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Original poster

Not to get a new hamster cage?

219 replies

hollyfrost · 21/09/2019 18:16

Hi, I'd be really grateful for some advice from any hamster owners out there.
My DD begged me for weeks about getting a hamster, and I finally gave in after she showed me a hamster up for adoption - we didn't have a cage, so we bought the largest one our pet store had (this one - www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-wire-grey-hamster-home-extra-large ).
Fast forward a few weeks - DD absolutely adores the hamster- she spent nearly £50 on buying the hamster a 'better' wheel (apparently the old one was too small Hmm ) and overpriced toys. Fine, it's her money, I didn't stop her.
But now DD is obsessed with getting her hamster a new bigger cage - I keep telling her that the one we have right now is perfectly fine (it is) and that the hamster sleeps all the time anyway (it does), but she just starts yelling at me for being 'cruel'.
I'm not cruel at all, I just don't think it's worth spending £££ on a hamster which already has everything it needs. Is DD being unreasonable, or am I?

(In case anyone's wondering she wants to get this one - www.zooplus.com/customerpicturedisplay/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/348157 . WAY too expensive for a hamster IMO)

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Soubriquet · 22/09/2019 16:14

Jeez you do seem a bit dense

No cage found in a pet shop is suitable for a rabbit.

Bigger is always better.

I have a friend who actually bought a shed and converted that with an out door area.

Rabbits are not cute and cuddly. They bite and scratch...a lot.

And they hurt!

timshelthechoice · 22/09/2019 16:15

They should be left to live in their natural habitat.

They are nearing extinction in their natural habitat.

Blueoasis · 22/09/2019 16:16

Blimey the hypocrisy on here is outstanding. Keeping an animal in a cage is still keeping an animal in a cage. We shouldn’t be buying hamsters and the like at all. They should be left to live in their natural habitat.

Oh look PETA joined the thread. Hmm We aren't allowed pets according to them. My horse is probably very mistreated and neglected being kept in a stable in winter at night. Grin

LaLoba · 22/09/2019 16:35

I used to think PETA were basically well meaning until I learned what they do with the pets they “rescue”. Let’s save animals from being pets by putting them down!

timshelthechoice · 22/09/2019 16:48

Oh, they are total fruit loops, LaLoba. I had a good friend who went all extreme vegan preachy PETA. FFS. I made the mistake of renting a caravan with her for 4 days thinking she still had some vestige of sanity still left. I was wrong.

exLtEveDallas · 22/09/2019 16:53

DD has recently bought a hamster. We got the Pets at Home cage as a 'holiday' cage for when we go to our caravan in the summer (he won't be in it more than a week at a time), and the Savic Heaven for home. Yes, it's bloody expensive, far more than I realised, to keep a hamster as a pet. But needs to be done right, or not at all.
(I actually feel that the Savic is too small, but that is a personal view, not professional, and I bide by the experts advice)

Our rabbits (now deceased) had a corner of the garden, probably about 10ft by 8ft, fenced in where they spent the whole day, only being shut in at night in a hutch that was about 4ft by 2 ft. They had logs, trees, bushes and digging spots and were extremely happy buns, but certainly not cuddly or child friendly.

I don't like caged animals of any kind, so for me to have them they have to be 'spoiled' - it's not right otherwise.

Nichelette · 22/09/2019 17:20

Please don't get a rabbit unless you know what to expect. I have two rescue lops, one has bad teeth and the other has bad ears. These are common in rabbits due to their breeding and both have hefty associated vet bills. One has regular dentals under anaesthetic and the other has had ops on his ear and needs drops. I spent Friday night awake nursing one of them through a bought of gut stasis, which is also common in rabbits and can quickly kill if not treated. Rabbits are not starter pets or huggy like others have said. They have complex needs which a lot of people aren't aware of at the outset. I've had dogs and other pets, and can honestly say I think the rabbits take the most care out of them all.

Soubriquet · 22/09/2019 17:44

No animals we have in captivity as pets would survive in the wild

They are too domesticated.

The only option would be to let them all die out

Something which people won’t do.

And why should we?

Most people are responsible with their pets.

DifficultSituation19 · 22/09/2019 17:46

@whiskybysidedoor has a point - I think it is a bit warped keeping rodents as pets in cages, the vast majority of them don’t have anywhere near the stimulation they need to have a happy life.

But of course, there’s a market for them, and that means there’s money to be made by rodent mills, which is where all pet shop hamsters come from. The mistreatment of animals in these places is shocking, they are the rodent equivalent of puppy farms.

This is why I only rescue hamsters rather than buy them. They’re already here, they can’t help that, but often get returned to the store as funnily enough 5 year old Mabel didn’t have enough sense not to stick her fingers through the bars, or wasn’t particularly interested in her nocturnal pet. My 3 hamsters were ones who were unwanted and left in rescues for a long time before I got them. Do they want to be in captivity? Probably not. All I can do is give them the best life I can, recreate a natural environment as much as possible, allow them to free roam for at least an hour a night, and give them enclosures which are far above the recommended minimum. The difference in a fairly short time in their behaviour is amazing once they have these things.

There’s so many hams out there living a miserable existence, so to anyone thinking of getting one I’d say rescue rather than buy, that way you are not supporting the rodent mills which in turn encourages them
To breed more.

