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emma_teddy · 08-13-2019, 05:22 PM

hi there! so glad to hear you're 1) helping out a friend and 2) giving this hamster a better life!

the bin
i have the same size bin for my syrian, and while of course i'd love to go bigger, we live in a small apartment and i cannot, unfortunately. how many holes do you have in the lid? if possible, you can cut out part of the lid and secure a wire mesh on top. i too have the holes because i am on a budget and have not been able to buy the mesh yet. i used a drill and drilled tons of holes - too many to count because im lazy. i would also recommend doing some holes in the top at the side - i did that on mine as well.

feeding/food
for feeding, it honestly depends on the hamster. you want to discourage picky eating, so some people suggest you give them 1-2 tbsp and wait until their dish is emptied before refilling. for me, i do around 1 tbsp in his dish every 2 days, and scatter feed another tbsp around his cage. i would also recommend some extra protein. i know the mazuri rat and mouse food (this is the petco link) (block-like pellets) are easily available and cheap in the US and those are highly recommended. since we cannot get them here in Canada for anything less than an exorbitant price, i supplement with freeze dried cat treats (purebites) when i feed him as well. and timing wise, it really just depends on your routine and the hamster. feeding in the evening is some people's preferred time, as the hamster tends to be more awake. it really depends on what you prefer.

veggies and fruits are good! things like cucumbers, carrots, spinach, and bell peppers are good. strawberries, raspberries and apples are good as well though they are sugary so moderation is key. and make sure you start small, you don't want to overwhelm your hamsters stomach and cause diarrhea. once she gets used to a food, you can feed it more often/more of it. some people give fresh fruit/veggies every other day, some once a week. it depends on what you want to do.

temperature/location
before we moved, my hammy lived in our basement (because that's where my room was) and it was cool down there but he seemed okay. if you are concerned about her getting cold, you could put a blanket around her cage, or maybe purchase a small heater for the room? i believe the ideal temperature is around 19-24 degrees Celsius (65-75 fahrenheit).

entertainment
keeping them entertained can be challenging, but there are lots of diy ways to do that. if you cut up a toilet paper roll into rings and forms them into a puzzle-ball thing and put some treats inside that can be fun. there's tons of things you can look up. scatter feeding helps combat boredom too. also, if you find that your hamster isn't chewing on the wooden chews (or even if she is) i'd totally recommend getting her some whimzee's dog treats (you can also buy them indivudally when you go nto the store if you don't want to buy a whole bag). they're dog dental chews and i know lots of people (myself included) give them to their hamsters for chewing. mine absolutely loves them and i get him the larger alligator ones because he goes through the small ones so quickly.

other cage stuff
other cage accessories that i'm not sure if you have/have heard of that are great are wooden bendy bridges (amazing), chewnels, different kinds of tubes, and hanging chew toys that you can secure to the top of your cage (i used a zip tie the last time i had one up). it's also important to make sure you have lots of hides. there is a wooden magazine holder from ikea (the knuff i believe?) that lots of people use as a hide/plat form (just remove the base as that way the hamster can burrow down). if you attach some photos of your cage set-up we can take a look and see if theres anything to add/change. you want to have a good amount of bedding, optimally 5+ inches. since the bin you (and me) are using is not super deep, you can slope the bedding so that one side is higher and good for burrowing and the other is lower, where you can put the wheel, etc.

the wheel
and for the wheel, if their back is arching, it's too small. the bare minimum for a syrian in 8", i have the 9" silent runner which i love and fits my hammy well. most people prefer having more than 8" especially if you have a larger hamster. just watch and see if her back curves when she runs on the wheel and that will tell you!

------------------------

there are also some great youtube channels for hamster/small pet related content. they have lots fo diy videos and tips and stuff like that. some of my favourites are victoria raechel and erinsanimals

welcome to the community and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask! you've already done a great job helping this hamster so keep up the good work!

sorry that was a really long post, just figured i'd go all in because i didn't want to forget anything. oh and also, sorry if you already knew some of this stuff/have some of it !!

