Is this suitable for a Syrian hamster?

[thornyhousewife]

After lots of thought, I'd like to get a Syrian hamster.

I like the look of this tall rodent home but would love some advice from an experienced hamster owner please.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01442DOKW/ref=mp_s_a_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1504986848&sr=8-21&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=rodent+house&dpPl=1&dpID=41ru14ldVGL&ref=plSrch

The footprint is 60cm x 40cm.

I went to p@h today but their cages were tiny. Another local pet shop has 5 week old Syrian babies which I could collect next week when they turn 6 weeks.

Any advice or tips very much appreciated!

Thanks everyone, appreciate the input.

It's been surprising seeing how small most pet shop cages are. I liked the design of the Omlet Qute and associate the company with pet welfare but perhaps not. Although is has so many reviews from happy pet owners.

I'm waiting for the hamster heaven to arrive today, and then collect the hamster pup tomorrow. He's a beautiful short haired grey and white stripe.

I've got two kids but they are too small to tame the hamster, so I'll be attempting that by myself in the evenings. They've helped me build a big hamster play Park from cardboard which was fun.

There's a good bit of video about taming here

Omlet's marketing is very good. Unfortunately, the Omlet Qute cage is unsuitable because

• at 48x37cm unbroken floorspace (1776 sq cm) it's less than half the recommended minimum of 80x50cm (4000 sq cm) - remember, shelves and levels are bonuses but don't count towards floorspace.
• it's not tall enough to accommodate a 28cm diameter wheel with stand on either floor
• on older versions, the wire floor that comes as standard (unless you want to pay an extra £9.50 for a solid floor) can and will cause a nasty and potentially fatal foot problem called bumblefoot articles.extension.org/pages/61429/bumblefoot-in-companion-rodents
• dwarf hamsters and any older hamster will seriously struggle to get up and down the tube. My dwarf hamster can't manage anything more challenging than a 45 degree angle, and I've seen Syrians faceplant when trying to go down a vertical tube.
• it's vastly overpriced for what it is, seeing as you can get a top-of-the-range Zooplus Alexander for less

They're just as bad with other animals - compare and contrast what the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund says rabbits need rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-housing/why-hutch-not-enough/ vs what Omlet sell www.omlet.co.uk/shop/rabbit_products/eglu_rabbit_house/

Their marketing is slick, they position themselves towards the luxury end of the market, and the products look very pretty. But all the reviews come from the purchasers of the cage, not the inhabitants, who don't get a say in the matter. Ultimately, it's a design-focussed company (probably because it was started by Royal College of Art graduates), not an animal welfare-focussed one.