Do I need pet insurance for a Hamster?

[TeenTimesTwo]

DD2, 13, is getting a Hamster for her birthday.

Do we need to get pet insurance for it?

Any general Hamster keeping tips also appreciated. (We have done due diligence with the pet shop, but I don't know what I don't know).

[BertieBotts]

No, but it's worth putting money aside for potential vet's bills.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Oh, I have read www.mumsnet.com/Talk/super_furry_animals/2986054-DC-getting-hamster-help

[Twinkletowedelephant]

I adopted nieces hamster after she loved him very hard.... Thought better she should visit hammy rarther than love him untill he was squished...

Dam thing lived for years, I remember it had meningitis. Vet gave it a 50/50 chance... I was all for having it puts but the thing started crawling towards me.. I had to drip antibiotics into its little mouth every 2.5 hours for a week and it came to work with me and everything.
Cost ££££

Still I am the favourite aunty now ;)

It liked to chew everything if he ran out of things to chew he would chew the bars so loads of loo roll tubes and wood toy things. They are more active at night so not good for bedrooms and love to run on wheel - be carefully of hamster balls and stairs...

Clean toilet area our daily as they smell - handle loads in small doses - hammy liked to pearch on knees of an evening.

I wouldn't bother with insurance maybe put a tenner a month away just in a hammy vet piggy bank.

I got far more attached than I realized ;)

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Wow, I didn't realise that pet insurance was available for hamsters until I just Googled it.

Personally I wouldn't bother. The largest pet bill I've paid for a hamster was £120 when they needed an operation to remove a growth. But my vet is quite reasonably priced (certainly much cheaper than the vet chain in Pets at Home!) despite being an exotics specialist and I have a good income so no issues covering any unexpected large bills.

What type of hamster are you getting? I'm assuming a Syrian? Much better to get a hamster from a reputable breeder rather than a pet shop. Coming from a breeder they will be used to being handled regularly and shouldn't have any health problems. You also won't have any surprises like your male hamster having babies 2 weeks after arriving. This happens more than it should with pet shops. Actually I am generally quite appalled at the level of ignorance most pet shops have with hamsters.

This is the best book around about hamsters:
<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Hamsterlopaedia-Chris-Logsdail/dp/1860542468/ref=la_B0034PW4H0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504454963&sr=1-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/Hamsterlopaedia-Chris-Logsdail/dp/1860542468/ref=la_B0034PW4H0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504454963&sr=1-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Don't fall for the glossy books with lots of pretty pictures. Some of them give very dodgy advice!

Key things to consider are getting a decent sized cage (i.e. not the tiny cages they sell in a lot of petshops as these are far too small) and NOT buying that dangerous cotton wool style bedding (which is very popular with the more clueless petshops).

[TeenTimesTwo]

Thank you, this is all very helpful.
Yes, the plan is for a Syrian Hamster.
It will go in the dining room as that is a quiet room, away from direct sunlight, and not a bedroom.
We will make sure it has a big enough wheel.
DD knows it will need regular handling, and that the water needs topping up at least daily and cage needs regular cleaning out and not to overfeed.

The pet shop say they handle all their hamsters so they are used to being handled?

Will also go and double check the cage size versus what people are saying on here.

Thank you so much for the book recommendation.

[TeenTimesTwo]

What does 'handle loads in small doses' actually mean in practice please?

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Some good advice on this website which covers all the basics (and includes cages recommendations, food, etc). I know personally Sue at Tuftyfluff and she knows her stuff - and breeds some beautiful hamsters.

tuftyfluffhamsters.webs.com/hamstercare.htm

[TeenTimesTwo]

Thank you all for the advice.

Larger size cage purchased today so we can work out what table to put it on before DD's birthday. The hamsterlopaedia book is in the post.

Any comments on wheels versus flying saucer type things?

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Some hamsters like wheels, some like flying saucers.

Best wheel for a Syrian is a Wodent Wheel (best overall wheels are Silent Spinners but they tend to be too small for an adult Syrian to use comfortably without hurting their back).

[rightsaidfrederickII]

When you say large... if you mean the Pets at Home 'large' cage or equivalent, it's not large enough and it's vastly overpriced. Hamsters need a cage that's a minimum of 80x50cm (but t he bigger the better -
there are 100x50cm cages available online, for instance) www.woodgreen.org.uk/pet_advice/557_hamster_accommodation If you have made the mistake of buying a cage that's too small, it's not too late to take it back... I have never yet seen a suitable cage sold in a store.

Zooplus.co.uk Alaska / Barney / Alexander are all excellent value. Savic Hamster Heaven Metro is also good. www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages Ferplast Duna Multy Maxi is good if you want a tank style cage.

Re wheels - for a Syrian hamster they must be 28cm diameter min. (i.e. the size of a full dinner plate). The golden rule is that a hamster must not have to bend their back or neck to run - if they do, they will develop painful spinal problems. Consequently, flying saucer wheels take up quite a lot of space in any cage, and so I prefer upright wheels for Syrians. The plastic Trixie wheel tends to get a bit noisy after a few weeks, but the wooden version is reportedly better www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/accessories/exercise_wheels/609617 If you've a bit more money to spend, then Wodent Wheel Senior and the 28cm Silent Runner (not Silent Spinner) are also very quiet.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Yup, cage is large enough, and will also definitely take the larger wheel.

[PlatformNineAndThreeQuarters]

I agree that the cotton wool type viscose bedding is lethal, sadly through experience

[treeofhearts]

Short stretches of handling whenever they wake is best. Don't interrupt eating and drinking as they get hangry

Wouldn't bother with pet insurance but keep a good £500 put away for emergency vet visits.

One tip. Don't be tempted by those fancy cages with all the tubes and pods. They look great but you'll regret it about 10 minutes in when you're trying to scrub wee and bits of bedding out of the tubes. They're bastards to clean.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Thank you all. DD is now the delighted owner of a 7week old ginger and while male Syrian hamster who is settling in well. He particularly enjoys his 28cm Trixie wheel.