Hamster plans for the future

[Lilac_Dreams]

I'm very amazingly biased seems I want to show and eventually breed Chinesey's, lol. But I'd say get a Chinesey.

I have had Chinese and Syrians and whilst Syrians are super cool and cute and cuddly (erm, well, one of my four is, haha.) I love the Chinese Hamsters pancakey-ness and their cutey tails <3

In Syrians I have noticed small differences between male and female, females for me anyways (pet store, not breeder) tend to be a lot more active whereas males tend to be a lot more lazy. In Chinese I have noticed the same, males are more laid back than females. Though, this is anecdotal.

As for taming - I have had 4 Chinesey from pet stores, and out of all 4, my current Dom Spot female is the only one I haven't been able to tame.

[chesca_27]

Wow! I was really not expecting such a huge response! As a result, my replies will be brief, but I promise I have read everything.

Sorry I have to delete some of the smilies from quotes.

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

The Chinese I've had from breeders have been exceptionally well tamed and were easy to handle from the word go really and having tamed Matthew myself, was able to give him that critical head start that really is an advantage. My pet shop Chinese have been a little bit more of a challenge but once you find a taming method that works and you're willing to put a little bit of time in then there's a good chance that you'll have a very loving and friendly hamster.

I'm fortunate that all of my Chinese are friendly but Jessie is less inclined to sit still for cuddles, which is something that some people have noticed with female Chinese. Saying that though, Victoria is an absolute sweetie and loves to be held, particularly when you give her the chance to cling on to a finger or something. The boys on the other hand can be prone to laziness but they can also be very good at hugs. James will often find a cosy spot when I'm holding him and has been known to fall asleep.

I'm probably a bit biased towards Chinese but that's mainly because they're where my experience lies. Hopefully someone will be able to tell you a bit about Syrians to balance things out a bit so you can make an informed choice.

I guess I would probably go for a breeder ham then. What taming method do you normally use?

Aww to hammies clinging and sleeping .

I don't think you're being biased - are you sure you looked at Matthew properly ?

Originally Posted by Sharkie

I've had male and female Syrians before and I can't say I saw much difference between their personalities. I've had 3 Syrian hamsters including Winnie who I have now. They have all been really friendly, bold and very inquisitive. I think Tango (male) was the easiest to tame, he was very sweet and trusting, but if that has anything to do with gender I don't know.

My first hamster Jeepers (female) and my current hamster Winnie (female) both tamed really well too, however. They have all been eager to come out and play, and were/are all quite unique in their own way. I have to say, Winnie is the most active hamster I've had, she is always ready to come out of her cage and is the only one I've had who chews the bars.
One obvious difference I saw was that females are bigger than males (though you probably already knew that).

Someone more experienced could give you more informed information, but I hope this helps a bit!

Thanks! Sounds like you have had lovely Syrians .

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Dwarf hams in general are easiest to get storebought cages and toys for. It would be much more expensive to get Syrian things along with good housing,since even if you go for a decent size cage it won't always work out with Syrians who generally need even more space.

As for an upgrade for Larry-Jasper,I'd go for the 100 x 50 as it's the larger upgrade!The current cage will do fine for a Chinese though,which in general as a species don't need quite as much space as some species do.

It really depends on what you want most,an easy to house hamster or one that may end up presenting problems with even the biggest easy to find storebought cages.

I personally don't think species makes a difference in how tame a hamster will be,since it can go in either direction for any hamster.You'll find plenty Syrians who don't appreciate handling,and the same goes for Chinese,much like there are plenty of both species who are the opposite .

Larry-Jasper is certainly easy to buy for! I spend more money on my pets each month than I do on myself! I'm not too sure on how a cage would work out, at the moment.

I don't know how well he'd cope with the extra space, so I think something more 90 by 50 would work or slowly upgrading with a partition. I am leaning more towards a Chinese so I can reuse the cage, otherwise I would love to have custom enclosures.

I'd like to find an easy cage solution ideally.

Thank you

Originally Posted by Coco61

Chesca, how about contacting Larry-Jasper's breeder as she lives so close to you. You could ask if you could come and see her if she has time. Explain why and maybe she could take you into that wonderful hamstery again and discuss pros and cons while showing you some of her fluffs.

I might do that, but I am leaning more towards Chinese hams at the moment and Tufty Fluff doesn't breed Chinese.

Originally Posted by Drago

I'm quite biased as Syrians will always be my specialty, but I would go for a Syrian! I have always found Syrians to be much more docile, friendly, and easier to manage. I like that Syrians are large, which makes them easier to allow to free roam, and makes handling and monitoring them easier as well. The downside to Syrians, like you said, is that they need quite large cages. I'd recommend a 40 gallon breeder as a BARE MINIMUM, although it depends on the individual, and they generally need and want much larger spaces than just that. Buying more toys can be tough, but most chews are fine for Syrians, and when it comes to hides, cardboard boxes like shoeboxes can work perfectly for them to hide in. I've never really noted too much of a difference in genders, it really is down to each individual, at least that's with Syrians, but I assume it'd be the same in all species. All hamsters are great, but I'd always recommend a Syrian!

Thanks! I quite like the smaller hamsters though since I already have Jasper and a MASSIVE guinea pig!

Originally Posted by Wanna Hamster

I agree with everything that's been said! I only have personal experience with Syrians, and they all been outstandingly friendly. Best of luck! <3

Thank you

Originally Posted by cypher

No experience with syrians but from my experience with chinese there is a marked difference between males & females, I wouldn't say the males are lazy if mine are anything to go by as they do love to run in their wheels but they are a lot less busy in the cage generally than females are, my girls have always been on the go & looking for mischief, they can be quite a handful but in a fun way!
They are more timid by nature but apart from my newest boy who is really shy I haven't found them difficult to tame, just takes a little time & patience & if you go for a breeder ham that's used to handling then it shouldn't be difficult at all.

