Introducing little Minx - Page 3

Mweekie · 02-25-2022, 10:19 AM

Well time for another update on Little Minx

She seems to be a little bolder than she has been. Not bothered by me opening/closing her tank or giving her food. She has even allowed me to give her a couple of little strokes - and keeps trying to hold my finger when I have stroked her. I'm not sure when she'll be ready to be actually handled, but will give her the time she needs...any tips on starting to handle will be gratefully received.

I'm also a little unsure if I am giving/not giving her enough food or too much food. I give her one scoop of Rodipet Dwarf hamster mix (as advised from a couple of people on here), supplemented with a little Harry Hamster each night. Once a week I have been giving her a couple of mealworms - one of which was a live one, plus also a whole new millet spray a week as well. Fresh food wise she has had a couple of peas and a bit of sweet pepper (capsicum). She seems fairly happy with that, but again any tips would be gratefully received also.

Will update next week

Mweekie xx

Stanza · 02-26-2022, 03:54 AM

Wow, minx is just adorable, super cute. Lovely to hear she’s settling in so well.

. Great pictures. I’m new to HC and haven’t figured out how to load photos yet.

Ria P · 02-26-2022, 04:27 AM

The food sounds fine to me.
I start off by letting a hamster walk out of their cage and onto my arm or leg and then stroke them. I put them back while inside a mug. That way i don't need to use my hands and can introduce them slowly to handling.
They live in cages with big front doors in a hamster safe area which makes taming easy.

If you have a top access enclosure and need to carry a hamster to a hamster proof area you can sit as well like a bath tub then i'd use a hamster ball for transport. Never keep a hamster longer than necessary in a ball because they are scary traps for them.

Mweekie · 02-26-2022, 07:25 AM

Stanza - hello and welcome to HC - I think there is a sticky thread on HC somewhere that tells you how to add photos. I will tell Little Minx you liked her pictures

Ria - thank you very much, I will work on that with Little Minx. She actually allowed me to stroke her back gently yesterday with one finger, so we are making progress. Thanks for saying the food is OK as well.

Mweekie xx

Mweekie · 02-27-2022, 06:28 AM

Well I've had Little Minx for just over a month now (where has the time gone lol) and it's like I've had her for much longer than that. Her confidence is definitely up and she is definitely getting to know me.

I generally feed her about 7-8pm and within minutes she has popped her head out of her house when she smells the food. It was funny yesterday as she was out and about and I went to put her scoop of food in and she almost dragged it down so she could get to the food quicker lol.

She tried her first piece of walnut last night and chewed on it a little, but then left it for a while before deciding to pouch it and put it in her food store (which I've discovered is now inside her little cardboard house). I don't think she was overly keen on it, but it might be one of those things that she has a little, leaves and then comes back to.

I've been thinking of trying her on a tiny piece of cheese, but am a bit unsure as we generally have a mature cheddar in the house and was wondering if that might be a little too strong for her or would it be OK?

My best mate Alex has confirmed that he can come in and feed Little Minx and keep a check on my other pets (apart from Winnie who will be going on holiday at her favourite cattery), so that's definitely taken a weight off my mind whilst I am away. I am going away again at the end of the month, beginning of April but my parents are going to look after Minx then for me.

That's all for today - will update next week!

Mweekie xx

cloudy · 02-27-2022, 06:38 AM

I had a little image of Little Minx popping her head out when it is food time. She is adorable.

Mweekie · 03-05-2022, 09:08 AM

Hello,

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloudy

I had a little image of Little Minx popping her head out when it is food time. She is adorable.

Yes she is so cute when food is around.

I bought her a little sandbath the other day and placed it in her tank - so far all she's done is stuffed her woodshavings into it and left it as that lol. We will see how the time goes with that one.

Little Minx is definitely getting bolder every day now. Almost within a minute of me opening the tank her little head will pop out now, especially when she knows her dinner (breakfast) is due. She's also starting getting more and more curious about my hands now, not quite to the point of wanting to sit on my hand, but just sniffing and the occasional reaching out with her paws to grab my finger to smell it lol - I can't describe it right lol.

Definitely going to miss her when I go away on Friday for a week as she has really stolen my heart, but I have got my friend Alex looking after her (with instructions as to how much food/treats/water to give her on a daily basis). He's going to come over after he finishes work everyday, so he feeds her at about the same time as I do, so as not to disrupt Little Minx's routine. He's also going to keep me updated with photos (if he sees her) as well, so that'll be good.

Other than that, things are progressing well I think

Better sign off as laptop about to die and I need to start on closing down at work lol.

Mweekie xx

Ria P · 03-05-2022, 10:47 AM

Two of my dwarfs did that and filled up their sand with substrate. They tried to tell me that they didn't want the sand bath in that spot because they wanted to dig there. On both ocassions i put in a sturdy free standing wooden platform with a sand bath on top and they both happily used the sand bath then. And they were able to sit and burrow under the platform.

Mweekie · 03-09-2022, 04:40 AM

Hey Ria,

I took on board your advice and have since moved the sand bath and Little Minx does seem happier with the new arrangement lol.

As of tomorrow, I am handing the reins over to my best friend for when I go away on Friday for a week. He has strict instructions not to try to pick up Little Minx as even though she is getting bolder every day, she's not ready to be handled yet, especially not by a complete stranger. He is great with animals though, so I know I can trust him which is a good thing - definitely going to miss her though.

Mweekie xx

cloudy · 03-09-2022, 05:26 AM

I hope you have a lovely break.