Hello

[rhian]

Hi everyone,



Babyboos introduced me to this forum to get more information about hamsters before I get one myself. I've been reading the articles here and I'm very impressed with the quantity of information on offer. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable, but I've got a long way to go!



My boyfriend and I have both kept gerbils in the past, and I'm planning on using my boyfriend's old gerbil cage for the hamster(s). It's a plastic aquarium style cage, so I think would be ok for most hamsters. I really like winter whites, but as they would be kept as a pair, I'm worried that the cage would be too small. It only measures 30 by 45 by 30 cm. Is this too small?



Roborovskis are lovely too, but I think I've ruled them out as they're so quick. I'm sure I'd lose them, and the gaps under our skirting boards are too large to take a chance. Also, with the cage only 30cm deep, is it likely they would jump and hit their heads on the lid? I read somewhere that they can jump 2 feet!



Anyway, I'd love to hear any advice or experiences you are able to share with me. I think all hamsters are lovely and just want to be sure that any hamster I get will be as happy with me as I will be with he or she.



Rhian x



P.S. Sorry to be so demanding with my questions straight away, but do any of you know of a good small animal vet in Central Edinburgh? I figure it's good to be prepared and have heard enough horror stories from friends to want to have it sorted out beforehand. :?

[jennifer01]

Hi I'm a newbie too....



I can't answer any of your questions, but I'm saying welcome :D



Jenny

[SnuggleHam]

Welcome Rhian, I’m so glad you have joined us! Thanks babyoos as well! I must say it is so very much refreshing to see people actually doing their research on a new pet before just going out and buying one!



Also thank you so much for the compliments on the Hamster Central website, I have done allot of work to get it together and in putting up information and articles, but I have also had lots of help from people here on the forum including both my mod’s :)



I think all the dwarfs can make great pets, it just depends what you want from them.. I would suggest for a first time hamster owner to get a Syrian hamster, as they are larger, cuddlier and easy to handle.



The dwarf species are all generally a bit more rowdy and swift when being handled. They are also communal meaning they need a cage mate or two to live with in the same cage, but you already knew that ;) Dwarfs aren’t as tame and cuddly as their larger Syrian cousins, but they still can be fun to hold and handle with care, you could always make a confined area on the floor for them to run around in while supervised.



There are many kind of cages out there, I prefer aquariums or bin cages, but I really stand behind bin cages as I feel the are far superior to anything else. I’m not sure about the dimensions of the plastic tank you were talking about, how much is that in inches I wonder? Sorry I don’t have a ruler with inches on hand , :oops: But I will say I think you should give as much space as you possibly and realistically can.



Don’t be sorry for asking questions even if you have a ton of them, we want you and every hamster owner out there to be as informed as possible.



I’m in the US so hopefully someone else will post to your caging and vet questions.

[i-love-paddy]

Hi,



Your gerbil cage would be too small for 2 dwarves, in my opnion. Winter Whites are a good choice - I love Pearl Winter Whites but I'm a Syrian fanatic by nature so no dwarves for me!



Syrians would be ideal as a first time hamster owner as they are larger and generally easier to handle. There are so many colours/varities as well. Syrians have to live on their own though-one to a cage only - otherwise they will fight and could kill each other.



Cage wise the bigger the better. I know bin cages are very popular and would be ideal for dwarves/Robos. I personally like Imac cages for syrians. Floor space is more important than height/levels.



I hope this helps in your decision

[rhian]

Thank you all for welcoming me. As far as the cage goes, I know it's too small really, and although it's bigger than a lot of cages I've seen hamsters in, I feel it's quite small for even a single syrian. If the hamster grows as big as my friend's, then it will easily be a third of the length of the cage when fully grown.



I think I may have to postpone my hamster getting by at least a few weeks anyway, as a friend of my boyfriend is moving in for a few weeks and she'll be staying in the room I'd designated for the hamster, and there will be boxes everywhere. I would put the hamster in my office, but my computer has a really noisy fan, not to mention the noise of me typing, and my boyfriend's office is no better. The lounge is quiet enough, but that's because we never use it, and if Fiona did the noise of the TV would bother them, I'm sure.



I've settled on a Syrian though. I should definitely start simple and not get too ambitious all at once, and they are so cute!



I just hope I can get the flat into some kind of order before Fiona's double bed and 20 large boxes arrive on tuesday. :?

[babyboos]

Great to see you joined us - I hope you learn lots and make some lovely friends like me :? :wink: You are probably right to wait and get a larger enclosure and then use the old tank as a burrow box for your new Syrian hamster. It is good to consider their ears and surroundings, although many owners have them in a computer room I prefer to see them in a quiet corner of a less frequently used spare/bed/dining/room. I know our computer room can get quite hot and stuffy especially with all the positive ions they throw off.



You are lucky to be in a city with a Vet School - it has a Small Animal Practice out at Roslin (near where I was born :oops: ) though not in the centre.



Small Animal Hospital

Phone: 0131 650 7650 Fax: 0131 650 7652

Address: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Hospital for Small Animals, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin

Midlothian, EH25 9RG



You are better to register with them when you get your hamster before you need to actually see them for anything in particular. Routine appointments are seen on Monday – Friday from 9.20am – 11.20am and 2.00pm - 4.20pm, Saturday 9.00am - 11.20am. Additional/emergency appointments are seen on the day required or as soon as possible. New appointments last for 20 minutes. Recheck appointments last for 20 minutes. If you come by car, there are ample parking facilities. At Easter Bush, a special area in front of the Hospital is set aside for use of clients. Several bus companies run services to Easter Bush, or nearby from within Edinburgh itself. Please contact Traveline Edinburgh on 0131 225 3586 for a timetable.



Good luck with your new temporary housemate :wink:

[Emma]

Hiya



Welcome to Hamster Central! It's great that you're doing some research into your new pet before you bring it home, good on you :)



Yeah, that cage would be too small for anything (30cm roughly equals 12 inches for US members, so this is an 18 inch tank). For an aquarium for a pair of dwarves (any species) I'd want at least a 24-30 inch tank - this is what I keep my Roborovskis in, but the bigger the better. There are other options such as making your own from a plastic storage bin, there are articles about that on the site, but look at wire cages too - they can be very expensive in pet shops but can sometimes be found for cheaper on eBay and other places.



As for Robos hitting their heads - well, my tanks are about the same height as yours, and none's bumped their head yet :wink:. None of mine are very jumpy at all. They can jump, but it seems to be more of an occasional escape mechanism (such as jumping from my hands when there's a sudden noise) rather than something they do all the time - that's what I've found with my 4 anyway.



Robos are a very interesting pet but they're never going to be cuddly-tame like other hamsters can be, so if you want a more handleable pet it might be best to go for Russian dwarves or even Chinese hamsters.