|
Navigation
|
Front Page |
Forum |
Gallery |
Wiki |
|
|
01-18-2016, 05:22 PM
|
#11
|
Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
If you have a good depth of substrate and use a potty, you can manage with spot cleaning and not need to do full cleans very often at all. I only do a full clean about once every 2 or 3 months now . And even then it's a 'partial' clean rather than a full clean. Some of it depends on the hamster, and how much they wee and where, but most Syrians tend to have a main toiletting spot. This video on cage cleaning from Erin's Hamsters explains it really well - full cage cleans stress them out. I followed some of her advice and it has worked really well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jVnEjrXbww
Good point about a deep cage base being like a gerbilarium! Except I think most gerbilariums are too small, or they might be quite good for a hamster. There is a cage called the Falco cage, which I really wanted at one time but it's very expensive, and even if it wasn't I have an issue with the fact that it only has a top opening door and no side doors. It's basically a 100cm glass tank with a cage top (popular with gerbil owners!). The only way it could safely be set up really would be to fill the whole tank base with substrate and treat the top bit like a standard cage.
Hamster Cages: great selection at zooplus: Small Pet Cage Falco
Here is a list of Southern Hamster club breeders
Breeders
If nothing near you or no hamsters currently available, then another option is to check out your local RSPCA via their website. You put in your postcode and select 'other' under type of pet and it comes up with all the pets available for rehoming at your nearest RSPCA - there are usually a few hamsters!
Find a pet to adopt - Find a rescue dog, cat, rabbit, horse
But if you're interested in rehoming I don't suppose it really matters where you get the hamster from - Gumtree or pets at home, they will all need a nice home Although if getting one privately (eg gumtree) it could be an idea to have a vet check when you get them and rule out any illnesses or conditions that might need treating.
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 06:35 AM
|
#12
|
Hamster Pup
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 68
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
Hi IMoT.
We're relatively new hamster owners, and your questions are essentially the same as the queries we had when first getting our little fella.
We went for the zooplus Alaska cage - I think it's a great cage for the money.
We got rid of the black shelf & slide, and I made some of my own shelves to go inside. It's also big enough to house a 28cm Karlie wonderland wheel - we have ours permanently fixed to the back of the cage. It's also got plenty of height to mount hammocks in there - we've got 2 of the grass type hammocks in there, again from zooplus.
We started off using carefresh, then as we've been cleaning him out a bit, we replace anything we take out with fitch. It's probably a 4:1 carefresh/fitch ratio at the moment. The Alaska cage enables you to put LOADS of bedding in there, for digging. There's 5 or 6 inches in places in our cage.
Carefresh seems to be softer, but messier than fitch. However, we'll slowly move over to fitch over a period of time as we clean him out, because fitch is a lot cheaper if you buy in bulk.
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 06:40 AM
|
#13
|
Hamster Pup
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 68
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
Unfortunately, I find it difficult to talk about our hamster without posting a picture.
So here you go . .
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 09:30 AM
|
#14
|
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 93
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
Serendipity I loved that youtube video!I want to watch the litter training one now! Yes all the gerbilariums i've seen are either far too small or far too expensive!! I think the Alaska is still winning.
Thank you for the list of hamster breeders, are they likely to be reputable?? There aren't any on the list super near to me but i'm willing to travel to get one from a reputable breeder. I have been keeping an eye on the RSPCA website, in-fact I visited the closest branch to me at the weekend. There aren't really many about on the RSPCA pages! I agree to an extent with your point about it not mattering where you get one from, on the one hand buying one from a pet shop prevents someone else buying it who then ends up having to rehome it or mistreating it, but then it does just perpetuate the cycle of breeding that pet shops have!
Don your hamster is gorgeous!! I love your shelves, how did you make them?
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 11:23 AM
|
#15
|
GrannyHam
Join Date: May 2015
Location: London
Posts: 4,261
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
If you can reach Borehamwood, I would highly recommend Tuftyfluffs. Top class breeder of Syrians (mine came from there) and she is also a hamster show judge. There won't be litters born right now (too cold) so there is time to email and get on the waiting list. Be patient for a reply! Email via the website.
Also if you visited a hamster show, there are often babies for sale there. If you go onto Towyvale Hamstery website there is a list there of all the shows. It is great fun visiting a show anyway.
I know others have posted about Fitch already but I use it too and it is great stuff.
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 11:30 AM
|
#16
|
Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
I got the Southern Hamster club list of breeders from the National Hamster Council website, but if there is a particular one who is nearby and you want to know more, some of the breeders on here may be able to give you more info
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 01:52 PM
|
#17
|
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 93
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
Coco I have just emailed Sue from Tuftyfluffs Borehamwood is about an hour away from me but I travelled over an hour to get to a reputable rabbit rescue so I'm willing to travel! I'll look up shows too
I can't decide between using Fitch and Aubiose!
Serendipity there aren't any near me, the Borehamwood one is probably the closest!
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 02:03 PM
|
#18
|
GrannyHam
Join Date: May 2015
Location: London
Posts: 4,261
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
Tuftyfluffs is a good hour plus from me but it is well worth the trip. Beautiful animals with lovely calm temperaments. She also breeds winter whites. As I said be patient for a reply. You can always send a polite follow up after a couple of weeks.
Do update us here to let us know what you do!
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 02:14 PM
|
#19
|
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 93
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
I can be patient, I can't really get one until May anyways because we are away in Paris and Australia in between now and then, and although we have house sitters organised I would rather be around to make sure the hamster settles well for the first few months. If I don't hear within a few weeks I shall send a follow up email. It does say on her website that she has about 100 hamsters so I am guessing she is quite a busy lady!! I will update everyone
If anyone has any more advice or recommended breeders/rescues then please let me know!
|
|
|
01-19-2016, 04:48 PM
|
#20
|
Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
|
Re: Thinking of getting a Syrian...advice please!
You could actually mix Fitch and Aubiose Aubiose is just another name for Hemp bedding and I believe people prefer the Hugro one from Zooplus these days.
|
|
|
|
|
Tags
|
hamster, thinking, litter, syrian, people, good, aware, cage, post, links, health, advice, issues, house, ferplast, rabbits, food, train, switching, megazorb, accommodate, substrate, harvest, called, pelleted |
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:59 PM.
|
|
|
|