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04-14-2019, 06:23 AM
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#1
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Canada
Posts: 35
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New hamster
2 Days ago I got a new syrian hamster I put about 2 tablespoons mixed of his old food and new food. I was going to wait 3 days to interact with him but he ran out of food today (2 days after getting him). Should I give him more? I just don’t want him to think that his food supply is limited. But I also don’t want him to hide a lot of food.
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04-14-2019, 06:39 AM
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#2
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Dwarf whisperer
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
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Re: New hamster
Definitely put more food in, your ham will need at least a tablespoon a day plus a bit more for hoarding, don't try to prevent him from hiding his food in a hoard, that's what they do naturally & he will eat from that hoard.
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04-14-2019, 06:43 AM
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#3
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House of Hamsters
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
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Re: New hamster
I'm a fairly new hamster keeper myself so no expert. I think hiding or hoarding food is what hamsters do, that's what their cheek pockets are for. Mine always has a supply available to him and I don't ration it. He eats from his hoard during the day when he's in his nest. I hear him scrunching seeds in his house. It's a hamster thing they all do.
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04-14-2019, 10:06 AM
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#4
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PM Fluffy for custom title
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Posts: 3,192
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Re: New hamster
Hoarding is p much the defining characteristic of hamsters. I know it makes is tricky to tell how much they're eating (is this why you would prefer he didn't?) but they can basically be trusted to regulate their own diet, obesity isn't a huge problem for them unless the proportion of treat-foods in their diet is too high. Feed away, drown the little guy in food and he'll be fine.
Also the "don't interact for a few days" advice doesn't include topping up food and water.
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04-14-2019, 08:52 PM
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#5
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Canada
Posts: 35
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Re: New hamster
I was also just worried that he will become a picky eater. I want him to get all the nutrients he needs so will feeding him everyday make him a picky eater? Should I feed him every other day?
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04-15-2019, 05:12 AM
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#6
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Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
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Re: New hamster
They tend to only take food when it's fresh so best to put some out every day. They get quite anxious if there is nothing there, even if they have a hoard. They are hard-wired to forage for food daily.
Don't worry about him becoming a picky eater - he will take what he needs. Their usual habit is to pouch and hoard the food you put out, and then to snack on it from their hoard while in the nest.
Which mix are you using? So yes about a rounded tablespoon each day - chuck away anything that hasn't been eaten and refill the bowl with the tablespoon from that day. I also scatter feed a bit of food - they enjoy foraging for it.
Not sure if you know this already, but don't throw his hoards away or overclean the cage. He will probably only hoard dry food rather than fresh food that can go off, although you may need to check this at first by having a poke around. When it's dry food, the hoard can be left for quite a long time. If it gets pee'd on you'd need to remove it but always put new food back to replace the hoard, in exactly the same place.
They are very stressy about their hoards and nest and it can get into a vicious circle as in - if you take away the hoard, they start peeing on it (to deter people from stealing it!) and then you have to take it away -and so on. It can take a while to break that cycle. Same with the nest - unless it is pee'd in, it can be left for quite a long time.
Assume you know it's best not to overclean the cage. With a good depth of substrate and a litter tray you don't need to change the substrate so often - and can easily go 6 to 8 weeks. In between you can just "spot clean". Although if they use a litter tray the cage tends to stay clean - I empty the litter tray every 2 to 3 days.
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04-15-2019, 10:40 AM
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#7
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House of Hamsters
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
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Re: New hamster
They quite like a bit of a challenge to get to some of their food. I tied the top of an eggbox to the roof of the cage using thick cotton washingline so he can't get caught up in it and every evening I put sunflower seeds in it. His foodmix in his bowl has sunflower seeds in it too. The hard to reach ones seem to be tastier though, lol. He climbs on the flatroof of his house then puts both frontpaws on the eggbox and because the eggbox swings the hamster stretches. He then stands on one backpaw with the other up in the air for balance! He always manages to get every single seed out but may well leave the ones in his bowl.
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04-15-2019, 10:56 AM
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#8
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House of Hamsters
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
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Re: New hamster
Also, on top of his house he has an open woven basket with hay in it. I hide monkey nuts towards the bottom of the haystack. He climbs up and into the basket then dives down nose first to retrieve the nuts. I've secured the basket to the cage so it won't roll off the roof with the hamster in it.
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04-15-2019, 07:58 PM
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#9
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Canada
Posts: 35
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Re: New hamster
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000
They tend to only take food when it's fresh so best to put some out every day. They get quite anxious if there is nothing there, even if they have a hoard. They are hard-wired to forage for food daily.
Don't worry about him becoming a picky eater - he will take what he needs. Their usual habit is to pouch and hoard the food you put out, and then to snack on it from their hoard while in the nest.
Which mix are you using? So yes about a rounded tablespoon each day - chuck away anything that hasn't been eaten and refill the bowl with the tablespoon from that day. I also scatter feed a bit of food - they enjoy foraging for it.
Not sure if you know this already, but don't throw his hoards away or overclean the cage. He will probably only hoard dry food rather than fresh food that can go off, although you may need to check this at first by having a poke around. When it's dry food, the hoard can be left for quite a long time. If it gets pee'd on you'd need to remove it but always put new food back to replace the hoard, in exactly the same place.
They are very stressy about their hoards and nest and it can get into a vicious circle as in - if you take away the hoard, they start peeing on it (to deter people from stealing it!) and then you have to take it away -and so on. It can take a while to break that cycle. Same with the nest - unless it is pee'd in, it can be left for quite a long time.
Assume you know it's best not to overclean the cage. With a good depth of substrate and a litter tray you don't need to change the substrate so often - and can easily go 6 to 8 weeks. In between you can just "spot clean". Although if they use a litter tray the cage tends to stay clean - I empty the litter tray every 2 to 3 days.
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I was planning on cleaning almost all of his bedding every 2 ish months and I am currently trying to get him to use his sand bath as a bathroom as that would be ideal. I am using vitasmart hamster mix which I know is not an amazing brand but I am trying to find another one, it’s difficult to find a food with enough protein. I was thinking harry hamster but it’s so so so expensive to ship to me. I will obviously not touch his horde so that he feels more safe. Thank you so much for all of the tips
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04-16-2019, 01:01 AM
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#10
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Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
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Re: New hamster
Ok I vary between emptying the food bowl (what's left) each day and putting new food in the bowl - and doing the same every 2nd day. But if I don't put new food out in the bowl one day, I scatter a bit. I am just wondering if you can get Science Selective - is that available. Not to replacethe Vitasmart, but to mix in with it - it contains everything they need. So then he'd get all the nutrients and also get the variety from the vitasmart and it will reassure you he isn't feeding too selectively If you can't then don't worry about what he is eating and leaving and you can supplement with a tiny bit of fresh veg each day (there is a list of safe veg on here) and supplement protein a bit - nuts have protein (eg pecan, brazil, cashew) all plain - not salted - maybe twice a week - not in their shells. A bit of plain cooked chicken if you happen to be having some yourself, mealworms if you can get them and if he'll eat them! Our hammy often gets bits of our leftover dinnner as a treat too - a bit of cooked carrot or potato or a bit of cooked pasta - all without sauces etc though.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supreme-Pet.../dp/B003672P98
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