All About My Sherbet

[Thin Lizzy]

Lol! At Sherbet showing her grumpy side when she didn't get her playtime! Reminded me of Twinkle when she wanted more attention and didn't get it.
Great news about her weight gain and drinking from her water bottle. I'm so proud of her continued progress she melts my heart.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thank You Thin Lizzy, she has so much personality. She reminds me of my Cookie, but Cookie was a lot more grumpy than Sherbet if she didn't get her playtimes, she would sit on the ledge by her cage door waiting for me, when I used to go to get her out, she would turn her back to me and if your offered any food she would refuse to take it- it was so funny, Sherbet doesn't get as grumpy as Cookie used to but I think Sherbet easily forgets why she is grumpy!


I used the food I froze in the ice cube trays today and it works really well, it defrost really quickly although I need to add a little more water so I might make it a little wetter next time. I've frozen them in 10g portions which she gets one in the morning and the another in the evening, I thought this might enable the food to stay fresher in this warmer weather.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Sherbet's Cage Layout – June 2016
I did a partial cage clean of Sherbet's cage today, as her cage was set up as a recovery cage for her to continue her recovery in, so therefore it didn’t contain many toys to entertain her but had plenty of places for her to sleep in and she was becoming easily bored which was indicated to me as Sherbet had started trying to bar chew and wanted her playtimes late at night once she had woken up at night. Therefore I decided her cage need to be redesign, so it is still suitable for an elderly hamster and also has plenty of toys to keep her amused at night. I kept half of the cage the same so her cardboard box house and her wheel with the fitch as the substrate and the other half I changed, so she has a substrate of back 2 nature pellets and aspen with a natural theme. Her substrate isn’t as deep as I would normally have it but since Sherbets accident when she tries to dig she starts sneezing, as she did have a sore and blocked right nostril due to a scab after her accident, but she has enough to dig a little if she wants - her cage base is half filled with substrate (she never been a big digger as she prefers to make mountains with her substrate). Sherbet loves her cage layout and I made sure that she can get around her cage safely without any accidents.
Sherbet woke up from her sleep as I had just finished her cage she had a good explore and enjoyed trying everything out especially liking the shelf. After she had a good explore she went back to bed and was waiting for me at 6:30pm for her evening cuddle time.
I’m really happy with how this cage layout turned out as it took a lot of trial and error to see where I could put everything in the cage as well as ensuring everything was safe, and I really do like the look of a natural cage layout, which includes some Christmas decorations which I feel really suit this theme.

Edit - Sherbet has just woken up at 12:30am and she is having so much fun running around her cage, climbing up on her tunnels, running back and forth across her ledge and sprinting in her wheel - she definitely doesn't behave like a 2 year old hamster should.

[cypher]

The cage looks really good, it does take a fair bit of trial & error to get things right but I'm sure Sherbet is really appreciating all the thought you put into that!

[Thin Lizzy]

Love the layout, and so pleased Sherbet's enjoying it too. I think she's an anti-aging ham, so love hearing about her energy and recovery. I think I can honestly say she's recovered fully and living life to the max.

[Scarlett Empress]

Sherbert's cage looks amazing, she has so much to do in there! I'm glad she has had fun checking out the new layout.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thank you Cypher, Thin Lizzy and Scarlett Empress.
It took me around an hour to arrange Sherbet cage as it didn't look how I wanted it to so was trying every natural toy as I had ensure she had plenty to do. and then another hour and a bit to tidy up my room, as it was covered with hamster toys and bags of substrate. But it was well worth it, as I think this is one of my favourite cage layouts.
Normally as Sherbet wakes up she will mess up all my hard work but this time I think she approved of everything - I have to think like Sherbet when I arrange her cage.
I find it hard to do a good cage layout in a 80x50cm Ferplast Mary cage and her bucket wheel takes up a fair amount of space and I have to work around it, trying to fit toys in.
She was awake for another 30 mins to an hour after she woke up having fun it so nice hearing them running around when you are in bed.

Yes Thin Lizzy, she could be an anti-aging hamster - I wonder what her secret is - she always been highly energetic and nothing gets in her way of having a good time. She definitely fully recovered even though she still missing her top teeth, but that doesn't stop her trying to chew on toys and the bars. She back to her former self around food if she thinks you are trying to take her food she begins taking big mouthfuls and pouching it in a hurry (she loves food) but she didn't realise I was giving her some chopped up cucumber so in actual fact giving her more food. Hopefully she feels like this for a while to come and continue to be this energetic.

[Thin Lizzy]

Maybe Sherbet will share her anti-aging secrets for more yummy treats!

[SKB_Hamsters]

Sherbet being Sherbet
Sherbet is really enjoying her cage layout every night she has been out running around through the tunnels, climbing on top of the tunnel. Her favourite thing is the shelf, the back corner she sits and groom herself and she will sit on the front corner when she wants attention or she is watching me. She is still using her wheel as is still running like normal - she loves her bucket wheel I'm so glad I made it for her, she used it more than her old trixie wheel (she hated the front panel going in and out through the holes). Yesterday morning when I checked on Sherbet I had noticed she been digging, there was aspen on top of some of her tunnel and toys, with a few little holes she had dug one was just beneath her food bowl and the other outside her toilet. It was so cute last night I went out of my room and when I came back she was looking through the bars waiting for me to come back (it look like she was wondering were I went) as soon as I came back she started to climb the bars, demanding attention as usual. I think Sherbet needs to slow down a little as she does everything in full speed, she runs around like she is still a little baby, jumps onto her tunnels - it's good to see she can still get around well although she two, but her cage is set up so it's safe for her. Every night she been coming out for her cuddle - she really enjoys this she like to snuggle around my neck and also her late night playtime at 11:30pm, she wakes up and waits on her ledge to come out as soon as I open the door she get excited and before you know it she is sitting on my hand, she gets to play in her play area, in which I have to sit with her she has so much fun and enjoyment running around playing with her toys and also climbing all over me but the one thing she hates is when it's time to go back in her cage as soon as she put in her cage she will try to find a way out and will try to chew the bars and climb the bars, but when you ignore her she will go in her wheel for a good run and will go to bed after awhile.

Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy

Maybe Sherbet will share her anti-aging secrets for more yummy treats!

She might share her secret with some more treats - but I think I will need to give her a lot though. She had some of her Easter egg (hamster safe Easter egg - she still has a little leftover from Easter) in which she goes mad for - I broke it up into little pieces for her and she ate some and pouched a little to have later.

[Thin Lizzy]

Bless her still having some of her easter egg left. If I ignore Harvey, he'll run on his wheel very loudly as he'll be heavy footed and what a noise.