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Old 09-17-2017, 02:28 PM   #1
DoraGrga
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Default First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

Helloooo, sooo my new hamster (syrian hamster) will come in a week. His name will be Simba. I have one hamster but its is roborovski hamster (that is not tamed and i think he doesn't want me touching him and thats okay). So I wanted to know is there any differenc in care, tips, and I really dont know how big syrian is (i mean i knowww but i dont know) so i dont know what toys are big enough (how wide the tunel has to be for full grown syrian?)
Any tips and advice are welcome :3
Sorry for a bad english (its not my first language)
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Old 09-18-2017, 12:20 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

I haven't kept syrians myself so others will be able to help more but you will find that many things sold for hamsters will be too small for a syrian, you'd do better to look at toys sold for rats. tubes & entrance holes need to be at least 7cm to be on the safe side.
You should find taming a lot easier than with a robo, once your ham has had a little while to settle in then it's best to interact out of the cage so either set up a safe area somwhere, you can use the bath with the plug in, a towel in the bottom & some toys to explore or buy/make a playpen, some playpens sold for hams aren't really suitable for syrian hams so you may be better off making something that will be escape proof!
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:28 AM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

Hello there! It will seem very different from a robo probably! Syrian toys do need to be larger and most toys sold for hamsters are too small. A lot of people improvise, or make them, or use rat tubes or tunnels, which are 10cm diameter. Old Pringles tubes can be good (if you check there are no sharp bits) or even pieces of plastic guttering Or you can buy cardboard or plastic rat tubes. I really like cork tunnels and tubes which are plenty big enough and also give an interesting texture for them to climb over - these are often sold at reptile stores. This kind of thing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Asso...ds=cork+tunnel

Because Syrian items tend to be larger, they can fill up a cage quite a lot, which is ok as long as there is still enough floorspace for them to dig in the substrate etc.

They need a house that is big enough to build a warm cosy nest, and to bury hoards in. A shoebox is ideal - cut the bottom out so it is open to the substrate underneath, and use the lid as a lift-off roof to check inside, and cut a door in one side. Or something of a similar size. You can also put a bendy stick bridge over the entrance door of a house so it's nice and dark inside and it gives the house a tunnel entrance, which hammies seem to like. The bendy bridge also acts as a ramp to the house roof which can double up as another platform.

Like other species of hamsters, Syrians like lots of hidey places - so a tissue box or a coconut shell with a hole in is a snug place to go. Anything with an entrance door, the door needs to be at least 6cm to 7cm in diameter, so they don't get stuck. Some Syrians can grow really quite large, and even smaller ones can be quite wide when they have full pouches.

Also like most species of hamster, they don't like feeling to exposed from above, so overhead cover in the cage helps they enjoy exploring and feel secure. So a shelf or platform is a good idea (even if you have a flat roof house) as it is something they can sit under. They also like to sit on a shelf, higher up and it's a good place to put a food bowl and water bottle so they don't get messed up with substrate.

Large floor toys like the cork tunnels can also give good overhead cover so they can go from one end of the cage to the other. Some Syrians are bolder than others. Their personalities vary.

Their number one main thing is their nest. And then their hoard. So it's best not to disturb these unless they are pee-soaked and then try and replace a bit of the old nest and put a new pile of nesting material out for them to rebuild it. Plain white toilet paper torn into strips is a safe nesting material and safe for them to pouch to take to the nest. They can be litter trained quite easily too and will use a litter tray if you put it in the place where they choose to pee - often a corner of the cage. They are quite clean and tidy really. Then you only need to empty the litter tray every 5 days or so and the cage stays quite clean. Meaning you can just spot clean occasionally. Clean outs stress them out a lot, and big cleans might not need to be done more than every 2 to 3 months with a litter tray and spot cleaning. Their poops aren't dirty really and they eat them sometimes, so they aren't a problem unless they start to take over!

So I would say:

1) Good sized house
2) Bendy bridge
3) Shelf or level
4) At least one large tube or tunnel as a floor toy (you can also tie them to the side if the cage has bars, using sisal string which is safe if chewed).
5) A chew stick
6) A corner litter tray
7) Plenty of substrate - 4 to 6" and plenty of nesting material

As the basics. Plus any other toys or accessories you have or like. They tend not to be that interested in toys unless they have food on them!

A cage that is not taller than 40 to 50cm (depending on how deep the substrate is) to avoid fall risks if they climb.

Hanging toys like kabobs or rat sputniks (plastic hammock things) can be good too. Not any kind of fabric though. The important thing with a cage set up is that everything is accessible. eg a hanging sputnik is best next to a shelf so it can be climbed into easily (or it might be ignored).

Ask away if you have any more questions

Taming - this can be quite quick or take a few weeks, but with a bit of patience they can become very tame and easily held. Or even go to sleep on your knee. Our current syrian is very tame now and will even run up and sit on my shoulder or climb inside my sleeve.
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:49 AM   #4
Thin Lizzy
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

Congratulations on your new addition which will arrive very soon.
Simba's so beautiful!
Well Serendipity has said it all, I tend to buy some of the rat size stuff as it's bigger. I do find that some of the toys meant for hamsters don't always suit syrians as they grow.
You can't go wrong with bendy bridges, with tube/tunnels I go for the rat ones. Plenty hideouts. Hamsters get so much out of cardboard tissue boxes.
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Old 09-18-2017, 07:56 AM   #5
DoraGrga
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

thank you all for advice and tips. i do live in Croatia where it is really hard to find hamster things even for dwarf hamsters. But dyi it is hahhaha. The onlz thing that worrys me is that i think i have to small tank (70x40x40) and it has a shelf and a little shelf just for send bath. i think it is to small
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Old 09-18-2017, 08:46 AM   #6
dreamtree1234
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

Congrats on giving Simba; I know you must be so thrilled she will be coming home to you soon. The others have given you very thorough suggestions so I won't repeat them. If you have any other questions, always please feel free to ask. Have fun with Simba who is quite handsome, btw.
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Old 09-18-2017, 11:28 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

70 x 40 x 40 isn't a bad size If you have a flat-roofed house it can make another level. The main thing is if it is tall enough to fit a Syrian sized wheel.
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:53 PM   #8
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

If the 70 x 40 tank is for the robo,that would be a very good size However the size generally is pretty small for Syrians,so if you'd use that size for a Syrian you'd need to pay close attention and watch for any obsessive behaviors(leaping at the sides,obsessive corner digging and chewing,etc)and be prepared to upgrade if those show regardless of cage size if they don't go away permanently with setup changes.
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Old 09-18-2017, 08:50 PM   #9
DoraGrga
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Default Re: First time owning syrian hamster, needs some tips and advice

Okay, i will upgrade it as soon he'll grow a bit, so he can move around etc.
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