Oaky's Diary
- Thread starter Hamster Haven
- Start date
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
COMPLETE contrast... After a while with our last hamster, I actually didn't change up the cage often because he had only 2 or 3 things he liked and he had no interest in new things and no interest in chewing anything other than food and Whimzees. He did enjoy flax sprays and a variety of foods, but he would just hoard them and then stay in his hidey hole until we went to sleep and then come out to use his wheel most of the time.
Oaky comes out anytime she wants, and if she's in the mood and she sees us she'll keep stretching and reaching, like you're gonna help me get out of here, right? She makes lots of burrows and tunnels, chews at fabric during free roam time, chews at cork and Palm leaf bowls in her enclosure- basically tons of things.
When we first got her, she was very anxious about hands or being held and would sometimes be very jumpy, and do like a 180° turn if she got nervous about a hand being near her or about being picked up.. Now she crawls right into my hand and patiently hangs out, mostly because she understands that I'm her ticket out of that enclosure. But she is, so i'm bold that I have to be very careful. Yesterday, I was transporting her in an upside down, igloo and looked away for a brief second and she jumped right out, and I was so worried because I was standing up, but luckily she was okay, and now I know in the future to watch more closely. She will launch herself, though. She has no fear.
Oaky comes out anytime she wants, and if she's in the mood and she sees us she'll keep stretching and reaching, like you're gonna help me get out of here, right? She makes lots of burrows and tunnels, chews at fabric during free roam time, chews at cork and Palm leaf bowls in her enclosure- basically tons of things.
When we first got her, she was very anxious about hands or being held and would sometimes be very jumpy, and do like a 180° turn if she got nervous about a hand being near her or about being picked up.. Now she crawls right into my hand and patiently hangs out, mostly because she understands that I'm her ticket out of that enclosure. But she is, so i'm bold that I have to be very careful. Yesterday, I was transporting her in an upside down, igloo and looked away for a brief second and she jumped right out, and I was so worried because I was standing up, but luckily she was okay, and now I know in the future to watch more closely. She will launch herself, though. She has no fear.
- Messages
- 22,148
- Reaction score
- 39,268
- Points
- 1,373
That's lovely she walks onto your hand now! Yes she sounds very fearless! I still use my rat tube for transporting. One end against my stomach and a hand over the other end. Tino pushes hard against my stomach so I need to get from the cage to the "let out" area quite quickly 
- Messages
- 1,506
- Reaction score
- 1,813
- Points
- 1,298
Yes, I was amazed by how hamsters can ping into the air quite high. I suppose it's a reflex that helps them to escape predators like snakes in the wild 
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
It took me 5 months, but Oaky finally won me over. My husband enjoyed Oaky immensely from the start, because he loves watching her hamster antics, which we could never see with Cinnamon because he would hide from us most of the time. But I love being able to pick up a hamster and give it a quick cuddle, and Oaky was incredibly hand-shy- even fearful for a long time. I think I wrote about this, but she would sometimes get startled and do this abrupt 180 degree spin that would startle me. I missed Cinnamon's sweet fluffiness and how easy he was to pick up and that he would sit in my hands for a few seconds, even though I knew he was just putting up with me.
But now, after months, Oaky completely understands that our hands aren't a threat to her, and even more so, she realizes that we are able to let her out, which, unlike Cinnamon, she loves to do. Many times she'll climb in my hands and up my arm and wait patiently to be lifted out (I still use a transport for long transfers, but sometimes I just lift her for a snuggle or quick transfer to a box right next to her enclosure). She's totally calm in hands now. It's AMAZING
But now, after months, Oaky completely understands that our hands aren't a threat to her, and even more so, she realizes that we are able to let her out, which, unlike Cinnamon, she loves to do. Many times she'll climb in my hands and up my arm and wait patiently to be lifted out (I still use a transport for long transfers, but sometimes I just lift her for a snuggle or quick transfer to a box right next to her enclosure). She's totally calm in hands now. It's AMAZING
- Messages
- 22,148
- Reaction score
- 39,268
- Points
- 1,373
Oh that's wonderful! I think it's natural, when the hamster is so different, to miss the previous one at first, and especially when a new hamster isn't that tame. And then suddenly you fall in love with them
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- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
Just in time for Oaky's photo win, a new video of her doing everything she can to escape whatever space she is currently in- this time a cardboard box playpen.
