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Old 09-09-2019, 08:49 PM  
Griel
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 21
Default Re: Did my hamster become too fat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
I would highly recommend hiding bits of her food throughout her cage if you're just feeding it all in a bowl, even if it's just starting with taking a small portion out of the bowl and scattering it on platforms or throughout her bedding.

I would steer clear of the hamster ball though, they're best avoided as they can be very stressful to hamsters among many other issues and there are much better options for exercise that will offer more benefit and they just happen to often cost far less than a hamster ball anyways!

One great idea that we commonly see recommended on the forum is a clean dry bathtub with or without yourself inside, as long as the drain hole is covered, with some different toys added inside the tub. For those without good access to a bathtub like myself, homemade playpens using cut up cardboard boxes is a cheap or even free alternative.

For the more skittish hamsters who don't want to be handled, play bins are an excellent choice. You could add a small layer of bedding to make moving easier inside the bin, and some different toys just as you would with a bathtub or playpen setup.
OK, I didn't really do the scatter feeding and prefer a bowl (blame my human nature), but I'll definitely do scatter feeding now onwards! Silly me, I've heard of it but never crossed my mind that this is part of exercising for them.

Yeah, she's still skittish (Robo that's been with me for only a month) and I didn't want to stress her up but I think putting her in a playpen/bin for short time periods would cause her to be more active (as she'd be actively figuring out how she can escape instead of just sitting around). Perhaps I could fill it up with bedding and hide some food so she can burrow around the playpen/bin too.

Don't have a bathtub, but I was wondering, would a sink (with a towel across it to cover the drain hole) work in the same way as bathtub for non-Syrians? Never heard of anyone using a sink.

These are absolutely brilliant tips, thanks so much!

Last edited by Griel; 09-09-2019 at 08:54 PM.
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