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Old 03-16-2015, 08:15 PM   #1
Otaku108
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Lightbulb I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hello!~ I'm very new to this forum, and mainly because i am planning on getting a pet hamster very soon! The issue is, I'm not very experienced with hamsters, and i want to learn as much information about hamsters as i can before i buy my little buddy!
The only kind of hamster i have any knowledge of first hand is a Syrian hamster that i had when i was 13. I am now 18 and would love to have one again..It's taken me a full year to convince my parents of getting another, and I'm recently got them to say yes. FINALLY!

First of all, i plan on getting another Syrian hamster. I find that sense I've had experience, this though be a better start off for me.

So, what i am asking for is for any advice that you guys would like to give. Must haves, dangerous toys/accessories that i should look out for, best cages, best bedding, tips, handling and taming tricks, and even names! I'm up for any kind of information! I want to care for my soon to be friend the best i can!

thanks for the help!~
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:01 AM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hello and welcome! I got a book when we got our Syrian, but I still made mistakes and have learned loads on here. The best tip I can give (which others will say too) is to get the biggest cage you possibly can! Firstly this saves money in the long run, as many of us get a cage and then realise it's not big enough a) for the Hamster to be happy in and b) to fit in the right size wheel etc. I'd recommend a 100cm cage for a Syrian. The minimum recommended size is 80cm x 50cm continuous floor area. I have an 80 x 50 cage and I still think it's a bit cramped for our Syrian and am now going to upgrade to a 100cm cage. It sounds huge, and maybe looks huge, but it will easily stand on top of a chest of drawers for example. What use is the top of a chest of drawers anyway?! Usually they just have small stuff on top that can go somewhere else. It doesn't matter if there's a slight overhang.

Second tip is - Syrians need a 29cm wheel and a good depth of substrate for digging - so your cage needs to be high enough for both.

A good cage would be the Alexander cage, sold by Zooplus, which has very good customer service.

Great deals on small pet cages at zooplus: Alexander Small Pet Cage

There are reviews and customer photos on this page to give you an idea of different layouts. It comes with three houses and shelves, but the wheel it comes with is too small (most cages come with a wheel that's only big enough for a mouse).

Either of these two wheels would be good

Wonderland Exercise Wheel: Great Small Pet Accessories at zooplus

The 29cm version - I have it, it's great, virtually silent, but probably needs waterproofing with plastikote before use. That's also the downside to the Alexander cage - the wood platforms need waterproofing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Superpet-Spi...Silent+spinner

The silent spinner above is more expensive though. The wood one is only cheaper because Zooplus sell them cheaper!

You don't have to put all the levels in the Alexander though, but as it is quite high it needs setting up so that a Hamster has a soft landing if it falls from the top, so filling the base with substrate is a good idea.

There is also this Barney cage which is 100cm and less than £50. It has the same base as the Alexander, but isn't quite so high so less worry about falls - but with this cage I'd recommend a wheel that fixes to the bars like the Silent Spinner as you'd have less floor and shelf space with a freestanding one.

Barney Pet Cage | Great deals at zooplus!

I also really like this Skyline Tilo cage, which is basically exactly the same size as the Barney but comes with different things in the cage and is a different colour - I prefer the cage contents in the Tilo - the house is a good big house and doesn't take up much floor space, and the log tunnel looks great!

Skyline Tilo 100 1506 Rodent Cage: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

So you need a good size cage, a good size wheel, substrate for the bottom of the cage, paper strips for bedding material, a water bottle, food bowl and some toys like cardboard kitchen roll tubes. There are lots of toys available for hamsters but most of them are too small for Syrian hamsters - rat size toys are best for Syrian hamsters. Here are two of our Syrians favourite cage accessories - his rat size sputnik and his cardboard hay house - the hay house has a small door but it's ok if it's on the substrate as they can dig down a bit to get in and out, plus it's so light it's easily moved or knocked over.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobby-Sputni...ds=rat+sputnik

Naturals Carrot Cottage for Small Animals

I got the small carrot house.

