We are new!

[QueenMummy]

Hi everyone! We just got my daughter 2 hamsters for her 11th birthday.

They were rescues, about 1 year old. So here's hoping they live nice long lives.

They are Syrian hamsters and were both in atrociously small cages so we've just upgraded. One got moved into a 20 gallon fish tank, 24"wX12"l, it is still smaller than what she should have but much better than what she came to us in. The other we purchased a Living World Rat Starter Cage approx. 30"wX18"lX12"h so she is happy...

I always had hamsters myself growing up, but with 4 kids and now a 5th on the way it isn't something we've kept consistently for our kids but we did have a few about 6 years ago and I also did some hobbiest breeding when I was in my late teens/early adult years before I started having human children.

[dreamtree1234]

Welcome to HC; I am so happy that you joined our hamster-loving community! Congrats on rescuing to gorgeous Syrians, QueenMummy! What a wonderful gift that will keep on giving and bringing so much joy and love into your lives. I know that your daughter must be so thrilled. You did such a wonderful thing rescuing two hamsters needing a home. Have you decided on names for your two balls of fluff, or are you waiting to see if any names call out to you after you have a chance to get to know your new hammy family? I look forward to seeing more pics and reading about your Syrians.

Congrats also on your expecting your fifth child! So many things to celebrate and be thankful for.

[Drago]

Hello and welcome aboard!

Congrats on your new hams, and good on you for taking them out of the horrid situations they were in before. As you know, 20 gallons is a bit on the small side, but will suffice until you're able to get a large bin, tank, or a good cage like the Alaska Good luck with them and if you ever have any other questions, please ask!

[tomnjerry]

Think of it in a total holistic way.

Nutrition and exercise will be important. Let them eat their own poo to get vitamins. No hamster mix can substitute them eating their own poo. Feed small cubes say 1 cm sizes or 1 cm squares of approved vegetables every other day to give them more vitamin c. Spinach must be cooked otherwise they will suffer. Uncooked spinach binds minerals & hamster becomes paralysed.

Give unscented toilet tissue, and they will shred it. This shredding itself is a form of exercise. With good husbandry, cage size may not be any issue at all.

[AmityvilleHams]

Cage size is always an issue,no matter what you try to do.Syrians do thrive in cages beyond 100 cm x 50 cm(roughly 40 inches x 20 inches),if they're set up properly and transitioned to in an appropriate manner.Just because you have lots of enrichment in a cage doesn't mean a hamster will automatically be happier in a smaller cage than in for example a square meter cage with even more enrichment(including deep substrate,that is crucial).

Unfortunately a lot of behavior gets ignored when it indicates serious issues with cage size,and adding more enrichment is in a way like a bandaid so instead of fixing the actual problem you're covering it up.It must be a combination of a large cage(science based minimum being a square meter,and even that is small given the natural behavior of Syrians who do travel miles a day,so that size would definitely be best again with proper precautions)and enrichment.One or the other is not equal to both

Diet really has little impact if any on how a hamster will behave over the long term.A species appropriate high quality diet is crucial(very few foods on the market are appropriate,though,especially in the US and Canada)but it isn't necessarily a fix for boredom caused by cage size.

As for good cages,there are definitely tons of DIY options that will always be superior to premade cages on the market.For example you can use several bins to make a square meter cage,and this usually is fairly cheap.I'm not certain how different pricing would be in Canada,but two 80 cm x 50 cm give or take bins with one 60 cm x 40 cm bin cost around $32 total in the US.Considering you'd need zip ties,mesh,pliers,and a wood burning knife this will add to the cost however these things will last for several bin setups as well as potentially even travel bin making.In the US those extra supplies end up costing less than $40 but once again they do not instantly disappear so it's not a cost that you pay several times over.It is entirely worth it to invest in bin setups,considering how much better they'd be and how cost effective they are along with being so much easier to move than a lot of other(also generally inferior)cages.

[Pebbles82]

Hello and welcome. Lovely that you rescued the two hams I know it's very hard to find good sized hamster cages in Canada. And the ones they have now are a huge improvement by the sound of it. The key these days is "enrichment" to enrich their environment - and with more space you can give more enrichment. The main thing is loads of substrate so they can dig and burrow and have fun moving the stuff around and burying things in it. A level or shelf is always good too - it's something to sit under and climb up onto. Plus a good sized house that's dark inside, to build a big nest in. A couple of tubes or a tissue box as a hide as well add to enrichment.

A 40 gallon breeder tank is a popular size for a Syrian. Petco have dollar per gallon sales sometimes, and you can get one for $40 then. Also another member from Canada got this Living World 3 foot terrarium although it's more expensive, and you have two hamsters. As Amityille says, making a bin cage can be a solution too, if you can find a bin big enough.

All Living Things® Reptile Terrarium | reptile Terrariums | PetSmart

20 gallons is too small for a Syrian, but then if you had upgraded them to large cages straight away it might have been a culture shock if they were previously in something smaller than a 20 gallon tank.

For now I would suggest adding more substrate to both cages - 5 to 6 inches or more if possible. And maybe some kind of shelf or level, so they can do hamstery behaviour and have a bit of variety

[AmityvilleHams]

40 gallon tanks might be popular,but it wouldn't be a big upgrade.I almost always hear of Syrians doing poorly in them as well no matter what is done to try and fix the problem

With the dollar per gallon sales(not in Canada anyways,as Petco is not in Canada)you still end up paying a ton for a premade lid.Tanks are extremely difficult to move and are honestly some of the least practical cages for hamsters.I wouldn't even bother with any sort of tank,nor a vivarium,as they're just not worth it.

As for finding a bin big enough,that isn't really an issue if you use lots of bins.Even with one large bin it might not be big enough,hence the multiple bins being a square meter or larger

[QueenMummy]

Thanks everyone. So far I've noticed that they sleep a lot. As I am pregnant I do get up a couple times a night to use the washroom and they are never really up and about. If I do wake them they are very friendly. I just recall my past hamsters being quite active at night. Perhaps they are still adjusting to our house and their new cages.

[tomnjerry]

The sq m standard or approx 10 sq Ft was actually based on cage biting experiments.

Being a trained scientist I am definitely not impressed. It's better than no experiment but I would take it with a pinch of salt.

Most likely IMHO the Syrian was trying to escape from the ammonia in the small cages

Also BTW overcleaning is bad coz Syrians need their poo & a film of friendly bacteria but no ammonia. That's a contradiction which means rinse in water only.

Over cleaning trauma is more likely trauma from loss of poo to the animal which means certain death. The instinct cannot disappear. So its stressful.

[cypher]

Hi & welcome to HC & congrats on the new hams

Hopefully they'll be up & about more soon & you'll get to see more of them, even if you're not able to upgrade their cages just yet putting as much substrate in as you can will encourage more natural behaviour & they'll be more likely to be active.