charlie's (a.k.a ricky rat) thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter charlieqhel
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charlieqhel

Hello. ❤
Here's a photo of Charlie sitting in my hand, enjoying the view from up.
I really love just sharing this cutie's photos with others!
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Charlie has grown so much!
Now he uses one of his legs perfectly; but still trying on the other.
He fell on my hand from my other hand and stayed like this for a while. No idea why but he looks so silly. 😍
Also, I'm thinking of upgrading his enclosure now that he is used to his current one that he escapes occasionally. 😅 I'm thinking of buying another plastic box and sting holes on the cover just like how I did with this one. Does anyone know how much LTs the box should be? I looked at some boxes in a drug store today but couldn't choose.
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He's adorable. It's really good news one leg is working perfectly. Maybe the other one will gradually catch up. If it doesn't change much in the next week or so then it maybe is worth asking a vet opinion on what's happening with the other leg.

What enclosure do you have at the moment? Is it a bin cage? When you mentioned a plastic box with holes in. What size is the current one? Sometimes it's better to give them a bit longer before upgrading, to adjust, as even if done carefully, a cage move can be a bit stressful in the first few weeks.

Any cage needs really good ventilation though, so making holes in the side isn't enough really. You would need a lid that's meshed. He'll escape without a lid! It means cutting out the centre part of the lid, just leaving the rim, and fixing 1cm square mesh.

Which country are you in as there are other options perhaps, rather than a bin cage?
 
I'm in Turkiye. The ventilation is good I think, holes aren't small; they are big and I often let the cage get some air while Charlie plays outside.
As for other options, I don't think I ever saw cages big enough for hamsters. That's why I think bins are better. I'll give him some things to climb on in his next cage because he visibly tries to climb while awake. 😞
The size is 40x60 cm which isn't enough, that's why I'm trying to hurry up with the cage change. When I got it, it seemed HUGE to me.
He's always stressful too. I honestly don't know what's up with him, does he need more time before he gets used to me and his environment? He gets treats from my hand and climbs on my hand sometimes, but usually whilst shaking and even bites.
 
The shaking might be neurological. He might possibly have been dropped from a height before you adopted him. He might still be sensitive, and reacting to discomfort when he bites. He may outgrow this as he is young. Syrians don't usually bite, so it might be his way of saying he's uncomfortable. He has improved though and should continue. Burrowing is good exercise, so should be encouraged if he likes it. A vet would be able to tell you more about him. He is such a sweetie 🥰
 
charlieqhel said:
I'm in Turkiye. The ventilation is good I think, holes aren't small; they are big and I often let the cage get some air while Charlie plays outside.
As for other options, I don't think I ever saw cages big enough for hamsters. That's why I think bins are better. I'll give him some things to climb on in his next cage because he visibly tries to climb while awake. 😞
The size is 40x60 cm which isn't enough, that's why I'm trying to hurry up with the cage change. When I got it, it seemed HUGE to me.
He's always stressful too. I honestly don't know what's up with him, does he need more time before he gets used to me and his environment? He gets treats from my hand and climbs on my hand sometimes, but usually whilst shaking and even bites.
Click to expand...
A bigger cage would be an improvement then - his stress may be the lack of space and things to do. It's very difficult when there are only small cages available. Another bin cage could be an idea if you can find a bin cage big enough. Are you able to do diy at all? As a diy cage might be the best way to get something big enough. Do you have an Ikea? I think they're in most countries. An easy diy is an ikea platsa wardrobe frame tipped on it's back :-) It's not expensive and comes flatpack. You would need to make a lid out of strips of wood and mesh though.

Or you might find a used fish tank on second hand sites possibly? Some can be a bit grimy inside and need a good bit of cleaning up.

Shaking could be nerves as he's still very young or it could be something else. Some hamsters, if scared, don't like a hand coming from above, which might be another reason he bites if he sees a hand coming. Lowering a tube in for him to walk into would be better in that case. Have it level with the substrate with a treat at the far end (eg cucumber or cheese), then when he walks in, just lift the tube out, keeping your hands over the ends so he doesn't run out. Something like a rat tube is ideal - they're about 10cm diameter. Or a pringles tube that's been wiped out.

They're not really climbers so things like ladders with rungs aren't good for them - they can fall between the gaps. They climb to try and escape usually! To get to the top.
 
I found a bin cage just for him! I'll buy it in no time and set it up. I think he will be really happy rather than stressed. He has a play area I made hamster proof and put some stuff in there for Charlie to play but since I can't let him be on his own in there without me watching him, he spends half of his time in his enclosure. I think he will be relieved to have much more space in his new one. Also, are pinecones and coconut shells safe for hamsters? Pinecone for him to bite on and coconut shell for a hide. I looked it up on google but everyone said different things.
 
