Clive

[Pebbles82]

Yes he did - he was crafty. Clive sounds more like he is offering rewards for more fruit and veg Although to be fair they probably really appreciate it in the heat.

[Ria P]

The result of excessive freeroaming.

[cloudy]

Oh how sweet! He tired himself out. I love that picture.

[Ria P]

That hamster is such a monkey!

I identified 3 fall risks last night, 2 of them were demonstrated by Clive himself. The height involved was borderline, probably ok but like humans, hamsters can fall awkwardly.

He climbed off a big shelf onto the wicker tunnel underneath as intended then checked out the small gap between wheel and shelf. And then he edged a little sideways to jump off headfirst onto the bendy bridge. Plonk. No harm done but i wedged his hyacinth tunnel between bendy bridge and wicker tunnel.

The degu platform opposite is lower with substrate and a coconut hide underneath but not intended to be jumped off from. Clive showed me that it can be done. Now the degu platform has a porridge tube attached for Clive to run through.

The sputnik was accessible from 2 sides but the 3rd was a drop onto substrate. Not an issue until Clive decided to increase the height of the drop by back shovelling the substrate. Have removed the sputnik.

Did Clive accept the adjustments? No, he bit me.

[Pebbles82]

Ah - happy first day in new cage then Yes they will show you where the risks are lol and jump off anything they're not supposed to (or you can't imagine why they would). Usually after the first day or so in a new cage, they get into more of a boring routine!

Hope he settles down now. Maybe he wanted the sputnik back! Sometimes I've put something underneath the sputnik so they can step out of it or not have so far to fall. Like one of those little cardboard hay houses or something. They tend not to dig the substrate out in an area where there's something standing. Although it has been known!

Don't know what it is makes them want to hurl themselves out of the sputnik! You reminded me why I used to put the roof tube there in the first place!

[Stanza]

Originally Posted by Ria P

The result of excessive freeroaming.

Te, he, great photo, he’s all worn out little cutie.

[Stanza]

Originally Posted by Ria P

That hamster is such a monkey!

I identified 3 fall risks last night, 2 of them were demonstrated by Clive himself. The height involved was borderline, probably ok but like humans, hamsters can fall awkwardly.

He climbed off a big shelf onto the wicker tunnel underneath as intended then checked out the small gap between wheel and shelf. And then he edged a little sideways to jump off headfirst onto the bendy bridge. Plonk. No harm done but i wedged his hyacinth tunnel between bendy bridge and wicker tunnel.

The degu platform opposite is lower with substrate and a coconut hide underneath but not intended to be jumped off from. Clive showed me that it can be done. Now the degu platform has a porridge tube attached for Clive to run through.

The sputnik was accessible from 2 sides but the 3rd was a drop onto substrate. Not an issue until Clive decided to increase the height of the drop by back shovelling the substrate. Have removed the sputnik.

Did Clive accept the adjustments? No, he bit me.

Ouch! Will you try putting it back in at some point? Clive sounds very adventurous, exploring his new home.

I’m about to add a Sputnik to Hams home, after reading this and Serendipity’s I’m thinking I need to consider something to stop him potentially falling out the third opening. Think I’ll give it some more thought before I go ahead. Maybe I could block that exit with cardboard?

[cloudy]

It is lucky you were awake and saw all this! Hamsters really find any tiny gap or possibility to scare us!

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Stanza

Will you try putting it back in at some point?

Probably not because i would have to make all 3 openings safe by leading them onto shelves and by connecting to a tube.To do that i would have to rethink the whole set up while working around the top door. Clive is a very agile, small Syrian who does unwise things simply because he can.

There is one alternative Rodney had in his younger days and that is to feed a expandable plastic tube through the sputnik but it changes the purpose of the sputnik.

After last nights events, Clive sat on his tile and really worked his "guilty" expression to the max. No matter what this lovable little rogue does, he always makes me laugh.

[Ria P]

So i have compromised and put up a small sputnik with one side undone and a bendy bridge underneath it. See how that goes.
The tile under the shelf is a favoured spot.