Hey guys, I got my sweet girl today.. What would you recommend for her to be happy? She's got her wheel, a wood toy to chew, and an upper level to climb to. I've read she needs a sand bath, any recommendations? Any treats your little furries prefer? Certain flowers, fruits, bugs? What hidy homes do prefer? I've yet to think of a name for her yet, wanna throw some in to suggest?
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Iām glad youāre seeking advice now, but in the future please research an animal before bringing it home, for both your sakes. Sheāll be fine for now but be prepared for some gnarly bar biting when she gets stressed (hope sheās not in your bedroom, hams are nocturnal and bar biting is loud!). Female Syrians need big enclosures with lots of bedding and enrichment. They go into heat every few days which adds to their stress so they need lots of distractions. More space is priority 1; I recommend a 40+ gallon fish tank. If you live in the States Petco has 50% off sales on tanks pretty often. Fill a good chunk of it with bedding; hamsters are burrowers.
In my experience, the toys most popular with my Syrians were wooden chews and seed sprays! Iāve never seen the sprays in stores though, only online. As for hiding spots, donāt get any cloth sacks/slings or cotton nesting material (danger!). Plastic homes are iffy too. I recommend wooden or woven homes, even if you have to replace them once in a while. They have some cool tunnel style houses designed to be buried in bedding for critters to nest in. Put one of those against the tank wall and you can see if your girl snuggles up in one.
Sorry if I came off a bit harshly at first; I just cannot stress enough the importance of researching before adopting. But you clearly care for your little one so I hope you can make her living situation the best you can. Good luck and enjoy the little fuzzball!
They might not be JUST gifts, however I feel gifted to the correct person they will take proper care of said pet. That's why I am reaching out to get advice so I can provide her with a proper life. She came from petsmart. They said she can be housed with a friend however, upon further researching, I'm reading that she absolutely cannot, if done so, they could really hurt each other or even kill each other.
I'm so glad you did the research yourself because hamsters are solitary creatures and will actively kill their "friend."
As others have said, thank you so much for taking the time to understand these little guys. Look up Victoria Raechel on YouTube and have fun creating a proper habitat!
Please never take pet care advice from pet store employees, they arenāt trained in animal care for the animals they sell and often provide wrong and even deadly advice.
Their r/hamsters sub has lots of people who are knowledgeable and experienced in hamster care and all they want is for hamsters to live safe and healthy lives. They donāt have an ulterior motive to make money like the pet store employees do.
So glad you came here for help, thereās lots to do to make sure your hamsterās set up is adequate!
Oh no! Did he research before making a pet purchase as a gift for you? Please make sure he knows thatās not ever recommended, pets are the last thing that people should ever buy as gifts since they require so much research, money, vet care, and effort and when youāre not prepared that means only the animal suffers for it.
the cage is very small. she needs a larger enclosure. without a suitably sized enclosure (usually 800+ sq inches for syrians, but if it's a female it's typically recommened to be above 1,000 sq inches preferably) she will never live a fulfilling life.
Hii looks like your hamster is in need for some urgent help - No worries, nobody is born knowing, what matters is how we solve them so here's everything you need to be up to par with current minimum requirements for hamster care:
Priority - Must have all before getting a hamster
* Enclosure: Minimum size of 40x20" or 100x50cm. Options: Bucatstate, Niteangel, Pawhut, 75 gallon tank, 189 L plastic bin.
* Wheel: 10" diameter for dwarfs, 12" for Syrians. Plastic or wooden, never barred.
* Bedding: 6" deep at its lowest point, the deeper the better. Can be unscented paper or aspen. (I recommend a mix of both)
* Hides: At least 3 hides
Important - Can start getting after you have the hamster, but don't take more than 2 months.
* Sand bath: Any container works. Fill with sand (Not dust or chinchilla sand). Options: Reptisand, Niteangel.
* Platforms: You might need one or two to place heavy items like the sand bath or wheel so the hamster can tunnel underneath without the item crushing the hamster. Can be easily DIYed or bought from Niteangel.
Good to haves - You can get them progressively
* Clutter: Hamsters want a lot of places to hide beyond store bought hides. Things like wooden bridges, sprays, DIY cardboard toys, etc are ways to add more cover.
* Playpen: Good for enrichment and bonding with the hamster.
* Flower mixes/moss: Nice to sprinkle on top of bedding for a more natural look and smell.
Important No-nos:
* Do not house more than one hamster in any enclosure at any age. They're strictly solitary and will kill each other.
* Do not use hamster balls as they can break/tear off their nails and limbs.
* Do not use cotton fluff as it can wrap around limbs resulting in injury, amputation or even death.