I've added a photo of my 80cm cage so you can see that it doesn't quite have enough space! Everything fits in, and he does have quite a big house, but it doesn't leave much floor area for playing and digging, and a really important thing for hamsters is having enough floor space, so a 100cm cage would be much better for a syrian and larger toys - and I'm working on it! The second photo is after adding a 10cm rat chew tube to the roof of the cage.

Oh yes and a house for them. But those three cages all come with a house.

The rat sputnik looks huge when you open it, but doesn't look so huge once inside the cage. It hangs lower than the smaller sputnik too so not so far to fall if they jump out.

If you have a look at the 'lets see your cages' thread, you'll get lots of ideas. It's a good idea to get your cage all set up so things don't need changing much once your Hamster arrives in its new home, as they get quite stressed by changes, especially for the first two weeks when they're settling in.

When you've had your hamster a few weeks you'll know whether or not it's a chewer. Any fabric materials are best avoided for hamsters - some people have hammocks if their hamsters aren't chewers, but it's best to wait and find out - ours isn't a chewer but he still tried to chew a hammock when I put it in.

For ideas on what to use for substrate have a look here.

Substrate poll

Sorry this is so rambly! Basically - cage that's big enough, avoid toys marketed for hamsters as they're only big enough for dwarf hamsters. Never get fluffy or cotton bedding or any kind of material (hamsters can die if they swallow it) - stick to wood, paper and cardboard in the cage and make sure things are set up so there are no high falls and there's a soft landing under any higher areas.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-26-2022 at 05:45 PM.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:09 AM   #3
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hi Otaku - welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting the go ahead to find yourself a new hamster friend. You are in just the right place to get answers to your questions.

I know that as you are over in the States, then your cage options are limited but other members who have first hand experience will be able to advise you on what is available. The bigger the cage the better and many people opt for making a bin cage because they are generally larger than available cages. There are lots of links on the forum showing people's homemade bin cages - here's one for you:-

Making a cage from a plastic storage box

There are a huge variety of names, obviously and sometimes a name doesn't seem right until you have your new hamster and you start to get to know their character. Of course, names can also be influenced by colour too, so once you have your new friend, you can post some photos and some names that you might have in mind and then other people here will comment and suggest their own ideas too.

Bedding/substrate is a matter of personal taste too BUT AVOID fluffy bedding or cotton fibers. This is really dangerous as it can twist around a hamsters limbs and get very tight and also, it does not dissolve if they eat it and can cause a blockage. You will see it for sale but do not buy it.

Safe for the whole cage, consists of pine wood shavings (not sawdust) that have been kiln dried without any added oils/scents, carefresh, hemp and others.

You can use plain unscented toilet paper/tissue for bedding, torn into strips and you can give some larger pieces for your hamster to sort for itself.

There are a variety of toys available. For a Syrian, you will need to get the right size. Wheels come in a range of sizes and as your hamster grows, you may need to change the wheel. I think that 8inches is the minimum for a young Syrian. Always check that your hamster's back is not arched when it runs on the wheel, if it is then it's time for a larger wheel. 12inches is what most Syrian owners will have as a minimum as their hamster grows.

Not all toys have to be bought, cardboard tubes from kitchen tissue, eggboxes etc all provide entertainment.

I know other people will make lots of suggestions, so I will finish here, at least you have some ideas to be thinking about.

Good luck with finding your new friend and I'll look forward to seeing some photos once you are both settled with each other.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:23 AM   #4
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Dur! I didn't see you were in the States! Thanks for pointing that out Artisans! In which case the cages listed won't be available - but they'll give a good idea of the kind of cage to go for. I think Candra on here got a very good tank for a cage in the US (from Petsmart?).
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:29 AM   #5
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hi Otaku. The best thing you did was join this forum! So welcome.

Keeping a hamster isn`t difficult, but it helps if you learn first, the basics and then make sure you have everything in place for your new Syrian arriving home. The right sized cage, which the other members have already covered in terms of cage style and floor space.

