[Clairajane]

Our old hamster Sparky loved the old cage. She loved all the ramps and levels, plus she used to spend a huge amount of time in her playpen which was huge and she had the full run of the sitting room in the evenings. This little guy hates the playpen and just hides in the box we use to get him in and out. We have ordered an Alaska cage but it still hasn't arrived. It's now expected to get here on Monday. Gus will come to the bars if you call him and will take treats from your fingers but still flinches at the slightest thing and flip onto his back to play dead. He has bitten both of the kids and drawn blood - once when he tried to climb out of the playpen and my son had to gently put a hand under him and pop him back in. And my daughter through the bars when she tried to stroke him. I'm not convince we will ever be able to handle him but he is still very cute. We will see if things change when we get his new cage. We have done the tissue thing and continue to follow the advice we have received on here and will continue to persevere. We were very lucky with Sparky as she was such an outgoing, cuddly little hamster who loved to be handled smooched!