Weeing ? and cage question

esoesk · 08-09-2018, 01:44 AM

Ok, so this might be a stupid question... BUT, how often does a "regular" non terrified syrian hamster wee when you handle them?
I've been keeping rats for a while now and when my last one passes on (shes on her last leg of her life) i'm thinking of going over to hamsters instead. Thing with rats is that they wee EVERYWHERE...pretty much every minutes to leave a scent trail and to mark.
Do hamsters do the same? I've been trying to google how often a hamster wees, but it only comes up with how often a terrified hamster will wee.

What about your average joe hamster thats tame ?

My roomate works for pets at home (kinda like a petsmart petco thing), so she said she'll pick up a hamster if a sweet one pops into adoption, but only if im willing to buy a big enough cage. She wont let me buy any of the cages they sell in store ? She wants me to buy a guinea pig/bunny sized cage !! that cant be right??

mangoandmimi · 08-09-2018, 01:00 PM

They don’t pee that often - especially during handling. Have never been peed on by a Syrian or any hamster.

Your roommate is correct about cages since the majority of pets at home cages are too small for hamsters. They do sell a few good ones online though. The rabbit and piggie cages are equally unsuitable for them both as well so i wouldn’t think too much in terms of who the cages are marketed towards.

dreamtree1234 · 08-09-2018, 01:16 PM

Hi and welcome to HC! I agree with Mangoandmimi. I have never had any tamed hamsters urinate on me while they were being handled. That being said, I always make sure that they have an opportunity to relieve themselves in their specified litter container inside their cage prior to me picking them up. I also watch for signs that signal they are needing to pee soon so I put them back in their cage so they can take care of their business prior to me picking them up again. I usually have my past or current hamster out for quite a long playtime, so I make this our routine so there is never any accidental peeing occurring. Hamsters typically are quite clean animals and they don't like to pee on their owners if at all possible. I also agree that most cages sold in pet stores are extremely too small for hamsters. Also, rabbit and piggy cages have way too much distance between bars which will easily allow any hamsters to escape. I would suggest getting a good hamster cage that meets the guidelines in size, etc. online (preferably with an entrance into the cage in the front side so you don't have to reach in from above), create your own DIY cage or bin cage, or use a tank/terrarium with a secured, meshed lid. There are plenty of threads on HC with excellent advice on how to create several different types of DIY cages or DIY bin cages in case you are interested in going that route. Also, there are lots of threads on HC giving the pros and cons of different cages that are available online, too. I hope that this helps. Good luck and have fun. I look forward to seeing you around the forum and getting to know your ham whenever you bring him/her home.

cypher · 08-09-2018, 01:32 PM

Some hams will pee on you when they're young but they pee so little anyway it's not going to be anything like your experience with rats, they generally use their scent glands if they want to scent mark things but not on hands so much!
Your friend is right about the P@H cages & pet shop cages in general are too small, hamsters need deep substrate to burrow in (about 15-20cm minimum) space to forage for food & generally run around exploring, a big enough house & for Syrians a large wheel, most people use a 12" wheel.
Good examples of hamster cages are the Barney, ALexander & Alaska sold online at Zooplus.