Raphael (Raffy's) Adventures

[Pebbles82]

Ah got that wrong. The toilet roll has been chewed too Most of the cardboard is gone from the left and back - just part of the front left now. As it was blue on one side and I can't really see it in the cage, I am wondering if he's chewed it off for his nest building (he hasn't taken the toilet paper strips).

The flower basket has been moved along the bars a bit as well (it's attached at the back with a cable tie so can slide along so far before the first down bar stops it. I think he looks to see what's behind things.

[Ria P]

Good thought. Maybe he wants to see out. What happens once he's chewed the cardboard? Does he chew the bars trying to get out?

I cable tied a bendy bridge to the section below Clive's door where he chewed cardboard and when that was gone had a go at the bars. He chewed the wood for a bit but then got fed up and stopped.

[Pebbles82]

He hasn't bar chewed no. I think he just wanted to know what was behind it! Either that or was ripping it up for nesting material. Some of them do like ripping up cardboard.

Goodness he is keeping me on my toes! Feeding time is working - he came out around 9pm when I put veg out tonight. Except he was a bit fast for me and went to his food dish when I had just emptied it ready to refill it and shock horror found no food! I put it out while he anxiously inspected the empty food dish realising he'd been robbed. So now it's not a secret - food doesn't magically appear!

He happily got into the snooze cube tonight so was out in the playpen again. He doesn't sit still for a minute! Mostly trying to chew the carpet in the corners. The odd stroke again and on one occasion I moved onto trying to pick him up and got a nip! Hmm. So definitely needs some taming in something smaller than a playpen. I wonder if this is why "it didn't work out" when he was a child's pet. Must be very frustrating to have an untame hamster for a child.

Anyway as he rushes around so much just looking for an escape from everything I put the new trixie wheel in there (which is quite nice and virtually silent except for one issue). Once he found that, that kept him occupied although he seemed more interested in chewing the spindle at first (still looking for a way out).

Anyway the Trixie wheel. Weird. I had washed it and dried it before putting it in the playpen. Even though it was new. And found some kind of covering over the spiral over the front and thought it was a protective covering of some kind and started to peel it off. Only to find it WAS the spiral! It is just a round piece of paper stuck on the front with a picture of a spiral. Which once wet, started to disintegrate. Don't think he can reach that to chew it though. It's a long time since I had a Trixie wheel but I am sure the spiral on the front wasn't paper and was printed onto the plastic! But paper? Ridiculous for something that needs washing sometimes. It aint going to last long. I think I might as well soak off the rest of it.

It's a really nice lime green colour actually. So that's the new playpen wheel and he loved that and ran like mad in it. He was not coming out of the playpen though! Avoided going in the tubes so I couldn't lift him out easily (maybe he learned that last night). Eventually I just left him in the playpen on his own for 10 mins or so and when I came back he was looking for me and seemed a bit like - hey you left me on my own. And then he happily climbed back in the snooze cube so took him back to his cage.

He is very active and will want to be out every night I think.

Slight problem with taming I hadn't thought about. I've had a bad knee since January and can't kneel down to floor level. So I can't do hand taming well. At the moment I bend over and it must be like my arm is a claw from above! Maybe I can do some bathtub taming sitting on a stool or something. Instead of kneeling on the floor.

[arnoldshirl]

He is handsome! Handsome Hammy.

[Ria P]

The spiral on the Trixie wheel has always been a sticker. Like a car sticker, it's waterproof.

As for taming. I've never done hand taming by putting my hand down but sit in a hamster proof area and place the hamster on my lap so would work in a bath tub.

I use my covered arms at first to let the hamster sniff while stroking his back. Over a few session i move on from stroking to a brief hold, then increase that working slowly towards picking up. I only pick up briefly at first and move on to pick up put down exercises increasing the reps.

It worked well with fast and jumpy hamsters like Rodney and Clive.

I was just thinking. Isn't it lovely how you two are getting to know each other. Had to laugh when you went off and Raffy didn't like that.

[Pebbles82]

Originally Posted by arnoldshirl

He is handsome! Handsome Hammy.

Thank you Arnoldshirl! I shall tell him that. That Arnoldshirl from HC says he is very handsome.

Ria thank you, Well that Trixie sticker most certainly wasn't waterproof lol! And not like those shiny car sticker types. It was paper. I think this lime green is a new colour isn't it? Or maybe it's just that's the colour advertised on Amazon at the moment. There used to be a different kind of green. Just wondering if they've changed the sticker but it definitely isnt waterproof!

It had a slight "sheen" on the paper at the front and the spiral was so faint I thought it must be a covering over the spiral, but the edges came up easily and that's when the paper peeled off at the edges. Whatever. I'll probably just have to soak it and remove it.

