Not sure if i'm a good hamster dad

[AmityvilleHams]

Avoiding unnecessary added sugars is definitely a good idea,especially with artificial sweeteners.I know that dried fruit is higher in sugar than fresh fruit,but occasional fruit isn't a bad treat as long as you're not going completely overboard feeding insane amounts that aren't appropriate!

One of my Syrian's favorite treats are Gerber baby puffs.The organic apple flavor are wonderful,and as long as you're only feeding a puff or two the sugar isn't high.A full serving of 60 pieces(which a hamster would never eat!)is still around 1 gram of sugar,but then you get a single piece that would be such a minimal amount of sugar that it wouldn't matter.

Try and keep the difference between sugar free and no sugar added in mind as well,since one can have artificial sweeteners(which are bad for everyone,hamsters and humans included)and no sugar added which in some cases can be very good.Also remember that plants all contain some sugar due to photosynthesis,so try not to be overly paranoid about sugar,but instead just be mindful of how much sugar and where that sugar comes from!

Hanging toys and premade tank lids rarely work well,unless you have your own hamster-safe string to hang them with.If you don't no what the hanging material is from a storebought toy,take that toy apart and use only the safe pieces in a remade DIY toy or several toys instead.If there is any form of chain,cotton,unsafe wood,or string that would be unstable depending on the toy(such as raffia,which is safe but not good to hang heavy things or things you don't want falling)then do not use the whole toy.

[CMB]

To give her more to do in her tank. You could add some cardboard tubes, bendy bridge(s), a platform and a digging area/box with deep substrate.

Hiding food/scatter feeding means your hamster has to search for food which takes up more time than eating from a bowl.

The igloo lets light through, so a wooden house would be nice and dark.

A potty is also a good idea. It makes cleaning easier. Once a pee corner is chosen. Put some substrate in the potty and add a bit of pee'd on substrate in the potty. The smell should attract the hamster to use the potty.

She may be easier to tame outside of her tank.

[personalbeehive]

Originally Posted by CMB

To give her more to do in her tank. You could add some cardboard tubes, bendy bridge(s), a platform and a digging area/box with deep substrate.

Hiding food/scatter feeding means your hamster has to search for food which takes up more time than eating from a bowl.

The igloo lets light through, so a wooden house would be nice and dark.

A potty is also a good idea. It makes cleaning easier. Once a pee corner is chosen. Put some substrate in the potty and add a bit of pee'd on substrate in the potty. The smell should attract the hamster to use the potty.

She may be easier to tame outside of her tank.

How do I tell if the substrate has been peed on? It all kinda looks the same no matter what

[CMB]

As you have a Syrian hamster. They normally pee just after waking up. So if you are around and you see her wake up/leave the nest you can watch and see. They usually go to a corner and turn so their bottom is in right in the corner. They crouch forward and lift their bottom/tail up when peeing.

If you don't see it you may smell it. Some substrate can look darker where the pee is.

Chinchilla sand (not dust) is good in a potty and for digging in.

[Pebbles82]

If it doesn't smell I shouldn't worry lol. But it helps to know where so you can put the potty there.

This is my little video on when we tamed our hamster if it helps. It doesn't show much but has a few tips for "stages".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjyEme2xcq4

[Drago]

Usually the smell or odd coloration will give it away! No need to worry though, generally if you can't find it, there's no need to clean it

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi and Welcome to HC.
Great advice been given. Just go at your hamster's pace, every ham is different.The tissue trick is a really great way of gettng to know your ham. If you feel nervous your ham will sense it.