Hi - leaving hamster alone?

[Cheesethesavage]

Hey guys. i have one robo hamster and she lives in a 20 gallon tank. We are going to be gone for 8 days and are going to give her 2 bowls of food and extra water. We are also gonna set up a camera to watch her if there are any emergencies. Having somebody come over/bring her with us is not a option. Thoughts?

[velma]

I'd really strongly suggest you see if there is someone you could leave her with if the other options aren't available. I think 8 days is much too long to be left alone. Even with a camera on her, if you can't get back there's not much you'd be able to do if something happened. Water bottles may leak or fall off, her wheel could fall over, she could get ill - there really are all sorts of situations that you need to be able to act quickly for.

[cypher]

I agree with velma, it really is too long to leave her, what's the idea with the camera, is there someone close by who will be able to attend to her straight away if there is a problem? If not then I would try to make some arrangements to either have someone look in on her at least once a day or find somewhere she can stay while you're away.
Have you looked for pet sitters in your area if you don't have family or friends who can help out?

[SimonandSyril]

8 days alone is just too high a risk. Most hamsters also don't know when to stop eating so giving them a lot of food will not be a good idea.