Well, it is absolutely true that Roborovskis are very difficult to handle and is by no means meant for little hand-cuddling with. There is no need to question that statement of mine as i just had my first experience of a Roborovski escapade!
Of course, with the little hope i have, i wished i could have tamed little Robby. Thus i picked him up out of the cage (with his absolute reluctance). Unlike a Campbell dwarf hamster that tends to start plunging its teeth into your precious fingers, Roborovskis appear to be more avoidance in nature. Little Robby ran all he could to avoid my hand, though having a pinch of curiosity of sniffing it on rare occasions. Eventually he lost that little hide and seek session as he was soon in my hands.
The adventure began when i was picking up food from his bowl to hand to him. The moment one of my hands went away, so were my eyes, he jumped down to the floor (aware of this possibility, i held him low to avoid injuries from the fall). Alas, that was not enough. No, he was not injured. The moment he landed on the floor i have a fur ball bullet shooting across the room.
Getting back Robby was no easy matter. It was an hour plus of chasing and brainstorming to outwit him. From the living room to the toilet and the balcony! It's when he got to the balcony that my heart actually stopped beating for a moment. What if he falls all the way down from 9th floor where i live. I even almost had Robby grinded alive when i opened the sliding metal grille that lead to the balcony not aware that Robby is hiding beneath it.
When i slid the metal grille open a little, i sneaked my head out to see where Robby is. Seeing him nowhere my heart skipped a beat until i noticed a little speck of brownish fur just beneath the rolling part of the metal grille. My heart skipped many more beats as i tried to squeeze myself out to the balcony without sliding the grille further.
Outside, i squatted down and observed the little fur-like thing. Goodness, that's Robby! Praying hard, i tried poking gently at it with my finger. It moved a little when poked (glad he is still alive though possibly injured). I tried stroking the fur gently and immediately the fur ball bullet made its return at the balcony. Glad he is fine, a previous worry struck back. What if he falls down the balcony in the run?
I would have left him out with some nice treats and expect him to get trapped back in. But there was no way i could leave him out at the balcony with the risk of him falling down to a certain doom out of his curious nature of exploring and climbing when left to his own. I didn't know how i did it, but eventually i got him cornered enough till he jumped back into his own cage (which by that time i have already settled down on the balcony floor).
Minutes later he is back to running on his wheel without any symptoms of stress or shock (of which i'm experiencing the human's way). Hamsters and other animals are prone to sickness and death when they are stressed. Thank goodness he seems fine! Else i would have no idea how i would bear the loss of yet another hamster. Praise the Lord!
I promised myself never to try handling little Robby again! I'd rather leave him living his life to the fullest in his own peace.
