Might be getting another ham

Spunkys_Owner · 01-12-2019, 02:53 PM

Hello, (sorry if I put this in the wrong forum.)
Now that Spunky has passed, I've realized I miss him. I'd like to get another small animal. Mice, gerbils, and the larger small animals have been ruled out ("Eww, tails!"). I'd prefer not to get another dwarf hamster, as I wouldn't the have the time to tame such a skittish creature. So, I'm thinking about Syrian hamsters. Specifically, male Syrians, because I've heard that they are smaller and generally calmer than females. (Plus, no worrying about accidentally buying an impregnated hamster!)
I know that there are several differences between dwarf and larger hamsters, so I'd like to know some of them and if what I have will work.
I have a bin cage with mesh ventilation in the lid. The cage has about 527 sq in of floor space (When it has a few inches of bedding in it.) I have also an 8 inch comfort wheel. Will these things do? Would I need a bigger wheel?
I also wonder about how to go about cleaning the accessories. I have some wooden toys that have never been chewed/peed on. Could I use these again? And how should I go about cleaning the cage itself and all the other plastic/ceramic/stone things I already own?
Spunky, my previous hamster, died of old age (as far as I can tell...) and didn't look sick the days prior to his end.
And food? I already have lab blocks, but beside that I only have food mix made specifically for dwarfs. I've heard Higgin's Sunburst is good, but I'm worried about the corn in it.
Sorry for all the questions; I just would really like to get this right if I get a new pet furball. Thank you

hisnameispip · 01-12-2019, 06:06 PM

Male Syrians are precious little guys, I definitely recommend one

The bin cage you mentioned sounds similar to mine, so I imagine that would be fine. As for the wheel, I have the wodent wheel and my hammy loves it. I've seen some other people on here use that wheel as well. It's a little expensive and it is big, but it really is a good wheel.

I used to use Higgin's Sunburst food for my hammy but I switched to Tiny Friend's Farm Hazel Hamster mix recently. There's a lot of good items in it and my hammy doesn't get too picky about which items he likes to eat. I had that problem with the Higgin's because there were certain items that he didn't like so he would pick around them and I ended up throwing a lot of food away.

As for cleaning, I re-used some of my previous gerbil items when I got my hamster, and I honestly just gave everything that wasn't wooden a good scrub with some soap and hot water. I'm not sure about the wooden items, honestly. As long as they're not soiled, I think they might be okay to just transfer, but I'm really not sure.

I hope this helps you with your decision-making

mangoandmimi · 01-12-2019, 07:34 PM

The bin is on the small side really, I wouldn’t use it for a Syrian. Sounds like it’s even smaller without bedding in too which isn’t ideal. An 8 inch comfort wheel is ok for baby Syrians but they’ll need a larger one towards 12” when older. Some can grow to be quite large too and there’s not exactly any way of knowing.
What you’ve got is more suited to dwarfs, don’t know what toys you’ve got but the majority of dwarf sized toys are too small for Syrians to use as well.

Higgins sunburst is ok - one of the better foods you have available and to be honest I’d say it’s more suited to Syrians than dwarfs anyway. I’d probably consider one with less fruit & sugar though.

Spunkys_Owner · 01-13-2019, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mangoandmimi

The bin is on the small side really, I wouldn’t use it for a Syrian. Sounds like it’s even smaller without bedding in too which isn’t ideal. An 8 inch comfort wheel is ok for baby Syrians but they’ll need a larger one towards 12” when older. Some can grow to be quite large too and there’s not exactly any way of knowing.
What you’ve got is more suited to dwarfs, don’t know what toys you’ve got but the majority of dwarf sized toys are too small for Syrians to use as well.

Higgins sunburst is ok - one of the better foods you have available and to be honest I’d say it’s more suited to Syrians than dwarfs anyway. I’d probably consider one with less fruit & sugar though.

Thanks for answering!
The bin is taller at the top than it is at the bottom, so that's why. (I'd add more bedding for a Syrian than for a dwarf.) Yeah, I'd get a new wheel and new toys to accommodate a bigger hamster, as I do have smaller toys atm.

Spunkys_Owner · 01-13-2019, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hisnameispip

Male Syrians are precious little guys, I definitely recommend one

The bin cage you mentioned sounds similar to mine, so I imagine that would be fine. As for the wheel, I have the wodent wheel and my hammy loves it. I've seen some other people on here use that wheel as well. It's a little expensive and it is big, but it really is a good wheel.

I used to use Higgin's Sunburst food for my hammy but I switched to Tiny Friend's Farm Hazel Hamster mix recently. There's a lot of good items in it and my hammy doesn't get too picky about which items he likes to eat. I had that problem with the Higgin's because there were certain items that he didn't like so he would pick around them and I ended up throwing a lot of food away.

As for cleaning, I re-used some of my previous gerbil items when I got my hamster, and I honestly just gave everything that wasn't wooden a good scrub with some soap and hot water. I'm not sure about the wooden items, honestly. As long as they're not soiled, I think they might be okay to just transfer, but I'm really not sure.

I hope this helps you with your decision-making

Thanks for answering!

Where could I get some Hazel Hamster food?

cypher · 01-13-2019, 11:51 PM

I've seen Hazel Hamster food on Pet Mountain & Harry Hamster food on Amazon both the same food & about the same price although shipping looks quite expensive, maybe you can find it in other pet shops too.

What are the dimensions of your bin cage? That would give a better idea if it is suitable for a Syrian or not.

hisnameispip · 01-14-2019, 03:57 PM

I get my hazel hamster mix from chewy.com, along with my other hamster supplies (bedding, treats, etc.) I try to buy everything in one big order so that I can get free shipping lol

https://www.chewy.com/tiny-friends-f...food/dp/172711

My Pip likes it a lot, he enjoys sticking as much of it as he can in his cheek pouches and then awkwardly waddling around, trying to figure out what to do with it all!

Spunkys_Owner · 01-14-2019, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

What are the dimensions of your bin cage? That would give a better idea if it is suitable for a Syrian or not.

At the bottom (I’ve cleaned it out by now; there’s no bedding) it’s about 30 by 15 1/2 in. At the top, its about 34 by 18 in. It’s (admittedly) a very short bin of a solid one foot tall. (couldn’t find any taller at the time)

cypher · 01-14-2019, 10:27 PM

I think a bin that size might be ok for a starter cage & a baby Syrian but it is a bit too small for an adult.

Spunkys_Owner · 01-15-2019, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hisnameispip

As for the wheel, I have the wodent wheel and my hammy loves it. I've seen some other people on here use that wheel as well. It's a little expensive and it is big, but it really is a good wheel.

I really wish I could buy one, but unfortunately, I don't have the money. Would a 12 inch Kaytee Comfort Wheel do? (I'll have to find a way to make the cage taller if I get it, as its total height is 14 inches.)
Could I use a saucer wheel? Spunky had one for a while. Would a 7-inch be ok, or a 12-inch would be enough, right? I could put a shelf in (so that the ground space isn't affected) and put the saucer on top of that.