I think my boyfriend startled our hamster... Strange behavior I think??

[Rodent Fan]

I keep Archie's lid open when I'm around too, as I find it easier to reach in and say hello without startling him if the lid's already open But if I'm going out or going to bed I put the lid back down.

Cute hamster

[Pebbles82]

It's looking really nice It is early days so she's bound to be active and try escaping. I would go with a secure lid, rather than trying to keep everything low. They can always climb up a 10" wheel, or any wheel, and if there's nothing to climb up, they can build a mountain of substrate in one corner and climb up that So just go with the deep substrate, water bottle at a good height for her and a 11" or 12" wheel and have a secure lid. If she monkey bars, that doesn't matter so much as long as she can't fall too far (more reason to have deeper substrate).

As she's a big hammy, the 10" bucket wheel might be a bit on the small side. The 12" Silent Spinner is massive, but the 12" Silent runner isn't, and it has a nice safe sturdy stand. Some people also rig up a way to hand an 11" wodent wheel upside down from a tank (see link below and scroll down page) - they spin better upside down and are more stable. Personally I find the 12" Silent Runner such a great wheel - silent, light, sturdy, spins well - and not easy to climb at the back either.

Yes baby steps Keep her distracted by hiding bits of food in different places in her cage - the odd half a walnut or pumpkin seed eg, or scatter feed half of her hamster mix (eg put half usual amount in the bowl and scatter the other half). That'll keep her busy. Also give her loads of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper in a big pile somewhere in the cage, and she'll pouch what she needs to build a nest - they like nest building and foraging. You could think about rigging up some kind of level at the right hand end maybe? just a piece of wood on dowel legs. They like having a shelf to go under and climb on.

This is the 12" Silent Runner wheel (not spinner) - it's not nearly as deep and bulky as the 12" Silent Spinner and spins really well and has a safe stand.

Silent Runner Wheel 12 inch - Silent Runner Wheels

Only comes in orange lol! Well there is a green one but it's much deeper and for hedgehogs. I don't mind it being orange. The big holes on the front make it easy to wipe round. There's no axle - the stand is solid metal and it has ball bearings so it's silent.

This is the info about how to hang a wodent wheel in a tank.

Wodent Wheel Tidbits

I think the Silent runner is much safer than the wodent wheel though - they can't get trapped between the wheel and the stand with the Silent Runner. Technically they shouldn't with the wodent but our Syrian managed to get his leg stuck between the stand and wheel with a 12" Wobust Wodent wheel.

[DrKMcK]

Hello Hamsan. I just read the whole thread and Winry is going to have a wonderful life. I can tell already. You've done very well with her new home. She is lovely.

As for the escaping, the H in Hamster stands for Houdini! All hamsters are little escape artists. So much so, that people in the know regarding the little fluffs are aware of the bucket trap, a nifty idea for trapping a hamster who decided on adventuring to forbidden places. It'll taper off as she gets older, but she'll never completely stop.

When you bought the tank and the top did you get the locking clips? If not you need to get them. Petco has them. Considering how she is training to be an acrobat, you want to make sure she can't get that lid up...and she can. I had an elderly Syrian who did it when I forgot to put the clips on and he nearly got stepped on because I didn't know he was out.

Considering how determined she is, digging away and trying to find a way out, you were smart to go the tank route. Your Lady might very well have managed to chew a hole in a cage by now.

I am looking forward to watching her grow up on HC.