How-To: Come with Kai

Want to teach your pet hamster to come when you call him like Kai does below?



First, gather your supplies. You will need a playpen, click pen, and your hamster's favorite treats.

*Important Notes*: Your hamster should be somewhat comfortable with you before you begin to train him to come. If he is not comfortable with you, you could possibly end up scaring him, which could harm your relationship.
Also, you don't want to lose your hamster while you are training him so make sure you keep him safe! His cage/bin, a playpen, or hamster proofed room are all safe places to practice.

Here are the steps to teaching your hamster to Come!

Step 1: Set up your hamster safe place without any toys. The smaller the space the better at the beginning. I started in a pen.
Step 2: Place your hamster in the hamster safe place.
Step 3: Have a treat in your hand ready to go.
Step 4: Call your hamster to come, followed by kissing noises until he reaches you. Don't give up if he doesn't come right away, your hamster doesn't have great eye sight and he will need to hear you in order to find you. Keep making nonthreatening noises until he finds you.
Step 5: Once your hamster reaches you, click your click pen and give him a treat.
Step 6: Remove your hand from the pen, let your hamster move away from you and try again.
Step 7: Keep practicing until your hamster can come when there are toys inside his hamster safe place. Then practice in a larger area.

Happy Belated Birthday Boys

Kai in the log.

The boys had their first Birthday a few months ago. They are currently 14 months and 3 weeks old. They celebrated their big day a few days late, but surely enjoyed their extra playtime and treats!

Ever wonder why I named them Kai and Dillan? Well, I love the beach and the ocean so I decided to look for names that represented that. Here's each boy's name's definition and expression thanks to www.sheknows.com/baby-names.

In Hawaiian Kai means "ocean" or "ocean water". People with this name tend to be creative and excellent at expressing themselves. They are drawn to the arts, and often enjoy life immensely. They are often the center of attention, and enjoy careers that put them in the limelight. They tend to become involved in many different activities, and are sometimes reckless with both their energies and with money. Yep, it seems to fit! He's very outgoing and always willing to come out to play no matter what.

Dillan peeking over the flying saucer.

In Welsh Dillan means "ocean's son". People with this name are excellent at analyzing, understanding and learning. They tend to be mystics, philosophers, scholars, and teachers. Because they live so much in the mind, they tend to be quiet and introspective, and are usually introverts. When presented with issues, they will see the larger picture. Their solitary thoughtfulness and analysis of people and world events may make them seem aloof, and sometimes even melancholy. Yep, sounds like Dillan! He's a little shy and always analyzing what might happen next before he decides if he's got enough courage to check stuff out.

Also, check out the ticker below from TickerFactory.com to find out what their age is today!

Dillan eating a pumpkin seed.

Dillan eating a cheesy chew.

Kai eating a cheesy chew.

Kai trying to sleep in the log.

Ecotrition Contest Prize

A few months ago I entered a contest at Ecotrition's Facebook page for a chance to win some small pet prizes. I didn't think I would actually win, but I did! This time I received some Frosted Donuts, Bites, and a Treat Stick. I haven't given the boys any of it yet because they are still working on their other treats, but I'm sure they will love the Donuts, since they love the Cupcakes from Wild Harvest, and the Bites, since they love seeds of any kind.

In case you were thinking of getting any these products for your little ones, I decided to do a little review on their ingredients and such.


Frosted Donuts

Protein 12%
Fat 6%
Fiber (Max) 2%
Moisture (Max) 12%
Calcium .05%
Calcium (Max) .20%
Phosphorus .10%

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Dried Milk, Dried Egg Product, Dried Carrot, Rice Bran, Egg Albumin, Vegetable Oil, Natural Milk Flavor, Sodium Bicarbonate, Tapioca Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Yogurt Flavor, Silicon Dioxide, Potassium Acid Tartrate.


Bites

Protein 13%
Fat 6%
Fiber 9%
Moisture 12%

Ingredients: White Millet, Red Millet, Milo, Sunflower Seed, Wheat, Whole Corn, Oat Groats, Buckwheat, Modified Starch, Maltose Syrum, Porpylene Glycol, Ground Corn, Alginate, propionic Acid, Vegetable Oil, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Postassium Sorbate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Choline Chloride, Copper Sulfate, Color Added(Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1).