08-13-2019, 05:22 PM
emma_teddy Hamster Pup Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 111	Re: Hello! Im a new member with questions hi there! so glad to hear you're 1) helping out a friend and 2) giving this hamster a better life! *the bin* i have the same size bin for my syrian, and while of course i'd love to go bigger, we live in a small apartment and i cannot, unfortunately. how many holes do you have in the lid? if possible, you can cut out part of the lid and secure a wire mesh on top. i too have the holes because i am on a budget and have not been able to buy the mesh yet. i used a drill and drilled tons of holes - too many to count because im lazy. i would also recommend doing some holes in the top at the side - i did that on mine as well. *feeding/food* for feeding, it honestly depends on the hamster. you want to discourage picky eating, so some people suggest you give them 1-2 tbsp and wait until their dish is emptied before refilling. for me, i do around 1 tbsp in his dish every 2 days, and scatter feed another tbsp around his cage. i would also recommend some extra protein. i know the mazuri rat and mouse food (this is the petco link) (block-like pellets) are easily available and cheap in the US and those are highly recommended. since we cannot get them here in Canada for anything less than an exorbitant price, i supplement with freeze dried cat treats (purebites) when i feed him as well. and timing wise, it really just depends on your routine and the hamster. feeding in the evening is some people's preferred time, as the hamster tends to be more awake. it really depends on what you prefer. veggies and fruits are good! things like cucumbers, carrots, spinach, and bell peppers are good. strawberries, raspberries and apples are good as well though they are sugary so moderation is key. and make sure you start small, you don't want to overwhelm your hamsters stomach and cause diarrhea. once she gets used to a food, you can feed it more often/more of it. some people give fresh fruit/veggies every other day, some once a week. it depends on what you want to do. *temperature/location* before we moved, my hammy lived in our basement (because that's where my room was) and it was cool down there but he seemed okay. if you are concerned about her getting cold, you could put a blanket around her cage, or maybe purchase a small heater for the room? i believe the ideal temperature is around 19-24 degrees Celsius (65-75 fahrenheit). *entertainment* keeping them entertained can be challenging, but there are lots of diy ways to do that. if you cut up a toilet paper roll into rings and forms them into a puzzle-ball thing and put some treats inside that can be fun. there's tons of things you can look up. scatter feeding helps combat boredom too. also, if you find that your hamster isn't chewing on the wooden chews (or even if she is) i'd totally recommend getting her some whimzee's dog treats (you can also buy them indivudally when you go nto the store if you don't want to buy a whole bag). they're dog dental chews and i know lots of people (myself included) give them to their hamsters for chewing. mine absolutely loves them and i get him the larger alligator ones because he goes through the small ones so quickly. *other cage stuff* other cage accessories that i'm not sure if you have/have heard of that are great are wooden bendy bridges (amazing), chewnels, different kinds of tubes, and hanging chew toys that you can secure to the top of your cage (i used a zip tie the last time i had one up). it's also important to make sure you have lots of hides. there is a wooden magazine holder from ikea (the knuff i believe?) that lots of people use as a hide/plat form (just remove the base as that way the hamster can burrow down). if you attach some photos of your cage set-up we can take a look and see if theres anything to add/change. you want to have a good amount of bedding, optimally 5+ inches. since the bin you (and me) are using is not super deep, you can slope the bedding so that one side is higher and good for burrowing and the other is lower, where you can put the wheel, etc. *the wheel* and for the wheel, if their back is arching, it's too small. the bare minimum for a syrian in 8", i have the 9" silent runner which i love and fits my hammy well. most people prefer having more than 8" especially if you have a larger hamster. just watch and see if her back curves when she runs on the wheel and that will tell you! ------------------------ there are also some great youtube channels for hamster/small pet related content. they have lots fo diy videos and tips and stuff like that. some of my favourites are victoria raechel and erinsanimals welcome to the community and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask! you've already done a great job helping this hamster so keep up the good work! sorry that was a really long post, just figured i'd go all in because i didn't want to forget anything. oh and also, sorry if you already knew some of this stuff/have some of it !! __________________ *\| teddy \| male syrian \| idiot \|* ~emma Last edited by emma_teddy; 08-13-2019 at 05:51 PM.