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Old 09-02-2019, 09:15 PM   #1
AncientBugSap
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1
Talking Greetings! In Search of Hamster Care Info

Greetings!

I have decided to purchase a hamster for myself but quickly realized that other than knowing they're adorable, I know nothing about them. I was looking around PetSmart at various cages and items so kind of gauge what I'm looking at and I met a hamster owner who assured me that the cages they were selling were much too small, that certain toys were no good and harmful, and that it's good to feed whichever wee hamster I choose fresh fruits and vegetables a couple times a week. All of this was news to me, but hasn't deterred me from buying one, simply stalled me.

I don't want to buy a hamster just to have it eat, sleep, and poop while I gawk at how cute it is. I want it to be happy and I want it to be healthy and live as good a life it can while I gawk at how cute it is. They sell them for so cheap in the stores, I hate imagining what kind of lives most of them end up living.

I would like to know what the best foods are, what the best bedding is, etc. I want to have a good understanding about what it takes to properly care for one before I buy one. As well I would like to learn more about varieties of hamsters so that I know which one I'd like to get and focus my attention on.

So I joined the forum to get more information! If anyone has any links to starter threads I should look at, I would appreciate it! Any suggestions for what kind I should get would be even better.
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Old 09-03-2019, 10:45 AM   #2
Wisper
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 189
Default Re: Greetings! In Search of Hamster Care Info

Welcome! Great to see someone seeking out the information they need before going out and getting a hamster. The person you spoke too was right about many pet shops not selling cages that are the correct size. Many cages are sold more as toys for children rather than proper enclosures for the animals. If you have petsmarts I'm guessing you are in the US and generally the minimum recommended cage size there is 450 square inches.

The wiki on this site has lots of good basic information but if you are looking for more specific things don't be afraid to ask.

I hope when you decide to go get your pet you have a wonderful time with them, doing your research first is the best way to do that. There are some great YouTubers like ErinsAnimals and Munchie's Place which have some great informational videos to get started with.
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Old 09-03-2019, 11:00 AM   #3
LunaTheHamster1
Cosmic Hamsters
 
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Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,593
Default Re: Greetings! In Search of Hamster Care Info

Welcome, It's brilliant you are doing some research and putting your future hamsters happiness as a priority. 450 square inches floorspace is the minimum recommended. This is the width x length of the base of an enclosure, before you start adding all the toys accessories in to it. If you can go bigger than 450 square inches even better. I understand it is quite hard to buy a correct sized cage in the USA, I know Munchies PLace found the Prevue 528 cage and she has a video on her you tube channel about that. Otherwise you may want to look at bin cages, where you convert a plastic storage box (loads of videos on youtube), convert a detolf ikea display cabinet or other ikea cage hacks- again loads of videos on you tube. You could also check out Victoria Raechels channel as well as the 2 already mentioned.

I love Syrian hamsters and have only ever had syrian hamsters, so I am biased. Not sur ehow old you are or if you have children but I would recommend a syrian if you did have children, over the other breeds of hamsters.

Don't want to overload you with info, so will just add that wheel size is important, so depending on what breed you get, please ensure you have a big enough wheel for your hamster. If you work out what breed you would like then people could tailor their advice a bit more specifically.
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Old 09-05-2019, 05:45 AM   #4
Petite
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Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Scotland
Posts: 501
Default Re: Greetings! In Search of Hamster Care Info

Hi AncientBugSap, and welcome to the forum from another new-ish member. I don't know much about Syrians, but gather that getting correctly sized accessories is less easy than for dwarves. I've only ever had dwarves, and adore them. Sadly I don't see my current winter white as much as I would like, so it you want to gawk at how cute your hammy is, you might try a Roborovski, as one tends to see them a bit more during the day. Do let us know when you get your hamster, and please post a photo so we can gawk too!
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