Enidcat5 · 22/09/2019 19:16

Rabbits are highly social animals and need to be kept with a bonded companion. They are certainly not easy pets to own, not cheap (people have already stressed the vet bills and vaccinations required), they are not cuddly. They need a lot of space. Your response about wanting a cage that will suit a lot of different pets honestly is exactly why you shouldn't be owning any pet until you've done some further research.

As previously stated, these animals are protected under the Animal Welfare Act and you are the responsible person for their care. Keeping an animal in a cage that is not adequate for its needs is cruel.

I'm speaking here from years of experience picking up the pieces after people buy pets without doing research first. Please research the particular species you wish to keep. A Guinea pig diet is different to a rabbit diet. A rabbit enclosure will he different to a chinchilla enclosure. Different animals have different needs.

Check the RSPCA pages www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets for information about how to keep these animals properly before getting one

Myotherusernameisbetter1 · 22/09/2019 19:26

OP why not buy a large second hand aquarium? You can segment it off and fill one half deeply to encourage natural digging/tunnelling behaviours and keep the other half for running about. You can usually pick them up quite cheaply when they are no longer water tight and therefore unsuitable for fish. You just need to make sure to adapt the lid to well ventilate it.

I just used a dust pan to scoop everything out each time I cleaned mine and gave it a good wipe over. You don't have to spend a fortune but your daughter is correct in that pets at home cages are not really suitable.

BringTheBounceBack · 22/09/2019 20:35

OP you have greatly under-estimated what these animals need in terms of space. Massively. I’d expect you’d take out insurance for a rabbit too?

Ellaw888 · 23/09/2019 07:28

Syrians and any hamsters only do this as they don't have enough space Syrians do great in glass tanks as long as they are big enough 750sq inches at least but preferably bigger and have alot of toys they can climb around on these also you can get alot of toys that hang on the top of cages and with some extention chains are perfect to give a hamster some extra enrichment

EveWasShamed · 23/09/2019 12:07

Do you have the decency to return and face up to your shockingly poor attitude to animal welfare OP?

timshelthechoice · 23/09/2019 13:11

Where do you get rescue hams from? I've only seen a couple on RSPCA in years. I buy from a breeder as then the ham has already been hand-tamed. Hammy bites hurt!

AussieBeauty · 23/09/2019 13:26

I suppose. I'm just tired of constantly replacing cages (we recently got a new one for our budgie, too) and would ideally prefer to have one suitable for a range of pet

There's No such thing as a cage suitable for a range of pets...and if you don't want to spend the money giving each pet what they need...STOP buying new pets.

I'm sorry but irresponsible pet owners really bother me. It's a living creature that you're supposed to be caring for. Rabbits need large spaces, a guinea pig hutch won't do, and you can't guarantee a rabbit will be cuddly.

SilentAlarm · 23/09/2019 13:39

@timshelthechoice Look for animal rescue centres in your area. I’m not sure any of the big name rescues take in hamsters but I know a few smaller places local to me often have them in.

ErinO · 23/09/2019 13:40

Please don't get that tiny cage for a rabbit. They are such misunderstood pets! They are not generally 'cuddly' and are massively high maintenance in terms of time and money. You have to spend ages with them for them to get used to you and even then most rabbits don't like being handled. They need massive spaces to run around! I had 3 as a child, they had run of the (huge) back garden and lived in a converted shed at night, they were also allowed in the house whenever too . A small glass cage is not suitable and the poor thing will be so stressed

LochJessMonster · 23/09/2019 13:45

Neither are great.
The first one is too small but the second one doesn't have the climbing and levels that hamsters need.
A pp on one of the first pages posted a great one £35 from amazon that had 4 stories. Much much better.

timshelthechoice · 23/09/2019 13:49

We're pretty rural so only have dog and cat rescues. I'd like a rescue ham, but oh, well, breeder it is. We love hammies!

ThatCurlyGirl · 23/09/2019 13:49

Oh my god PLEASE don't get a rabbit OP. Please don't. There are no cages in pet shops that are in any way suitable even if they say they are.

Last week my beautiful, brilliant 10 year old bunny went to heaven and I already miss her so much. She was a house bunny with free reign - the thought of her in one of those cages is heartbreaking.

They were such complicated animals and need super attentive and vigilant owners who can spot signs when they are ill - if they don't eat for 8-12 hours they are likely not to be able to make it.

While my bunny did love cuddles as she got older, most do not and it is not recommended to handle them too much as they find it stressful.

Please, please, please do not get a bunny OP.

SilentAlarm · 23/09/2019 14:04

@timshelthechoice apparently I was wrong! Even the RSPCA have hamsters for adoption - search small furries on their site. :)

timshelthechoice · 23/09/2019 14:10

Yeah, ours always has load of reptiles but I've only seen a hammy a time or two in years Sad. Really enjoy having Syrians as pets. They're so cute! We originally started getting them when one of my daughters was 6 but I knew it was really my pet and have enjoyed them ever since. We currently have a lovely cream and white male. I like male hammies as females get stinky often.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 23/09/2019 14:27

Is it possible for a cage to be too big? I bought a massive one online and hadn't realised quite how big it would be and my hamster doesn't seem to come out of her sleeping hut as much since moving her into it. I wonder if she's overwhelmed by the size and feels less secure. I also worry when she climbs and falls, her little bones can't be very strong. Tempted to put her back in her old cage.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 23/09/2019 14:29

101 x 52.5 x 51 cm - these are the dimensions