- Messages
- 1,506
- Reaction score
- 1,813
- Points
- 1,298
She's a strong little hammy 
- Messages
- 22,148
- Reaction score
- 39,268
- Points
- 1,373
She's so active and adorable! Looks so happy and curious. Her mission to get out of the box!
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
So... update after months of only mentioning Oaky in response to other people's posts 
...Oaky is doing well. She's so tame now because she knows we exist to let her out. She doesn't seem as needy to get out every day, but she does also get up later, so we don't see her as much except when we're up late. I prefer to let her free roam in a bedroom, but I have to be in there with her if she does, just to make sure I don't lose complete track of her because she'll really go everywhere. However, she doesn't seem as anxious to escape the bath anymore (only sometimes) so I use that for short changes of scenery when I can't watch her as closely or have her out as long. We have a little dig box and other houses, another wheel and I sprinkle some food around. I noticed recently that she's created quite an above ground hoarde in her cage, too! (picture attached). Since I know she's so active, I tend to hide more snacks for her to find as enrichment. I'll try to add another video later.
...Oaky is doing well. She's so tame now because she knows we exist to let her out. She doesn't seem as needy to get out every day, but she does also get up later, so we don't see her as much except when we're up late. I prefer to let her free roam in a bedroom, but I have to be in there with her if she does, just to make sure I don't lose complete track of her because she'll really go everywhere. However, she doesn't seem as anxious to escape the bath anymore (only sometimes) so I use that for short changes of scenery when I can't watch her as closely or have her out as long. We have a little dig box and other houses, another wheel and I sprinkle some food around. I noticed recently that she's created quite an above ground hoarde in her cage, too! (picture attached). Since I know she's so active, I tend to hide more snacks for her to find as enrichment. I'll try to add another video later.
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- Messages
- 292
- Reaction score
- 657
- Points
- 138
I have had three female syrians as an adult and they have all been very lively! Kashi (brown short haired with white paws) loved to shred cardboard that I wove in and out of her barney cage bars. She once escaped and was discovered behind the fridge with an impressive stash of food.
Harvest (cream banded short haired with deep red eyes) lived in a 5 foot by 2 foot rabbit hutch and spent hours gnawing at the wood so that she could have her freedom. I have to put mesh over it in the end.
Sound like Oaky is really settled with you and is still keeping you on your toes!
Harvest (cream banded short haired with deep red eyes) lived in a 5 foot by 2 foot rabbit hutch and spent hours gnawing at the wood so that she could have her freedom. I have to put mesh over it in the end.
Sound like Oaky is really settled with you and is still keeping you on your toes!
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
Oh yes! Even in the bedroom, once she's gone all the way around, she'll find her way into some place.Like a little nook under the bed that I can't easily get her out of or a little tiny hollow underneath a nightstand. Originally, I didn't mind this until I could hear her chewing away at something underneath, which really?Only minimally bothered me except that she wouldn't come out for so long and I was like, "Oaky, it's time to go back to your enclosure!" So I sealed those spots off just to not drive myself crazy while i'm letting her explore a larger room. But she can definitely shred some material when she wants to, and lock in on something like a crazy girl.
she is still fascinatingly active.But at least she's calmed down just a hair. It is funny though that she makes full use of her cage, whereas our last male hamster pretty much would just go from his food to his sand bath, which he used to pee in, to his wheel and then back into his hide. He very rarely burrowed, even though it's the same cage, and he had just as much bedding. On the other hand she has created a floor and all kinds of different burrows underneath the bedding surface of her enclosure.
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 174
- Points
- 568
Right as I was set to give Oaky a short ten minute stint in the bedroom before bed, i realized that one of our bunnies was uncharacteristically loafing in there.And so I had to quickly change plans. I didn't want to set the whole bath playtime up.So I just got in the bath with her and let her crawl over me for a little bit.
- Messages
- 1,506
- Reaction score
- 1,813
- Points
- 1,298
Lovely 
It is such fun watching then bustle about inspecting everything. The bath with a human to climb on was a great idea She is pretty confident, beautiful girl 
It is such fun watching then bustle about inspecting everything. The bath with a human to climb on was a great idea She is pretty confident, beautiful girl