Charlie a bit manic

[Pebbles82]

Well Charlie has really gone a bit bonkers tonight. He seemed ok when we first came home this afternoon. Seemed familiar with everything and perky, and went to bed. I had forgotten to take his water bottle out when we moved the cage and it had spilt quite a bit, so put his food out about 6pm and mopped up the water. The noise disturbed him and he came out and started running in his wheel which seemed to be wobbling a lot, then he started running around all over and behind the wheel and got his leg stuck between the wheel strut and the wheel. He was still trying to run with his leg trapped, so I took the top of the cage off and took the wheel out at which point he turned into a lemming and kept trying to leap out of the cage. So got him out for a bit. Couldn't get the wheel back in properly as he was so active and after seeing him get trapped decided to put the flying saucer back in.

For hours now he has been running round in circles in the cage like a maniac and climbing the bars and trying to get out, running on the flying saucer. And he's started chewing bars! So I let him out again. He has been in and out all night - about 3 hours now. I thought maybe he just wanted his wheel so put it on the sofa and he ran in it but is a bit like he was when we got him - kind of ferral and untame.

So I guess it's the change again - he probably got used to being somewhere else for 10 days and is a bit freaked - and now I've taken his wheel out! He's leaping out of things, hurling himself about and has been on the go for hours. I don't like the bar chewing so keep letting him out and have now set up the correx playpen round his cage with the wheel in and left the cage door open.

I phoned Rach up and she said Misty is acting strange too, so maybe they are missing each other as well as the change. I am sure he will settle down in the next few days but he really is manic at the moment and seems frantic to get out of his cage. Which is so weird when he was such a lazy ham who never came out!

Now he's in the correx playpen he's just doing the same as he was in the cage - running round in circles, jumping in and out of the wheel. I guess this is going to go on all night but I'm a bit worried about leaving him chewing bars all night in case he breaks a tooth or something. It's not nice seeing him so frantic but I guess he's just getting something out of his system.

Any suggestions? He doesn't seem interested in food or treats at all.

[Coco61]

Oh dear, poor Charlie and the worry for you seeing him so unsettled is not nice. You know I don't have the experience to really help but I guess that he must burn off his anxiety soon enough so he will eat and drink again. If his cage is how it has been the last 10 days without changes that may reassure him as you have always described him as a ham that does not like change. Have you got any loo roll tubes or something similar to put on the bars where he is chewing to protect his teeth for tonight? Can't think of anything else to help.

[Pebbles82]

That's a good idea. I didn't think of putting something on the bars, thank you. He seemed to calm down about 11pm. He was just sitting on the floor doing nothing for a good 5 minutes looking sad and tired. He lets me pick him up but won't keep still. But this time when I popped him in the cage he stayed there and did a few familiar things and was sat under his lava ledge for a while then walked into his house, so hopefully he'll settle a bit now. He didn't seem very happy though.

Well I spoke too soon. He's out chewing at the bars again and frantically trying to get out of the cage. I don't think there's much I can do tonight at midnight. He almost seems to need a sedative or something.

[Piebald]

He's excited and doesn't know how to express it other than run around maybe? Try some soft piano music- you laugh but I got this cd of music for dogs and it really calms my pooch during fireworks. Maybe there is some on the net. Worth a shot. At worst it will calm you lol. Xx

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Piebald. Yes I was thinking music but it's now 2.30am and would probably wake someone. I came down about half past midnight and he was still trying to chew his way out of the cage so I had to let him out for a bit. In the end I reckoned it was driving him even more frantic that his wheel had been taken out as he ran in it a lot out of the cage, so I've been up the last couple of hours with the tool box and cable ties and tied the blooming thing in with cable ties from the roof. I got it right this time - far enough forwards not to rub the back of the cage, and not too many cable ties so it sits at the right angle. I started out putting Charlie in his ball while I did it but he pestered my feet a lot and looked really stressed at me having the top off his cage so in the end I put him in the pet carrier with his blanket over the top. He still tried to get out and squeezed himself between the lid and the roof of his carrot house but at least started trying to dig the top off the carrot house instead of chewing the lid of the pet carrier. He still won't take any food. Tried nuts, apple, cheese, raisins all things he can't resist -even a cheesy biscuit. But he does seem a bit better now the wheel is back in. I don't think he can trap his leg now it's tied to the roof. He's still coming to the front of the cage and trying to get out, but not so much and going back to his wheel and running.