Ok thank you Cypher ! I like the lazier, calmer males. For some reason, all my pets have been male lol.

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

It's interesting, the size of Syrians is the one thing that would probably lead me to choose one of the dwarf species first.

I suppose it's a matter of what you're used to and I'd had Chinese for four and a half years before a Syrian came back into my life and I think that because I'd got used to handling the smaller species, I actually felt a bit awkward for a while handling a larger hamster.

My Chinese boys have always been lovely docile lads (I don't think you could get much more docile than James) and my current girls are such friendly little things. Admittedly I'd not allow a Chinese to free roam in a room because they can fit into such tiny gaps but I'm not sure that they'd be that keen on the idea of free roaming either.

That's why I chose dwarf hamsters!

I always feel weird after holding Jasper, then holding Oreo and vice versa because of the size difference.

They sound so sweet .

Originally Posted by Drago

I guess you're right with the size thing, I'm always so scared I would crush a smaller ham! Thinking back now, my close friend had a chinesey who was the sweetest and calmest little guy I've ever met, even calmer than any Syrian I'd ever seen! He would sit in your hand contently and allow you to pet him. If I ever do decide to bring another species into my home, I'd probably choose a Chinese!

Thanks . Another reason why I should get a Chinese .

Originally Posted by Lilac_Dreams

I'm very amazingly biased seems I want to show and eventually breed Chinesey's, lol. But I'd say get a Chinesey.

I have had Chinese and Syrians and whilst Syrians are super cool and cute and cuddly (erm, well, one of my four is, haha.) I love the Chinese Hamsters pancakey-ness and their cutey tails <3

In Syrians I have noticed small differences between male and female, females for me anyways (pet store, not breeder) tend to be a lot more active whereas males tend to be a lot more lazy. In Chinese I have noticed the same, males are more laid back than females. Though, this is anecdotal.

As for taming - I have had 4 Chinesey from pet stores, and out of all 4, my current Dom Spot female is the only one I haven't been able to tame.

I love showing although I've only been to a couple.

Thanks . Lucky you, having four hamsters!

[Fluffagrams]

With my pet shop girls, I've found that I've needed to take a slower approach as in both cases, I don't think either had much contact with humans prior to coming home with me. Lady May was really quite wary of strangers and with her I had to give her time after accomplishing one stage to get used to it before even considering going any further. We got there eventually and we actually had a lovely bond after that. Jessie on the other had was very lively and there was no way I could have got her to sit still long enough to try some of the techniques that have worked for others. I had to allow her time to explore the world and found that interacting with her whilst she was in her playbin was what got us there with her taming. I suppose I had the advantage that she already seemed to like attention whereas May took some time to get used to it.

With my breeder hamsters I tend to pick them up out of their travel container by hand and will then put them in their new cage where i'll leave them to settle until the following day. After that I'll get them out on a daily basis, let them sniff my hands, wander over me before putting them back and giving them a treat. I've been fortunate that I've not really had to do any taming with my breeder hamsters and it's just a case of familiarising them with your scent.

If we're ever at the same main show then I'm more than happy to introduce you to my Chineseys before benching or something.

[chesca_27]

Ok thank you Fluffagrams !

I would love to meet (hamnap) the Metallica Hamsters at a show

[chesca_27]

I think I have decided on a Chinese hamster ! I can't get them out of my head lol!

I will be doing a little more research into them but any questions will be posted on this thread.

[chesca_27]

For anyone interested, I still have my heart set on getting a Chinese. I'm really hoping to convince my Dad that we can care for another hamster by the time I can go to the next show (Andover) as I will probably pick off the sales table. I'm hoping to get a Kallax unit soon to modify into an extension for Jasper, but I could probably use the remaining three cubes as another cage for a different hamster (see Larry-Jasper's thread for more details on my ideas). That would be enough space and if the hamster is nervous, I can start with two cubes and add from there.

I'm thinking I'd give a Chinese hamster Burgess Dwarf rather than my homemade mix because of the diabetes risk. I know my mix is good for Jasper, but I don't want to test it on a hamster that has dietary restrictions.

Is there much difference between caring for a Winter White and a Chinese? Apart from the diabetes risk.

Thanks

[Thin Lizzy]

I've had both male & female syrians. I find the males are more laid back.
Both I've found to be really friendly.
I do agree with Fluffagrams about pet shop hams, where I get mine, the owner doesn't give them much contact and I remember when I got Archie and pointed him out, she came back with these huge gloves but, I didn't want her scaring him so I reached in and gently picked him up. The taming can take longer, I've found that with the females.

[chesca_27]

Ok thanks TL !

[cypher]

I've never had a WW chesca but I would say that my hybrids have been very different to my Chineseys, the things they seem to enjoy are different, cage set ups that work well for them are different too but I don't think you would have a problem with that, I can be a bit more specific if you have questions (& when I've had more coffee )
I think you know enough about ham nutrition to not have problems dealing with the diabetes risk either, it only takes a little more thought than you've already put into making your mix for LJ.

[flowerfairy]

I adore fluffy male syrian hamsters. All mine have been so laid back and easy to handle.

I adore roborovskis even though they are hard to tame (often). Their cuteness absolutely melts my heart.

Briefly kept russian hamsters and didnt get attached to them.

Never had a chinese hamster but I can totally see the attraction with their big eyes and long sleek bodies. I know someone who had one that was REALLY tame.

I have lots of spare hamster cages if you are ever in South East Hampshire or I could post one for the cost of postage.