Here’s Hedleyetta

[Flowsey]

Hi there, here’s my new girl. Never had a female Syrian before - it’s taking some getting used to. But she’s slowly getting less human phobic. But she was sold to me as a he - so I named him Hedley. After a quick vet trip (all ok) turns out he is a she - hence Hedleyetta
I do love their huge personalities packed into such little fur balls. I have a night camera so see all the shenanigans she gets up to!!
She squeaks hello to fellow furry cuties out there!!

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome. I love the name Hedlyetta . Looking forward to hearing much more about her . I’m interested to know what you find particularly different with her being female

 

[Socks' Mum]

Welcome to the forum. Hedleyetta Hamster is gorgeous ❤

 

[Flowsey]

Thank you for the welcomes to the forum. Very lovey to meet you.
I lost my golden Syrian boy (who I’d fostered then adopted) on a sad Monday/Tuesday & decided as I would miss him so much I had to find another boy to rescue from being unwanted. So by the Friday I’d found & rehomed Hedley. He was about 9/10 weeks old by then. Apparently the lady had got him for her grandson but she’d also got guinea pigs - far more happy to be handled I believe, so the grandson paid no attention to poor hammie - they hadn’t even named him - aww.
So yes, he arrived & I was concerned as he was coming out to wee literally every hour - day & night. No other odd behaviour.
I’ve had hammies in the past & this was nothing I’d encountered before.
So after a week or so he was still doing this so eventually whipped him over to the vet. And yes, turns out he’s fine, but is a She So I had to rename her pretty quickly lol.
Got home & two bitten fingers later safely back in her cage - meanwhile the place was like a CSI crime scene!!
So she’s still getting used to being handled, I use her food tub to get her out of the cage into her playpen - plasters at the ready lol, no she’s not bitten since, I think she was just a bit scared of the vet visit & being in a pet carrier.
She trashed her cage the other night & after googling - before I’d spotted this forum!, seems like girls can go a bit wild when in heat - she certainly keeps me on my toes!!
Bless her cottons.
Obviously having a girl now won’t diminish the huge place she already has in my heart - all hammies welcome here

 

[Maz]

I'm so sorry about your Syrian boy x And glad you gave Hedleyetta a home! She needed it. Trashing her cage sounds nice and healthy

 

[Maz]

Female syrians seem to like lots of cardboard to shred - eg toilet roll treat parcels, cardboard egg boxes etc Also plenty of bedding - which cage do you have - I think filling the base with bedding would be an idea. Some people put cardboard inside the bars to have it deeper, but she would probably chew it off!

 

[Socks' Mum]

Lovely that you have given Hedleyetta a wonderful home. I'm sure she will become tame soon and you will be best friends ❤

 

[Flowsey]

Thanks for the top tips. I think whatever was in the cage that night would’ve been demolished She’s been a lot calmer since & I’ve managed to get a diy burrow box in her cage too - full of bedding, flowery stuff & treats so she’s not wanting for much - except escape of course
They all want that don’t they!! My little boy was scared of most things and most things human lol. Hedleyetta is very nosy & will listen to my voice & comes over if I’m by the cage & does come out quite voluntarily - via food tub or diy sand bath! Getting good at repurposing things for hamster time activities
How are your little fur balls with handling & play times?

 

[Lovelyness]

Ha ha Blossom was a crazy girl, especially when in heat When she was very little, she was more like Taz of Tasmania…it was like a whirlwind had ripped through her cage lol She was an avid chewer, and especially loved her dig box. She loved a good chat too She’s been gone 3 weeks now…I miss my crazy girl

 

[Maz]

Thanks for the top tips. I think whatever was in the cage that night would’ve been demolished She’s been a lot calmer since & I’ve managed to get a diy burrow box in her cage too - full of bedding, flowery stuff & treats so she’s not wanting for much - except escape of course
They all want that don’t they!! My little boy was scared of most things and most things human lol. Hedleyetta is very nosy & will listen to my voice & comes over if I’m by the cage & does come out quite voluntarily - via food tub or diy sand bath! Getting good at repurposing things for hamster time activities
How are your little fur balls with handling & play times?

I have two male Syrians - it took time for the handling. I started with bathtub time until they would eat from my hand and put a paw on my hand and accepted being stroked. Then managed a tiny bit of handling - then moved to the playpen and let them just enjoy that but I also have the playpen butted up against the sofa so I’d left them out in a hide onto the sofa - if they jumped off they’d land in the playpen! I found it easier to get them used to handling while they were on the sofa - but different things work for different people and different hamsters

This was separately of course not together. I had one first and the second one about 9 months later. So one was pretty tame and handleable before I started with the second one.

