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Old 09-07-2019, 04:09 PM   #1
ChickenBatnana
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 4
Default Hello! New here :)

Hi there! I am Chicken, I am a girl from the Netherlands. I have owned 5 hamsters before the one I own now. All have been winter whites or Campbells, and my current hamster called Stripey is a winter white. Recently I became aware of hamster youtube channels, and I quickly found out that my cage is waaay too small, it is 1160 square cm, that's about 180 square inches. I started feeling really guilty because I really love my hammie, so I asked for my dad if we could get something else and I suggested a bin cage. Luckily he said yes, because we have a lot of stuff in bins and he'd been meaning to move some stuff from the bigger bins to smaller ones (they're easier to handle, he says). So, I will soon be doing a big upgrade from 1160 square cm to 3500 square cm! That's 542 square inches. I will also be able to fill up his bedding much more because he loves burrowing. Needless to say I am hyped Stripey isn't displaying many signs of boredom with his current cage size (no bar chewing. no pacing, no monkey bars) but I still wanna upgrade because he is a very lovely tame hammie who deserves everything.

That's basically the reason I decided to make an account here, to find out about more things I've been doing wrong (and then do them better!). Some more about me personally is that I love drawing, languages, and writing. I don't currently go to school because of disabilities, but I will be returning to school sometime. That also means, since I'm home all the time, that I'm the primary caregiver of my hamster. I feel very responsible for him so I feed him, clean his cage, fill his water, and monitor his health (he had ringworm a few months ago if I hadn't noticed it we probably wouldn't have taken him to the vet). My dad really takes a more laid back approach and he lets me figure out the stuff and then he does what I ask of him lol, like driving me to the vet or buying stuff for the cage.

Very happy to be here and learn more about how to care for my hamster correctly!

Last edited by souffle; 09-10-2019 at 06:38 AM.
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Old 09-08-2019, 11:22 AM   #2
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Hello Chicken and welcome! This is a very friendly and helpful forum and you can learn all you need to know to care for your hamster. Don't know how i'd manage without this place. Your English is excellent.
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Old 09-09-2019, 02:44 AM   #3
LunaTheHamster1
Cosmic Hamsters
 
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Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,593
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Hello and welcome, I love that your dad just does what you ask of him I too have health issues and am currently housebound but having hamsters has brought so much joy into my life. It sounds like you love your hammy very much.
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Old 09-09-2019, 11:56 AM   #4
ChickenBatnana
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 4
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
Hello Chicken and welcome! This is a very friendly and helpful forum and you can learn all you need to know to care for your hamster. Don't know how i'd manage without this place. Your English is excellent.
Thank you! I am pretty confident in my English, but I do still filter out many mistakes with spellcheck haha.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1 View Post
Hello and welcome, I love that your dad just does what you ask of him I too have health issues and am currently housebound but having hamsters has brought so much joy into my life. It sounds like you love your hammy very much.
Thank you also. Yes, my dad is absolutely wonderful. I love him almost as much as the hamster I have also really found that having a pet at home helps a lot when I'm not able to go out, it's really comforting to be a little less alone like that.
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Old 09-09-2019, 08:24 PM   #5
10Minutes
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 187
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Hello Chicken, welcome. You sound like a lovely person and it's great that you care about your hammie. Don't worry about the mistakes made, as long as you keep actively trying to read more and fixing the mistakes immediately, you're still a great owner.

Your dad sounds lovely too, it's sweet of him to be so supportive. Tell him that by being supportive, he's made the world a better place and changed lives for the better - yours and your little hamster's lives for starters!

Apart from cage size, for basic care, try reading up on proper safe bedding (stay far away from the toxic and dangerous ones like pine, cedar, cotton), proper food with balanced nutrients, safe wheels, and safe enrichment (look around the forum for ideas!)

Kudos to you, your dad, and your hamster. Knuffels!
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Old 09-10-2019, 05:45 AM   #6
ChickenBatnana
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 4
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Minutes View Post
Hello Chicken, welcome. You sound like a lovely person and it's great that you care about your hammie. Don't worry about the mistakes made, as long as you keep actively trying to read more and fixing the mistakes immediately, you're still a great owner.

Your dad sounds lovely too, it's sweet of him to be so supportive. Tell him that by being supportive, he's made the world a better place and changed lives for the better - yours and your little hamster's lives for starters!

Apart from cage size, for basic care, try reading up on proper safe bedding (stay far away from the toxic and dangerous ones like pine, cedar, cotton), proper food with balanced nutrients, safe wheels, and safe enrichment (look around the forum for ideas!)

