Paŭ's thread

[Maz]

He's maybe just realised it's his new home and not another temporary holding bay! He does look happy exploring there. I noticed he seems to keep round the edges of the cage in the sand area so maybe he finds the open space a little daunting in the middle. Robos do seem to like/need lots of stuff on the floor of the cage and plenty of things to dive under. Maybe you could get a cork log or a couple of cardboard box hides on the sand area between the wheel and the front. That might help him feel more secure and it's added enrichment. I wouldn't move anything - just plonk something there in the open bit.

Agree that something smaller for the water would be better. I always worry they will fall in. They are so fast and fly around and don't always land where they intended. I dont think he would drown in it but it really isn't good for them to get wet - they can catch a chill so quickly and easily.

It's one reason I still use bottles. But I know plenty of people use water bowls these days. Maybe the location of it could also be somewhere away from the main area so it's less likely to be landed on? Eg the back left corner? But then he likes going round the back there and that would block it or he may try and jump over it and get sand in it. I like beryl's idea of making a hole in a house roof for a water bowl to sit in!

It would also be easy to make a bottle stand if you think the idea of both a bottle and a water bowl could be good.

 

[elusive]

Lovely to see how much he’s enjoying his new home already.
I find my chinese really don’t like to have any really open space either, little hides or cork tunnels make it feel much more secure for them & the cork is nice to climb on too.
I use the rodipet water bowls, shame delivery is so expensive now but I’ve found them to work perfectly for all my hams with no need for a bottle once they’ve adjusted they ignore the bottle entirely.

 

[RainbowBrite]

He looks so happy. In the first picture he looked sad but now he looks so different. I love that you gave him a beech chips area. My robo loves having different substrate to dig in. Great idea of yours to add sand were his wheel is too.

How do you pronounce his name? I was trying but I do not think I got it right.

 

[Banned Member 1]

He looks so happy. In the first picture he looked sad but now he looks so different. I love that you gave him a beech chips area. My robo loves having different substrate to dig in. Great idea of yours to add sand were his wheel is too.

How do you pronounce his name? I was trying but I do not think I got it right.

It's hard to figure out what goes on in their little heads sometimes but I bet its 'I hope I get to stay here and don't have to go back to living in a carrier'!

The 'aŭ' is kinda like 'owwww' or the 'ao' sound in the name 'Paulo'.

 

[Maz]

Yes I was thinking "Pow" sound Like Paulo.

 

[Member ID2]

What a cute little Robo and a lucky one.

You could take the top half of the little plastic hut off and place it on top of the sand.

 

[Maz]

That's a good idea - I think it needs to be solid underneath too. I am not entirely sure but I think they see sand substrate as slightly different to a sand "bath" - which is an enclosure.

 

[Zara]

He’s so cute and is already looking pretty comfy in his new home. You’ve done a great job in such a short time. Well done with the rescue, he’s a lucky little Robo.

 

[Banned Member 1]

I wonder if my webcam lens looks a bit like an eye to hamsters or if they're just noticing the dim LED on it. Snowy used to regularly stare into the camera and I just noticed Paŭ looking at it repeatedly while on his wheel.

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[RainbowBrite]

Pau is looking very happy there. Orko spotted the camera. I wonder if they can see the red light.

 

[Banned Member 1]

I haven't seen Paŭ yet today, despite being up since 6am due to insomnia. I did hear him moving around in his carrot cottage an hour or so ago. I have swapped out the ramekin for a small tealight candle holder that's a much better size for him. Also put an insect, a piece of a sorghum spray and an apple wood stick in his beech chips, looking forward to seeing what he makes of them.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Sorry to hear you have insomnia. I would not worry about not seeing Pau as he will be settling in. I rarely saw Orko for the first 7 or so month he moved in here. The tealight holder is a great idea. I bet he will love the treats you have given him.

 

[Banned Member 1]

Sorry to hear you have insomnia. I would not worry about not seeing Pau as he will be settling in. I rarely saw Orko for the first 7 or so month he moved in here. The tealight holder is a great idea. I bet he will love the treats you have given him.

I'm not too worried. Yesterday was a huge day for him so he deserves as much time feeling safe in his hide as he needs!

 

[Maz]

He does look very happy! And loves the wheel. It's hard to tell if he's looking at the camera or just looking out through the wheel holes now and then, which they tend to do - especially at first when they're sussing out where the holes are. It's par for the course that a Robo will hardly be seen for the first 2 or 3 weeks! Then they get a bit more confident. I think it was about 6 months before Pip was out regularly and accustomed to me talking to him through the cage. And often not till they're about a year old they seem more confident or start coming out in the day more. That's just my experience They will vary.

 

[Banned Member 1]

I wouldn't call it a burrow yet but he has been digging into the bedding under his carrot house a little bit. I am glad because we have some cold nights coming up and I don't want him to get cold.

 

[Banned Member 1]

He does look very happy! And loves the wheel. It's hard to tell if he's looking at the camera or just looking out through the wheel holes now and then, which they tend to do - especially at first when they're sussing out where the holes are. It's par for the course that a Robo will hardly be seen for the first 2 or 3 weeks! Then they get a bit more confident. I think it was about 6 months before Pip was out regularly and accustomed to me talking to him through the cage. And often not till they're about a year old they seem more confident or start coming out in the day more. That's just my experience They will vary.

I also think hamsters can go through a period of being more reclusive when they're first given proper care. They can suddenly engage in more natural behaviours and it seems like certain other instincts that they didn't exhibit before can kick in as a result. Snowy was out at various times in the day when I first got her (coming from a home where she had almost no bedding and was sleeping in a plastic tube) and then she made a burrow and became very averse to being out when she heard people noises or there was any light.

 

[Banned Member 1]

Paŭ has stolen Snowy's old trick. I hadn't seen any sign of him all day (though heard him moving in his house this morning). The instant it hit 9:35pm and the light dimmed he emerged! He must have been sitting there just waiting for it to get dark.

 

[RainbowBrite]

That sounds very familiar to me...

 

[Member ID2]

Welcome to the world of Robos

 

[Banned Member 1]

He ran down to the bottom of his cage and ate some food out of his pouches, then he washed himself for a while and rolled over in his sand. After a little run around his sand area and a little go in his wheel he discovered his bit of sorghum and had a nibble at it. Unfortunately he heard me creeping about and ran back to his hide after that.

(While this was going on I saw Snowy fall out of her food bowl into her water bowl. Think I should switch her bowl out for small tealight candle holder too to stop that happening again. Ikea were selling them in packs of 5 so plenty spare!).