Coconut shells are fine. They are more for hides than to bite on (hamsters never bite the things you want them to ha ha). So a coconut hut would be nice - they seem to like round hides. It's a coconut shell with a hole in for an entrance, but make sure the hole is big enough for a syrian - it needs to be at least 6cm in diameter.

Pine cones - you probably will find varying views on. In my early hamster keeping days I was always told they are not considered safe, but quite a few people use them now and there don't seem to be any issues. But they are more for decorative purposes as hamsters don't seem that interested in them.
 
Hello! I wanted to make an update on Charlie :)
My little boy is not so little anymore 😭😭
It's not that obvious from this photo but he has grown so much. He also can use both his legs just fine !
He moved into his new enclosure a day ago, and began settling in very well ! He is still playful with me and his biting habits decreased; He only does little pinches to warn me if he is not comfortable in certain given situations.
He had a little scab on his foot which I was worried about, but I figured it might have been just a bug bite since it wasn't bothering him. It healed well and he is very happy now.
I also really love that he chose this little pot as his pee place. It is very easy to clean, though he sometimes smells of pee because he plays in there a lot... I will make a new hide for him soon and fix his swing ! (He ate some of it.) I'm also thinking of a sand bath, and I want to get more bedding but he doesn't seem very interested in digging. There is places for him to dig in, but I guess he just doesn't like it much.
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That is wonderful news that both his legs are working again now :-) He is thriving and you can tell that from the picture. He's obviously happy in your care. I'd just check the cage to see if there's anything he could have caught his foot on. Also what wheel does he have?
 
Maz,
You're right. He has a house made from ice cream sticks on which he used to bite on. He doesn't anymore, but that could be the case for his foot.
Also, his standard posture looks fine on the wheel for now, but since he is going to grow more, I'm thinking of making a DIY wheel that would be fit for him in the future.
Since my school starts tomorrow, I'll also go to shop for some stuff for him and my birdies.
I want to ask... I've seen people putting hay around pretty much everywhere in the cage. Is too much hay fine for them? I'm thinking of buying him hay with some more bedding but I don't wanna do something wrong. Thank you for your help so far, I really appreciate that.
 
Socks Mom,
Thank you! How is Socks doing? I tried finding your thread but couldn't find it. I hope you are both well!
 
Time sure flies so fast. My little girl also grown so fast in a month. Its great to hear that charlie doing well, sand bath is a good option to add and it is so fun to watch them getting a bath and groom.

Well in the first week, Dumbo not show any interest to burrow. She just do all activities on the surface, however in second / third week, after settling a bit, she made a tunnel or a place where to sleep when the weather is hot and make a small tunnel there. Maybe add one side in the cage with depth for burrow will make it good.
 
charlieqhel said:
Maz,
You're right. He has a house made from ice cream sticks on which he used to bite on. He doesn't anymore, but that could be the case for his foot.
Also, his standard posture looks fine on the wheel for now, but since he is going to grow more, I'm thinking of making a DIY wheel that would be fit for him in the future.
Since my school starts tomorrow, I'll also go to shop for some stuff for him and my birdies.
I want to ask... I've seen people putting hay around pretty much everywhere in the cage. Is too much hay fine for them? I'm thinking of buying him hay with some more bedding but I don't wanna do something wrong. Thank you for your help so far, I really appreciate that.
Click to expand...
I hope his foot is getting better :) If you have any bendy stick bridges or ladders, check those for gaps as well. Sometimes a foot can get caught in a gap and then they pull it out. You can stuff paper or moss in any gaps on bendy stick bridges.

Hay isn't something I use personally. It's not necessary but some people like to use it as it's natural. If you do use any hay, make sure it's soft meadow hay and also freeze it for a week first, as hay can have mites that hatch out. I haven't heard of any issues from hay but have always been slightly concerned about spiky bits poking them in the eye :)
 
Hi! Haven't posted on here for a while.
Here's Charlie, a little bit more grown up! He really enjoys spending time with me and at certain times he stands on the corner of his enclosure for me to pick him up. 😭
He is seemingly really healthy, although I had to remove his house I made for him because he kept getting little wounds on his feet. I've treated it and now it's healed.
Any tips to keep him more busy in his enclosure? He is really not interested in toys and stuff. He just chooses to sleep in his enclosure or sneak around in my room. No really hints of him getting bored in his enclosure though.
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He's so gorgeous. So the house was the culprit then - which house was it? Maybe splinters?

There are a lot of tips on this thread for home made boredom breakers :-)

www.thehamsterforum.com

Cardboard creations

This is a thread to show how many things you can make for your hamster or enclosure, out of cardboard :-) Cardboard is your friend.
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
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