Agree with Souffle - unfortunately you get awfully bad advice from pet shops sometimes. I am sure it is not all deliberate and just that they don't know much about hamsters and will sell what is in stock. Likewise it's not necessary to do full clean outs every week- that can really stress a hamster having all their natural scent removed in one go (they scent mark their cage to find their way around as they don't see well all).
However I don't think any of these things will have caused your hammy's early death, but it would be nice to start with good things for this new hammy
First thing is - is the cage suitable? It sounds like it might be a bit tall if you say she liked climbing. In my experience they only really climb if it's to a) escape or b) access shelf because they can't get there any other way. They really are not good climbers and tend to just let go and "drop" and can seriously injure themselves if they fall more than 30cm or land on something hard or pointy.
They do better with a greater area of floorspace and less height. We fell foul of getting an unsuitable cage for our first hammy! Ended up upgrading within 3 weeks as he got cage aggression, a bit depressed and also got stuck in some tubes as he grew quite big.
Anyway - if you post a picture of the cage we can advise if a) it's ok and b) if or how it can be adapted to make it safer - if there are any safety issues.
Food and diet is important. You need a good hamster mix that contains all the nutrients and vitamins they require - mineral stones aren't recommended these days. You can't go wrong with Tiny Friends Harry Hamster - it contains everything needed - enough protein, all the vitamins and minerals, it's sugar-free (they can get tooth decay like humans!) and the pieces are the right size for a Syrian. Most hamsters tend to eat all of it too. Some of the hamster mixes sold are very poor quality.
As well as that a small piece of fresh every day is good. Start with every 3 days, then after a week or so every other day, then after another week you can give it every day - just so their stomachs adjust to it. They actually eat quite small amounts - most food taken is pouched and hoarded and they snack from their hoard. So a very small piece of veg - maybe 1cm cube sized (doesn't have to be square - just an indication of size). Broccoli, Carrot, cucumber and cauliflower are all fine and those are the basic ones I give. Occasionally a parsley leaf (if you have parsley) or a spinach leaf or a piece of watercress, or a piece of baby corn. I have to admit to buying extra veg just for the hamster! But broccoli, carrot and cucumber tend to be used by a lot of people and keep a long time in the fridge. Lettuce and cabbage shouldn't be given really. Some people do occasionally but they can have issues.
The basics for a happy healthy hamster (assuming no genetic disorders) are - a cage big enough they can have normal behaviours in (floorspace ideally at least 70cm by 45cm but more if possible). Not too tall (anything taller than 40 to 45 cm needs a "full level" in really to avoid fall risks. A good depth of substrate or litter (at least 4") - this cushions any falls and allows them to enjoy digging in it or moving it around to where they want it! Some hamsters will build mountains with it either to bury hoards under, or to pile up against their house to keep warm
A house big enough to build a good sized nest in so they can keep warm - ideally open underneath and sat on top of the substrate so they can bury hoards under their nest and burrow down. A wheel big enough they can run in with a straight back. Most wheels that come with cages are tiny and only suitable for dwarf hamsters - they will often stop using it as it can cause back pain if too small.
And some "enrichment". This includes most of the above but also things to keep them occupied and give variety - eg a shelf to sit on or sit under, some "toys" like little hidey places or tunnels (rat sized toys are best for syrians - they can get stuck in tubes or entrances that are too small and most toys sold for hamsters are only big enough for dwarf hamsters. Home made toys are fine - eg a pringles tube, a kitchen roll inner tube (slit down the side so it expands), a tissue box on its side as a hide. Bendy stick bridges are popular bought toys -they can be made into tunnels and bridges.
And fresh water every day. Some bottles also don't work well and can start leaking and empty themselves or block up. So it's best to check the bottle every day when you change the water. I had two bottles in for a while just in case one failed and it's always good to have a spare just in case.
