Rescuing a hamster - advice on transitioning living arrangements please!

[InkyPen]

Here it (god knows the sex - I'll have to have a look when I can handle her) is - as you can see - not exactly what I signed up for!



It's fast and obviously fairly scared - but then I suspect many hams would be after they've just spent an hour on the tube (<rails screech> "the next station will be Waterloo... change here for the Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines, and National Rail services" etc. etc.)

This was the cage it came in



It's a P@H Large Wire Hamster Cage (30 x 38 x 59cm) so not as bad as expected. However, if anyone would like to play a game of 'spot the obvious mistakes', we have
- mineral block
- no bedding
- few places to hide, and little enrichment (you can see where it has been chewing the bars, as some of the colour has come off)
- nothing to chew on
- filthy water bottle spout
- Wagg food
- plastic house
- oh, and I sleep like the dead, but the wheel actually managed to wake me up last night

Since I took that picture, I've changed as little as possible, but have added more woodshavings and given it some shredded loo roll - rather sweetly, it has already moved out of the awful plastic igloo and has made itself an open nest, and has actually hoarded the little food it had left <3 I've also removed the mineral block, added a sand bath (I doubt she has ever had one before) and tonight I'll swap the wheel for a 20cm plastic Trixie one. Once I've eaten my brunch, I'm off to P@H for the Burgess food (happily I have this morning off anyway)

With regards to the potential for diabetes in this little one, I did spot it pee in a tube yesterday, and it looked very similar to human pee - translucent and yellow, and very different to the thick, creamy pee that Inky the Syrian gives. Is this a cause for concern? Sorry for the numpty question, but I haven't had a dwarf hybrid since about, erm, 1996/7, as a small child. Any advice happily appreciated!

I have a fair idea that this ham won't be staying with us long term, and we'll look for a home with teenagers / adult (I have no idea why anyone thinks that they're good pets for young children) once it has settled in, been sexed and tamed. If anyone does want to consider adopting it (now located in SW11, London), then do let me know! I'm happy to give it FTGH if it's going to an HC member with a decent post history on here.

[cypher]

Looks like someone got their photos mixed up!
S/he looks like a lovely little hybrid, I'm sure s/he's going to be much happier now, the cage itself doesn't look that bad & should be fine for a while as she adjusts to the change, I'm sure s/he must really appreciate the extra substrate & tissue though.
Pee sounds normal, I wouldn't worry unless you notice excessive drinking/peeing.

[Hamsterita]

Your face had to be a poem when you see him/her.

Him/her conditions could have been far worse, but I'm glad s/he could find you, even if s/he doesn't stays with you

[Rads]

Well done for taking her in Inky she looks a lovely looking little thing . So many people that have hamsters have no flaming idea, I will gladly admit that I was one of those once but from the advice I acquired here on HC has made me a better owner .

[JLPrairie]

Aww...! I have a soft spot for dwarves...so cute!
She's really lucky to be able to find you! He owners were so obviously completely clueless.

[Drago]

Just catching up, how cute! Lovely that she is in a better place now Wonder how they managed to get a Syrian mixed with a Russian lol

[BoredHamsters]

She's so cute!
If you still have her in a month or so I'll be glad to take her.
I'm currently in the process of moving but once I've moved in I'll take her if you still have her .
I'm not that active on hamster central but I'm more active on hamster hideout if you wanna search me up.

Edit:
Feel free to PM me too to ask some questions, I have a detolf currently.