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Old 08-09-2018, 11:38 AM   #1
Sazzle
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Default A new hamster?

Hello everyone.

Hope you and all your hams are doing well. I have been having a read and catching up on people’s posts, as it’s been a few months since I’ve been on here. After what happened with poor Willow after only two weeks (see my other posts) I’ve been debating what to do. I would love to have another hamster but I’m really scared of injury again. Willow breaking her jaw in the bars was so horrific that I can’t bring myself to use the cage again.

Anyway, this brings me to my question really. If I were to get another hamster ( and I would love to) I was thinking of a glass tank or terrarium if that’s the right word! Does anyone have any suggestions about what would be suitable? I’ve seen some online, but they don’t seem to be very widely available.

I just wondered if any of you kept your hams in glass tanks or aquariums and where you got them from if possible.

Thanks in advance. 🐹
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Old 08-09-2018, 11:57 AM   #2
dreamtree1234
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Welcome back, Sazzle. You were greatly missed. I can totally understand you being concerned about reusing a wire cage after Willow's passing due to the tragic, jaw injury. That was so heartbreaking; hugs to you. I'm glad that you are now considering giving another wonderful hammy your love and care. Any ham will be so fortunate and blessed to have you as his/her ham parent. I have never personally had a glass tank/terrarium as my hammy's habitat so I can't really give you any specifics. I do know that many ham owners get theirs from a pet store in either the fish or reptile section though. They usually try to acquire the one with the largest dimensions so their hammy has enough room to explore in as well as have space for sand bath, toys, wheel, house, etc. I would also suggest being sure that there is enough height for the tank/terrarium you choose so it has enough clearing for your upright wheel and a lot of substrate. You will also need to have a very secure wire mesh screen or lid to prevent potential escapes. The dimension in the square holes of the lid will be determined based on the breed of hamster that you choose. Also, I would suggest using heavy duty Velcro to secure your water bottle to the glass wall. This works great; I use it on my bin cage for Eros. I wish you the very best in your search for another hammy to add to your life and the perfect tank/terrarium, too. Have fun getting everything ready and bringing your little ham home. I will be looking forward to meeting him/her.
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Old 08-09-2018, 12:48 PM   #3
mangoandmimi
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Really sorry to hear about Willows accident - it sounded awful. Completely understand you’d rather stay away from barred cages now. Wonderful that you’re wanting to get another hamster

Dreamtree has given good tank advice. Tanks are expensive though as are plastic ones sadly, but they’re brilliant to use - I’ll personally not use a barred cage again since I like them that much lol. I’ll always recommend the ikea detolf as the best option since it is inexpensive but it is over 5 ft long. A lot of DIY info on it if you have a look around.
Zoozone 2 is available on jollyes for £50 in certain parts of the UK - much cheaper than anywhere else. Also does need meshing which isn’t too pretty but it’s a nice cage. Duna maxi multy looks good too but is a bit more expensive - no mesh required though!
Everything else is pricier, zooplus has a few nice ones including the eco habitat and marrakesh terrarium but very expensive (about the same price as a 4 foot tank really). I’d look out for second hand fish tanks or terrariums really, occasionally real bargains crop up
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Old 08-09-2018, 01:10 PM   #4
Sazzle
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Thank you both so much for your responses. Yes it was awful coming to terms with what happened to Willow. I blamed myself for ages.

I have looked at the detolf options but I don’t reallly have that much space for that length. I can accommodate about a metre wide but that’s it really. Looking for second hand tanks seems a good option, but I’ll also look at the things that have been suggested.

Thanks so much for your help. I have a photo of Ricky (hamster number one) who lived a long and happy life, and a photo of Willow on the table where the cage used to be. It’ll be lovely to replace it with a new hamster.

Thanks again. X
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Old 08-09-2018, 01:18 PM   #5
Sazzle
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Default Re: A new hamster?

The zoo plus Marrakesh terrarium looks lovely! It’d be nice to set that up with some different levels maybe. It is privcy though but definitely worth considering. Thanks for the info! X
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Old 08-09-2018, 01:31 PM   #6
dreamtree1234
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Please just remember that what happened to Willow certainly was not your fault. You are an excellent, loving, and attentive ham parent who did the very best that you could for your cutie pie. Willow loved you and would want you to be happy and not blame yourself. Hugs.

I think getting a wonderful, new hammy will be wonderful for you and will fill your life with so much happiness and love. Good luck with the cage options and getting your furry, little one.
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Old 08-09-2018, 08:27 PM   #7
Thin Lizzy
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Sazzle, I so hope you get another hammy, you've got so much love to give.
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Old 08-10-2018, 01:46 AM   #8
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Although I'm not using tanks at the moment, I've used them before with my Chinese. They are an option if you're concerned about things like injuries caused by bar chewing but it's worth mentioning that even smaller ones can be very heavy to move so any cleaning would have to be done with the tank in situ and if you have to take your hamster to a pet sitter then you'll probably need a cage that is easier to transport.

I think that what happened to Willow was an unfortunate accident and there's no reason why it would necessarily happen again but sometimes a cage with a narrower bar spacing or even a bin cage with a 6mm mesh might be an option. I usually use bin cages with a 6mm mesh for baby Chinese and even they can't really get their noses through to try chewing at it.
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Old 08-10-2018, 04:50 AM   #9
Sazzle
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Default Re: A new hamster?

Thanks for the advice. I will have a good think and do some research into the options over the next week or so.
The more I think about it, the more ready I feel to have another. x
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Old 08-10-2018, 11:57 AM   #10
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Default Re: A new hamster?

The Barney cage and other cages with narrow bar spacing make bar chewing harder, so a barred cage could be an option.
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