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Old 08-02-2020, 09:14 AM   #1
hamsterwhisperer1996
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: UK
Posts: 6
Default Parents hamster sitting - advice?

So me and my partner are going to Malta for five days at the end of August, leaving Sylvie, our syrian, to my parents' care.

The initial plan was to have my parents keep her at their house for the duration of our stay, but considering the fact that she's relatively new to us (3 weeks), we're reluctant about the stress that the move would cause. On top of this, she'd have to be kept in a bin cage which barely meets the US minimum because her terrarium is way too big to be carried upstairs in my parent's house :/ she's a typical female syrian, VERY hyper, and leaving her in a small cage in a strange place with no outside cage time is just something we don't want to condemn her to for six whole nights.

We decided we'd rather have my parents come to visit her every two days if possible, to feed her, give her fresh water, spot clean etc. We're planning on leaving instructions and foraging toys to put her food in etc. One thing we're worried about is temperature - her room can get quite warm and we're hoping to leave a cooling slab in her cage and possibly leave the window on the latch, but would this make her room too cold at night? We are in the middle of summer in the UK, but at night it is signifacantly cooler.

As far as I can see the only risk is her getting hurt/falling ill on one of the nights she's alone and no one being there, but my parents will visit every two days and this is favourable to the alternative imo. Really, we're just looking for any general advice to help things run smoothly, and wanting validation that our plan is airtight lol.
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Old 08-03-2020, 05:13 AM   #2
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Parents hamster sitting - advice?

Another alternative would be to hire a pet sitter to call daily or twice daily and report back to you via WhatsApp.
I'd leave the blinds or curtains drawn to keep the daytime heat and cooler nighttime air out and ask the pet sitter to open a window during the day if needed.

If you want to stick to your plan of your parents visiting every second day then you could get a fan with a timer to use on a hot day. I don't think it gets cold enough in August to worry about cool nights. If a hamster gets cold they'll just go to their cozy house or nest or burrow into the substrate.

The risk of falling ill or injury applies to anybody really and could happen to our hamsters when we're asleep or out at work, it applies to people living alone etc. It's a risk that's part of life for humans and hamsters in our care alike.

She'll be safer and happier in her own home so i would definitely not move her.
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Old 08-03-2020, 10:49 AM   #3
Maker
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 303
Default Re: Parents hamster sitting - advice?

I agree home will be better and one night alone she will be fine, have two water sources just incase one fails, maybe a bottle and a shallow bowl.
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:34 AM   #4
hamsterwhisperer1996
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: UK
Posts: 6
Default Re: Parents hamster sitting - advice?

Thank you both for your helpful responses we're going to look into getting a fan with a timer to keep her cool during the day. As far as second water sources go, she already drinks from a bowl and not a bottle so I'm thinking that should do if my parents can refill it every other day.
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Old 08-04-2020, 09:59 AM   #5
Maker
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Default Re: Parents hamster sitting - advice?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hamsterwhisperer1996 View Post
Thank you both for your helpful responses we're going to look into getting a fan with a timer to keep her cool during the day. As far as second water sources go, she already drinks from a bowl and not a bottle so I'm thinking that should do if my parents can refill it every other day.
Just go careful, I use a shallow bowl and it can go dry just from evaporation, but you know your bowl size
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Old 08-05-2020, 02:42 AM   #6
hamsterwhisperer1996
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: UK
Posts: 6
Default Re: Parents hamster sitting - advice?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maker View Post
Just go careful, I use a shallow bowl and it can go dry just from evaporation, but you know your bowl size
Yeah, on second thoughts we're going to leave an extra bowl just to be super safe
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