Toys/Treats from P@H

[hannahbubble]

I get my student loan on Monday so I can go and buy Ham a few more things.

I was just wondering what are everyone's thoughts on P@H things for Chinese hams, especially the Woodlands stuff?

Are there any treats in the woodlands range suitable for Chinese?

[racinghamster]

I don`t buy any over the counter `treats` for chinese hamsters because many of them have sugar/syrup/molasses or honey added to bind them. I can`t comment on the Naturals ranges as I`ve never used them, but I would still be sceptical that they didn`t contain something that wasn`t `natural`. The words natural, organic or pure can be misleading. Treats for chinese hamsters can be just little seeds or things that are taken from their own mix, like a sunflower seed, a small piece of peanut (not a whole one as they are high in fat) so it`s better to break one up and hand feed as a treat.

Your supermarket and healthfood shops sell seeds and grains that are far safer to give as treats and they can also be added to the hamsters mix. These can include:

Kallo organic wholegrain puffed rice (Tesco/Holland & Barratt)
Organic jumbo oats (Tesco/healthfood shops)
Buckwheat (Tesco/healthfood shops)
Hemp seed (Asda/Healthfood shops)
Linseed (Tesco/Healthfood shops)
Millet/Canary seed (all pet shops)
Budgie millet spray

There are others but I`ve only listed the ones I currently buy. All of these can be bought seperately in bags and kept stored. :)

Wooden and cork accessories are great. I think Pets At Home sell both, like the fiddlestix bendy logs and in the reptile section, you may find cork and natural products, but those might be more pricey. Driftwood and bogwood, things like this can add to a natural environment for a chinese. You just need a cage the size of a Zoozone 1 to accommodate them.

[Vectis Hamstery]

I like some of the dried treats from the Woodlands range, like the dried dandelion. I mix a handful or so in the substrate at clean out and it's usually foraged out in no time! There's nothing in that except the dandelion, but if you're unsure read the ingredients list.

In terms of toys, I went through a 'natural cage' phase a while back using bogwood and the little stone-appearance dishes from the reptile section. Wooden toys can be difficult to clean, especially between hamsters. To be honest, my chinese seem to prefer cardboard boxes! Not things of beauty but they are nest boxes/climbing frames and sources of bedding combined. Bought toys my Chinese like are:
Woodlands Small Pet Play Tunnel | Pets at Home (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/woodlands-small-pet-play-tunnel-15910)
Chew and Roll Small Animal Toy by Pets At Home | Pets at Home (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/chew-and-roll-small-animal-toy-by-pets-at-home-31823)
Woodlands Small Pet Play Sticks | Pets at Home (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/woodlands-small-pet-play-sticks-15931)
Small Animal Hide and Seek Cube by Pets At Home | Pets at Home (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/small-animal-hide-and-seek-cube-by-pets-at-home-31827) (with the fluff removed before giving to the ham)
And some of the toys from the bird section - like wooden/rope ladders.

[fluffymunchkins]

I don't buy really sugary treats usually, but I spotted the hamster muffins and fancied a try.
They were a major hit with everyone, including my chinese and it was nice to give them a spoiling :)
Honestly, one of Bacardis favourite things are dog biscuits (bonio or pedigree markies). You can get mini markies in pets at home usually and you can choose how many you want x

[Vectis Hamstery]

Dog biscuits are a real hit here - mine get the full size markies! Other treats they like are monkey nuts or other nuts in their shells, partially cracked so they can smell what's inside. The biggest favourite 'treats' are human food: mashed potato, cooked chicken/turkey, brussell sprouts and other veg, porridge, cooked pasta. Sheba prime cuts chicken cat food gets gobbled up speedily too, and the extra protein helps a growing hamster too.

[Kezziah]

A favourite here is the Woodlands 'Pickles food tower' :) Its fairly tall for a little Chinese so you can make it more fun by piling up sawdust and putting a tunnel up to the food bowl, or the bendy sticky make a good ramp!

[hannahbubble]

I have had my eye on that! I've also been looking at the climbing frame, do you think it would be too big for a chinese though?

[KatiePillow]

The climbing frame is too tall for your cage I think :(

[hannahbubble]

I'm getting it for play time! I have a ball pit that my guinea pigs go in so Ponyo can have play time in it too.

[racinghamster]

I wanted to offer my chinese a dog biscuit to nibble on but I`m wary of the `hidden vegetable origins` in these biscuits as corn could well be one of those. They never state what is actually in these biscuits so I can`t take the risk. If I could source a dog biscuit I knew didn`t have corn or anything harmful included in it`s `hidden` ingredients, I would be happier to feed a couple on occassion, but until I find one, I won`t be bothering. Not for my chinese hamster ayway.

[hannahbubble]

Well I am off to P@H this evening so I will be pondering over the climbing frame and the digging tower! Ponyo does love to dig so that might be a good investment.

I think I will try and get something that will put another level in there as well, maybe a largish house or something, that other stuff can also go on top of.