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Please help me get a hamster Kit together, Syrian Hamster, Newbie...

47 replies

SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 10:31

I have decided to take the plunge and buy a hamster, can anyone help me on the kit please....What cage would you recommend, any special questions I should be asking when I buy one...thank you.

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TeenMinusTests · 24/03/2021 11:22

You'll need bigger than the petshop try to sell you (mini), but not necessarily as large as some people here will say (rolls royce).

We have a Ferplast Duma one, but with one of the platforms removed to fit the larger wheel.

It needs to be big enough to take a 12'' / 30cm wheel, which you need to buy.

You need to read up on floor area recommendations and make your choice.

Watch out with external tubes - we had a couple of escapes before DH re-enforced the joints with a wooden strut.

TeenMinusTests · 24/03/2021 11:26

Actually, just checking, we have the Large version of the one linked above.

Basilthehamster · 24/03/2021 12:20

Just so you know (and I have name changed for this Grin) there is currently a national hamster shortage.

We had to queue for over an hour before the pet shop opened, on the day the hamsters were released for sale. We were fourth in the queue so managed to bag one of the four Syrians available.

All the people behind us in the queue did not get one.

I’d phoned every pet shop in our county and looked on selling and breeding sites. Nothing.

Unless it’s a regional thing.. the pets at home man told me national shortage, but he did seem a bit carried away by the drama of it all, as he was running about in high vis and shouting down the queue about the shortage and how hard it is to get one..!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Easterbunnygettingready · 24/03/2021 12:20

Gloves.

. Ime.

Basilthehamster · 24/03/2021 12:24

We have the extra large Pico cage from Argos. Our hamster seems to like it very much.

SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 12:38

Basilthehamster

Grin

nothing is easy is it, I really thought I would be finally getting one and now its going to turn into a high drama...grab.

are you able to actually choose one when you get in?

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Letsallscreamatthesistene · 24/03/2021 12:38

My Syrian hamster was a twat. Get gloves.

SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 12:39

Basil we do want a syrian - it that cage large enough

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SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 13:01

I've read they are the best ones, dont bite

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FoxyTheFox · 24/03/2021 13:05

The Alaska cage is a decent budget option, around £39 I think. They like to burrow and they need a cushioned landing in case they climb and fall so you need a deep layer of substrate in the bottom.

When you're getting the hamster used to you then the empty bathtub is a good place to do it as its difficult to escape from, sit in the bath and let it climb on you.

FoxyTheFox · 24/03/2021 13:07

Syrians do bite but if you handle them regularly and take the time to get them used to you then they don't, they're also more sturdy than smaller varieties of hamster. Ours is an elderly gent no but once we got past the taming stage he's never bitten, the most he ever does is a little nip now and again as a warning but he let's go immediately and its never hard enough to break the skin.

TeenMinusTests · 24/03/2021 13:07

We've had two Syrians.

The first was male and he would be happy on our legs or chest, let us stroke him etc etc. We could confidently handle him without fear.

The second, female, seems more jumpy and more nibbly. I don't know if this is just her nature or because we didn't handle her enough in the early days.

BakewellGin1 · 24/03/2021 13:10

Mine was a biter so gloves...

Reinforce any external tubes... We lost him twice...

A decent size wheel

Reasonable size cage with decent space for plenty of burrowing materials. Oh and yes mine was an upside down climber across top of cage. DS named him spider monkey.

Hoppythehippo · 24/03/2021 13:11

Any hamster will bite. A new hamster from a pet shop will need a lot of gentle handling and taming. Even then we had one that was nervous and bit constantly and one that was incredibly docile and friendly - no clear reason, just personality. Then we got guinea pigs, who were very docile and never bit anyone. And they weren’t nocturnal which was a bonus. There’s a national shortage of those too though!

110APiccadilly · 24/03/2021 13:11

I had a Syrian hamster as a teen. Adored him. He was incredibly friendly and would climb all over me. I had one of those cage systems with loads of modular bits and tubing to go from one part to another. It was a bit hard to clean though compared to a conventional cage. Speaking of which, you might want to get a small cage to put the hamster in while you're cleaning the cage out.

StellaKowalski · 24/03/2021 13:17

We've made our Syrian a tub cage. Much cheaper and better than normal cages the pet shop sell. We just bought a large, plastic 132L clear tub with a lid (that we cut a hole in and put mesh wire over) and it's perfect. They love to burrow so these sort of cages are perfect and better than pet shop ones as it's hard to put enough bedding in those ones as they're normally quite shallow.

A decent size wheel so their backs don't arch when they're on it.

Lots of hides in their cage/tub because they love to hide away. We have a little log and a house.