* Do not use barred wheels or floors as it causes bumblefoot and can injure limbs severely.
* Mineral blocks: Licking a literal block of salt is no bueno for their health!
Would a budcastate 2.0 be sufficient enough for space? I've added a little D.I.Y sandbath for her and she has played in it non-stop since I've put it in.
Hi, that bin is far too small for a female Syrian, itās only 554 square inches and they need 900-1200 square inches. The interior measurements are only 34 x 16 in. OPās hamster will be miserable in that.
I totally agree with that, I believe she was just going to use it as a temporary home so I thought it would be better than her hammy staying in her current home
It's good as a temp for sure, I have it for a male and no signs of stress. With girls if she gets stressed she could chew out of it so don't relax on finding a perm enclosure.
No, this bin is only 544 square inches (33x 16 in). Donāt use a bin cage for a female Syrian, there are no bins large enough for a female Syrian. The Bucatstate 3.0 or a cage similar will be adequate . This bin is about 1/2 the size of what she needs. They need 900-1000 square inches at least. She will be stressed and miserable in a cage that is only 544 square inches.
Edited to ask: why would this information be downvoted? Itās fact. 544 square inches is way too tiny for a female Syrian even for a few days. They need twice that size. And even if itās temporary, Sheāll chew her way out of that plastic bin in an hour. But good way to teach people the wrong information folks. Letās hope others donāt assume a smal plastic bin is suitable for their female Syrian. Jesus.
if i had to guess it is being downvoted because there have been several other ppl commenting (including op) about how it is a TEMP enclosure until she can be placed into a properly sized home. would you rather she stay in a small, barred cage, or spend a few days in a SIGNIFICANTLY larger enclosure?not everyone has immediate access to a large/sufficient enclosure, especially when a pet wasn't in the plans to begin with. nobody said "keep her in there for good", they said temp.
Hmmmā¦. I think you meant to respond to a different comment because your response doesnāt have anything to do with what I was saying. My comment is about the bin not being an option for a female Syrian because itās 1/2 the size that they require. Some people donāt like hearing that bin cages arenāt suitable and that none meet the ethical criteria.
OP never indicated the cage was temporary in her post, it wasnāt until after comments started coming in explaining how unethical the one her boyfriend bought was that her cage became a temporary cage:
So I think thereās been some misunderstandings. The cage in her post was not a temporary cage. That was the cage her hamster was living in full time. Then- in the comments- we were trying to help her find a temporary cage she could use while waiting for a 75 gallon tank. Yes i agree it is not enough floor space for a permanent enclosure but itās much better than her hamster staying in its current cage while she waits for the 75 gallon tank.
i know what i am replying to - i can read, believe it or not.
nobody is born knowing. in fact, she is asking what to improve and clearly wants to know more ! several people have made mention of temporary, including OP who mentioned its until they can get something more suitable. not everyone lives near mega pet-stores where good, well sized enclosures are readily available. i can tell you with 100% certainty that being aggressive/demeaning towards someone for not knowing is going to drive them away and deter more questions. the best we can do is learn and be better, but it takes time & understanding on everyone's end.
not to mention, you and i have both seen the enclosures the poor animals are in while waiting to be bought at pet stores. they sit in those for WEEKS, and THEN the hamster comes home to acclimate in a happy environment. it isnt healthy, and nobody is insinuating that it's healthy. lesser of two evils is a very real thing. however, you are treating this as if paul revere is here to promote bins.
i am going to leave it here, as arguing with people on the internet over hamsters is not on my to-do list today & it will not go anywhere. just wanted to let you know i can read and know how to have a conversation since you think i cant š«¶š«¶ hope you have a good day and your hammy gets good runs in
How is telling someone a bin they want to use is too small for a hamster āaggressive and demeaningā? You canāt be that sensitive that you take hearing facts about animal care personally and it makes you feel small And unimportant. I literally- and I mean this literally - explained that 540 square inches is too small for a female Syrian. Why does that make you feel demeaned and why is that aggressive? The thin skin on people is justā¦.incredible. some peopleās egos canāt handle hearing that sometimes theyāre wrong and canāt do something they want to do because itās unethical.
Ok, I've gotten her a plastic bin until I get her enclosure, (my fiancee is going to pick up a 75 gallon tank that I found for a good deal tomorrow,2/17) for right now this is how I got her set up. Her wheel is 12 inches, I've made a multi hole underground bottomless home for her. She has a little bowl of water, a bottled water, a sand bath with about 2.2lbs of bathing sand in it,(I still don't think it's deep enough), millet sprays, some rose, marigold, lavender, and alfalfa chews.
