Cinnamon

[Hamster Haven]

Meet Cinnamon! Our first hope was to get another hamster through our local ethical breeder, but we had a hard time getting ahold of her for the past two days, and then the Chicago area Craigs List site wasn't working to search for adoptions... so whether it was pure coincidence or serendipity (and yes, a little impatience on our part), we did end up at a local pet store to find our latest baby (next time I'm sure we'll have the patience for our local breeder or the adoption sites). I haven't seen them feature long-haired Syrians before, and if they hadn't been we would have waited, as we were looking for a hamster that at least reminded us of Wally.

But Cinnamon stood out to C.C. right away (just based on looks, as he was sleeping). He is fairly small and slim (I haven't had the chance to weigh him yet). He sat calmly in our hands when he was sleepy, but when he woke up in his new cage on his own tonight he was much zippier. He is still getting to know us, but definitely less shy than Wally. He was happy to poke around and play on his wheel even with us present when he woke up at 8PM. We'll have to see what his personality is like and what his sleep schedule is like in the next several days. He went back to sleep (or at least underground) around 9PM.

 

[elusive]

Congrats & hello little Cinnamon!
So glad to hear you found another ham, he looks adorable, that face in the last photo

 

[Frida]

Hello Cinnamon, you're very cute

 

[RainbowBrite]

Welcome Cinnamon. It is lovely to see C.C looking happy again.

 

[Member ID2]

Welcome Cinnamon! He's a beautiful boy and lovely photos. The photo of C.C. and Cinnamon looking at each other is absolutely adorable.

 

[Maz]

So happy for you. He certainly does look perky and adorable and the photo of him looking at CC is lovely. He does seem to be quite a perky active hamster and he has a lovely home with you!

He might still need the couple of weeks settling in time but see how it goes!

 

[Coco61]

Congratulations clacombe and welcome to the forum Cinnamon. What lovely photos to introduce us to your new little boy. Just shows you that somehow the right hamster connection is made! Thrilled that CC is happy with her choice.
Look forward to hearing how he settles in.

 

[Hamster Haven]

So happy for you. He certainly does look perky and adorable and the photo of him looking at CC is lovely. He does seem to be quite a perky active hamster and he has a lovely home with you!

He might still need the couple of weeks settling in time but see how it goes!

Just overnight he has proven to be quite active and perky. He came out several times after 9PM while we were still up and seemed observant of us but not shy about our presence. I put our night camera on and he was quite active during the night- even doing things like poking around the back of the wheel like he was trying to figure out if there was anything secretly of interest in its machinery. I think we'll have to add to the cage in upcoming weeks for more enrichment. We slept in a lot this morning, but I noticed that he was awake and using his wheel as late as 8:30AM. If he keeps that schedule up C.C. will be able to say goodbye to him on her way to school, which I think she'll enjoy. We'll just wait and see to see how interested he is in interacting with us or having out-of-cage play sessions.

C.C. still misses Wally and talks about how he was the best hamster ever, but I think Cinnamon's engaging personality will really help her to move forward. We held a funeral today and placed a large rock over his grave, on which she drew a picture of him and wrote "RIP." Her friend who attended wrote, "We love you, Wally."

 

[Maz]

He sounds like a typical hamster in a new cage! Investigating everything - I think they check everything to see if there's an escape route lol! But they do seem to inspect wheels thoroughly as well. I think he will be very good for CC and his antics will soon help her get over the sadness of Wally.

 

[RainbowBrite]

The funeral for Wally sounds very touching. I think getting Cinnamon will really help CC.

I notice hamsters can be quite active when first arriving and once settled they develop more hamstery schedules.

 

[Hamster Haven]

Cinnamon update: Like Wally, he tricked us coming out extra early on day 1. Since then, we can't get him out until close to 11PM. I've tried to lure him out earlier, but he's still shy. He sleeps in his 6-chamber hideaway, but he literally built himself an escape hole to burrow under the bedding, and if I try to lift the lid earlier or poke food in, he makes a speedy getaway.

He is also mouse-like quick and skinny- much harder for me to grab than Wally was! I haven't gotten a chance to weigh him yet.

However, once he comes out he is pretty content to be active while we're awake, though he often gives us the side eye and waits awhile to see what, if anything, we'll do (see middle pic- he's definitely giving me the side eye).

