Beginner Mommy

PikaTay · 07-29-2014, 08:42 AM

Hi, I am PikaTay.

I will soon be the proud mommy of a Russian Dwarf Hybrid!

I am so excited!

Sadly, in my younger years I was a very bad pet owner

I was not aware of things like appropriate cage size, diabetes, ect. I just accepted what I was told by the pet store and went on my own instincts. My first hamster, therefor probably was very unhappy though I tried my best to love and care for her, I still feel bad for what a terrible owner I must of been.

I have not had another small pet (besides my family's adorable toy poodle/yorkie mix, since he's pretty tiny haha) since then, being heartbroken after her passing, but recently I have decided to try again.

This time I will be the best Mommy I can possibly be! I have been learning all I can, doing all sorts of research and watching many reliable youtubers on hamster care! I will not go in unarmed this time or ever again for sure!

I hope I can redeem my past unintentional owner mistakes and raise a healthy, happy hamster along with a very best friend of mine to help! And while I'm at it I want to try to make sure other hamster owners get all the information I've learned instead of just jumping right in like I had and many other children and parents ect are doing even now.

So for my final step before picking out my new little baby, I have joined Hamster Central, just in case I need any more information. Or if there's just information floating around that I would love to learn.

I hope I can be a good mommy this time around >_<
In advance, thank you for all the help and support I'm sure I will be able to receive from all of you XP

-PikaTay

dave123791 · 07-29-2014, 10:06 AM

Everyone makes mistakes: the skill is to learn from them. Personally i would recommend you get a hamster from a breeder rather than from a pet shop. Hamsters from breeders are much healthier and already tamed as they were handled from a very young age.

What cage will you be keeping the hamster in?

PikaTay · 07-29-2014, 10:21 AM

Right now we have a homemade bin cage. Its just a tad too small (we made it before I learned about minimum sq inches, I just knew then that it had to be big. This one is only about 18 gallons), but much bigger then the pet store cages. I plan to make a bigger one very soon.

Here is the picture:

(I've recently added fencing to the platform and made a ladder down into the digging tower)

We've spent around 100 dollars already preparing and I've yet to get food, as I'm doing extensive research on what will be the best for a diabetes prone dwarf.

**kyrilliondaemon** · 07-29-2014, 10:53 AM

Welcome to the forum

Sparkle · 07-29-2014, 11:37 AM

Welcome to the forum.

dave123791 · 07-29-2014, 01:31 PM

I'm glad you actually do research before buying and making stuff

Just out of interest is the size of the silent spinner 12 inches?

The overall 'design' looks really cool. I like the idea of the sand bath being surrounded by decorational rocks: might actually do that once i get a sand bath for my hammies

PikaTay · 07-29-2014, 02:00 PM

Thank you, I heard the rocks can help file nails XP

No I have the 6.5 one, is that still too small for a dwarf?

Also as for food, I've got some oxbow hamster food that I want to mix with some high protien seed mix, but I can't seem to find any good seed mixes in the petco or petsmart (which closed down the local shops in our town). If I get a standard mix, pick out the corn and pea and supplement the protien deficiency with egg and such every day, would that work ok for the hammy?

**kyrilliondaemon** · 07-29-2014, 02:03 PM

The 6.5" one is great for dwarf hamsters

Truffle · 07-29-2014, 03:07 PM

The cage looks like a great start

I can't wait to see who will be living in there. x

dave123791 · 07-30-2014, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PikaTay

Thank you, I heard the rocks can help file nails XP

No I have the 6.5 one, is that still too small for a dwarf?

Also as for food, I've got some oxbow hamster food that I want to mix with some high protien seed mix, but I can't seem to find any good seed mixes in the petco or petsmart (which closed down the local shops in our town). If I get a standard mix, pick out the corn and pea and supplement the protien deficiency with egg and such every day, would that work ok for the hammy?

Have you tried ordering them online? I put a flat rock under Sarahs (robo) water bottle so everytime she drinks her nails get filed down. I guess it would work. You could also give her mealworms a few times a week: 4-5. And yes the 6.5inch is big enough for a dwarf hamster.