I rescued Niko back in September 2021. I saw a post in a local Facebook group by a woman who was moving, and could not take her childrens' hamster with them to the new home, as the landlord did not allow pets. I offered to take him sight unseen, not even knowing what species that he was! I had been looking to bring a hamster home at some point, and it was pretty clear that this one very much needed a home. The woman came and dropped him off at my house the next day, in a Critter Trail cage. She didn't tell me his name, or how old he was. So I named him Niko, after Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto 4. Not sure why that name came to mind, but it did lol.
Here's a photo of Niko the day he came to me. He couldn't have been very old at the time, because he was fairly small compared to the size he is now. I'm guessing he may be about a year old now.
At first, I had him in a bin cage, made from the biggest bin I could find at the time. I think it was about 430 square inches... Bigger than the Critter Trail certainly, but not the best he could have. It was pretty cramped. It was all I could throw together in the 24 hours before I adopted him.
He became hand tame very quickly.
Right around Christmas, I got him a Niteangel Vista cage, and he's very happy with his new home!
His favorite treat is spray millet, and he likes being held for treat time. I recently purchased him some fancy premium sprays like sorghum and flax, and he enjoys foraging on those as well. I bought a refrigerator bin from Target and filled it with organic grass seed litter, which he likes to dig in. He's got a nice big burrow beneath the chambered hide and platforms in the back of his cage, too.