Hope he has eaten something by morning - he is feeling quite thin and boney. I'm going to leave him alone for a couple of days now and hope he settles into his cage and surroundings again and doesn't keep crawling the walls.

Soft music tomorrow night, definitely - he likes slow nursery rhymes. Poor other half has been totally neglected all night - we've hardly had time to speak since we got back from holiday. Poor Charlie - all that change for 10 days and now more change. It might have been easier if the room hadn't been decorated as it probably smells different. The paint smell has worn off but the room smells different.

[Shannonmcn]

Poor little guy! :( I think leaving him to himself for a bit is the right plan, it's probably just a process he needs to work through. The room smelling different is pretty unfortunate too.

[racinghamster]

Oh no, I hope something hasn`t startled him Serendipity. The paint smells and the change in atmosphere again could be making him unsettled and hopefully after a few days he will calm down again. I would keep everything the same, even his wheel if it was what he had while at Rach`s. To many changes could stress him more. Did he bar chew before? x

[Pebbles82]

No he's never bar-chewed before - well except when he was in the rotostak which had small bars on the middle unit, and wanted to get out. I had to take the wheel out because he got his leg trapped behind it - I had to lift him out with the wheel and detach him! That happened because he was rushing around like a mad thing and hurling himself around. I didn't dare put it back in in case he broke his leg. But clearly he wanted it back in hence cable-tying it to the top - he's less likely to get caught behind it that way as the rear spindle isn't near the base (difficult to describe). I don't think it is smells because he had been fine for the first few hours, but maybe it's like being woken in the middle of the night and moved and then waking up and not knowing where you are and someone is in your cage wiping up spilt water! He seems to really like that wheel by the way.

This morning he has eaten his veggies and a piece of cheese and a couple of treat biscuits but hasn't touched his food bowl.

The only thing that smells is the fabric conditioner smell from the curtains - they are tied right back but I'm going to get some more today and replace them. I can put them back up when we move out. I'm sure I can get something similar, they're just plain cream. No doubt landlady will notice and make a fuss but I can handle that. I don't have the facilities to re-wash them as they're so big.

It's such a shame I was looking forward to him being moved straight back to familiar smells and surroundings. I think the bar chewing was wanting his wheel back though - he settled down once it was back in, even though he clearly liked the flying saucer as well.

[racinghamster]

Once he`s had a good nap today I`m sure he will settle down. He`s possibly had a stress episode with the travelling and being in a strange house for over a week, but that`s understandable. x

[Pebbles82]

Yes it's change of routine again and change of environment but he really was like a headless chicken - no calming him. Other half said maybe he has forgotten us after 10 or 11 days - it must seem like a very long time to a hamster. I don't think he has because he remembers things from baby days but yes it's been a big upheaval for him. Other half also said it was quite nice seeing him out in the cage running around and wanting to come out - goodness he was athletic - but totally bizarre when he's always been such a couch potato. He might be missing the other hamsters too - that will be a big change.

[Piebald]

Oh I'm sure he remembers you-- I'd guess part of his excitement is being back home with y'all. Too bad about the place being foreign-smelled that probably threw him. And to top it off you probably brought new smells with you from hols. Try maybe to find some winter clothes that have the old smells and drape them around the room near him. Don't tell anyone 'cept crazy hamster friends though lol. ;)

[cypher]

Poor Charlie, lots of changes & new smells too, it must be fairly stressful for him.
10 days is a long time for a ham but I'm sure he remembers you all, the new smells must be confusing him a bit though. I like Piebald's idea, it might help a bit while he settles back in again.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks :). I did try the clothes thing - and no I won't tell anyone that I didn't wash my dressing gown before we went on holiday so it would still smell the same lol. Didn't take it with me, it was left in the bedroom. He just wasn't interested in anything, even apple or my dressing gown or his familiar smelling blanket. I think most of it was about the wheel. Initially he just freaked out when he woke up and got stuck behind the wheel. He seems to really like the wheel and wanted to get out of the cage and get it again. I was quite tired by last night and didn't know what to do - didn't want him getting a broken leg. There's not a lot of space between the back strut and the wheel itself - not for a big hamster anyway! But now it's upside down he can run behind it without getting caught up. Couldn't leave him chewing bars all night.

