March monthly thread - Raffy and other things

[Maz]

Day 1

I've started this a few days early this month as have a few busy things to deal with in 10 days time or so This month will mainly be about my Syrian hamster, Raffy, at the grand old age of approximately 2 years and 3 months (or possibly 2 years and 2 months) - plus various other bits and pieces. Baby Syrian Hamster Tino is more reclusive! But might make an appearance ..............

Raffy loves his free roam time and covers every inch of the room, in between coming back to the coffee table area, which used to be his playpen area. A wheel and saucer permanently live under the coffee table! He has a few favourite hang-outs in the room. One area is behind the tv cabinet in a dark corner - and sometimes under the tv cabinet. another area is a kind of cubby area behind the stairs. There is a wiring extension at floor level there, so just in case he decided to chew it, I have a cushion wedged on the floor there, covering it. I don't think he would chew it though as he doesn't do things like that. Raffy loves that cushion! He jumps on it and kind of rolls around. I don't see it that often as I don't often peer behind the staircase into that corner! But I did see him do it the other night and he seems so happy and full of joy rolling on that cushion! I'll see if I can catch it on camera at some point this week.

I also thought it would be nice to document him for a week as he's getting older now. Although he doesn't act like he is! He leaps into his tube when he wants to come out at night, zooms around and seems very perky and active.
Although some of this is not that new, for those who have followed Raffy's thread, hopefully there will be some new bits along the way

This is the subterranean coffee table play area. At the moment there is just the wheel and saucer but usually there are various hides and a dig box. They got taken up recently for a clean up.





Raffy wondering what I'm up to



And this is Raffy using the playpen area

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

While I was uploading that video to youtube, it played back a couple of times and Raffy sat very still listening. I think it confused him as if I was still talking to him!

 

[Socks' Mum]

Raffy looks at you with so much love, it is so sweet. Great blog, very interesting and enjoyable.

 

[Hank]

It's great to see Raffy, he's such a gorgeous boy. It's a good idea, as he's a little older, but you are right the videos and photos don't show his age, I think he still has a bit of a baby face as well. He's so well behaved in his big free roam area and he really is listening to you.
Can't wait to hear more

 

[RainbowBrite]

I am looking forward to this. Raffy is amazing for his age. He is adorable and looks like he is having so much fun.

 

[Frida]

I love seeing Raffy He's looking very well for his age

 

[Maz]

Thank you all It's just a standard "week in the life of" thread really About hamsters and other things! But it'll mostly be about Raffy. I have to say I think he felt a bit weirded by hearing the first part of the video - ie a conversation we had already had earlier. My voice but not me saying it! He sat very still listening. He knows something is different as I'm holding the phone up more often!

 

[Socks' Mum]

They remember things really well and in great detail, the sweeties!

 

[Maz]

They do indeed - he was taking it all in. Maybe I should tell him he's going to be a star for a week and see how he responds!

 

[Maz]

Day 2

Last night I mixed up new bags of Raffy and Tino's hamster mix. Both bags from the freezer. It's 50/50 Harry Hamster and Bunny Dream Syrian mix. The Bunny dream has mealworms in. I'm not too fussed on the Harry Hamster these days - it seems to be more and more biscuit based - but the two mixed together work quite well. Harry Hamster has 18% protein and Bunny Dream has about 15% so it gives a mix with about 16.5% protein. Which is fine for an older hamster like Raffy, but Tino needs the protein supplementing. He gets chopped boiled egg 2 or 3 times a week, plus nuts. He doesn't seem to like cheese.



For anyone who hasn't seen it, this is what the Bunny Dream Syrian mix looks like



And both mixed together. I have a tall lock and lock box that fits both bags in together well - then it's just a case of shaking and stirring to mix them in well.



And here's Raffy looking thoughtful last night. His fur is lovely and silky.



Back in his cage after a couple of hours free roaming, pouching his food. He saw me taking the photo and came over wanting to be out again. I think he just wants to live in the house with us!

 

[Lovelyness]

Yes, I agree about Harry Hamster...it is very biscuit based! I mix mine with another food too, and supplement with Science Selective

 

[RainbowBrite]

Aww! Raffy really does want to be out all the time. I smiled at him thinking he could go back out when he noticed you taking a picture.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Oh what a sweetie! Yes, mixing the foods seems the best way to go. Socks eats cheese for a few days and then hardly touches it. The same with egg. He eats peas with delight every day and I think they have some useful protein in them to bump up the mixes. It's tricky getting it right.

 

[Maz]

It seems strange me complaining that HH is now so biscuit based, after that odd bag I had which wasn't! And was full of grains. But I do think it's more biscuit based than it used to be. Less other things. It still has black sunflower seeds, whole pumpkin seeds in shells and whole monkey nuts - but not very many! I do think it's slightly different than it was a few years ago. The nutritional value is the same though on the packet.

I really like the Bunny Dream one - the photo doesn't really do it justice. But on it's own it has lots of tiny bits and seeds and Syrians sometimes like bigger pieces - which is why I mix the two.

Rainbow yes Raffy ALWAYS wants to be out. If I put him back in his cage I am expected to go to bed! If I don't go to bed and I go anywhere near the cage he fusses at the door to come out again!

One more photo today. These tulips were given to me on Mother's Day - they are a lovely colour I think. After taking that photo, I saw the water was right down, so topped it up!

 

[RainbowBrite]

They are really beautiful flowers. What a lovely Mothers day gift.