Kudos to you, your dad, and your hamster. Knuffels!
Oh, is this another Dutchie I see? Thank you for reassuring me.. I've been feeling so guilty for my past hamsters and the current one, but luckily I have built the new bin cage! Tomorrow we're going to the pet store to buy a standing water bottle and wheel and maybe some more cute stuff, and then Stripey will be able to move in! I'd also need to look into the bedding thing and food some more today, the bedding I have right now is wood shavings, but it doesn't list the type so I'd rather switch to be safe. Food I will look into to see if I can buy anything better at the pet store. I'm pretty sure my wheel is okay, it's the 16,5 cm Silent Spinner, though, I need to buy a new one anyways so I'll see if I can find anything better. Excited
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Old 09-10-2019, 11:27 AM   #7
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

I couldn't find suitable food in the shops for my Robo so order it online from the German company Rodipet.

I have the Kaytee silent spinner wheel 16.5cm for my Robo because that's all i could find in the shops. I meant to replace it but he runs in it without any issues and seems to like it so i'm keeping it.

His wheel stands in a glass pie dish filled with sand and he loves that spot in his tank. The dish stands on a wooden Ferplast guinea pig house (minus the front panel) which is submerged into the substrate Kaytee clean&cozy so the sandbath/wheel combo won't topple over should he decide to burrow underneath it.

I used to use wood shavings plus paper strips for my Syrian which was fine then changed to Carefresh and now use the Kaytee which seems to be his favourite. That and strips of plain white toilet paper for nest building. He built this fancy big nest which looks like it has walls and looks more like a little bedroom!
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Old 09-10-2019, 06:58 PM   #8
10Minutes
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 187
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChickenBatnana View Post
Oh, is this another Dutchie I see? Thank you for reassuring me.. I've been feeling so guilty for my past hamsters and the current one, but luckily I have built the new bin cage! Tomorrow we're going to the pet store to buy a standing water bottle and wheel and maybe some more cute stuff, and then Stripey will be able to move in! I'd also need to look into the bedding thing and food some more today, the bedding I have right now is wood shavings, but it doesn't list the type so I'd rather switch to be safe. Food I will look into to see if I can buy anything better at the pet store. I'm pretty sure my wheel is okay, it's the 16,5 cm Silent Spinner, though, I need to buy a new one anyways so I'll see if I can find anything better. Excited
No, I'm not Dutch. Knuffels is the only word I've learnt from a friend, and I found it a really adorable word!

16.5cm seems OK for a dwarf but to be sure, just check if Stripey's back arches while he runs on it. I won't worry about getting a new wheel if his back is straight. However, if you do want to get a new one, do avoid anything that is barred.

Food options in my country aren't great, so I've had to order what I can online and also supplement it with other stuff. My Roborovski probably still doesn't get the best possible nutrients, but I'm proud to say I tried my best, and her fur is really beautiful (smooth and silky) compared to the ones in the pet shops near me (wild and straggly). Just read up and keep trying - I'm sure you'll do great!

I helped my hamster transition from a small cage to a bin cage by placing the small cage (with its door wide open) directly inside the bin. My hamster could hop in and out at her own leisure and I only removed the small cage from the bin several days later, after I was sure she won't be distressed. Would definitely recommend this if it is viable, as it seems like a stress-free transition method for the hamster.

Your journey sounds so exciting. If you are willing to do so, please share photos of Stripey and his bin cage because we would love to see them.
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Old 09-10-2019, 10:20 PM   #9
Cotton
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Ontario
Posts: 262
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Welcome, Chicken! There are many great, helpful people here. I am always learning something from them, although I don't always have much time to be on the Internet.

I did something similar to 10minutes when I transitioned from a smaller cage to a re-purposed deluxe/extra large rabbit cage as a hamster home. I placed the smaller cage inside the bigger one so the hamster could freely move back and forth between the two. It worked very well.

Again, welcome! Nice of your dad to be engaged in this project with you!
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Old 09-11-2019, 05:14 AM   #10
ChickenBatnana
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 4
Default Re: Hello! New here :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
I couldn't find suitable food in the shops for my Robo so order it online from the German company Rodipet.

I have the Kaytee silent spinner wheel 16.5cm for my Robo because that's all i could find in the shops. I meant to replace it but he runs in it without any issues and seems to like it so i'm keeping it.