He seems peacefully asleep today. Maybe he'll be better after a good sleep - he had been awake since about 2.30pm yesterday. My plan of leaving him for 2 or 3 days will depend on whether he is champing at the bit (literally!) to get out again or not.

I'm not sure what to do about the curtains now. If I change them now it will smell different again and be a minor change near his cage. On the other hand the perfumy smell might be bothering him.

[cypher]

Maybe a slightly different smell from new curtains would be less obtrusive for him than the smell of fabric conditioner, I know the smell of virtually all of them really bothers me so it must smell quite strong to a ham!
Hopefully he just needs that long sleep & a little time & he'll just settle back down again.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Cypher - yes I was thinking that too.

[katmick]

Hi Serendipity, just read this thread and I am really sorry for your trouble with Charlie.

You said that while you were away on holiday your landlady painted your house and obviously tried to do some fix up work.

You mentioned in the past that you were worried about mice, therefor I was thinking that your landlady may have had same concerns and possibly installed in your house or near it electronic rodent control?!

Just a thought...The behaviour you are describing sounds a lot like a behaviour of hammies who encountered ultrasonic sounds that this rodent control emits in order to discourage rodents to go near it ( as they can't stand the noise ).

Perhaps you could ring her and ask her whether this is the cause of Charlie's manic behaviour?

Just a thought.... Hope Charlie will get settled soon! :) x

[Coco61]

Just caught up with the day's developments. Glad Charlie did settle down and sleep. Getting the wheel hung upside down like it was before must have helped though not a fun activity in the wee small hours. Some food treats will have helped as well. Once the curtains are sorted one way or another I hope Charlie will return to his peaceful ways.

[DrKMcK]

Hi Serendipity. Glad you are back from your vacation. Hammies don't take changes well and Charlie was, most likely, upset over another change. He was probably just really settled in with RachK and got agitated on his return. HE doesn't know vacations are temporary! :-D He will settle though. :-D

[Pebbles82]

Thanks everyone. He slept all day but woke up on the dot of 8pm and started running in his wheel then chewing at the bars to get out. He seems manic again. He's been round the whole house in his ball for about 25 minutes, in and out of his cage, in and out of his wheel, running round in circles. I was getting quite frazzled and tearful as I can't even hold him. Eventually I've put the playpen round his cage and left the door of the cage open so he can get in and out - he has run round and round that, on and off the flying saucer and is currently trying to escape and climb the walls. He also climbed the outside of the cage but didn't want to go in it.

That's a good point about the electronic mouse thing - I'll ask. I don't think it is that or the curtains, I think he's got into a new routine waking up at the same time as Rach's hamsters maybe and is trying to get back to Misty maybe. I was saying to DP maybe he wants to mate someone now he's had a sniff of a female and his hormones are going bananas or something. I'm thinking of taking him to the vets though if this carries on as he is so manic and frantic I'm scared he'll run himself to have a heart attack or something. He's not interested in any toys except his wheel, or treats - just wants to escape. Poor Charlie - I think the first few days he was sitting in his sputnik waiting to come home and then he got in a new routine and now it's all changed again. It is very weird though and I wish I could relax him a bit somehow. He is also driving us a bit bonkers. We haven't been able to sit down and relax at all the last two nights. It's a bit easier now the playpen is up but he keeps hurling himself at the side of it off the top of the flying saucer and falling again so I'm still keeping an eye on him. Have put a cushion down so he doesn't hurt himself.

I think I'll need to start taming from scratch again as he was like this when we got him - will it work second time around with a 1 year old hamster? Can't even use the bath lol as the bathroom's out of action after a water leak and they're re-doing it all. I sat in the playpen with him tonight so he'd get used to me again but he just used me as a climbing board to try and get over the top of the playpen.

Last night he seemed better after lights out once his wheel was back in - maybe more of a normal time for him on his own.

