirement bungalow now, in preparation for him getting older. He will be 2 in about six and a half weeks. And has had some issues recently with his higher shelf and the steep ramp to it, plus climbing out of the sputnik down to his cork log. He can get up ok but seemed not to want to try getting down. Also he toppled over trying to get out of the little front door from his shelf (he stretches across to the door from the shelf).

So I think he is ready to have things lowered and a bit easier. He is fit and active and runs all over the living room. But he is not young any more so climbing is a bit of an issue. He can climb down the front of the sofa to the floor no problem because he clings on with his claws.

I've been weaning him off that high shelf and the sputnik recently by putting his extras at floor level instead of up there, so hopefully he won't miss the higher levels too much.

So - he was due a substrate change so I made the changes at the same time and he spent the afternoon in the Skyline Ted.

Rather than lower things I've got just about everything at ground level, except his Barney shelf which I've lowered a bit and put a less steep bendy bridge ramp up to which is extended by his savic rat tube, to the roof of his house. So a gentle slope right across the cage from his house roof to his Barney shelf.

The higher shelf I've moved right up to roof level - so it just provides overhead cover - and added another one at roof level in the opposite corner - so he doesn't feel too exposed.

The middle of the cage did seem quite open above without the sputniks so I've hung a large hammock over the middle, high up - just to give overhead cover.

The right hand end is exactly the same - but the left hand end I've turned his house round to accommodate the ramp and tube changes - and removed the legs from the house so it's a semi subterranean one again and he can't burrow under it. This needed doing anyway as before he was pushing a lot of substrate out of the side and accidentally blocking his wheel.

So he pouched all the treats in the Skyline Ted and that sat at the front bars waiting to come out.

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After a while he realised he wasn't coming out of it just yet and had a go on the wheel. Eventually he went in the house and slept.

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He then had a good run around the living room and a few treats before I put him back in his cage. It's quite a big change for him as I haven't changed much in his cage for a long time. But he seemed to like it and had a good explore all over and enjoyed finding all the food and treats I'd left. Checked everything out thoroughly.

He was a little confused when on top of the house, trying to work out the new orientation, and likewise when he went up the savic tube he stopped at the far end and seemed a bit confused as normally there'd be a sputnik or shelf at the end and it was different. But he seemed to enjoy it all and approve and then busied himself going up and down the hole on top of his house depouching food and taking bedding down there.

Just to prove to me he isn't actually geriatric yet, he ignored the rainbow bridge ramp up to his house roof and climbed up there easily.

And then surprised me as I saw him hanging like a gymnast, by his front paws from the edge of the hammock! He had tried to climb up to it from the top of the cork log - so will need to do some tweaking with that so he can't reach it.

So here is his new set up - the photos aren't that great to see due to the silver bars reflecting the light.

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[Pebbles82]

His house is now on the left as seen above, facing the barney shelf. The two bendy bridge ramps that went up to his old higher shelf, are now screwed to the bars to make a shallow ramp up to the barney shelf and the savic tube overlaps them and leads down to the house roof.

He always comes out of the right hand front door so can now get out easily without having to climb or topple over.

I've left the large cork log there, next to the bendy bridges, in case he still wants to climb up that way as before, and it stops him falling off the bendy bridge ramp.


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[Coco61]

That's an interesting and thoughtful new set up for Newt, Serendipity. Quite a lot of changes but also one side left virtually untouched. Must have taken some planning if Newt had the afternoon in the skyline. He obviously approves but then shows you he still likes exploring to the full with his antics and trying to get up to the hammock! Did you have to rescue him from hanging there? Or did he pull up - I assume not! If he wants to test out the hammock, could it hang lower with sisal string or will you pull it up out of the way? I ask because I have a largely unused hammock and have always been uncertain about it inside the cage.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Coco. Shame the photos don't show the inside well! I had a bit of a think before starting today and decided to turn the house round and raise the shelf and use the bendy bridges as the ramp. The rest sort of evolved in the process when I could see what things looked like. I didn't touch his nest inside the house, and left some of his old hoard (which was enormous! So culled about half of it). So mainly it's re-orienting - it all still smells familiar - half his old substrate is on top of the new.

