He is so gorgeous
That's exactly what I've done with Pete one at a time and not too many he had a few more during taming sessions but that was early daysI do not want to feed him too many treats so I am trying to feed just one at a time. I am trying to monitor his diet due to his diabetes risk. Hopefully he will get used to less treats.
M
Member ID2
Some dwarfs can be very territorial and simply don't tolerate a hand inside their home. It may be too early to come to this conclusion though.
I know that my views differ from other members but personally, i don't really care whether the hamsters take food from my hand or not.
I'd try and find out if Sprite would like out of cage time by offering a taxi to the playpen. I prefer to introduce myself including my hands on neutral ground.
It may be a little too early for out of cage time while he's still settling in but he's not a baby and may already be used to humans. Maybe he just needs to get to know you to trust you.
I'm not saying that my approach is the way forward. I'm only adding another perspective.
I know that my views differ from other members but personally, i don't really care whether the hamsters take food from my hand or not.
I'd try and find out if Sprite would like out of cage time by offering a taxi to the playpen. I prefer to introduce myself including my hands on neutral ground.
It may be a little too early for out of cage time while he's still settling in but he's not a baby and may already be used to humans. Maybe he just needs to get to know you to trust you.
I'm not saying that my approach is the way forward. I'm only adding another perspective.
There’s no one way of doing things & I think Beryl’s ideas are good too.
I was wondering if he might be ready for some out of cage time as he’s been in the rescue & would have had interaction there.
I think it’s different with a tank style cage too, I use the large front door & keep my hand close to the door or even just outside to begin with so I’m not invading their space too much but you don’t have that option.
I was wondering if he might be ready for some out of cage time as he’s been in the rescue & would have had interaction there.
I think it’s different with a tank style cage too, I use the large front door & keep my hand close to the door or even just outside to begin with so I’m not invading their space too much but you don’t have that option.
R
RainbowBrite
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I am excited to interact with Sprite in a playpen. Maybe in a few weeks he will be ready.
R
RainbowBrite
Oh really? I thought it may be too soon. He never used a playpen in the rescue so I am unsure if he ever came out the cage.
I’m assuming he had some contact with people at the rescue even if he didn’t have out of cage time so I don’t think you need to wait too long.
He’s had a week with you so he may be ready or you might want to leave it another week but I wouldn’t wait more than that.
Short sessions to begin with just letting him explore will give you a good idea of how he feels about it.
He’s obviously not scared of you so I think he’d be fine.
Personally I think you can wait too long & they get more used just being left in the cage & it can be harder for them to get used to coming out.
He’s had a week with you so he may be ready or you might want to leave it another week but I wouldn’t wait more than that.
Short sessions to begin with just letting him explore will give you a good idea of how he feels about it.
He’s obviously not scared of you so I think he’d be fine.
Personally I think you can wait too long & they get more used just being left in the cage & it can be harder for them to get used to coming out.
R
RainbowBrite
Thank you. That is a good point. Perhaps I will set up the playpen and see what happens.
- Messages
- 20,138
- Reaction score
- 37,204
- Points
- 1,373
With Syrians, I tend to go with - leave them two weeks before starting out of cage time, unless they show obvious signs of wanting to come out earlier. Eg coming to the cage door and looking at you etc. It maybe needs a different way of judging that if there isn't a cage door to come to. You could try offering him a taxi. If he runs away then he's maybe not ready. If he walks into it then you could try him with a short session in the playpen. Maybe 15 to 20 minutes. It may be different with Russian dwarfs, but with Syrians I tend to find they do need 10 days to start feeling confident in the cage.
Sprite does seem quite confident though.
Sprite does seem quite confident though.
This was the tack I took with Pete but they are all different my own finding was the more I interacted the more he came out of his shell but slowly slowly and lots time's but lasting no longer than a couple of minutes and always rewarded with a small treat
M
Member ID2
Sprite's a foodie. Chuck a few seeds in a taxi and he'll probably walk in.
I do the reverse with Lilly when i try to get her back in her cage. Rarely fails.
I do the reverse with Lilly when i try to get her back in her cage. Rarely fails.
R
RainbowBrite
The rescue told us Sprite does not have any routine. This is very true. He wakes at different times every day. This morning he was up when I woke up. I went to get his breakfast but he had gone to bed when I got back. He is very active at night though. He seems to really love his wheel and he enjoys digging in eco earth. Here is a video of him doing a bit of digging.
R
RainbowBrite
He is forever meerkatting. He is so curious and seems to hear any little sound.
R
RainbowBrite
Sprite had a little go in his playpen. He happily took seeds from my hand but wanted to chew my fingers too. He does not seem to be doing it for me to remove my hand. It is more like he is having fun!
F
Frida
Lovely update on Sprite 
Albert to Sprite: don't worry about having a routine. I do what I want when I want
Albert to Sprite: don't worry about having a routine. I do what I want when I want