[DrKMcK]

I would really back off and let him settle in Serendipity. I seriously doubt that you'll need to re-tame him. I think the missing scents of other hamster would certainly be confusing him. Give it time. I also think you may be giving off agitated vibes yourself. Just check his food and water and let him alone for a day or two. I really wouldn't do the ball right now either, he's too agitated. {hugs}

[Coco61]

Think wise DrK has made some good points there. If he is still going at the bars how about a cereal box or tea bag box. Put the contents into a bag then cut the box into strips to weave in and out of the bars at his preferred points. That might cut down your worry over his teeth. Then get him into the dark as soon as you can if that is how he settled last night. It has all been a bit much for him but he will soon be back to his old self and react normally without any re taming necessary I am sure.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Dr McK and Coco. I had planned to leave him alone for 2 or 3 days but he was just trying to get out and chewing the bars so let him have a run in the ball and the playpen which stopped him chewing. We've been calm around him and had some soft music on tonight. He did sit up and listen to it for a couple of minutes. Yes I think we'll be going to bed earlier for a while and turning the lights out earlier although it didn't seem to stop him chewing the bars last night. Am a bit tired to try weaving cardboard tonight but might try tomorrow. It's just so strange when he has always been scared of his own shadow and doesn't seem the slightest bit scared of anything right now. He's moving around so fast he is like a Chinese hamster.

[Pebbles82]

Dr McK - do you mean just leave him in his cage? I'm not sure what to do as he seems so desperate to get out he's had a few falls so I kept letting him out. He's still at it - bar chewing, climbing the walls and roof and falling off things. The cage is quite safe for falls but he has been trying to climb up the wheel stand and on top of the wheel. I don't think he can hurt himself. I'm going to bed now so I shall have to leave him in the cage now.

[DrKMcK]

I think you need to stay away from his cage so he doesn't see you. I think it's going to be a few days before he settles, and you certainly can't allow him to make you take him out so often. Poor Charlie. He' so confused. :-(

[Piebald]

Hope he settled a bit eventually <3
I was a bit worried he was training you to take him out when he bar chewed. Hopefully another day or two and he'll be used to the smells and being back home.

[Pebbles82]

Ok, thanks. I guess he has always been a bit highly strung and nervy. He was there when Bubble passed on and Rach said he started acting like this on Friday night, so maybe that has affected him too, but I guess there's not much point trying to work out what is going on with him. I'll put his food out earlier so he doesn't see me do it.

[Pebbles82]

I've put the new curtains up very quietly this morning. They don't smell of anything at all - and I have a sensitive nose. Even other half commented on the perfume smell from the others and he doesn't normally notice things like that. They look very similar to the current ones and I'll sort it with the landlady. I've already asked her if they have any electronic pest control things since pest control came out to catch a rat and she said no they don't have anything like that. So that's ruled out at least. The curtains are pulled back well away from the cage anyway so I don't think he'll even notice except that the perfume smell will have gone. We don't even use the curtains as there is a blind over the window. There is no paint smell at all since I've cooked in here the last couple of days.

I do think he'll take some time to settle down though so we will just have to be patient and not worry too much. He's eating and drinking and seems better in the dark.

[racinghamster]

Serendipity, hang the landlady`s curtains outside and let the wind at them. ;) This will eradicate any scent. Should do the trick. Poor Charlie, he`s in a spin! Who knows what goes through their tiny minds eh? x

[Pebbles82]

Thanks RH - I would but don't have a washing line lol. Now they are down I think I can fit one at a time in the washing machine and re-wash them. The new ones look better actually ;)

Charlie has been out for a drink and wandered back into his house. Will have to see if the manic stuff starts again later. Little boy is back here tonight and Charlie is sometimes more interested when he hears little boy.

[Coco61]

So pleased things seem a little calmer. Did you get some sleep??
Mind you I feel for Charlie. We are having our living room painted and have piles of stuff (where does is all come from?) all around us so it's like an obstacle course. paint smell from tomorrow I guess.
Then today at work I got trapped in a lift for 45 minutes. Not a lot of fun. I pressed the alarm button in the lift and eventually someone answered the phone and informed me that they no longer looked after our lifts and left me there even though I said I had no phone on me. Luckily someone heard the alarm in the building so security eventually tracked me down. I had to wait for an emergency engineer to come and meantime they prised the doors apart so I got some air. So not my usual day and I felt rather out of sorts.

[DrKMcK]

So pleased things seem a little calmer. Did you get some sleep??
Mind you I feel for Charlie. We are having our living room painted and have piles of stuff (where does is all come from?) all around us so it's like an obstacle course. paint smell from tomorrow I guess.
Then today at work I got trapped in a lift for 45 minutes. Not a lot of fun. I pressed the alarm button in the lift and eventually someone answered the phone and informed me that they no longer looked after our lifts and left me there even though I said I had no phone on me. Luckily someone heard the alarm in the building so security eventually tracked me down. I had to wait for an emergency engineer to come and meantime they prised the doors apart so I got some air. So not my usual day and I felt rather out of sorts.