Your not a child anymore so you will have a better understanding of what a pet hamster needs in terms of care and health issues, which should also be covered in terms of veterinary fees in case you need to call on a vet at any point.

So cage, substrate (floor covering), safe nesting/bedding (normally plain white ripped up toilet paper! or shop sold paper based nesting. Diet/food (find the best mixes that are local to you and research them. Have two water bottles that work. Or just use one and have a bottle spare in case your existing one every fails to work or gets chewed.

Have your cage made up and ready. Look through the Housing section on here to get some layout ideas. x
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:31 AM   #6
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

You might find this thread useful Current Update on cages in the USA - Jan 2015
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Old 03-17-2015, 01:31 PM   #7
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hi,
I recommend buying a big cage, If you have a small cage the hamster doesn't have room to move or room to have many toys. here is a example: The Langham Large Rat Hamster Mouse Cage with Two Floors RRP £84.99 | eBay

When you decide on your Hamster's name it might help if you look at your hamsters color, I named my hamster snow because her white fur reminded me of the snow!

Food: I use the Pet's at home muesli and Hamster Harvest. For little treats you can also buy Yogurt drops that my hamster LOVES!

You can also check Google for any foods that you shouldn't/should give your hamster!

Hope that helps.
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Old 03-17-2015, 01:42 PM   #8
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

A slightly different recommendation I would give is to check out some of the hamster YouTuber videos. My personal favourite is Erin's Animals and her video is actually the one that pointed me in the direction of this forum. I'm sure there are also plenty of US based hamster YouTuber's too that would have info based more in your area.

Forums and fact sheets etc can be brilliant but personally I find videos can sometimes be a little less overwhelming than a wall of text. (:

Edit: Oh and I also agree even if you think your cage looks big, in time you'll realise you want one bigger! I think Rue's is 84x48cm and when I first got it (less than a week ago) I thought it looked massive. Now I know I'm definitely going to get at least a 100x50cm when I move out and won't give my parents a heart attack. Lol.
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Old 03-17-2015, 09:54 PM   #9
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(response to Serendipity7000 )

Wow! thank you so much for all this amazing information! some of this i might not be able to get though, because i live in the US and all, but i really do appreciate it!
All of this information will really help and i greatly thank you for your time!

I'm possibly going to buy a 30 to 40 gallon tank so start with if i can't find anything, but i have looked at the cages you referred and i am considering the Skyline Tilo cage~
i would probably have to find out in US money how much it would be, of course, but it looks nice and i like it~!

thank you for all of those tips and ideas! it really helped out a lot!

(response to Artisans_uk )

Thanks for all the tips! This is so great that i've gotten a lot of help and i really appreciate it!

I have heard from quite a lot of people to not use fluffy bedding, so i will be sure to stay far away from that!

I have also heard a lot about the home-made toys from youtube and i've started working on projects that i liked so far for my little guy/gal!~

About the wheel, i will probably just buy a 12 inch one from the start and keep it in there. I plan on just having one that will fit him/her through his/her whole life.

Thanks for all the great tips~!
I will definitely be posting some pictures when i get the little guy/gal! look forward to it!

( response to velma )

Thanks for the thread url~ i'll take a look~

(response to BloonStuff )

Oh my goodness, yes! i have been watching ErinsAnimals quite a lot laitly! i subscribed to her and now i watch her videos non stop! they are very helpful!

and wow~ haha yeah i'm planning on getting a pretty big cage at first so that way i'm less likely to have to buy another.. i just think i should get one so that my little guy/gal has plenty of room to grow so i don't get into any problems down the road.

Last edited by souffle; 03-18-2015 at 01:06 AM. Reason: np need to respond to each one individually!
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Old 03-18-2015, 01:30 AM   #10
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Default Re: I'm a new hamster owner and i need all the help i can get!

Hi Otaku and Welcome to HC.
I'm so glad you're parents have said yes to you getting a hamster. Truly great advice given in the above posts. There's so much to take in and so much has changed in the last 5 years regarding a hamsters care.
But a big big cage, it'll save you money,
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