Pumice stone (you can get these at any pet shop) for their teeth.

purdypuma · 24/03/2021 16:00

I don't know whereabouts you are in the country but there is a hamster/rodent rescue in South Yorkshire called Austins Hamsterley Haven. They have a FB page & rescue/regime surrendered & mistreated pets. Might be worth a shot to have a look.

purdypuma · 24/03/2021 16:00

Pardon...Austins Hamster Haven

WorriedNHSer · 24/03/2021 16:07

There’s a hamster forum called hamster central online that has masses of cage reviews. Syrian hamsters really need a lot of space to be happy as well as deep enough bedding to burrow in. The only suitable cage sold in petsathome is the hamster heaven and even that is fairly small for such an active little animal. Zooplus sells a few of the bigger cages.

The upside of a really big cage is you don’t have as much cleaning to do. If you get a hamster that will use a toilet area you can go weeks and weeks between full cage cleaning just by doing frequent toilet area cleans. Syrians often like to wee in sand so if you fill a container like an old glass jar on its side with sand they might use that as a toilet. You can use childrens play sand or sand that’s sold to use as a sand bath for chinchillas.

SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 20:36

Some of really great tips here thank you.

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Iknowtheanswer · 24/03/2021 20:42

We had a dwarf hamster who was the most sociable and friendly animal I've ever had. If she heard someone walk past, she'd run out of her house and dash up her ramp for a chat and a mealworm.

She never nipped, and was surprisingly easy to handle. She lived for 2 and a half years. Amazing creature.

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 24/03/2021 21:12

Go bigger. Get a cage online maybe as most sold in pet shops are barely large enough for a dwarf never mind a syrian. Same with the wheel, you need solid - no rungs and big enough to run without arching its back. Don't get a cage with tubes. Syrians can grow to the size of a small Guinea Pig and have form for getting stuck.

I have that same Duna cage that was linked upthread. It is perfect for a single Russian dwarf or 2 Roborovski dwarves but I wouldn't put a Syrian in it. The wheel I just threw away as it wasn't even big enough for my russian dwarf as a baby. Took out the top platform as it left no room for toys and meant she could reach the top and swing upside down. As someone else said, the easiest thing to do is make a cage from a storage tub and mesh.

Steer away from fluffy bedding as they can get tangled in it or ingest it. Carefresh is a good bet but I wouldn't get the Eco version as it smells like its already been peed on.

They do bite. When they are babies most hamsters bite. The only breed I've had that don't are Chinese hamsters. They are painfully shy though and take a long time to lose their fear of you. Most of the others bite at least to start with which is why I won't have Syrians, as when they bite you, you bloody know about it. At least with a dwarf they don't normally manage to draw blood.

An exercise ball is a good thing to have too, for when you clean them out.

Wooden toys are best as they will chew them and keep their teeth short. Otherwise they overgrow and you pay a fortune to have them cut every month at the vets.

Go for the one that comes up to you. Look at how they interact with the saleperson. If one comes running up to their hand to investigate, that is probably going to be quite friendly. Most bite out of fear so the more curious the better. Look for soft, clean, shiny fur and clear, bright eyes. Hamsters are clean animals by nature, if they aren't cleaning themselves fully there is a reason why. Check out cagemates. If any look ill, try somewhere else.

Pick a food that doesn't have too much corn and wheat in it. Harry Hamster is a good mix. Some own brand ones are basically full of hamster junk food. I suggest getting some dried mealworms to mix in for protein and feeding a small amount of fresh food a couple times a week.

They tend to like cheddar cheese, hard boiled egg white, small amount of cooked chicken (not fried and not much, it makes them hyper) and most veg. No onions or garlic and very limited citrus as it gives them the shits. The only acidic fruit I give them is a small piece of apple. I avoid oranges and only give dried banana as it sticks in pouches. Mine loves broccoli, runner beans, spinach, cabbage and celery. If you give them grapes, only seedless. A small piece of unbuttered toast or a bit of cream cracker once in a while will be enjoyed too.

Can't think of anything else useful atm hope some of that will be of help.

Blackcountrychik · 24/03/2021 21:15

In pets at home they have a massive cage that’s £75 with the tubes and a mansion at the top of the cage , I would deffo recommend it ! We bought the pico 3 level one and that got too small quite quick . I laughed at the shop assistant when she told me I needed one the size of a rabbit hutch ! For a tiny hamster but our hamster loves his ! The bigger the better !

SprungisSpringYaY · 24/03/2021 21:44

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Wow that's incredible thank you.

Thinking of hamster enjoying a small piece of buttered toast ❤️❤️

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