Help!

[Leela]

Hi I'm new on this forum.
I'm about to buy a hamster I have evrything in my house. A cage, food, toys and more. So I'm ready for the hamster to come. But I live in the Netherlands and its like -5 outside. is it safe to bring the haamster home in a car? Or should I wait until the weather gets better and than take the hamster home?

[Amethyst_ice]

Hello and welcome!

It is very cold in the UK at the moment too!

I assume the inside of your car won't be -5 so a good plastic carrier with lots of shredded toilet roll should be fine. You could place the carrier in a bag of wrap a towel around it for extra warmth. However, if the inside of your car is warm then it should all be ok.

Look forward to meeting your new family member!

[Maker]

I’m not sure how they will give you the hamster, here in the UK they put them in a little cardboard box for you to take home. Maybe take some torn up toilet paper or the bedding you have chosen so hammy can be warm and I would think the car will be warm enough by the time you have driven there it will have warmed up. Hamsters don’t mind car journeys but you can expect him/her to need a few quiet days once you get home to settle In.

[Petite]

Originally Posted by Maker

I’m not sure how they will give you the hamster, here in the UK they put them in a little cardboard box for you to take home.

They do? I'm in the UK and I've never been given a cardboard box. The time before last, I had to buy a hamster ball for her to travel home in.

[Petite]

Originally Posted by Maker

I’m not sure how they will give you the hamster, here in the UK they put them in a little cardboard box for you to take home.

They do? I'm in the UK and I've never been given anything to take a hammy home in. The time before last, I had to buy a hamster ball for her journey home.

Leela, if you have a longish car journey, it's an idea to put some cucumber in just in case of thirst.

[Pebbles82]

You’ll need a pet carrier with bedding and a little house in. I have it on my knee (as a passenger) with a blanket over - if they can’t see it’s less stressful- and hold onto the carrier while we’re driving. As above it should be warm enough in the car and presumably a very short time between picking up the hamster and getting in the car.

A good pet carrier is the Ferplast Aladino guinea pig size. It fits a little house in nicely or you could put a cardboard box house in there. I fill the base with substrate add a pile of toilet paper strips (nesting) and scatter a bit of food inside and a small cube of cucumber.

The tricky bit is getting the hamster out of the pet carrier once you’re home. A tube could help there, or scoop them into a mug.