Coco!!!!!!!!! That sounds really horrible. The elevator at my job used to trap folks, but we had staff at the facility who could respond quickly. In 17 years I never got trapped in it, for which I am ever so grateful. Glad they got you out finally.

Painting house and moving are the two things that have always made me crazy because of all the "stuff" it makes me realize I have. :-D

[Scarlett Empress]

Poor Charlie, I hope he will be feeling more settled soon :( it must be so upsetting seeing him upset, especially after looking forward to having him home again.

It's such a shame we can't sit pets down and have a good chat with them to explain things and reassure them!

My sister had some spray for her rabbits - think it was called Pet Rescue spray - that helps calm them but I don't know if it's any use for hamsters?

[Coco61]

Thank you DrK. In the end the worst was the stress of finding out that the emergency/alarm for rescue went through to the old company. At least now all the lifts will be re programmed so it does not happen again. Lots of apologies coming my way!

[Pebbles82]

Thank you Coco and Scarlett Empress. Coco what a nightmare - I actually used to have a recurring nightmare about being trapped in a lift!

I was starting to wonder about something like the pet rescue remedies. Fingers crossed tonight seems a bit calmer so far. No activity until nearly 9 o clock when he came out and ran in his wheel for a bit, then sat under a corner shelf then came to the front of the cage. He seemed to be looking at me across the room so I went over and said hello. He looked like he was going to start chewing the bars so I opened the door and let him come on the sofa with us for about 10 minutes. He still seemed quite active so popped him back again and he sat in his cage listening to something (maybe the soft bluegrass music we have playing!) then gone back in his house.

[Coco61]

What an improvement tonight. You must be very relieved. Charlie sounds like he is relaxing back into being home again. Another day or two and your lovely ham will be his lazy old self again!
Hang on! Do I remember somewhere that early June is the best bet for his birthday? Is the big ONE nearly upon us??!!

[Pebbles82]

Yes! I was thinking about this yesterday and feeling a bit sad that he wasn't himself. We got him on 17 July last year and he was supposed to be 'just a baby' so he could have been 6 to 8 weeks. He grew quite a bit during the first 3 weeks, so I'm putting him at 6 weeks when we got him. I thought he was older at the time because he was so big - but then he got bigger lol!

So technically we'd be celebrating his birthday on about 5th June. But I'm not sure he's up to new treats or toys or excitement at the moment, so it might be an understated birthday and just an announcement :)

He's supposed to be getting the new bigger cage for his birthday but I'm hanging fire on that until he's had a couple of weeks of stability at least.

He's furtling about in his cage at the moment and in and out of his wheel, but a bit slower and quieter.

Spoke too soon. He's chewing at the bars again. But we're going to bed soon.

[Coco61]

Will await the announcement and a chance to blow kisses and send greetings.
Sure he will his old self by Friday and some hammy treats will be coming his way to spoil him. However a cage change.....hmmm! You need to catch up on sleep first.....

[DrKMcK]

Well, that's good Serendipity. They give us such worry! :-) Look at that, he's a year old already. If you decide to give him the bigger cage, considering he really isn't thrilled with change, Charlie is one hamster who I would transition to a new home slowly. I'd let him explore it as a playpen for a few days first and see what he thinks of it. You definitely don't want a repeat of the last couple of days. :-D

[Shannonmcn]

Sending chill vibes in Charlie's General direction, poor silly boy. I do hope he's happy and settled for his birthday!

Also for lift chat, my housemate and his bf were stuck in the lift in our building for 45 minutes on Christmas Day and had to be rescued by the Fire Brigade!

