Species: Hybrid Dwarf

Estimated age: 6-8 months

Gender: Male

Likes: Mealworms, nuts, forage, burrowing, running on wheel, smooshed in tight spaces while watching you

Dislikes: Being picked up, little children

Fosterer’s Instagram account/ highlight of the foster: IG @inamilkcarton. Feel free to DM if you have questions!

Chicken in the Woods—or simply—Chicken, is a timid hamster who was rescued with a bunch of other hamsters housed together (no colonies, people!), with many of them sustaining serious injuries. Chicken came to his fosterer relatively injury-free; we wonder if it had anything to do with his skills in hide-and-seek.

With his fosterers’ daily taming attempts, he has slowly progressed to being willing to accept mealworms directly from hand. If he’s feeling brave, he may sometimes even climb onto the palm of your hand after giving your hand a little whiff. He will, however, freeze and struggle to get off the moment you try to remove him from his cage. He will also refuse even his favourite treats when he realises that he’s been taken away from his home. He will need an owner who can be patient with him so he learns to trust human beings.

He can usually be seen out and about at night, mainly on his running wheel. Do be careful though, because the moment you turn on the lights, you’ll see him dashing to safety (in the Woods). As such, he’s going to need an owner who can accommodate his lifestyle.

Requirements

Cage: Unbarred cage meeting HSS’s minimum

Wheel: 21cm or bigger wheel. If you get one with adjustable height, you can spot him making a comfy little hideout underneath for him to store his post-workout treats.

Bedding: Any type of bedding suitable for burrowing with minimum 18cm height in at least one area of the cage

Food: Anything classified as ‘excellent’ in this app https://www.thehamingway.com/foodmix-app. Those readily available in Singapore include:

Rodipet Organic Dwarf Hamster Food
Bunny Nature Dwarf Hamster Dream Expert (not the basic one!)
FP Originals’ Standard Hamster Seed Mix / Truffle Mix

Sand: Preferably a larger sand pit area (You can get the IKEA 365+ glass serving dish that’s a good sand pit size: https://www.ikea.com/sg/en/p/mixtur-oven-serving-dish-clear-glass-40133989/)

Enrichment: Tunnel starters (toilet rolls or purchasable tunnel starters) and multiple hideouts (min. 3). Chicken uses a water dish with the fosterer, but you can also try a water bottle to see if he takes to it.