Cleaning - I only change the substrate in our cage about every 3 months. The more substrate you have in, the less often it needs cleaning out -this is more for the hamster's benefit
They will also use a litter tray if you put it in the area they have chosen as a toilet (often a corner of the cage). You can put Chinchilla bathing sand in the toilet and then just empty that every 5 days or so - the rest of the cage stays clean and dry. Also it's better not to clean everything at the same time so something always smells familiar to them. So the wheel one week, any toys a different week as and when needed, and the substrate a different time again. Even when doing a substrate change, you only need to use warm water (or a bit of washing up liquid in it, but rinse well if you do) on the cage base. You don't need to use disinfectant unless there has been illness or disease and anything scented will bother a hamster - they have a very strong sense of smell/scent. So if you do need to use a pet disinfectant, rinse the cage really well afterwards and let it air.
Their two most important things in their life, that they are most protective of - are their nest and their hoard. So it is best not to disturb or remove these, unless they have been pee'd in (young hamsters sometimes take a while to develop good toileting habits!) If the nest is dry, just leave it or replace it - likewise the hoard. If they are pee'd on then try and replace a little bit of the old nest that is dry, so it smells familiar and put out a pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper somewhere in the cage in a heap (not in the house). The hamster will pouch some and take it to rebuild the nest. If you have to remove pee'd on hoard, then always replace it with new food in exactly the same place. If they get anxious about the hoard disappearing, they may start peeing on it to deter thieves! And then you get an itch scratch cycle!
They are really fascinating little things, who are really quite clean and organised and don't like their cages being messed with. We have to sometimes, and they get used to it, but I always hide a few treats around the cage after a clean as a treat and a distraction from the change.
Our last hamster once cleaned out his own house! I found a big pile of smelly substrate in front of the door and a big gap in the substrate in the middle of the cage. He had removed all the old after he'd pee'd on it, and carried a load of new into his house overnight. I've also found they are quite clean with their litter trays and will put substrate on top so it doesn't get smelly
Anyway - normal behaviours for them are digging (some more than others),hoarding and foraging for bedding or food. They also like to sit on something to groom (eg a shelf or favourite spot or hide). They groom a lot and this is normal. Partly they are cleaning themselves, but partly they are putting scent on their paws to leave a trail so they can find their route around the cage.
I tend to find if the wheel has just been cleaned,they can stop using it - if that happens just put a treat in it and it tempts them back in.
It is so sad for your daughter that your last hammy died - it will have been some kind of genetic weakness, or possibly disease they already had when you got them. Occasionally hamsters go into torpor if they get too cold, or can die of dehydration if they don't get access to water - but in your case it sounds like bad luck and it's very sad.
I know it can make you a bit anxious about the next one - but don't worry. I am sure your new hamster will be fine. Giving them the enrichment and habitat they need will also help with a good immune system so they can fight off anything.
One last thing - they can catch colds and flu etc from humans so if you have one best to avoid handling them until germ free and just put food and water out after hand washing with antibacterial soap.
As Souffle says - give your hammy a few days to settle into the cage and then start taming - offering a treat through the bars and talking to them at first. Don't move things around in the cage or disturb anything for the first two weeks while they are settling in and scent marking. If, after the first week,it gets a bit whiffy if they don't have a litter tray, just "spot clean" the pee area - take out a handful or two of smelly wet substrate and put in a couple ofhandfuls of new and mix it in a bit. You could add a litter tray at that time too.
Their poops are not dirty or smelly and can be left unless they start to take over in a big way! They are like little hard seeds and they may eat them or hoard them sometimes for extra vitamins. They have two stomachs and can redigest nutrients from their poops. They often throw them out of the cage too lol!
Depending on how curious or shy your hamster is you could start bathtub taming after a couple of weeks (earlier if they show signs of being friendly and wanting to come out) - especially if they are not handlable at first.
We did the bathtub taming with our last Syrian who belonged to my stepson who was 6 at the time. It's a safe place for them to run around and you can occasionally stroke them on the back until they get used to touch and don't "ping" (wriggle away and leap 2 feet in the air!). Put the odd toy or tube in for them to run through. I did a little video on how we tamed our hamster in the bathtub - it doesn't show much but has some tips. It was so hard for my stepson at the time who desperately wanted to hold him and it took a while before we could hold him as he was quite wild having been in the pet shop for a while (plus their personalities vary). But once he was handtame he was very easy to hold and very cuddly and would go to sleep on my knee. He became my baby and we all loved him to bits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjyEme2xcq4
Coquette died, aged three months
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