Help!!

MollyTheHam · 04-25-2016, 03:20 PM

Hi guys! Long time no post from me! I blame my dissertation. Ruddy final year

I am in a bit of a sticky situation at present. One of my friends (we aren't that close, and we are relatively new friends) has somewhat impulsively bought a hamster. She was keeping it in her halls at university (alarm bell one) and got caught with it. (I keep referring to the hamster in question as 'it' as we are unsure as to what sex he or she is. His name is Mowgli).
I offered to take him in until the end of this academic year (which should be around the end of May in theory). She brought Mowgli round today and the poor little thing is in a 'Medium plastic hamster home' from pets at home. He/she only has a 4 inch wheel and a small tepee hideaway for entertainment. This is all for a Syrian hamster I might add. More worryingly, the bedding she's got for it is the fluffy cotton wool kind.
I'm extremely anxious about approaching the issue with her, as she had a hamster in the past that was housed in a similar fashion that lasted for two years.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to approach the matter with her, without damaging our friendship? Please help!

AmityvilleHams · 04-25-2016, 03:23 PM

Slowly introduce her to the forum and modern hamster care.Make her understand the error in her ways,but do so gently.

Pebbles82 · 04-26-2016, 03:03 PM

Well - if she brought him round to you, you could make some gradual changes. (ie remove the fluffy bedding straight away lol!). I think I would sort him with a cage and wheel and suitable substrate and bedding, and if she says anything, say it's what you did for your hammy as well and wanted to do her a favour.

And as Amityville says - show her the forum. The problem being I guess is it means you'll be paying for things. Do you have a cage? Is Mowgli tame at all or handleable? If so you could give him out of cage time for now until something better is sorted.

souffle · 04-26-2016, 11:55 PM

I'd just do it - change the bedding right away and maybe print the article out on fluffy bedding dangers and say you did it to make sure he was safe.
Wheel - the medium pets at home one one a stand would do for now if you can get one. He's likely teeny tiny being from P@H anyway so will fit just fine. Cage also is fine as a baby taming cage for now and given plenty taming time and out time he'll do OK.
You can add a lot of box and cardboard chew toys in there as enrichment. No need t buy special stuff. Just give him them and tell her you were making it fun for him. Some sand in a mushroom tray will be nice to dig in.
Lead by example and hopefully she will carry on!
If he seems nice and content for now try and not worry.

Pebbles82 · 04-27-2016, 02:54 AM

That's good advice from Souffle and it shouldn't mean too much cost. If your friend is a good friend, she will appreciate it and may even offer to pay for the wheel afterwards. These things are hard to do - ie trying not to offend someone while doing the right thing - but if she's a good friend she will understand and be glad of the new knowledge.