Get or Avoid?

[cypher]

With a bit of care hamsters travel pretty well really, if you use a proper carrier with a good depth of substrate in & maybe something like some cardboard or even a bendy bridge on top they can burrow under they don't get too stressed, I put my carrier in a large bag which helps to keep them a little quieter & darker, you can partially cover it with a blanket too but you do need to make sure there is still plenty of ventilation.

With small independent pet shops you do have to just use your judgement as there are both good & bad but you can usually get a good idea from the way the hamsters are kept & the way they behave if they've been well cared for or not.

If they're very nervous when you get them home I find they will usually climb into a cardboard tube or box then you can put that in the cage & leave them to come out when they're ready.

[SandyT]

I have a medium sized Aladino carrier. I was planning on putting a decent amount of Fitch in that, together with a wooden house. The house originally had a window but I've blocked that up. I may also have made the door a bit bigger but I prepared it so long ago, I can't remember!
Thank you again for the help and advice Cypher.

[cypher]

A wooden house might be a bit heavy to go in a carrier for travelling, just a little cardboard box (you could cut the base out0 for a bit of cover might be better.

[Pebbles82]

I can't remember how I got Newt out of the pet carrier and into his cage I think I tipped the pet carrier on its side a bit (hold the top lid open so it doesn't fall down on them) in front of the cage door and he just walked out and into the cage.

I know with Nugget (Robo) it was difficult getting him out - he was so tiny and scared - I scooped him into a mug and put my hand over the top. You shouldn't need to do that with a Syrian.

Do you have everything ready for getting a hamster? eg cage ready and items for it etc - it really helps to have everything thought out and set up before bringing one home. It is hard finding one sometimes. And it is pot luck to some degree but go with your instincts - if the hamster looks bright eyed and healthy and active, they probably are

Have you looked on Gumtree? Often people selling unwanted Christmas hamsters about now.

Also check back at some point and see if the other girl is better now. Sometimes a hamster just gets to you.

[buttercuplols]

I am in Cornwall too and there seems to be a major lack of both breeders and independent pet shops selling animals. I'm in Truro and had to use P@H adoption centre. If you are in the centre of Cornwall I don't think there are many other options at the moment if you don't have a car which I don't!

[SandyT]

Thanks Cypher, I hadn't thought about that. I'd seen someone use a carrot house, which I know would be lighter but just went with a wooden house thinking it would last longer!

Hi Serendipity, Yep, tried Gumtree, FB, and various other online sites. No joy as of yet.
I have got everything I need, as far as I know. I haven't set it up yet because I don't want it to be all dusty by the time I've got a little one to put in there. Having said that, I am thinking of setting it up soon.
I really liked the girl I saw but am concerned that if she does get better, which hopefully she will, she will have lasting damage. Also, I'm a bit chicken, in case she didn't get better.

Hi Buttercuplols. I'm a bit put off going to P@H because of their fairly recent outbreak of Wet Tail. I did phone the Truro branch today, as it wasn't one of the ones affected but they had no Syrians for adoption. I'm going to give Wyvale a call tomorrow.

I would consider a dwarf ham but everything I have was bought with a Syrian in mind, so I don't know how suitable it would be.

Thank you all for your help, it's much appreciated.

[Pebbles82]

Two baby Syrians here - St Austell. Sounds like an accidental litter but you could ask the poster.

https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/classif...t-austell.html

[SandyT]

Thank you Serendipity. I contacted the person a couple of days ago but so far no reply.
That's really kind of you to look.

[cypher]

It must be quite frustrating! Hope you find your little ham soon, you could just set the cage up & cover it with something to keep any dust or anything out for now, I like to set cages up well before I bring a ham home as there's always something I want to tweek before I'm happy with them!

[alpacassei]

There’s usually a few Syrians in the p@h Liskeard and Plymouth adoption centres if you don’t mind the travel.

Also, yay more cornish members!