[Pebbles82]

Well, that's good Serendipity. They give us such worry! :-) Look at that, he's a year old already. If you decide to give him the bigger cage, considering he really isn't thrilled with change, Charlie is one hamster who I would transition to a new home slowly. I'd let him explore it as a playpen for a few days first and see what he thinks of it. You definitely don't want a repeat of the last couple of days. :-D

True! He's supposed to have been getting this bigger cage since February lol. Couldn't decide for a while, then I had flu, then decided it wasn't good to change his cage before we went away. Not sure if or when it will be a good time now :rolleyes: I should have just got an Alexander in February ;)

[Pebbles82]

And yes I've caught up on sleep thanks! I had a nap on Monday afternoon. I came down about midnight last night and no sign of Charlie - he must have gone back to bed. So he does seem calmer. Maybe the old curtains were bothering him. Tackled everything and now I don't know what worked lol. I guess it was a combination of stresses - Bubble died just before he left Rach's and he went quite manic then apparently - then he got moved again back here, and the environment wasn't quite the same as before, plus it was a bit scenty! Then he got trapped behind his wheel and the other hamsters had disappeared. Apparently he had been attracted to Misty as well and might have been trying to get back to her! That's an interesting point - I wonder how far 'heat' smell travels lol.

I'm still a bit confused because we had such a routine and it's changed. I would do some cage rattling when I put his food out about 8pm before, which would wake him up but he never came out except after dark when we had gone to bed. So I used to tempt him out in a tube with a treat. Once out he would crawl all over us on the sofa or go to sleep on my knee. Now he seems like a different hamster! In some ways it's nice that he is up and about more in the evenings and wanting to come out, but also he seems less interested in interacting with us and more interested in being active. Maybe the interaction will come back gradually.

Cage change was always going to be a careful thing with Charlie because he didn't react well at all to it the first time when we had had him 3 weeks. It took him 10 days to start enjoying his new cage. I learned from that and would do something gradually and make sure everything was in the same position as before, but I will wait till the time is right. He doesn't like anything being touched in his cage at all and has always been nervy about that, unless it is adding a new treat stick.

Right now I shall just be happy when he is relaxed and happy to sit on my arm again. He might even be better with the playpen set up permanently and his current cage, instead of a bigger one, but I really wanted to give him some digging room/depth which he doesn't have at the moment. And actually he needs a bigger cage now he's got that enormous wheel lol. He runs in it really well by the way. Hope the bar chewing isn't going to become a habit!

[Coco61]

Hope this evening goes well. I can't see why the interaction would not return. Especially when he settles into a routine even if it is not exactly he same as before. Maybe some hamster company perked him up to be more interested in coming out?
Any room for a second hamster??!!

[Pebbles82]

Not if it makes him chew bars lol! Well I actually had to go back to waking him up tonight and he seemed quite dopey. Maybe the soft music relaxed him so much he has relaxed himself back to normal. Tonight seemed like the normal routine - I put the food and water out about 8pm and tempted him out with a bit of banana in a tube. He was quite happy to be held but not for more than a few seconds and not interested in cuddles and stroking. Furtled about on the sofa a bit and then seemed to want to go back to his cage so I popped him back and he seemed to be back to his cautious slow little self again. He pouched his veggies and went back to bed. I quite liked him coming out and running round the cage, but not the bar chewing. Maybe he'll come out again later, but if he's back in his old routine he'll sleep until 11pm.

[herbi7]

I've only just caught up on this thread. Poor charlie and poor u! So distressing when they r upset. I can't add anything really to what everyone else has said, just peace and quiet for him to let him calm down. When I looked after my friends dog, willow got pretty upset mainly because of the change in routine I think, and turned into a hamster who refused to come out, after being one that lives to explore! And whenever I turned up she would bar chew, I think it was to tell me she wasn't happy. We are all back to normal now but it took a while. The other thing I thought to say was that occasionally while playing she has got into a scrape and hurt herself in a minor way like if she chooses to get down from something the quick way after I have carefully made sure she has safe exits and ramps that she knows her way down off! and her reaction is to speed up loads and if she is in a confined space to go mad trying to escape... It's like she's saying 'i didn't like that... Get me oooooout!' As she now has quite a bit of trust in me I can hold my arms down to her and she will jump on and be 'rescued' but I think if the thing that hurt her had been in her cage she would be really distressed as that's her safe zone. It just reminded me when u said Charlie had got hurt on his wheel and zoomed around. I'm glad he seems to be settling anyway, poor little guy. He will remember his old routines when he has chilled out and had a rest

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Herbi. His face kind of looks different somehow - or his head anyway. He has a kind of furrowed brow! Or a furrow anyway, on the front of his head. I think he might have lost some weight through nervous energy so maybe it shows up because his head is 'thinner'! He has just got up and started running round his wheel. I'm quite glad he does that because he clearly likes the wheel! He hasn't done this before we've gone to bed since he was a baby. We're off to bed now because the last couple of nights he started bar chewing after that! But seemed to stop when there was no-one there.