Yes I've been wondering about the hammock - if I make it higher , so it's flat against the roof - it will be difficult for me to use the top door. So I did think about lowering it so he can actually climb onto it from the top of his cork log - and then see how that goes. If he chews it I can't really leave it accessible. I don't think he will - now he's older and particular! And I don't think he would jump off the far end - if he did he'd drop about 4 or 5" onto his terracotta veg dish.

No I didn't have to rescue him - he just gave up trying to climb up onto the hammock. He was standing on his back legs on the cork log - standing upright with his front paws on the edge of the hammock trying to pull himself up He had a couple of goes and gave up. Looked like he was doing pull ups!

I think now was the time to make the changes before he gets frail. Charlie got the same about this age with lack of strength in back legs for climbing.

[mangoandmimi]

Newt waiting patiently at the bars, what a sweetheart. The retirement bungalow is looking lovely, easier on him but still lots to do. Good that he seems to like the new setup

[mikatelyn]

Oh my goodness, Newt is sooo cute!
I just found Newt's thread, and how lovely to get to see your hamster's journey from when you first got him to now, Serendipity!

[Pebbles82]

Thank you M&M and mike - yes time flies - it doesn't seem long since he was a whizzy baby hamster.

So - I tried lowering the hammock so he could actually use it, but then worried all night he might jump off the wrong end, so raised it right to the roof flat, inside the door today. And then realised if it's just to give overhead cover it might as well be outside the cage on top of the door, so that's what Ive done for now. The idea was to avoid him climbing and falling. Although I like the idea of something extra and fun in there - eg a lower hammock (this one isn't big enough to hang really low).

Lots of treats in Newt's cage tonight - more than usual - a new millet spray, some sunflower seeds on his bare pine cone tree, some pumpkin seeds stuck in his hyacinth ball, some other treats scattered here and there and a bit of banana as well as his veg, seeds and hamster mix and nut.

So hopefully that will distract him from the changes and help him enjoy them. He's been out and taken everything so seems to be adjusting well. I suppose as inside his house is exactly the same it's only when he comes out of the house he has to re-orient a bit.

He definitely seemed to like the clear run from the house to the shelf either up the savic tunnel or through the cork tunnel. Before he didn't have much space in front of his house and had to go round a corner to get across the other side of the cage. Should have had it like this before but I was trying to do a different layout for a change!

I think the biggest change is that there is less substrate under his house. And that may annoy him a bit but I've had it both ways before, on legs, off legs, on little legs - and it just gets far too messy when he makes an underground toilet and blocks up his wheel daily. He has plenty of space for hoards (and lots of them) so hopefully he'll get used to it very soon and he still has his lovely big cosy nest in tact.

Main thing is it's going to be a good long term set up as he gets older. Only thing I didn't think about was access for me through the left hand door which is now partially blocked by the savic tube! Still accessible but food will have to go in through the top now.

[Pebbles82]

Some photos of Newt during his run free roaming recently - it was in the lounge but he made his way through the door into the the next room and headed right for the muckiest area near the door where the farm boots and shoes are kept. Excuse the holes in the wall which are a work in progress! I had to move him from there in case he went for the holes in the wall and because too much muck on the boots for him to be in contact with!

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And this is him climbing down from the chair - he does this every time now and pootles round the living room floor - have made the room hamster proof but keep a close eye on him! It gave me the idea for the hamster photo comp theme this month and Boris Pasha seconded the idea.

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[Pebbles82]

A few out takes from Newtie's photoshoot for last month

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[mangoandmimi]

Great pics of the lovely Newt. Look at him climbing down the sofa Seems he had fun free ranging too, good thing he didn't go in the hole in the wall that sounds like a potential nightmare!