It's more like those annoying stickers you get on the bottom of ceramic items that won't come off easily and need to be soaked and still end up leaving a bit of residue. I think you're right it should be plastic like a peel off car sticker. Cost cutting? or supply shortages? Anyway beware washing a new trixie wheel! I didn't plunge it in a bowl of water, it was just done under a running tap.

It did make me realise that a permanent wheel with a spindle probably wouldn't suit raffy or he would chew it - it was the plastic bit round the spindle he was chewing (always seems to want to know what's on the other side!). Whereas our previous syrians would have got out and gone round the other side to look lol! Maybe Raffy is just a chewer.

Ria yes getting in and out of the playpen or bath is not possible either! It's a totally knackered knee for bending. I can bend it to sit down on a normal height chair and not much further. It will take a lot of treatment over a long time. Two knackered knees - one worse than the other.

But yes I did think to use my clothed arm, remembering how Souffle used to tame/get her babies out of the playpen letting them walk up an arm. So I tried that and he did walk part way up my clothed arm. Then ran down again when I tried to stroke him. Time and patience.

Maybe OH could get in the playpen lol. He's talked to him early in the mornings a few times and said he put a finger through the bars and Raffy sniffed it curiously. I suggested he didn't do that again or it might get nipped! Better to offer food through the bars at the moment.

Ria yes I like that he's getting to know me/us and wondered where I had gone.

[Ria P]

Ah, i didn't know that your knees were that knackered.
I hope that you can get it sorted. I know quite a few people who had successful surgery. Depends what's wrong of course.

Couldn't you sit on a low chair within the playpen and place Raffy on your lap for taming sessions? He'd probably jump off and leg it but maybe cushions on the floor around the chair may work.

Trixie has changed the colours of both their wheels.
I bought two 20cm ones for Robos. One came in lime and one in turquoise. The livid pink one is now a more peachy colour.

Plonk! Jack just fell into a toy basket.

Had to laugh at your OH poking his fingers through the bars. Mine did this as well but only once, hehe.

[Pebbles82]

I think I need to rename him Nipper! Nipped me twice tonight while out in the playpen! This hamster will chew anything! Well nearly anything - he hasn't chewed bars (yet - touch wood). He is out by about 9pm every night, meerkating, and wanting to come out. He's a dab hand at getting in the snooze cube now. He's had two sessions in the playpen tonight. I tried putting my hand flat on the floor palm up to walk over - he sniffed it then nipped it - ow! Later I tried doing the same but with pumpkin seeds on my hand. He sniffed the pumpkin seeds then bit my hand again. Ow. Just a hard nip not a real bite. Later put my arm in (I'm wearing a long sleeved fleece) to see if he wanted to walk up a bit so I could stroke him. He just chewed at the fleece lol! He will let me stroke him on the back once or twice and then jerks his head round. Oh well slowly does it! It's only been a week.

He loves the trixie wheel - and I think that's why he wanted to be out twice tonight. I can see why - it's that big bigger and easier to run in - he runs much better in that than the slightly smaller CSW which doesn't have as good grip.

I'm not sure I want to attempt attaching a Trixie wheel to the bars - and anyway would prefer a silent wheel so I finally decided on getting the Getzoo 30cm wood wheel (which is actually 28cm internally so not as big as it sounds). In a few days I'll attempt to attach that to the bars. I think he'll be happier with the wheel in the cage then. Assuming it's ok. Don't want to wait over a month for a Rodipet one.

Anyway - a week late, but here is the video of him exploring the cage on the first day. I sound like an idiot talking to him but it's all about the taming/getting familiar!

Sorry he goes out of view a couple of times and the camera occasionally goes out of focus!

Syrian Hamster Raffy explores his new Savic Plaza cage - YouTube

Plonk! Jack just fell into a toy basket.

Ha ha. I can just imagine that. Yes I've had one knackered knee for a few years - cartilage and arthritis. Managed fine within my limitations. Then the other one went the same way and is much worse. Two knackered knees is no fun. I blame the ten years of ballet lessons in my youth. Walking is fine and I have a knee brace thing - kneeling down is not possible! Probably going to be long term physio rather than surgery according to Doctor. Long story.

Hence I was stuck upstairs for a month! That plus I was unwell at the same time. That was no fun.

Anyway Raffy is keeping me active - had me nipping about a couple of times a night taking him to the playpen in the other room.

[cloudy]

You do not sound like an idiot at all. You have a lovely and gentle voice. He is so active there and into everything!

[Ria P]

Couldn't you attach the Trixie wheel upsidedown? I had to do that with Clive's because he kept jamming it with substrate. Only problem is that the Alaska isn't a strong cage so the roof vibrates. Need to think of an alternative for this boisterous hamster. Can't think of a suitable and strong cage though.