Rescued hamster's story + Questions

[Lucas]

Hello everyone!

I recently rescued a Syrian hamster from an extremely stressful household where he wasn't taken care of properly. He was only fed once a few weeks with wild bird food bought from the dollar store, his bedding was never ever changed/washed in 4 years!! He didn't have any toys to play with or chewing toys for his teeth. The worst of all is his cage was a MOUSE CAGE including a MOUSE WHEEL.

The thing is, I only had cats in my entire life and 1 mouse about 3 years ago. I've never had a hamster before.

I've done many research about hamster and it informed me of his race, his life span (2-3 years but he is 4 years old now), what veggies and fruits he can and cannot eat, his proper cage and wheel size, etc... Basically, now he has a proper diet, environment and toys, love and attention. My only goal is to finally give him the life he always deserved but never had. I want to make him the happiest and calmest possible until the day he pass away.

I've grown very attached to this little fur ball, mostly when he showed signs of trust toward me and when I've realized a bond was forming between me and him. But when I saw him running in his cage and using his wheel while squeaking like a plastic duck because he was happy.. This made me so happy I cried for an hour. Finally he was enjoying himself without pain or frustration! ♥♥♥♥

Now my questions;
1- Why does my hamster run towards/follows my feet when I let him loose in my bedroom?
2-I've changed his cage to a bigger one 2 weeks ago while he was sleeping. Was it ok or I shouldn't do this again? And how long should I wait before changing to an even bigger cage? (I found out the cage I bought was still a little bit too small. Like a few inches wide too small)
3- What is the best brand of hamster food to buy that offers the best balanced diet?
4-Is it normal that my hamster fall asleep in a dark place when I take him out of his cage to let him run in my bedroom? Behind furnitures or in the closet. Even if I wait until he gets 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
5-He made his nest in a ball at the end of his tunnels and stack food infront of the nest. But I am worried because there is a lot of condensation forming in his nest area and at the entrance of the tunnel (closest to his nest). What can I do to diminish the condensation?

Thank you so so so much if you read this far and take the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it so dearly. ♥

[Drago]

First off- that was very kind of you to save this little guy! It really is sad how poorly small animals are treated. Luckily, he’s in better hands now.

1. He may simply be looking for security. If you are the only thing that smells familiar to him, he may naturally be seeking your feet out for comfort. This behavior is nothing to be concerned about, and may subside with time. Since he is being allowed to free-run, it is very important that the room is 100% hamster proof. He may feel a bit more comfortable starting out in a playpen, or a bathtub with towels down, and many places to hide.

2. I’d personally recommend upgrading him now, before he becomes too used to his current cage. Make sure to use bedding that has a familiar scent so it is easier for him to settle in. However, I can’t imagine a huge cage is too terribly important- given that he is now 4 years old. If not already, he will surely slow down a bit soon.

3. There really is no “one best diet” in my opinion. Usually, the best option is 1-2 mixes balanced together, and fresh fruits/veggies. You’ll want to avoid mixes with dyes, overly colorful mixes, mixes without variety, or mixes with artificial ingredients. There are lots of good threads around the forum discussing the best diets for Syrians. I myself have even written a guide with my personal take and breakdown on hamster diet- if you find it worth the read. you can access it by clicking on my signature

4. It’s not that unusual my one ham Duncan used to crawl into my drawers and rest in my clothing! If he’s sleeping, it might be better to put him back so he can sleep. He is an older ham so he doesn’t require as much exercise as a younger one.

5. Are these tunnels plastic tubes? If so, I recommend removing them for that exact reason. Tubes that are plastic build up condensation and ammonia very easily. If it’s a wooden tube, then you shouldn’t worry over it. Hamsters are pretty good at keeping their nests clean- removing excess or soiled materials when they feel it has gotten too bad.

Good luck with him! Don’t be afraid to ask if you find that you have any other questions!

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Drago

First off- that was very kind of you to save this little guy! It really is sad how poorly small animals are treated. Luckily, he’s in better hands now.

1. He may simply be looking for security. If you are the only thing that smells familiar to him, he may naturally be seeking your feet out for comfort. This behavior is nothing to be concerned about, and may subside with time. Since he is being allowed to free-run, it is very important that the room is 100% hamster proof. He may feel a bit more comfortable starting out in a playpen, or a bathtub with towels down, and many places to hide.

2. I’d personally recommend upgrading him now, before he becomes too used to his current cage. Make sure to use bedding that has a familiar scent so it is easier for him to settle in. However, I can’t imagine a huge cage is too terribly important- given that he is now 4 years old. If not already, he will surely slow down a bit soon.