[herbi7]

Ah, poor baby! I know that sort of face, funny that such littl creatures have expressive faces but they do, don't they. U r a sensitive hamster mum! Glad he is doing better n yes its good he's not put off his wheel. I remember some awful moments with willow when she suddenly decided her cage wasn't a good burrow, usually because something spooked her, and she would put all her food and supplies in her pouches and wait by the door so she could run away and find a better home! Made me feel awful! Funnily enough she has created a big hoard under my wardrobe and I think she feels she now has all bases covered! She checks it every night and if all is ok she is happy to forget herself and play. Mostly I just see her cheeky face now with an occasional pleading one when she wants to be out. It will all come right with Charlie...

[cypher]

Sounds as though Charlie's beginning to get back to his old self, that must be a huge relief although I guess you might miss some of his antics it's good to hear he's calming down a bit now.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Herbi and Cypher. Other half came to bed after me last night and said he didn't chew the bars. The three he has chewed the last 3 nights are a different colour now! He had almost got through to the bare metal. He has always seemed very happy pootling about his cage in the middle of the night (the few times I came down in the middle of the night and saw him) - hope he starts feeling happy in there again now. I think he must be because he actually seemed apprehensive about coming out again last night! I'm having to think more though - I always used to leave the cage door open while I was changing his food and water, because he never ever came out voluntarily! Now I have to keep remembering to close it lol as 2 nights ago he'd have been out and off.

Herbi how sweet that Willow had a hoard under your wardrobe! Strangely Charlie has only ever had one hoard buried in his house in front of his nest - which is maybe why he gets so stressed about anything going near his house.

[Pebbles82]

Hoping Charlie is well and truly settled by Monday as I have a ticket booked to go and visit my parents for 6 days (they live at the other end of the country). Charlie will still be at home with other half who can feed him so he should be fine. He seems to be back into a routine already and rodipet sent me a giant wood roll treat for free when they didn't have something in stock that I had ordered, so he can have that before I go!

[RachK]

Well I can say Misty seems to have settled now too. She's also calmed down a lot now there are no boys about & I've upgraded her to Bubbles' Barney. And she's completely stopped bar chewing after all this time! I sort of feel sorry for he as she has always had boys about & suddenly there are none now. I'm so pleased Charlie is getting back to his old self.

[katmick]

Awww....poor Charlie! I am glad that things are settling down for you all..hope he will be his old self very very soon!
I am glad it wasn't rodent control that was bothering him,poor thing!
Sending you both healing and calming vibes all the way from Ireland! :-) xxx

[Pebbles82]

Well I can say Misty seems to have settled now too. She's also calmed down a lot now there are no boys about & I've upgraded her to Bubbles' Barney. And she's completely stopped bar chewing after all this time! I sort of feel sorry for he as she has always had boys about & suddenly there are none now. I'm so pleased Charlie is getting back to his old self.

Glad to hear Misty has settled Rach! She clearly likes the Barney cage. I'm also glad Charlie is getting back to his old self - although something in between the manic rushing and the reclusiveness might be nice lol. He uses his wheel more than he has for ages so I think he really likes it. It's much better now it's attached to the roof of the cage. Hope life isn't too strange for you without the boys. She'll be the only Syrian now too I guess. I think Charlie was definitely missing her! But maybe that was hormones lol.

Thank you for your healing vibes Katmick! And for your suggestions. And thanks to Piebald for reminding me about music! He liked that!

[Coco61]

So pleased to hear that Charlie is more relaxed. A happy medium would be nice for you. Still he should be able to enjoy his big day ok!

[Pebbles82]

Well it's kind of a happy medium really as I'm not having to drag him out of his house with bribery lol. He woke up on his own again about 10pm (getting an hour later every night) and sat next to his water bottle for a while looking a bit confused. Went back in his house but kept popping his head out and came out again so I lifted him out and he had a little pootle on the sofa and finally sat on my arm for a stroke. He also stretched a couple of times tonight so seems more contented. He keeps looking really hard at me lol! Sort of surprised and 'weighing you up' kind of looks. But it was nice he sat for a little stroke.

He seems to have lost interest in his old 'toys' - his blanket and donut nest but then they've probably lost his smell. I think he's wee'd in a few places he doesn't normally, naughty boy but I'll let him off this week.