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Old 09-02-2018, 10:59 PM   #11
Quicksilver
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 186
Default Re: Cage for Syrian recommendations/experiences

Hi kiwihamster. Our hamster lives in the Savic Plaza and is happy in her home and it's a decent size for living space. The big front door makes it a lot easier to interact with her, spot clean, change toys around etc. Hope your hamster loves their new home look forward to seeing some pics.
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Old 09-03-2018, 01:56 AM   #12
kiwihamster
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Default Re: Cage for Syrian recommendations/experiences

thanks again for all your help, this is the Savic cage, she loves it! The massive door is really helpful too.
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Old 09-03-2018, 02:11 AM   #13
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Cage for Syrian recommendations/experiences

That looks great My suggestion would be to move everything up the cage a bit heightwise. eg deeper substrate and the little shelf moved up higher above the deeper substrate. Mainly to cushion any falls from a height. It might seem like an awful lot of substrate to put in but the more there is , the less often you need to do a substrate change - just take the odd handful out and replace it now and then and empty the litter tray instead (if you have one) or if not just spot clean the pee corner/area. She will need a bigger wheel as well - sorry if you already know that They always put those tiny 5 or 6" wheels in cages and they're only suitable for dwarf hamsters. This Trixie wheel isn't expensive and a good size for a syrian.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Exer...m+trixie+wheel
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Old 09-04-2018, 12:21 AM   #14
kiwihamster
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Default Re: Cage for Syrian recommendations/experiences

no i didnt, we are beginners! thanks for the advice, will put more substrate in x
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Old 09-04-2018, 05:40 AM   #15
Pebbles82
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Cage for Syrian recommendations/experiences

Four inches is usually recommended but more is good with a taller cage When it's deeper the bottom half tends to stay clean and dry and can be re-used. My big tip would be a litter tray and some chinchilla bathing sand to put in it. Hamsters will use it and then you just empty it every five days or so and the rest of the cage stays clean - apart from possibly peeing in the wheel and you can just give that a wipe now and then - if you clean it too much they get freaked out!

I find this litter tray good - it fits in a corner of the cage or inside a large house and is higher at the back so it contains the pee. Our hammies have always very carefully pee'd in the back corner and sat in the front for a wash. But any dish will do really. They tend to choose a corner of the cage as a toilet so if you put it there your hammy will most likely use it - if you put it anywhere else it will be ignored probably! At first it can help to put a tiny bit of pee'd on substrate on top of the sand so the hammy knows it's still his toilet area.

As well as substrate they need a bit pile of nesting material - plain white toilet paper is best - tear the sheets into strips and put a heap of it somewhere in the cage (but not inside the house) - they will forage for it and pouch it to take back to the nest to build it up so its nice and cosy. If you've been sold any fluffy bedding for nesting then bin it because it's dangerous (has caused amputations and all sorts).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamster-cor...=hamster+potty

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supreme-Pet...hinchilla+sand

The basics are - substrate, nesting material, wheel size, large house for nesting ( an upturned shoebox with a door cut in makes a good house), a bit of variety - eg toys and a level to sit on and under.

Also cleaning - usually recommended not to do a clean out or move things around much for the first two weeks while they settle in and scent mark or it can cause a lot of stress and set back taming and handling. After that best just to spot clean mainly - you can easily go a few weeks to a couple of months or more without needing to change the substrate when there's a litter tray and plenty of substrate. Don't worry about poops - they're not dirty or smelly - they're like little black seeds and sometimes they eat them (which is normal) or hoard them - they have two stomachs and can digest extra nutrients from the poops

Also best to clean things at different times and not all together - that way something always retains their familiar scent and its less stressful. So wheel at a different time to substrate eg and toys as and when needed - toys tend not to need cleaning that often.

When cleaning don't throw away the nest and hoard. If they're pee'd on you may have to remove them but try and leave a bit of old hoard left and old nest and add new food to the hoard in exactly the same place and put new nesting material out. But if they're clean and dry then they can be left for quite a long time. Dry hoard is fine and fresh food tends to be eaten straight away but you may need to check now and then that there's nothing fresh going off in there. I have never yet found anything like that as veg tends to get eaten immediately! Then when you do clean the substrate, if the hoard is taking over the bottom of the cage you can prune it down and add a bit of new food to it.

Their nest and hoard are their most important things in life and they get anxious if they think anyone has invaded either of them - and may then start peeing on the hoard to deter people from stealing it! Which can end up being an itch scratch cycle as then you need to remove some. It usually settles down though.

A house that's open underneath and sat on top of the substrate is best really as it allows normal behaviours so they can burrow down to get cosy in their nest and also bury their hoards under the nest (they tend to eat from the hoard mainly and just pouch food from the bowl mostly to take to the hoard).

Think that's all
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