How do you find the time?!

Gust0o · 03-03-2008, 08:58 AM

Thinking back to Holly and Spud's Mum's jest about my having 12 hamster in another 6 months, I got to wondering.

We had a thread a bit like this a few months ago, asking how much time we spend with our hamsters.

Last night I roused Harry about 8pm; Bob followed at 8:30; Hobbs at 9; Dave at 9:30; and the lazy boys at 10 - all staggered so they could have 30 mins of ball, then 30 mins handling, which I think is pretty good!

This is on top of all the ad-hoc handling, if one of them is being cute - or looks like they want out - the treats, the odd spot of free-ranging... oh, and who could forget cleaning and grooming?!

... all of which takes up a lot of time!

The answer to my question is - as it should be for all decent pet owners - you make the time, or you wouldn't have got them; I'm just wondering how much time you all spend with them, and how you stop it from dominating your life!

I_am_plankton · 03-03-2008, 09:50 AM

I spend as much time with mine as I can around work. They all come out in their balls for at least 30 minutes a day with at least 5 minutes of handling. Titch doesn't come out into a ball much but opts for handling for 5 to 10 minutes and that is once a day as she is happy to be in her cage. The new dwarfies I have decided to use a playpen with rather than exercise balls just in case that causes them to fight, so that is roughly 20 minutes with handling.

The above is while I am working, if I have a day off they get much longer and I also will alternate with freeranging in our downstairs toilet and also using the fort or playpen.

With feeding and watering daily at work it takes about 2 hours or so as I tend to have a couple of hams out at the same time in their balls, but on a day off it can be up to 5 hours.

Cleaning every week takes me about 5 hours currently!

Holly · 03-03-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gust0o

....I'm just wondering how much time you all spend with them, and how you stop it from dominating your life!

I don't - stop it dominating my life, that is :P

I'm fortunate that many of my hamsters are early risers which helps a lot - I'm sitting in my pc/hamster room now and, so far, Rolo and Milly have woken up and come out for a free-run", Smartie's just woken up and will be out in a minute and after her it will be Molly. That helps a lot.

Everyone will come out after dinner - we do it in 3 stints:

1) Early rising Syrians
2) Late rising Syrians
3) Dwarf hamsters

I tidy cages and feed while Will supervises them for a 20-30 minute run together in their balls, then we both handle them for about 10 minutes each before we put them back. We then do this with the second "stint" and finally with our 3 dwarf hamsters (who tend to be the latest up).

Then once everyone's been out I take it inturns getting those who still want to come out for a free run in the ham room.

Yes it takes all evening, no I don't watch TV, no I never regret having them!!!! :P

They've totally taken over but I like it!

PinkEmily · 03-03-2008, 10:27 AM

I usually wait until they are all awake at the same time and put them in their balls then, so they all get an equal amount of time out. They usually chase after each other

. I dont have a set time for them to come out for a cuddle, its usually whenever they wake up and i am around, me being a lazy student means im around most of the time. Teds been getting a lot cuddles from me recently, much to his disgust, so i make sure he doesnt lick all the cream off his belly. The robos dont get so much handling, i sometimes put them in their own home made playpen. I try to have a cuddle at least once a day, Minni is quite happy to be cuddled, Belle despises it.

sammys/mum · 03-03-2008, 10:33 AM

I'm not sure I could manage having more than one syrian at a time. Sammy ALWAYS wants out! He wakes up about 7:00 and won't go for a kip until way after I go to bed (occasionally he wakes me up about 2 in the morning and I give him a 15 minute ball run) it is so exhausting having one so I have no idea at how anyone with more than one Syrian can cope

Spacemonkey · 03-03-2008, 10:34 AM

I'm with Holly, mine have taken over! I am their human, they let me live in their house... :P

In the evenings normally there is always a Hamster wandering around the living room somewhere, either loose or in the ball. Smurf likes to help me type by running over the computer keyboard if he thinks I'm not paying him enough attention.

I wouldn't swap them all for anything

Jane · 03-03-2008, 11:10 AM

I have to wake the hammies up every night. It's do that or they would NEVER come out. Lately they're never up before about 11 on their own, bless my little old boys

I only have two so it's pretty easy for me. If I see them up I'll randomly get them out. Charlie spends about an hour out of his cage a day - he has about 10 mins in ball, 20 mins handling then back in cage for about 10 minutes, then another 20 minute handling and 10 mins in ball. Works for us and he seems to love it

Tac..well, it just depends really. I'll be honest and say he doesn't come out every day. Actually, I would say he only comes out about every three days. I still check on him daily of course to make sure all is well but he doesn't enjoy coming out at all and doesn't like being handled recently so I figure it's best to not come out that much. Hope no one thinks I'm "bad" for saying that..

Holly · 03-03-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jane

IActually, I would say he only comes out about every three days. I still check on him daily of course to make sure all is well but he doesn't enjoy coming out at all and doesn't like being handled recently so I figure it's best to not come out that much. Hope no one thinks I'm "bad" for saying that..

Certainly not me - I'm increasingly finding exactly the same with Sparrow as he's gotten older (Turner is still keen to come out most nights). What would be *bad* is forcing and elderly hamster who doesn't want to to come out

We also find that Mocha and Custard don't always want to come out - we try to give them at least a couple of opportunities but if it's obvious they'd rather not we'll leave them for a night. There's a big difference between that and convincing yourself that your hamster wants a "rest night" when you know it's not true!

Matty Day · 03-03-2008, 11:28 AM

im lucky in the fact i have three hamsters and its easy to cope

aprodte is up at 5 she is an extremly early riser
so i can let her free run and handle so she gets 40 minutes with me a night.

the other two louis and athena i slot in when ever there up they boathe get 40 minutes each a night
it takes me an hour to clean out as i can do all three in a hour once a week without help

thougth it does take a little longer now as i am tranining up my dad

newtohamsters · 03-03-2008, 02:42 PM

I do ball, run ball for willow
Tabitha gets run ball run ( she is not keen on ball and can't get out of the run like Willow can) they both only have a little handling but both will be stroked in the run. they get check ed and fed when i get in and they are dopey.

I also have rats who come out later for an hour. the hamsters are downstairs with the TV watching the tats come out whilst i get ready for work and bed.

I really have to get on!

xx