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Original poster

About to buy first hamster- any advice on cages etc?

51 replies

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 12:56

We're buying dd a syrian hamster for her birthday and would appreciate some advice on what size of cage to buy and where from. Any other tips on what we might need would be much appreciated- I'm guessing bedding, water bottle, food bowl, house...anything else?

We'd already bought her present (something completely different) so would like to stick to as small a budget as possible

OP posts:

chopstheduck · 15/01/2010 13:08

Ideally a glass tank with lots of sawdust for burrowing.

I really wouldnt bother with the elaborate tunnels, etc. They tend to get chewed up!

MrsL123 · 15/01/2010 13:14

Do you have a pets at home near you? Their 'starter' kits are very good value and you can get the hamster there too

We don't have hamsters but the guinea pig and rabbit stuff is down the same aisle in our PAH, and I love looking at all the funky cages they do! Look at this one- I'd have killed for it when I was little!

You can see all their cages here - they start at £20 and most include bottles/bowls/houses etc.

I think Argos also do some starter kits, but I like to be able to see something before I buy it.

MrsL123 · 15/01/2010 13:17

This argos set is quite good value:

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0352772/Trail/searchtext%3EHAMSTER.htm

Hulababy · 15/01/2010 13:17

We have a largish Habitrail system. I didn't want a cage one as they kick sawdust everywhere and can be messy. The Habitrail system we have is easy to clean, etc. and has tubes and tunnels for the hamster to climb.

We used to have gerbils and for them has a large glass gerbilarium. Again, no cage so no mess. The gerbils really liked to burrow under the deep sawdust. However, our gerbil didn't like it.

Original poster

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 13:18

Thanks for the tips. I am hoping to get the hamster from a local breeder so it might be a little tamer (fond memories of being bitten repeatedly as a child!) but I will have a look in Pets at Home for sawdust, bedding etc. I wanted to avoid the tunnel type ones as a few people said they were really difficult to clean- I'm happy to be corrected though!

OP posts:

Hulababy · 15/01/2010 13:19

Ours is this: set plus this pink home attached. We buy the cardboard mazes for inside every so often.

tellyaddict · 15/01/2010 13:22

My personal experience of the tunnel/modular type ones wasn't good! They aren't that hard to clean as you can usually take the tubes etc apart for cleaning, but be warned - our hamster escaped, as one of the tunnels/tubes wasn't slotted into the 'bedroom' of the cage properly and he got eaten by our cat ...... .

herbietea · 15/01/2010 13:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 13:23

We don't have a cat but don't really want a wandering hammy!

OP posts:

Merrylegs · 15/01/2010 13:25

Watch out they don't get too hot in the glass.

We have 2 cages for 2 different hamsters. One is plastic and one wire. I have to say the hamster in the wire cage has a much better time of it as he can gnaw on the bars and crawl up them too. His life seems more interesting. BUT he is also noisier at night.

We got both cages from pets at home - they often have good deals on cages including free sawdust, food etc.

(We got the hamsters there too and they are really friendly and surprisingly rewarding - they are russian dwarf rather than syrian)

Hulababy · 15/01/2010 13:26

I foudn the big glass gerbilarium more difficult to clean as it so heavy.

Also bear in mind that if they are determined they still escape. Our glass gerbilarium was solid class with a metal mesh roof. It had one circle of plastic - the ar hole bit. The gerbils ate through this to excape!

The hamster has escaped from the habitrail - but TBF we left it open by accident. Ooops! It did chew through one part of the connectors, but not all wa through and we were able to notice, remove it and replace the small affected part.

Original poster

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 13:30

Thanks. I think I will go for the biggest wire cage I can get.
The hamsters that bit me were always the dwarf ones- our syrians were fantastic. I wonder if I went to Pets at Home they would handle a few for me so I could see which ones were friendliest/ tamest? There are a few independent pet shops nearby, maybe I should try them as well (I haven't had a response from the breeder, which makes me think they don't have any babies)

Can anyone recommend a beginners book about hammies for a 6 year old?

