I think Goose is blind or very poor eye sight :(

MandyP · 02-04-2011, 01:13 PM

I have had Goose a week now and he has settled in really well. But we have noticed he doesnt seem to see things very well. When you go up to his cage he doesnt see you. I can put my hand in and he doesnt notice it and he seems to smell me more than notice my hand is there. He bites alot but not being horrible but more wanting to know who you are. We also put a toy in his cage and started lifting things up and he doesnt seem to see us moving things. He doesnt seem to open his eyes wide either.

fluffymunchkins · 02-04-2011, 02:05 PM

Forgive me, short memory

Is goose red eyed?

Their eyesight will be worse than a black eyed hamster, along with hamsters naturally bad eyesight. Treo often seems clueless to what goes on around him

MandyP · 02-04-2011, 02:16 PM

Oh i never knew that. Thank you

I was a bit surprised the RSPCA didnt pick up on it, but they most probably knew about the red eyes.

**Silver** · 02-04-2011, 02:56 PM

This is just my experiance.

I have Mandy a red eyed hybrid dwarf. And I have two Pure WW's with black eyes.

I knew hamsters had bad eye sight & Mandy does but I didn't realise how much untill I got my WW's.

Mandy sees movement, but not things as such. She always uses her nose first & formost secondly her hearing.

The most important thing is to use your voice much more when you are near or in there cages. Mandy does or would test bite much more than my other two to find out who you are or what your doing.

She also has no sence of danger. Where my other two will look down when im holding them & realise that they are high up & not to walk forwards Mandy just plods along & gently slides down my arm into a free fall if im not taking as much notice as i should, don't worry I have always caught her

.

But you have to see & sence the danger for them. It is such a shame. I guess you adjust to there lack of eye sight.

MandyP · 02-04-2011, 03:07 PM

Thank you Silver

(love your hammys name

) We could tell the difference between him and Sookie straight away. He seems to wake up at any point during the day and play and doesnt seem to be bothered that its day light, and when i hold him he does tend to walk off with out realising there is a big drop (I hold him on my bed so wont fall and hurt him self). The cat came in once and he didnt even notice she was there. But all my other hammys always notice the cat (they never seem bothered about her either hehe

). Its such a shame he cant see so well but i know he is having fun and loves his new home. I will try using my voice more. I am glad i put him in a tank and not my cambridge as i think he would be falling off the ledges all the time.

souffle · 02-05-2011, 02:55 AM

I do think they have very poor eyesight and reley on their sense of smell and touch. The biting thing is what we call 'feeling you with their teeth' and our WW have all done this. They are just gathering maximum information about you and if not biting down it means they feel secure about you which is good. We find it best to keep things the same in the cages and all on one level. Have open wheels, not wodent wheel type and always replace some old bedding when you clean out as they feel safer if their smell is still there.

MandyP · 02-05-2011, 03:06 AM

I will do that with his bedding. He doesnt seem to like using his house now and just curls up any where he likes which i think is very cute. We did notice last night his belly was very greasy last night where his scent gland is. So i think he is busy marking everything as all the toys are new in his cage. He seems a very happy little hammy