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Old 07-17-2020, 09:23 AM   #1
Ang2020
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Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: UK
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Default Ohh it's all changed...

.... from my last ham 10+ years ago.

I'm Ang. Had hams continuously through childhood up until 10 ish years ago. I used to be on another ham forum but seems like that one has disappeared, but saw this one and thought I'd join as you all seen lovely.

I'm on the waiting list for a Syrian and am investigating a bin cage set up. I previously had a robo in a bin which was great although I had no lid and he may have escaped a couple of times oops.

I bought the biggest size ikea samla (with lid!) yesterday and am researching all the gubbings that comes with owning a ham. Things have changed a lot over the years. I'm in awe at some of the cage set ups on this forum.

Thanks for letting me join. I hope to update my knowledge of hams
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Old 07-17-2020, 10:42 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Hi & welcome to the forum
Look forward to hearing more about your new ham when s/he comes home to you.

Syrian’s can be quite demanding when it comes to space, females often more so than males so I’m not sure if the samla bin would be big enough? I can’t remember the dimensions of the samla off hand, I use the RUB 145l bin for one of my Chinese which is a good size for him but would be too small for a Syrian, I think the Samla may be smaller than that.
A general guide for a Syrian is around 100x50cm floor space with enough height for a 12” wheel with a good depth of substrate underneath.
You might find a bin cage will be fine as a starter cage for a young ham but that you need to upgrade later.
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Old 07-18-2020, 12:48 AM   #3
Kyrkogrimr
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

I can attest to Syrians liking their space - my boy was in a 100×50 cage with as much enrichment as I could fit and come up with and he bar chewed a lot. Unfortunately I couldn't offer him more space.
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Old 07-18-2020, 04:04 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

I think the Samla will be a bit small for a Syrian - but it is a very useful thing to have for a play cage for when you're doing a clean out, or for a number of things. It does slope down a lot at the bottom so you can't fit that much in and they do need a fair bit of floor space.

If you prefer bin cages then I second the RUB 145l bin - it's a good size for a syrian as has good floor area - it's about 80cm by 60cm externally). It's the biggest one they do. I have also heard it's one of the easiest ones to cut without the plastic cracking and it has a good lid that's flat and easy to cut the centre panel out.

It does cost about £40 though. And there is another very good option for a cage you can buy that costs less than that. The Alaska cage on Zooplus - that's about the smallest size cage you'd want for a Syrian.

If the cage is big enough and set up right then it's unlikely you'll get bar chewing (that tends to be when cages are too small and not enough enrichment in the cage).

It has a nice big front door so you get good interaction with the hamster and it helps with taming too. It's one reason I prefer cages with a big front door, because that front access really helps you interact with the hamster more. When the door is open and they come up to you at the front it is more open and natural.

If you can fit something bigger than that then there are three good 100cm cages - the Barney and Alexander cages on Zooplus which are good (they don't have the big front door). And the Savic Hamster Plaza which is sold by Pets at Home which does have a big front opening door.

Another 80 x 50 cage with a front opening door is the Hamster Heaven but it needs the tubes taking out and blocking off to work well and the penthouse removing or they just end up having abnormal behaviours, nesitng and peeing in tubes etc and then get stressed when they have to keep being cleaned out. It works best with just one of the shelves in, leaving space for a 28cm wheel and a good sized house (the little pod houses are a nightmare and get smelly and aren't big enough).

The Alaska is the cheapest option. The white cat house needs taking off the shelf as the holes are too small for a Syrian. But you can just add a house at floor level and a wheel and it comes with a shelf. I'll link the other cages mentioned at the end of the post.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...r_cages/284288

I have one syrian in the Savic Hamster Plaza - but had to buy extra shelves and a house for it which made it a bit expensive. And one syrian in the Savic Mickey 2XL (which is basically a hamster heaven with narrower bar spacing).

I also have the Barney cage which I've used for two hamsters but found it depends on the personality of the hamster a bit. I had one very gregarious syrian who was fine in it and would come and sit at one of the little front doors to come out. But another syrian who was a bit more shy and jumpy with noises, it didn't work at all as you have to use the top door quite a bit - which is why I prefer the ones with the big front door.

Most people get an 11" wheel for a syrian. That takes up a fair bit of space in an 80cm cage.

A good basic starter set up, which could work long term - is the Alaska cage and the 28cm trixie wheel (about £9). It's not a silent wheel but most people find it fairly quiet. Then you just need a few floor toys - tunnels, hidey places etc. Cardboard pringles tubes or cardboard boxes make good hides - you don't have to buy expensive ones. I also like something hanging from the roof for extra overhead cover and use the large rat sputniks - they work well hung next to a shelf so they can get in and out easily, but in the hamster heaven they can climb in from floor level as the cage is lower than the others.