Treat Stick

Protein 13%
Fat 8%
Fiber 9%
Moisture 12%
Calcium .05%
Calcium (Max) .55%
Phosphorus .35%
Vitamin A 1,500 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 100 IU/kg
Vitamin E 8 IU/kg

Ingredients: White Millet, Red Millet, Milo, Sunflower Seed, Wheat, Whole Corn, Oat Groats, Safflower Seeds, Gelatin, Buckwheat, Ground Corn, Feeding Oat Meal, Wheat Middlings, Propylene Glycol, Split Peas, Dehydrated Carrots, Vegetable Oil, Citric Acid, Soybean Meal, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Honey, Glycerin, Urea, Soybean Oil, Corn Gluten Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Yeast Culture, Calcium Carbonate, Monoammonium Phsophate, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Choline Chloride, D-Biotin, Zinc, Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Ethylenediamine, Dihydiodide, Sodium Selenite, Artificial Flavoring, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5, FD&C Blue 1.

Red Light Special

Kai under his red light

After having Dillan and Kai for a few months they still tend to only come out at night once all the lights go off. It was upsetting me a lot. I was at the point where I was frustrated and exhausted from waiting up all night to see them. I thought to myself, why have a pet if you never get to see and enjoy it?

I did some research online and found that Roborovski hamsters can't see red light. Oh boy did that excite me! I did some tests with an iPhone red light app and found that it seemed to be true. I decided to go on eBay and buy 2 red LED Red Light strips to hang over each of their cages. I wasn't sure how bright they would be so I opted for 2 that would be able to light up Kai's section since it's a little bit smaller, about 2 feet long.

When the lights came in quickly installed one over Kai's spot and I was quite impressed. They were very bright and Kai didn't seem to notice a thing. I decided to install the second light over Dillan's spot and kept my fingers crossed as I turned off the lights and turned on the red lights. Dillan is more timid than Kai and he came right out of his house just as he usually does as soon as I turn off the lights. I was in awe! I can finally watch the boys at night without having to sit in the dark and hope I can make them out.

Pros and Cons: Hamster Ball

Kai eating inside the ball.

There is a lot of controversy on hamster balls. Some people like them and some people don't. I tend not to use hamster balls. However, I did get one for the boys since every once in a while they both wake up at the same time. This allows me to place one into their playpen and, using the ball, prevent the other from just going back to sleep in his bin. This way we can switch half way through our play time and I can be sure both get playpen time. Sharing is Caring!

Here's a little information for you to decide whether you would like to use one with your hamsters or not.

Dillan running in the ball.

Pros
-  Better than being in their cages all day and night and never being able to come out to play.
-  They can explore more freely than just being held the whole time.
-  They are enclosed so they can't run away and get lost.
-  Owners don't need to watch them as much.
-  Can get a track which will diminish crashes.
-  They look cute running around in their balls.

Kai resting in the ball. He's not a big fan, though getting better.

Cons
-  They can't get out to rest.
-  Their toes might stuck/caught in the air vents.
-  Crashing into a wall is like crashing a car. The sudden jolt could injure your hamster.
-  There is not enough ventilation in the ball.
-  They do not naturally run the way they run inside the ball. On the ground they run with their noses along the ground so they can sense what is coming. In the ball they often run with an arched back and their noses high towards the sky.
-  They don't have good eye sight as it is, so even a clear ball reduces their sight even more.
-  Dwarfs tend to go to the bathroom inside and the ball and your floors can get messy.
-  They could chew through the ball.

Wee! Look how fast I can go. I love this ball!

I believe if you get the correct size ball for your hamster, a track, keep in mind that after about 5-10 minutes your hamster will probably need some water and a break, and watch your hamster so he doesn't stop the ball, chew it and escape you can very safely let your hamster use a hamster ball. However, if you are looking for a more fun way to bond with your hamster allowing him to walk freely and explore without the cumbersome of a ball I believe playpens are the best way to go.