3. There really is no “one best diet” in my opinion. Usually, the best option is 1-2 mixes balanced together, and fresh fruits/veggies. You’ll want to avoid mixes with dyes, overly colorful mixes, mixes without variety, or mixes with artificial ingredients. There are lots of good threads around the forum discussing the best diets for Syrians. I myself have even written a guide with my personal take and breakdown on hamster diet- if you find it worth the read. you can access it by clicking on my signature

4. It’s not that unusual my one ham Duncan used to crawl into my drawers and rest in my clothing! If he’s sleeping, it might be better to put him back so he can sleep. He is an older ham so he doesn’t require as much exercise as a younger one.

5. Are these tunnels plastic tubes? If so, I recommend removing them for that exact reason. Tubes that are plastic build up condensation and ammonia very easily. If it’s a wooden tube, then you shouldn’t worry over it. Hamsters are pretty good at keeping their nests clean- removing excess or soiled materials when they feel it has gotten too bad.

Good luck with him! Don’t be afraid to ask if you find that you have any other questions!

Thank you so much for your answers! Indeed the tubes are made of plastic. He recently moved his nest to the other ball that is directly attached to his cage. So I will remove the tubes~

I have only one more question and it's about his sleeping pattern. I often have insomnia so it is not rare for me to be awake at night. He always used to wake up from midnight to 3 am, go back to sleep and wake up again for an hour more or less around 6 am. But this week, it is currently been 4 days and 3 nights in a row I am awake. I am always in my bedroom day and night and so is my hamster. I am a bit concerned because since I am awake the only time I saw him awake was when he got some food or drinking. Beside that, he sleep day and night. He doesn't want to get out of his cage or use his wheel. I know it could be because he is old but I am worry that it could be a sign he will die soon~ What do you think about this?

[Rads]

Bloody well done for the rescue..!
For a home why not use a cardboard tissue box? They are often used by folk for hamsters they do not have the condensation problem, and if and when they get soiled easy to change them out.
I suggest getting a sand bath for your little furball, chinchilla bathing sand is fine as is children's play sand so long as you bake it in an oven to sterilise it.
Hamsters love a sand bath they will also use it as a toilet to pee in probably just pop it into a corner of his cage he will soon find it.
Syrians love fresh veggies most love fresh Corn on the Cob, carrot, peas, broccoli, cucumber, apple, blueberries, watermelon etc. The list is almost endless, but NO repeat No citrus fruit.
Small amounts of cooked chicken is fine too, as is small amounts of plain cheese, plain yoghurt.

Have fun and enjoy..!

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Rads

Bloody well done for the rescue..!
For a home why not use a cardboard tissue box? They are often used by folk for hamsters they do not have the condensation problem, and if and when they get soiled easy to change them out.
I suggest getting a sand bath for your little furball, chinchilla bathing sand is fine as is children's play sand so long as you bake it in an oven to sterilise it.
Hamsters love a sand bath they will also use it as a toilet to pee in probably just pop it into a corner of his cage he will soon find it.
Syrians love fresh veggies most love fresh Corn on the Cob, carrot, peas, broccoli, cucumber, apple, blueberries, watermelon etc. The list is almost endless, but NO repeat No citrus fruit.
Small amounts of cooked chicken is fine too, as is small amounts of plain cheese, plain yoghurt.

Have fun and enjoy..!

Thank you a lot for your reply and the cardboard tissue box is a great idea! As he was running around in my room I saw he loved playing with random boxes laying around. As for the sand bath I already bought the chinchilla sand its almost like a powder but I've never seen him using it to bathe himself. I read somewhere that I can manually "rub" the sand on him but I don't really understand that method. I did try many vegetables and fruits to see what he likes and doesn't. As for cheese, I gave him regular mozzarella does that count as a plain cheese?

[Rads]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Thank you a lot for your reply and the cardboard tissue box is a great idea! As he was running around in my room I saw he loved playing with random boxes laying around. As for the sand bath I already bought the chinchilla sand its almost like a powder but I've never seen him using it to bathe himself. I read somewhere that I can manually "rub" the sand on him but I don't really understand that method. I did try many vegetables and fruits to see what he likes and doesn't. As for cheese, I gave him regular mozzarella does that count as a plain cheese?

Hi,
Mozzarella is fine as a plain cheese, just give him some about once a week something like a piece the size of your little finger nail.
He will bathe in the sand once he is used to it, don't forget this is all so new to him from what he has been used to, the sand I use for Ghost is from the Happy Friends Farm range, I don't know if you can get it in Canada though. have just tried Ghost on some prune which he likes..!

[CMB]

Syrian hamsters are less likely to use a sand bath to roll in than dwarf hamsters. They may use it for a pee place though or as a place of cool off in hot weather.