The main thing is give them plenty of substrate (at least 4" - I have 5 to 6"),a house that's open underneath and sat on top of the substrate (so they can burrow down and bury hoards and it keeps it aired and hygienic so rarely does the nest need removing - unless its pee'd in).

And variety of textures and contents for enrichment - a shelf (something to sit on or under and climb up to). And hidey places and tunnels at floor level etc. Rat sized toys work best for syrians which is why the samla could not have enough floor space. I also sometimes tie a tunnel inside to the bars - either on the side or on the roof - as a kind of roof run leading from a shelf to a sputnik eg.

And lots of nesting material. I find the thing that keeps them happiest is a big house/nesting box with a bendy bridge tunnel over the door so it's dark inside.

These are the other cages - the Hamster Heaven, Barney and Alexander are all on this page.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small.../hamster_cages

Savic Hamster Plaza

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/p...r-and-rat-cage

If you prefer bin cages generally though, I'd go for the 145l RUB bin

https://www.reallyusefulproducts.co....145_0litre.php
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Old 07-18-2020, 11:46 PM   #5
Ang2020
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Wow thank you for all your great advice. I have a while to give before getting my ham as on a waiting list so have lots of time to prepare.
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Old 07-19-2020, 08:02 AM   #6
wookie130
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Hi, Ang! I'm in the same boat as you, and I actually think I belonged to the same forum as you several years back. It has been probaby around 15 years since I've raised by a hamster, and it is crazy how the information has changed! In retrospect, I was doing a lot of unsafe things "back in the day", but honestly, I was following the guidelines for that time to the letter. I guess we just know a lot more about what these little guys need now than we used to!

I'm not waiting to get a Syrian...I've only ever had one Syrian, and while she was great, I prefer dwarves. I'll be getting a dwarf hamster in a week, after my family and I return from a family camping trip.
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Old 07-19-2020, 11:03 AM   #7
Ria P
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Hi, i make bin cages for a rescue, for my foster hamsters and two of my dwarfs live in 133l bin cages with an 64l play cage annexe so have by now experience with bin cages.
I agree that the really useful boxes are the easiest to work with (i use power tools) and they also are the strongest.
I have currently a very young foster Syrian living in my Samla who has a 28cm wheel but doesn't use it yet. He prefers a flying saucer which is fine while he's so small and the Samla is fine as a temporary cage but in my opinion too small as a permanent cage for a fully grown Syrian.
The Samla is fine for a dwarf but you'd need to fill it up halfway with substrate to increase the floor space and you would need to place the meshed window and air vents fairly high up. Of course the lid needs meshing as well to provide enough ventilation. I mesh the lid in two panels rather than one.
Some people think that a bin cage is a cheap option but it is not when converted properly. You can buy an Alaska for about £32/35 from Zooplus which is the cage my Syrian lives in.
Here's a photo of my Samla which is a temporary cage with a big window so he gets used to his surroundings and a corner burrowing area to hide/sleep in if he wants to. This is for a hamster who has not been handled and who i will spend time with until he is ready to be adopted with a 80cmx50cm minimum cage size requirement.
Just to show you that with a big wheel and a house there isn't a lot of space left for enrichment.
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Old 08-20-2020, 09:24 AM   #8
MaryRobinson
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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Smile Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ang2020 View Post
.... from my last ham 10+ years ago.

I'm Ang. Had hams continuously through childhood up until 10 ish years ago. I used to be on another ham forum but seems like that one has disappeared, but saw this one and thought I'd join as you all seen lovely.

I'm on the waiting list for a Syrian and am investigating a bin cage set up. I previously had a robo in a bin which was great although I had no lid and he may have escaped a couple of times oops.

I bought the biggest size ikea samla (with lid!) yesterday and am researching all the gubbings that comes with owning a ham. Things have changed a lot over the years. I'm in awe at some of the cage set ups on this forum.

Thanks for letting me join. I hope to update my knowledge of hams
Hi Ang, welcome! I was like you back in 2017 and hadn't had any small furries since I was a child before that.

I agree about the bin cage size. If you can get to an IKea or look on Gumtree/Facebook marketplace for a Detolf I am a massive convert to these for Syrians. They're often advertised as 'glass ikea display case' second hand and even mad Mimi, for whom nowhere was ever big enough, settled down and loved her Detolf! They can be cheap second hand. I think mine was 325 second hand and it's been amazing. That said, tiny baby Percy is currently in awe of it and is sticking to one little corner on day 3 with us!!
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Old 08-20-2020, 02:16 PM   #9
jordaniguess
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Default Re: Ohh it's all changed...

Can confirm, Syrians absolutely need space. Started my first hamster off, a Syrian, in a cage with about 490 square inches. She was so bored all the time so I quickly upgraded her to an 836 square inch cage, and even then she showed signs of boredom. Remember, it's not just about cage size. Providing puzzle toys, scatter feeding, adding sprays/herbs are all important and totally underrated.
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