Her flowery dig box sounds great

 

[Socks' Mum]

Socks loves playpen times, but he gets up at about 3am. I tend to sleep very lightly, so I taxi him to the playpen for about twenty minutes. He is so keen for a run he hurries into the taxi. He runs around in the playpen, flitting about like a little bird. He used to get onto his playpen wheel quite quickly and loved to have me watch him while running. He's quite old now and a bit frail. Sometimes his back feet slip and he has to quickly pull himself back onto the wheel. So it takes a while befoee he gets on his wheel now. Once he has warmed up, he runs as easily as ever. I don't pick him up if I can avoid it as he is rather frail now, although his weight has been stable. His back legs tend to splay and his back is a little bent, so I usually get him into a tube to transfer him to his playpen and back. On cage cleaning days I pick him up carefully in some bedding to put him in his carrier ❤

 

[Flowsey]

Ha ha Blossom was a crazy girl, especially when in heat When she was very little, she was more like Taz of Tasmania…it was like a whirlwind had ripped through her cage lol She was an avid chewer, and especially loved her dig box. She loved a good chat too She’s been gone 3 weeks now…I miss my crazy girl

Aw, I’m so sad to hear about Blossom. I do know about the Taz side of girly hammies now - it’s a sight to behold. They do leave a huge place in our hearts when they go
Will you have another before too long?

 

[Flowsey]

I have two male Syrians - it took time for the handling. I started with bathtub time until they would eat from my hand and put a paw on my hand and accepted being stroked. Then managed a tiny bit of handling - then moved to the playpen and let them just enjoy that but I also have the playpen butted up against the sofa so I’d left them out in a hide onto the sofa - if they jumped off they’d land in the playpen! I found it easier to get them used to handling while they were on the sofa - but different things work for different people and different hamsters

This was separately of course not together. I had one first and the second one about 9 months later. So one was pretty tame and handleable before I started with the second one.

Her flowery dig box sounds great

That’s a good idea for the playpen against the sofa - I do have - at times - a flying Hedleyetta! She doesn’t care where just away
Unfortunately I don’t have a bath to use but she is getting better, even managed about a 3 second belly rub last night - I’m sure she secretly liked it
Do you keep them in the same room & are they aware of each other? That would be fascinating!!

 

[Flowsey]

Socks loves playpen times, but he gets up at about 3am. I tend to sleep very lightly, so I taxi him to the playpen for about twenty minutes. He is so keen for a run he hurries into the taxi. He runs around in the playpen, flitting about like a little bird. He used to get onto his playpen wheel quite quickly and loved to have me watch him while running. He's quite old now and a bit frail. Sometimes his back feet slip and he has to quickly pull himself back onto the wheel. So it takes a while befoee he gets on his wheel now. Once he has warmed up, he runs as easily as ever. I don't pick him up if I can avoid it as he is rather frail now, although his weight has been stable. His back legs tend to splay and his back is a little bent, so I usually get him into a tube to transfer him to his playpen and back. On cage cleaning days I pick him up carefully in some bedding to put him in his carrier ❤

Socks sounds a great character too!! Love you taxiing him places - but not at that time of night Aw, how old is he? With my boy (Panda) as I’d adopted him I wasn’t sure of his age but could tell he was getting on & he felt very frail so I’d pick him up very gently - I’d had him only 13 months & even captured ‘the’ moment on my ham cam so that was super sad
I’d not thought of a playpen wheel too - she’s got the rolls Royce of wheels in her cage - which mostly gets ignored - funny girl!
We do like to spoil these furry friends of ours, but they deserve it!! We know they love us too really Sending love to Socks

 

[Lovelyness]

Aw, I’m so sad to hear about Blossom. I do know about the Taz side of girly hammies now - it’s a sight to behold. They do leave a huge place in our hearts when they go
Will you have another before too long?

I’m not planning on having another due to life circumstances. I do keep looking at people’s posts of setting up new enclosures tho…But no, it’s not practical at all at the moment.

 

[Maz]

That’s a good idea for the playpen against the sofa - I do have - at times - a flying Hedleyetta! She doesn’t care where just away
Unfortunately I don’t have a bath to use but she is getting better, even managed about a 3 second belly rub last night - I’m sure she secretly liked it
Do you keep them in the same room & are they aware of each other? That would be fascinating!!

Well most of the time they ignore each other and do their own thing as if the other one doesn't exist. Their cages are a good few feet apart. However sometimes there is jealousy and intense rivalry and competitiveness! Eg if I am talking to one hamster (the newer one), the older one glares at me. Likewise if I let one of them out, the other one immediately pesters to come out. Again it's mainly the older one gets very jealous if I let the other one out. (Older one is Tino, younger one is Higgins). Whereas Higgins just sits patiently at the door if Tino is out - gets my attention but doesn't glare at me or guilt trip me