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Old 02-13-2019, 02:19 AM   #1
peridotgreen
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Exclamation how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

i'm going away for a week, my dad is now point blank refusing to look after my Hamster.

How long can hamsters be left alone for realistically? I would have to come back earlier if needed.

iv'e read 3/4 days MAX, with 2 water bottles and a FULL bowl of food, does this sound about right?
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Old 02-13-2019, 05:38 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

Personally I wouldn't be happy leaving them that long, overnight may be ok but you really need someone to just check on them if they're going to be left any longer.
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Old 02-13-2019, 05:46 AM   #3
souffle
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

A week is far too long. I would leave 2 nights maximum. That means I leave after feeding and checking on day 1 so they are actually attended that day. Overnight, then overnight on day 2 and return day 3 when they are again attended to.
Leave 2 bottles and a large chunk of veggies plus plenty food.
You could get a pet sitter in.
If your dad lives in the house surely he could check and change water daily and give them a scoop of food as instructed. They will be fine without handling for a week.
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Old 02-13-2019, 06:34 AM   #4
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

No more than 2 nights as Souffle says. It isn't just about food and water either. Ours pined when they sensed no-one was there.

Sorry your Dad is being difficult. I suppose he wouldn't want anyone coming in to feed them either?

Where are you going for a week? If you could come back every couple of days to feed and water them and have a bit of interaction (even if it's just hearing your voice) that would be better.

If you're staying in another home it might be an option to take the hamster with you and set up the cage there. I have done this in a holiday cottage before when away for a week. But I left the main cage at home and took a smaller "holiday cage" - along with some old bedding bagged up and familiar toys and food bowl etc. It was about 68cm by 45cm (approx duna multy size).

But if you don't have a stable home base for a week then your hammy is best left at home with someone to check every couple of days. No cleaning out needed for a week ad they can manage without out of cage time.
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Old 02-13-2019, 08:31 AM   #5
peridotgreen
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
No more than 2 nights as Souffle says. It isn't just about food and water either. Ours pined when they sensed no-one was there.

Sorry your Dad is being difficult. I suppose he wouldn't want anyone coming in to feed them either?

Where are you going for a week? If you could come back every couple of days to feed and water them and have a bit of interaction (even if it's just hearing your voice) that would be better.

If you're staying in another home it might be an option to take the hamster with you and set up the cage there. I have done this in a holiday cottage before when away for a week. But I left the main cage at home and took a smaller "holiday cage" - along with some old bedding bagged up and familiar toys and food bowl etc. It was about 68cm by 45cm (approx duna multy size).

But if you don't have a stable home base for a week then your hammy is best left at home with someone to check every couple of days. No cleaning out needed for a week ad they can manage without out of cage time.

i'm going up north for 1 week, so thats like 4h+ train journey AND new surroundings, not sure she would cope with that. I would also not be able to take a bigger cage with me
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Old 02-13-2019, 09:54 AM   #6
Pebbles82
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

I live up north You must be a long way south - it's 2.5 hours to London for me from just south of Newcastle (about 3 hours to London from Newcastle).Will you be staying in a house all week when you get there? eg not backpacking around or anything?

Four hours on a train is a bit of a long time - not impossible - but if you have luggage as well......Would you have to change trains? It does seem a difficult one - not impossible as you could order something like a duna multy to be delivered to your address up north and set it up when you get there.

Easiest option though would be if someone was kind enough to put out food and water every couple of days and just chat to your hamster when doing it. Would your Dad accept a petsitter coming in the house? I had a petsitter last time we went away for a week - cost about £20.

Alternatively is there a friend's house you could take him and his cage to for a week? I personally think they do better either left at home with a petsitter coming in, or going with you. Our hammy was very stressed and slightly bonkers for a while, after being left at someone else's house without us there.

Do you have a pet carrier?
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Old 02-13-2019, 10:05 AM   #7
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

Who are you going to stay with? Just wondering if they could nip out to Pets at Home and get their "large" wire cage - it costs about £25 and is approx 60cm by 40cm. It would be ok for a week's holiday cage as long as you give your hammy some out of cage time. You'd probably need an 8" wheel getting as well and a bag of bedding.

Then it would be a case of - a good pet carrier to transport him in, plus a bag with a bit of his old bedding and a couple of familiar toys in from his cage.

If you only have one bag (eg a suitcase on wheels) you should be able to manage a pet carrier in the other hand, and on the train it can sit on your knee.
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Old 02-13-2019, 10:39 AM   #8
peridotgreen
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Who are you going to stay with? Just wondering if they could nip out to Pets at Home and get their "large" wire cage - it costs about £25 and is approx 60cm by 40cm. It would be ok for a week's holiday cage as long as you give your hammy some out of cage time. You'd probably need an 8" wheel getting as well and a bag of bedding.

Then it would be a case of - a good pet carrier to transport him in, plus a bag with a bit of his old bedding and a couple of familiar toys in from his cage.

If you only have one bag (eg a suitcase on wheels) you should be able to manage a pet carrier in the other hand, and on the train it can sit on your knee.
no changes needed hopefully! I do have a hamster carrier but its really small.

they have a cage i could use, would just need a very good clean as its been in the shed. trouble is, everyone in the house apart from 2 people smoke..
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Old 02-13-2019, 10:48 AM   #9
peridotgreen
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

she will also have some meds left, about 5 days :/ but i don't know if she will be able to be given them.

by sunday, she will have had 2 weeks ish worth of antibiotics apart from the night-time one
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Old 02-13-2019, 10:57 AM   #10
souffle
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Default Re: how long can a hamster be left alone? please answer asap!

If she has been unwell I would not risk that travelling and a cage change. It would be too stressful. Is there a friend or a hamster hotel she go go to? We take holiday hamsters so there are likely to be places near you that will take her.
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