Raphael (Raffy's) Adventures

[Pebbles82]

I think I'm going to have to rename him Raffy the destroyer I found the flower basket string chewed through and hanging at an angle, the egg box hammock tipped forwards and a load more cardboard chewed from round the edge of the cage (and a load more substrate all over the floor!). Looks like the cardboard isn't going to work then! To reduce the height of the cage by raising the floor level.

I looked back at the hamstercam video to see what he'd been up to and he's been highly active all night - climbing bars, jumping out of his sputnik. Quite a funny bit where he pulled himself up into the egg box hammock inspected everything then it tipped forwards. He looked a bit surprised then climbed out.

Apart from a quiet patch around 4am he was active until about 7.45 this morning. OH got up at 7.30 and had a chat with him and he was still out.

I couldn't see what happened to the flower basked as the wheel obscures the view of it, but I was slighly concerned he might have got a leg caught and that may be why he chewed through the string. Or maybe he just chewed through it anyway. He seemed fine this morning.

It's like he's spent the whole night trying to escape. Oh well maybe he'll settle down soon. I think he'll be ready for some out of cage time soon.

[Ria P]

He didn't like the flower basket so took it down.

Henry did that with a garland. Climbed up both sides and chewed through the string.

Why do you feel that you have to wait to let him out?

[Pebbles82]

Just till he's ready really. I think they do need the first two or three days to settle and last night he had the option to come out but changed his mind - so not quite ready maybe.

Lol at them not liking something - you may be right. I think his mission recently though has been to chew things and move them to see what's behind them (an escape route)?

I've taken the remaining strings off the flower basket and attached it to the bars with a cable tie - I wasn't too happy about the strings after he caught his leg jumping off it the other night. Mind you that could be the same for the egg box hammock except the strings are much further apart (and yes it tilts!). The idea of the flower basket was some overhead cover in that corner but he doesn't seem to worried about overhead cover - more interested in climbing on top of things!

He's been out for his veg tonight and just missed him before he went back in his house. If he's out again before midnight I'll see if he wants to come out. After that I'm too tired!

Hopefully he'll get in the routine of coming out earlier for feeding soon.

He definitely goes in the house, but hasn't taken any nesting material, so I suspect he's sleeping under the house rather than in it.

[souffle]

He is probably a mix, most likely a cream mix of some sort but you won't be able to tell really what genes he has as you don't know his history.
Creams can certainly have bands and there are many cream bands about. Band tends to make the ears mottled so they may not look as dark as straight cream colour. Cream is epistatic so it 'covers' up other colours but certain colours will influence the colour of a cream and change it so you know it is there.
He could be a ghost yellow as the temperament certainly sounds very 'yellow'
He may also have cream with a silver grey in there or a great big mix with lots of recessives - a Heinz hamster!
He's a lovely boy anyway

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Souffle - yes I was wondering if he was a Heinz hamster lol. Which seems most likely. I do think there may be some yellow in there though ha ha.

I had him out last night. It was after midnight but I could hear strange noises! Not quite sure what he was doing but he was out in the cage so I decided to let him have some playpen time.

He was decidedly nervous and hesitant about walking into the snooze cube. Did that shall I shan't I think for about 5 minutes. Then eventually walked into.

So I did manage to stroke him on the back a few times while in the playpen but he's not tame enough to pick up - pings and jerks round at you. But he did accept being stroked on the back.

He wasn't in the playpen long as after the first two minutes checking things out he proceeded to vigorously try and dig up the carpet in the corners! Consistently. So picked him up in a tunnel and put him back in his cage.

Slowly does it! There are already two big holes in that carpet from Newt (who was also vigorous and chewed at it). It's a kind of berber pile so unravels like knitting if chewed! The holes go all the way down to the underlay! Good job didn't replace the carpet

I should put cardboard in the bottom of the playpen really but I doubt it would make much different - that would get chewed in seconds and then the carpet.

[LunaTheHamster1]

Serendipity, you could try the cardboard on the outside of the cage. It does hold the bedding in and doesn't go everywhere. That's how I had it on Star's, doesn't look pretty though, but maybe you could decorate it if it's on the outside. When Moonbeam was younger she destroyed anything hung up by string, I wonder what they think they are, it was so funny watching her on the nightcam, just going round the cage and chewing through the string that was hanging boredom breakers one by one.
He certainly sounds a character.

[Pebbles82]

Thanks Luna. I think he would just chew through the cable ties and it would fall off! But I see the point. I'm not going to do anything while he's settling in (all I've done so far is remove the strings from the flower basket and secure it to the bars with a cable tie which I don't think he can get at as it's so tight and mostly on the outside). And that was when he was asleep.

May just flatten the substrate down to cage base level in some areas (although he's started on the front cardboard now lol!) Then I'd have to check to see if there were any fall risks onto something hard and tweak the odd thing - so I might leave the cardboard house in for a while!

He is just a chewer lol! I think it it was on the outside he would chew it through the bars!

Will keep an eye on the string on the egg box hammock though. He doesn't seem to chew that because perhaps it doesn't obstruct him in any way (flower basket is smaller) as string is at far corners and it's long. And he may have just chewed the string on the flower basket if he got a leg caught on the string jumping out again - as he did on the first day. Most hamsters don't but he is very active!

He is definitely not having a fleece hammock in the cage!

If I wanted to persist with cage height reduction via something round the bars it would need to be solid perspex and I can't be faffed with that (and it's expensive).

[Ria P]

Would he chew boredom braker mats?
Maureen the shredder did.

Syrian Clive shredded cardboard like there was no tomorrow but only flat pieces on the inside of his cage.
One day i replaced a flat piece of cardboard with a Pringle tube and he wasn't interested in chewing.

[Pebbles82]

I think he'd chew anything that looks like it could be blocking an exit! He's decidedly dismissive of the toilet roll I put in the cage though. It's slit down one side. Originally it was in the house entrance to tempt him in. He tossed it out. I put it back again as he hadn't found the house. He tossed it out again and tramples on it on his way past lol. Not interested in the toilet roll.

Glad he's been out of the cage but hand taming will be from scratch methinks. At least he accepts being stroked on the back.

I've still got Pip to tame as well.

[Ria P]

Lol!! That boy knows what he wants and doesn't!

Clive's like that. What he doesn't want he simply chucks out of the way. I've had Clive for a while now but he's still fast and a bit all over the place. I can pick him up but in a customized fashion because he still pings and throws himself about scenting but at the same time runs towards me.

I am so so curious and excited as well to see what kind of personality Raffy turns out to be. Whatever it is, it won't be placid and quiet.