Mr Nibbles Diary

[Amy]

Every time I pick up my phone he stops running and is doing the meerkat as if to say stop it watch me!! It’s so funny, why do they do that? I bought bean sprouts as a treat, he didn’t like them! But the pine nuts were gone immediately. And the blueberry was also rejected.

 

[Maz]

I love it when they do the look at me thing on a wheel. That does show he is bonding with you

 

[Amy]

I love it when they do the look at me thing on a wheel. That does show he is bonding with you

Aww that’s good

 

[Socks' Mum]

I also learned to beat with a wooden spoon for cake making and I swear the cakes taste better! It really is hard work though. I've never used a food mixer type thing for them but these days I just use an electric hand whisk for 10 minutes.

Yes, I love the simplicity and groundedness of using the wooden spoon. Noisy machines can be tedious

 

[Socks' Mum]

Every time I pick up my phone he stops running and is doing the meerkat as if to say stop it watch me!! It’s so funny, why do they do that? I bought bean sprouts as a treat, he didn’t like them! But the pine nuts were gone immediately. And the blueberry was also rejected.

Yes, they love attention Hamsters are far more intelligent and sensitive than people think. It's lovely that he wants to share his special wheel time with you

 

[Socks' Mum]

Even in the dark, Socks knew whether I was looking at him or not

 

[Amy]

Yes, they love attention Hamsters are far more intelligent and sensitive than people think. It's lovely that he wants to share his special wheel time with you

That’s true I just put him back in his house, but he was so upset. First he wouldn’t get out of the jar. Then he went in his wheel and peed. Then he came running to the door and wanted to climb in my hand, so I quickly got the jar and he’s back in his playpen I am going to finish watching my film and in an hour I will try again. The novelty is not wearing off. I don’t understand it as he spends most of the time in the wheel and he’s got a bigger one in the house. But somehow he loves it there. Maybe because it’s on the ground? I really don’t know. He’s won again, I am as soft as pudding! I can’t stand him being upset. Well I got some strokes for letting him go back in the playpen.

 

[Maz]

They really do taste better I think cake and bread need to be handmade… it’s the love and effort that makes them taste better. But I think I will get one of those old fashioned hand mixers. The one you spin the wheel. Is that what you use? I would love to share these lemon drizzle muffins with you all

I still make pastry and scones by hand. It's actually no slower and less washing up of fiddly bits.

 

[Socks' Mum]

That’s true I just put him back in his house, but he was so upset. First he wouldn’t get out of the jar. Then he went in his wheel and peed. Then he came running to the door and wanted to climb in my hand, so I quickly got the jar and he’s back in his playpen I am going to finish watching my film and in an hour I will try again. The novelty is not wearing off. I don’t understand it as he spends most of the time in the wheel and he’s got a bigger one in the house. But somehow he loves it there. Maybe because it’s on the ground? I really don’t know. He’s won again, I am as soft as pudding! I can’t stand him being upset. Well I got some strokes for letting him go back in the playpen.

Adorable
Nibbles' guide to humans, how to care for and train him or her

 

[Amy]

After over four hours I got him back. I used a trick: I’ve got this cute miniature basket which he could not resist biting and climbing into. Before he he blink he was in his cage clearly not amused but I dashed off to bed

 

[Amy]

Adorable
Nibbles' guide to humans, how to care for and train him or her

He’s got this well studied expression when he wants to come out to play which gives me the most guilty feeling
It’s not fair

 

[Socks' Mum]

He’s got this well studied expression when he wants to come out to play which gives me the most guilty feeling
It’s not fair

Lovely

 

[Socks' Mum]

After over four hours I got him back. I used a trick: I’ve got this cute miniature basket which he could not resist biting and climbing into. Before he he blink he was in his cage clearly not amused but I dashed off to bed

Clever Mum

 

[Amy]

Last night I was so frustrated I was close to leaving him in there and setting an alarm for five
I think eventually if this carries on it’s the only option I have left… he sleeps on the hemp mat, I caught him yesterday

 

[Amy]

My mum said: I would love to see you in the middle of the night in your jammies bending over that playpen with your Pyrex jug begging that miniature Napoleon to climb in

 

[Socks' Mum]

I must admit, I used a plastic concertina tunnel as a taxi with Socks. When Mom got drowsy she coralled Socksie into the tube and he got a lift back to his cage. Mom has memories of a plaintive little fellow meerkatting at the cage door at 3am, listening to her apologise and saying she needs her sleep. Then she would often drift off to the sound of the hamster wheel in the cage pattering It is very difficult to resist hammy eyes Socks was very good at giving Mom the slip and jumping back on his wheel which meant waiting a bit longer to get him back into his cage 🫩 as it is against the rules to stop a turning wheel and every hamster knows that but Mom got clever and took the wheel out of the playpen before getting the taxi

 

[Amy]

I didn’t think of that taking the wheel out, I tried tubes but he doesn’t like them.
He just seems so stressed when I take him out, or furious to be precise.
I have made him a wooden box with lots of bedding to climb into, I will try it out tonight to just leave him until the early morning to see if he’s happier there.
In that case when I get up at five I can then put him back in his house/cage. In the mornings he is less active and less energetic.
If that works out it would be great, if not I will try the wheel pinching trick.
I want him to be happy and if you could see him in the playpen, it’s heartbreaking to take him out.
If he’s goes to sleep in the wooden house/ bed and doesn’t wake up in the mornings, I will have to face that problem then. I guess he loves the luxury of having a house and a holiday home I wish I did

 

[Socks' Mum]

I didn’t think of that taking the wheel out, I tried tubes but he doesn’t like them.
He just seems so stressed when I take him out, or furious to be precise.
I have made him a wooden box with lots of bedding to climb into, I will try it out tonight to just leave him until the early morning to see if he’s happier there.
In that case when I get up at five I can then put him back in his house/cage. In the mornings he is less active and less energetic.
If that works out it would be great, if not I will try the wheel pinching trick.
I want him to be happy and if you could see him in the playpen, it’s heartbreaking to take him out.
If he’s goes to sleep in the wooden house/ bed and doesn’t wake up in the mornings, I will have to face that problem then. I guess he loves the luxury of having a house and a holiday home I wish I did

Sweet I tried putting Socks' Omlet cage (2025 mostly) into his Omlet playpen and just leaving the door open with a ramp made with cushions, which worked for a couple of nights, but then I noticed him looking to see if he could climb onto the roof and he seemed to be thinking of trying to jump from the roof over the side of the playpen, a very big jump So we went back to supervised playpen time 🫩

 

[Socks' Mum]

Mostly should be 2025 model

 

[Amy]

I was considering putting the cage infront of the playpen with a ramp. But that would mean lowering the cage. I will see. He might calm down in a few days, and will do all the faff for nothing