Mushu Mania

[AprilPearl]

Just thought I'd formally introduce Mushu, my new (10 week old?) baby Syrian hamster. He is so fluffy that we think he may be long haired when he is all grown up. Still not sure quite what colour he is, but it's an interesting one.

So far, he is settling in really well and providing a lot of joy

[cypher]

Awww he really is an adorable bundle of fluff, I'd say he's long haired already let alone when he's all grown up!

Lovely to see how tame he is already, he looks really sweet eating out of your hand there bless him.

His cage does look rather empty, have you left it like that for taming?
I would at least put more substrate in, if you fill the base he would have more to burrow, dig & snuggle up in.

[AprilPearl]

Originally Posted by cypher

Awww he really is an adorable bundle of fluff, I'd say he's long haired already let alone when he's all grown up!

Lovely to see how tame he is already, he looks really sweet eating out of your hand there bless him.

His cage does look rather empty, have you left it like that for taming?
I would at least put more substrate in, if you fill the base he would have more to burrow, dig & snuggle up in.

Thank you yes, I am trying to keep his cage uncluttered at least initially, but he does have several chew toys, a wheel, a house and shredded paper bedding (which he has carefully moved out of the way rather than sleeping in lol). I just put in about 12 pieces of toilet paper for him to burrow in which he is so far ignoring.

Excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by substrate? There are woodchippings and bedding in his cage, though I have left his play box without. The clear plastic box in the pictures with the bare floor is his play box, rather than his cage.

Quite pleased with how calm he is for a first handling session, as he has not been properly handled before.

[Coco61]

What an adorable bundle of fluff as cypher said AP.
Substrate is just the name for the stuff across the floor of the cage. If the level is deeper as cypher advised, that just gives your little fellow more to dig around in or heap up for sleeping as is their natural behaviour.

[AprilPearl]

Originally Posted by Coco61

What an adorable bundle of fluff as cypher said AP.
Substrate is just the name for the stuff across the floor of the cage. If the level is deeper as cypher advised, that just gives your little fellow more to dig around in or heap up for sleeping as is their natural behaviour.

Thanks for clarifying. So, some more shavings then. Hopefully the extra bedding I just put in will be appreciated too! The pictures actually don't show the huge pile of shavings and bedding he moved to the other side of his cage (the wheel is in the middle of the cage and he has moved a lot of stuff to the half on it's left hand side).

[cypher]

Quite a few hams do have little tears in their ears, one of mine does, just from sibling squabbles probably, I think it makes them all the more endearing

Originally Posted by AprilPearl

Thanks for clarifying. So, some more shavings then. Hopefully the extra bedding I just put in will be appreciated too! The pictures actually don't show the huge pile of shavings and bedding he moved to the other side of his cage (the wheel is in the middle of the cage and he has moved a lot of stuff to the half on it's left hand side).

Ideally you want to fill the base of your cage with substrate, especially with a small cage, about 15-20cm is generally considered the minimum depth.

[AprilPearl]

Originally Posted by cypher

Quite a few hams do have little tears in their ears, one of mine does, just from sibling squabbles probably, I think it makes them all the more endearing


Ideally you want to fill the base of your cage with substrate, especially with a small cage, about 15-20cm is generally considered the minimum depth.

Thank you the funny little man has moved all the extra bedding I put in AGAIN and is once more sleeping firmly in the corner which he has almost completely cleared of bedding and shavings! But, I will try putting more shavings in and see what he thinks.

[AprilPearl]

Oh dear. Mushu has a rather large chip in one ear. I reckon his brother who was in the same cage as him may have taken a bite out of it! At 10 weeks old I was surprised he was sharing a cage :\ It looks pretty old though as there is hair growing around the edge of it, so maybe it happened when he was still with all his siblings.

[flowerfairy]

My word he is an abzolute beauty. Wonderful pictures.

[AprilPearl]

Originally Posted by flowerfairy

My word he is an abzolute beauty. Wonderful pictures.

Mushu says he would prefer ‘handsome’ but thanks you for the compliment