Putting them away!

So my babies love to come out and play with me at night, but it's always a battle to get them back into their cage. Usually I waste a 1/2 hour to as long as an hour struggling with them to put them away so I can go to sleep.

My question is, does anyone have any suggestions or good methods when it's time to get these little monsters back into their cages at night? I've tried getting them to climb into their pouches or other toy in their cage, but they've caught on and don't do that anymore. I've used one of their blankets to grab them and place them back in the cage a few times, but I'm afraid of [censored] them out if I do it too many times.

So yes, suggestions please! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />

Feed them after playtime and then they'll want to go back to their cage to eat???

We usually bait our boys with a small piece of their favorite treat. We'll allow them to have a little nibble of it en route to their cage, and then offer them the full piece in their cage. Maybe our boys are just little pigs, but they go where the food goes. It still can take some time to get them back in their cage, but we've been averaging less than half an hour. We also don't feed them their full meal until after evening playtime. They get treats in the tent and such, but nothing really filling. After they get back in their cage and take a quick spin on the wheel, they usually settle down for dinner.

I don't feed them until after playtime. Usually, I'll put the food in their cages, and then bring them over to the food dishes - however, when they're playing they don't want to eat! Even treats! A couple of times I've put one of the gliders (who has been sitting on my hand) next to the food dish, and he'll start to eat - but he won't get off of my hand. Once, I've even placed his front feet on the food dish while he was eating, and slowly started pulling away. As soon as he realized that I was trying to leave him in the cage, he would scamper down my arm and give me a face hug almost saying "Noooo! I don't want to go home yet!"

It's cute, but Mom has to go to bed sometimes.

my twins are terrible when it comes to going back to the cage. I will get one in there then grab the other and then the first one will jump right back on me!and over and over again! We go round about with that for awhile!!

To get mine back, I usually put some of their wormies into a butter tub and shake it. That brings them running. Then while they're muching, I just ease them into their cage and shut the door. It works with all of them except Simon. He enjoys his wormies, but I can't say that he LOVES them like the others do. With him, it can be difficult to get him back to the cage. Sometimes he'll let me carry him, sometimes he has to ride in a pouch, sometimes he wants to ride in his crate.

we've been waking them for tent time about 8 PM... they get up, play for awhile and then conk out so we can easily take them back to the cage..

Wow...you actually wake them up? I've been waiting for them to get up...which is usually around 9pm or so...and then I feed them and then they go back to bed...and play all night when I am asleep. Maybe I'll try that...I'll take their pouch into a tent and see what they do earlier.

if they woke up at 9 it would be ok, they did the first few nights, then they started sleeping until 10:30 and thats my bedtime.. and tent time we like to do both of us and them... not just him at night and me in the AM... so far its working well...

Sure, they will adjust to your schedule (within reason, of course). I wouldn't wake them before dusk to play. They want to spend time with me and tend to wake as I play on the computer. They come to the part of the cage closest to me and watch me and chirp, as if to say..."Spring me, Ma!"

Also, on the note about putting them away. I love it when they don't want to get off my person and go back in the cage. It cracks me up and makes me feel so good! Usually, I cave and let them stay out a little longer, then put their food in the cage, so they have something to look forward to.

I have a question:
When you take them out of their cage to play can you take then to places like the living room or will they hide behind the couch or something like that? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> [:"black"] [/] [:"purple"] [/]

It depends how bonded they are to you. If they don't really know you then they won't see you as something positively safe, so yes, they will run behind the couch.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />
-Jessica <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

A sunflower seed or peanut in the pouch works pretty good for me!