OP posts:

Summersoon · 15/01/2010 13:42

Agree strongly about the wire cage - hamsters loving climbing up the bars and I think that they get very frustrated with glass walls. Having the bars increases their living space using the same footprint IYKWIM.

Do make sure you buy some bars for them to chew on (any petshop and Pets at Home) will have a selection as their teeth grow easily. You need to keep giving them hard stuff to eat and soft treats (e.g. a grape) only very occasionally.

Hope that you and your DD enjoy your hamster!

Mutt · 15/01/2010 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LilyBolero · 15/01/2010 13:56

don't get a rotastak type cage for a Syrian - the tubes are too small for Syrians and can cause distress. Get as big a wire one as you can afford and have room for. Often independent pet shops have a better selection than Pets at Home type places.

HSMM · 15/01/2010 14:01

Don't get one with tunnels - they are a nightmare to clean out

midori1999 · 15/01/2010 14:05

Most of the hamster cages you can buy at PAH etc are far too small for a Syrian Hamster.

The Imac Fantasy is pretty good, although the starter kit is fairly small, you can add extensions later on when you have more money to spend.

This is the base ( I suspect it can be bought more cheaply if you look)

www.ukpetsupplies.com/Details.aspx?ProdId=1847&CatId=177

and this is what it looks like with several extensions: (there are reviews here too)

www.allaboutmice.co.uk/product-reviews-imac-fantasy-hamster-cage/

Original poster

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 14:10

Thanks all so much.

I had my heart set on a Syrian as they're just so cute but could be persuaded otherwise. Are they the tight choice for a (mature) 6 year old?

OP posts:

Mutt · 15/01/2010 14:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

midori1999 · 15/01/2010 14:13

We have had a number of syrians for our children and they have all been fine, never once been bitten. They are slow enough for children to handle well and generally good tempered, IME.

inthesticks · 15/01/2010 14:24

We are recently bereaved of our old syrian hamster.
I disagree about not having tunnels on the grounds that the hamster loved them. Yes they are a pain to clean, but when you are keeping a creature in a cage I think you should make life as stimulating and comfortable as possible. Yes to wires as well.
They like routine and we used to bury whole unshelled nuts in the cage after cleaning. He would dive in and search for them, then spend days gnawing his way through the shell.

He did bite me badly at first and it really hurts. We were told to handle him every day to tame him and it did work.
My only reservation about hamsters is that they really are nocturnal. If you want to play with them you have to wake them up. Ours was usually just getting up as DS went to bed. The hamsters ideal playtime is 3am and they can be noisy at night.

chopstheduck · 15/01/2010 16:16

rats are a far better pet for children. They do require large cages though, or plently of time out to run about.

I didn't keep mine in huge cage, but he mostly had the run of the house and liked to sleep on me.

Rats rarely ever bite, and are easy to tame and train. They are bigger so easier for children to handle without flattening. They are a lot more interesting, affectionate and fun.

Unfortunately they don't have teh cuteness factor for most people.

midori1999 · 15/01/2010 16:30

I agree about rats making great pets. You do need to get at least a pair though, rats should not be kept singly.

How can anyone not think this is cute though?!

i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/midori1999/Aprilsbabes080.jpg

i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/midori1999/furettowerrattiebabies024.jpg

Original poster

NeatFreak · 15/01/2010 16:40

Awww, they really are cute! I just can't get my head round them being rats, as much as I'd like to. I did do lots of research and realiesd they made fantastic pets but its a psychological thing for me... think it's the tails.

OP posts:

midori1999 · 15/01/2010 16:46

go and see some....

I was terrified of them at first and hated them. I got my first group because I wanted to breed my own 'ethical' snake food. (when you buy frozen rodents from pet shops they have been kept in appalling conditions). It took me half an hour to move them into their cage, despite wearing heavy leather gloves and I was convinced they looked evil and would bite me...

Anyway, I gradually got used to them and now have rather a few (26, plus babies) and they are totaly addictive. So clever and outgoing.

You can get tailless rats now too, although they can have problems regulating their temps as well as some skeletal problems.

(I'm guessing I am not convicing you anyway... )

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