His wheel stands in a glass pie dish filled with sand and he loves that spot in his tank. The dish stands on a wooden Ferplast guinea pig house (minus the front panel) which is submerged into the substrate Kaytee clean&cozy so the sandbath/wheel combo won't topple over should he decide to burrow underneath it.

I used to use wood shavings plus paper strips for my Syrian which was fine then changed to Carefresh and now use the Kaytee which seems to be his favourite. That and strips of plain white toilet paper for nest building. He built this fancy big nest which looks like it has walls and looks more like a little bedroom!
I went to the pet store today, and I could not find any hamster food at all! Our pet store seems to be very limited in hamster stuff in general, but it did have what I needed for now. I've just been using grocery store brand seed mix, and I wanna switch off it to something better. It's very high fat and my hamster already seems a bit pudgy... Eek!

I also have a Silent Spinner wheel, and I bought one today that has a stand. It's not very secure, but I put in on a little wood block lol. Stripey already tried it out and I'm pretty confident it won't fall right now. I'm looking into getting a sand bath and placing it there sounds wonderful.

For bedding, there also was no paper-based bedding at all!! Only pine, cedar, and beech shavings. I need to look into the beechwood more, I've been seeing mixed opinions on it just searching around. Definitely won't be using pine or cedar though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Minutes View Post
No, I'm not Dutch. Knuffels is the only word I've learnt from a friend, and I found it a really adorable word!

16.5cm seems OK for a dwarf but to be sure, just check if Stripey's back arches while he runs on it. I won't worry about getting a new wheel if his back is straight. However, if you do want to get a new one, do avoid anything that is barred.

Food options in my country aren't great, so I've had to order what I can online and also supplement it with other stuff. My Roborovski probably still doesn't get the best possible nutrients, but I'm proud to say I tried my best, and her fur is really beautiful (smooth and silky) compared to the ones in the pet shops near me (wild and straggly). Just read up and keep trying - I'm sure you'll do great!

I helped my hamster transition from a small cage to a bin cage by placing the small cage (with its door wide open) directly inside the bin. My hamster could hop in and out at her own leisure and I only removed the small cage from the bin several days later, after I was sure she won't be distressed. Would definitely recommend this if it is viable, as it seems like a stress-free transition method for the hamster.

Your journey sounds so exciting. If you are willing to do so, please share photos of Stripey and his bin cage because we would love to see them.
Ah, I see! It's really cool you'd remember a word lol, it does sound very cute I checked my hamster's back, it is flat when running luckily. When my dad got Stripey, he bought a new wheel with him, the super tiny Silent Spinner. I thought it looked so cramped so I just made him use the bigger one that was a bit noisier and just laying around. Glad to know now that was a good call. Right now I bought a Silent Spinner again, but it's got a stand this time.

My local pet store had no hamster food whatsoever, so I'm gonna try to go to one the next town over. I use a grocery store brand hamster food that's really bad... If I don't find anything in the pet store, I'll buy a good mix online instead.

I tried your trick with the wire cage inside the big cage, but since it only has a top opening I just took the wire part off the old cage and put the base in. He pretty much immediately went out to explore. I have three hides in the new setup, as opposed to two before. I the hide that wasn't the nest (the only one with a bottom) out of the old cage and put it in the new cage, to encourage him a little, but clearly he didn't need that! He started moving all the toilet paper from his old nest in the cage base to the new one, so cute. He's since went to sleep in the new nest house, but I must've watched him for at least an hour just exploring the bin cage.

I will definitely post pictures when Stripey is awake, so maybe in a few hours if he happens to wake up before I go to bed or maybe tomorrow. I don't wanna mess with the lid either right now so bin pics will also be when he is awake I could also post some pics of his old cage to show how much more space he has now, it's kinda crazy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cotton View Post
Welcome, Chicken! There are many great, helpful people here. I am always learning something from them, although I don't always have much time to be on the Internet.

I did something similar to 10minutes when I transitioned from a smaller cage to a re-purposed deluxe/extra large rabbit cage as a hamster home. I placed the smaller cage inside the bigger one so the hamster could freely move back and forth between the two. It worked very well.

Again, welcome! Nice of your dad to be engaged in this project with you!
Thank you so much! I have already looked around here and wow... People know so much stuff that I'd never even think about. Everyone seems great and helpful to me also. I did try the method (see above how that went )
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square, cage, hamster, stuff, inches, vet, school, hammie, upgrade, dad, bins, fill, love, stripey, current, winter, drawing, personally, languages, writing, returning, home, means, disabilities, girl

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