 

[Member ID2]

What's the rush? A new hamster is best left alone for the first couple of weeks so they can get familiar with their new surroundings. It's a huge change for him and he needs time to adjust, establish a routine, scent everthing and do what a hamster needs to do to feel at home.

 

[elusive]

Aww he does look adorable bless him, but as Beryl said he needs time yet, at this stage take it slow & let him set the pace, once he’s settled in more he’ll be ready to get to know you better & begin to interact.

 

[Maz]

He is so sweet! Such an adorable little face. He really does still look like a baby.

It must be very hard to want to handle him and to go through the waiting process again for him feeling ready. Personally I wouldn’t try to pick him up in the cage just yet, but offer him a tube to walk into - maybe with a smelly treat at one end and lift him out with your hands over the end, for a taming session.

Although as it’s only been a few days now he might need a bit longer just to settle into the cage a bit.

Edit - posted at the same time as Elusive! In the first few days it can be good just to talk to him through the cage so he gets used to your voice and presence.

 

[Frida]

Cute photos of Cinnamon. Be patient and let Cinnamon set the pace of getting to know you. I'm not a very patient person but I made myself a promise to go at my little Albert's pace when I got him. It's paid off because now we have a very close bond.

 

[Maz]

I just inserted the photos in your post so they're a bit bigger as he is so adorable to look at! Especially the last one.

I think CC may adapt easier than you. Sometimes it can be hard to feel a bond straight away, if you're still missing the previous hamster - but it can help to set aside 10 minutes a day to think about the past hamster and then focus on the new hamster being just as lovable, if different. If that makes sense.

 

[Hamster Haven]

What's the rush? A new hamster is best left alone for the first couple of weeks so they can get familiar with their new surroundings. It's a huge change for him and he needs time to adjust, establish a routine, scent everthing and do what a hamster needs to do to feel at home.

Yes, good point! I keep reminding myself about that when I have the urge to add more enrichment to his cage, and then I say, just let him get used to what he has, then add something new so everything's not new all at once!

 

[Hamster Haven]

Aww he does look adorable bless him, but as Beryl said he needs time yet, at this stage take it slow & let him set the pace, once he’s settled in more he’ll be ready to get to know you better & begin to interact.

So true!

 

[Hamster Haven]

He is so sweet! Such an adorable little face. He really does still look like a baby.

It must be very hard to want to handle him and to go through the waiting process again for him feeling ready. Personally I wouldn’t try to pick him up in the cage just yet, but offer him a tube to walk into - maybe with a smelly treat at one end and lift him out with your hands over the end, for a taming session.

Although as it’s only been a few days now he might need a bit longer just to settle into the cage a bit.

Edit - posted at the same time as Elusive! In the first few days it can be good just to talk to him through the cage so he gets used to your voice and presence.

Yes! I remembered how Wally never wanted to be picked up while in his cage, and although every hamster's different I've tried to follow suit with Cinnamon and just get him accustomed to a "transport." Last night we seemed to make progress with him allowing a slightly longer pet if he was occupied with something else (not in our hands, but while he was eating or chewing he let us stroke his back). Like Albert, I have a hard time being patient with such a cutie, but I'm working on it! We've let him explore a play area outside of his cage using a transport, and that's when we have to coach ourselves to be patient with not trying to handle him yet since he's still so new to us.

He sounds like a typical hamster in a new cage! Investigating everything - I think they check everything to see if there's an escape route lol! But they do seem to inspect wheels thoroughly as well. I think he will be very good for CC and his antics will soon help her get over the sadness of Wally.

Omigosh, yes! Every day when he first goes to his wheel he goes around the back and stands up like he inspecting the machinery. It cracks me up!

 

[Hamster Haven]

We left Cinnamon alone last night other than verbally saying hello when he popped out briefly before we went to sleep. I noticed him up in the morning on his wheel and brought him a "cookie" treat- those Harvest Loops, which my daughter likes to call hamster cookies because of their shape. He won't take it from my hand yet, but he sniffed it, went back to his wheel, and as soon as I put it down and closed the cage he got off the wheel to check it out. I figure I'm at least associating treats with my smell and letting him know he doesn't have to be afraid of my hands. We'll keep that up for awhile and see how long it takes for him to take one from me directly.