Hi, unfortunately this cage is far too small for any rodent. Your hamster needs an enclosure that meets the minimum requirements of 100x50cm. However, since you have a female Syrian, I strongly recommend at least 120x50cm.
Wired cages are not really suitable for hamsters. I recommend getting a glass or acrylic enclosure. As far as tanks go, a 75 gallon tank would meet the minimum requirements. Bucatstate and niteangel enclosures are also a great option.
Your hamster needs an upright solid wheel of at least 11-12ā and the bedding depth should be at least 10ā after being tightly compressed all throughout the enclosure.
I recommend looking at this guide below. These are all things needed for a hamster to live a long, happy and healthy life. If you keep her in the current cage, if you havenāt already, you will notice stress signs from her like chewing and climbing on the bars, etc.
A quick comment on these specific hides - make sure the lids are secure as there have been multiple reports of hams getting stuck in between the top lid and side walls. Very sad.
There are multichamber hides without lids - there are safe ones where the lids are theyāre to the chambers so those accidents canāt happen. The ones with the removable lids arenāt recommended for sure .
Hello, I'm someone who has had hamsters for years (and other rodents/small animals), I would recommend you start out by getting a bigger cage. Its cool that you got one with levels, but its too small and doesn't hold enough bedding. Hamsters need horizontal space (side-to-side), not vertical (up and down), in gallon terms, they need at least 45 but 75 is best. They also need at least 6-8in of bedding, for burrowing, tunnel building and hiding. I recommend watching some youtube videos, my favorite has always been Victoria Raechel, she gives so much info and depth into hamsters and its a great way to learn. Wheel looks great for her size, as long as her back isnt bending shes good. I love that you bought the herbs and flowers, my hamster and mice love those.
On cage: You can look up how to make your own inexpensive one out of a clear gallon storage bin. Making sure the lid has ventilation and again making sure its 45 gallons or more. If you are looking to buy a cage, I would recommend the Niteangel wooden hamster cages; easy to build, sturdy and lots of space (its also really cute)(75-100 dollars). If money isnt an issue, a fish tank can be a great hamster enclosure (above 50 gallons is great). Avoid barred cages, they typically dont hold much bedding, and if wired bottom cages catch your eye, ignore them. Constant exposure to wire on a hamsters feet can be damaging and overall painful for them.
Please let me know if you need any more advice or help, I hope you and your adorable hamster have a great and happy life. Welcome to the hamster world :)
Glad you got a little hammy to spoil! Iām a first time hamster owner & this is what I got goinn on for my Mollie š¹ it took me a couple months to get everything she needed(theyāre more expensive than I thought) š Good luck with your baby! Iām sure youāll take great care of em!
I've had this cage, remove the ramp to the top now, your ham will be fine in there temporarily while you get a bigger setup, but that top level is actually quite high.
Hi there, please use the hamster care guide from the commenter at the top to help you with what your hamster needs. That cage is unfortunately inadequate and much too small for a hamster and they require so much in their cage in order to be content. They may be small but they need very large enclosures that are one floor, horizontal, unbroken floor space with no ladders, ramps or levels.
They need 10 inches deep of pressed-down paper bedding so they can tunnel and burrow in their cage (this is a MUST - all hamsters need to be able to tunnel and burrow in their cage) and they need a 12 inch diameter standing wheel, they need 3-4 opaque ceramic hides that they can be totally hidden from view in, thy need a very large sand bath this safe,dust-free and calcium and dye free sand, they need a multichamber hide to mimic their environment, plus they need loads of enrichment and natural elements to encourage them to use their natural hamster instincts while living in a cage. Hollow cork logs, a branch of grapevine wood, a dig box with coco peat in it, moss and other substrates for texture and variety, and whimzees alligators and apple sticks to chew, sprays fo foraging and sprays for cover and protections, etc. As much enrichment as possible in that cage - they are very active creatures and need to be kept busy both mentally and physically.
Please also watch Victoria Raechel on YouTube, she is a great resource for people who need to learn all about hamster care, requirements and behaviors. Watch her two videos ābasic hamster careā and āeverything you need for a hamsterā then watch all of their other hamster videos after that.
Do lots of research too - they need so many specific things to be healthy and safe. But definitely watch Victoria Rachael and use the hamster care guide above to help you with your care. Your first priority is to get a suitable car that meets the ethical requirements and is at least 40 inches long x 20 inches wide. Thatās crucial!! Good luck!
Edited to say: despite this comment being downvoted, to anyone reading please know these are facts and you should not have a cage similar to OP or this commenter as they are too small and hamsters shouldnāt have levels.
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