To let my hamster be a house hamster?

[DifficultSituation19]

I rescued a hamster about 4 months ago who had had a pretty shit life up until then (she was about 8 months old when I got her).

She had never really been handled, but is now super tame and friendly. Her (very large) cage is on the floor of the living room, and since she’s become tamer I’ve been just opening the door of the cage and letting her free roam around the living room every evening, usually for 3-4 hours, sometimes longer. When she’s tired she gets back in her cage and puts herself back to bed.

Last night I was —three sheets to the wind— tired, and fell asleep while she was having her run around. This morning, when I went downstairs, she wasn’t in her house. No sign of her all day, but this evening she woke up and has been running around as normal, popping back into her cage every now and again for food and drinks or a quick run on her wheel.

I closed her cage door at about 10.30, and her little face broke my heart! She just sat at the door of her cage looking very sad indeed. She’s now out running around again. So I’m thinking, people have house rabbits, how about a house hamster? I’d keep her confined to the living room and she’d have the option of being in her cage if she wanted to be there (and I’d obviously put all her food in there).

Is this a bonkers idea? She has a sand bath, soil, deep substrate, and more toys and treats than you can shake a stick at in her cage, but she’d far rather not be in there. We don’t have any other pets that could munch her, and the dc are well trained at keeping the doors closed.

YABU :( you would be asking for trouble with chewed electrical wires and furniture . Not to mention a gradual accumulation of wee on your flooring. Also quite dangerous for hamster itself - they could get out though floorboards or gaps, Stuck in fireplaces etc etc. If the cage is big and suitable enough it would really be better off in there when you are unable to supervise !

Haha, keep her confined to a room how?? Yes, you're bonkers. It's a rodent!

As Dellow said, this could be very dangerous for the hamster unfortunately but you do sound like a lovely caring owner.

My father nearly killed himself when he picked up a cable to see why a lamp wasn't working. The hamster had chewed right through the insulation. It had escaped from its cage.

PS that is such a sad little face in the photo

Gross and ridiculous. This is an absurd idea.

What cage is she in? You could always go bigger (e.g., IKEA Detolf) to give her even more space or have her free roaming when you're there to supervise and in her cage when you're not.

I agree with a PP that it's hazardous for her to be roaming around without supervision incase she gets stuck somewhere or chews something she shouldn't be chewing and if she did manage to get outside (they can fit through far smaller a gap than you would think) then that would basically be the end of her.

It's almost like a Daily Fail 'sad face/compo' picture 🤣🤣

It will chew through anything it can, wires and cables. Electric shock when you go to plug something in will probably be the first sign of that. Hamster wee and poo in the room. Crazy to give her free reign! Little runabouts where you can see her at all times - yes.

Don't let that cute face guilt-trip you!

Very bad idea. Even house rabbits need training and they chew through everything. Hamsters are way too small to be safe.

I think maybe you are overestimating the intelligence of a hamster.

The hamster is probably perfectly happy in its cage.

yeah I did think perhaps I was being a bit mad.

Unfortunately I don’t have room a Detolf, my house isn’t very big. I don’t really have room for the cage she’s got actually and definitely couldn’t go any bigger.

The carpet I don’t really care about, it needs replacing anyway. No floorboards as it’s concrete underneath the carpet. The electrical cables could be an issue, although she’s so far not shown any interest in them, she loves chewing up paper though!

No no no she won’t be safe!! She’s a rodent and will squeeze thru every gap she can find. Keep her safe in cage and play with her when you can keep an eye on her

@BlackCatSleeping I actually snorted with laughter at that. You’re right, but this is the kind of shit that keeps me awake at night.

My hamster escaped twice and ruined the carpet in the corners by gnawing it away from the wall. It also made a start on some electric cable but was caught in the act. First time it disappeared we had to give up the search and go to bed. It turned up the next evening after wreaking the aforesaid damage. Second time we didn't give up until it was found. I think it's really not sensible to have a house hamster for the safety of all concerned.

Could you not put her in one of those plastic ball things to wonder around. She's a gorgeous little thing.

My parents used to have a house rabbit, it would wander everywhere. It never played any attention to the wires

Oh my god I LOVE her and I want a running series of her face. But! I would get a room full of Rotastak because otherwise she will disappear/chew through things

I have zero advice but that is a bloody cute hamster and I can see why that face is guilt tripping you

it's a little bit like the sad face my kids give me when I don't let them have xbox/tv/crisps/sweets etc etc. We know they would love to have constant access we also know they will have major health problems if we give free range. Love is sometimes being strict.

@homehairbadidea there’s a school of thought which I agree with that the balls are actually a bit cruel. Hamsters have shite eyesight anyway, and they’d be able to see precisely fuck all in a ball. Most hamster balls are too small for hamsters, they would need a rat sized one to prevent hurting their backs. And their senses of smell and sound, and their whiskers which they rely on to get around would be redundant, so they’re literally just careering around blindly, smashing into things.

God no. There's a good chance it will end up getting stood on or sat on.........won't look so cute then 💁

That, my dear, is a terrible idea. You will have a dead hamster and that will be sad.

@jaseyraex I KNOW RIGHT!! For added fun she has little white paws so it looks like she’s doing Michael Jackson impressions when she stands up. Which is nice/creepy depending on how you feel about MJ.

Nooooo don't get a ball - hammies are trying to escape them!

That is one bloody cute hammie though! 🥰

Aw she's so cute. She actually looks like a toy from the Sylvanian Hamster Family.
What's her name?

She’s called Peanut (that was her name when I adopted her). She was taken to an adoption centre at 6 months as her previous owners didn’t want her (they must be madsters), and then she sat in a tiny little tank for two months with no one wanting her 😢