 

[Jain]

Day 1

I've started this a few days early this month as have a few busy things to deal with in 10 days time or so This month will mainly be about my Syrian hamster, Raffy, at the grand old age of approximately 2 years and 3 months (or possibly 2 years and 2 months) - plus various other bits and pieces. Baby Syrian Hamster Tino is more reclusive! But might make an appearance ..............

Raffy loves his free roam time and covers every inch of the room, in between coming back to the coffee table area, which used to be his playpen area. A wheel and saucer permanently live under the coffee table! He has a few favourite hang-outs in the room. One area is behind the tv cabinet in a dark corner - and sometimes under the tv cabinet. another area is a kind of cubby area behind the stairs. There is a wiring extension at floor level there, so just in case he decided to chew it, I have a cushion wedged on the floor there, covering it. I don't think he would chew it though as he doesn't do things like that. Raffy loves that cushion! He jumps on it and kind of rolls around. I don't see it that often as I don't often peer behind the staircase into that corner! But I did see him do it the other night and he seems so happy and full of joy rolling on that cushion! I'll see if I can catch it on camera at some point this week.

I also thought it would be nice to document him for a week as he's getting older now. Although he doesn't act like he is! He leaps into his tube when he wants to come out at night, zooms around and seems very perky and active.
Although some of this is not that new, for those who have followed Raffy's thread, hopefully there will be some new bits along the way

This is the subterranean coffee table play area. At the moment there is just the wheel and saucer but usually there are various hides and a dig box. They got taken up recently for a clean up.

View attachment 6405

View attachment 6406

Raffy wondering what I'm up to

View attachment 6413

And this is Raffy using the playpen area

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

While I was uploading that video to youtube, it played back a couple of times and Raffy sat very still listening. I think it confused him as if I was still talking to him!


View attachment 6415


View attachment 6411

Lovely to see Raffy enjoying time out he certainly dosent look his age

 

[Maz]

Thank you Rainbow and Jain.

 

[Jain]

Day 2

Last night I mixed up new bags of Raffy and Tino's hamster mix. Both bags from the freezer. It's 50/50 Harry Hamster and Bunny Dream Syrian mix. The Bunny dream has mealworms in. I'm not too fussed on the Harry Hamster these days - it seems to be more and more biscuit based - but the two mixed together work quite well. Harry Hamster has 18% protein and Bunny Dream has about 15% so it gives a mix with about 16.5% protein. Which is fine for an older hamster like Raffy, but Tino needs the protein supplementing. He gets chopped boiled egg 2 or 3 times a week, plus nuts. He doesn't seem to like cheese.

View attachment 6427

For anyone who hasn't seen it, this is what the Bunny Dream Syrian mix looks like

View attachment 6428

And both mixed together. I have a tall lock and lock box that fits both bags in together well - then it's just a case of shaking and stirring to mix them in well.

View attachment 6429

And here's Raffy looking thoughtful last night. His fur is lovely and silky.

View attachment 6431

Back in his cage after a couple of hours free roaming, pouching his food. He saw me taking the photo and came over wanting to be out again. I think he just wants to live in the house with us!

View attachment 6433

View attachment 6434

I often wish it was possible just to leave the cage open on the floor and allow Pete the freedom to come and go as he pleased but for safety sake it's just not an option bet Raffy would love that too

 

[Maz]

He absolutely would love that I'm sure. I think most hamsters would actually. But even if it was possible to say, have a tube exit from the cage to the floor, I wouldn't think free roaming was safe without someone around to keep an eye on things. Most hamsters would probably go back to their nest/cages by morning though. But if they got into a fix and we weren't there ...................

 

[Emx93]

Raffy is so sweet and so lucky that he gets to free roaming a whole room

 

[Maz]

Day 3

Today it actually looks like Spring outside. Puffy white clouds and a bit of sunshine. Although still a bit damp. The daffodils are out on the verges in the area, but not yet in the garden. The garden daffodils are always a bit late flowering. So there's quite a gap between the snowdrops and daffodils here as the rabbits ate all the crocus bulbs! So I gave up with crocuses. The few daffodils are safe though, as are the bluebells, which spread every year. The bluebells won't be out till late April/May, but the green leaves have started appearing already.

One lone flower in the back garden! And some dwarf narcissi not yet in flower. I think the flower/bulb might be a white crocus actually as it doesn't look like a snowdrop and the snowdrops in the front have all finished now. Horticulturists welcome to identify!



A clump of daffodils in the grass in the front, not yet flowered - and the dark green clumps are bluebell leaves.



Bluebell leaves



It's always tricky trying to do a first cut of the front lawn before it gets too long as the lawn is full of bluebells, which spread each year. So either you have to do a first cut, weaving round the leaves - which is tricky. Or, as usually happens, that doesn't get done in time and it's a case of waiting till the bluebells have finished some time in May, by which time the grass is very tall! The grass doesn't actually look like it needs cutting at the moment so it will probably get left till May now.

And here's a video of Raffy. This is how he goes back to his cage after his free roam. If I can easily see him he happily walks into a tube if it's offered. If I can't see him I have to call his name a few times and eventually he appears and walks into a tube On this occasion he was being cheeky. He normally just climbs out of the tube and into his cage. But he kept turning round in the tube, wanting to come out again . Sometimes he does this, but this time he did it more than usual. Maybe it was because he was being filmed.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies