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Old 07-01-2018, 11:35 PM   #1
Luvmy66pny
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Question Buddy and his Syrian skirt issues

Hey ya’ll! Newbie to the forum. I used to have syrians about 13 years ago. Fast forward to now- I brought Buddy home three days ago. He is slowly adjusting to his new home. He is quite special as he has one red and one black eye. He is also super skittish. I don’t remember having to be so quiet when I had my other hams. Either way I know it will take time for him to feel comfortable.

A few questions have come up along the way.

He has a beautiful long skirt however it constantly gets caught up in the shavings. Hind sight I would have just used care fresh but I wasn’t sure how well I would like it compared to aspen so I mixed the two. He has this little blob of bedding stuck well enough that a gentle pull wouldn’t free it. I’m afraid to let it go much longer but we are in the wee stages of taming and I don’t want to make it worse. Any suggestions? I noticed that the other side of his skirt will get bedding in it but he gets it out or the running jolts it out. Here’s a picture to show what I mean.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159285.../shares/2Ai2L1

For now he will need to stay in the same room as I sleep. I am terrified that my alarm clock will be too loud for him as I know they are sensitive to sound. Has anyone noticed how their ham reacts to an alarm clock?

Thank you and I’m happy to be here! Wish I would have found this with my fist hamie!

Last edited by Luvmy66pny; 07-02-2018 at 12:20 AM.
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Old 07-02-2018, 07:04 AM   #2
livedinhogwarts
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

Welcome to the forum! First of all, congrats on your new little one Buddy. He looks adorable ^_^

I have a male long haired Syrian also, and I found the same thing happens to him where lots of bedding gets stuck to the skirt of his fur. I believe it's pretty normal. I usually leave it alone and it eventually comes off on its own. Since your hamster isn't tame yet and you can't really handle him, I would suggest just letting him take care of it himself. Once he becomes more comfortable with you, you could groom him using a brush which should hopefully take out the bedding.

I've used alarms on my phone, which my hamster doesn't seem to mind. I wouldn't use alarm clocks if your hamster is really skittish. They're very loud and I'm pretty sure even the average hamster wouldn't like it.
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Old 07-02-2018, 07:56 AM   #3
Luvmy66pny
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

Thank you Livedinhogwarts for the reply and the kind words! I am glad I brought Buddy home. I will leave the chump as it is then. I figured he might work it out him self however I didn’t want it to cause him pain with it woven so tight. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Sounds like I might have to move him to another room when I need to use my alarm.

I’ve seen images of a pellet substrate. Not sure what it’s called but maybe it’s worth a shot.
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Old 07-02-2018, 08:27 AM   #4
livedinhogwarts
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

If you think it's painful for him you could take a cotton pad with a really small amount of water and wipe it on his fur to loosen the bedding. But if you think he will be uncomfortable with it, I'd suggest to leave him as is.

I've never used pellet substrates myself but I've heard they're good. They might stick to Buddy's fur less too.

Buddy sounds like he's in good hands. I hope you enjoy wonderful moments with him for many years to come ^_^
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:01 AM   #5
Amethyst_ice
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I have had a few LH lads, they are beautiful! I actually swapped to a cardboard based bedding to fix the problem but when I had them on sawdust and similar I would get a soft toothbrush and groom them daily.

They can get knotted up quite quickly and you have to cut them out if they become like dreadlocks, they can pull and tug at the skin if left to get too matted up, so I'd suggest the toothbrush...it will help you bond as just put him in a towel on your lap and be gentle.

Your alarm shouldn't be a problem. Hamsters are usually awake in the early hours also depending what time you get up and he'll soon get used to your routine
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Old 07-02-2018, 11:10 AM   #6
livedinhogwarts
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

@Amethyst_ice

I had no clue it could actually affect a hamster's skin. Thanks for clarifying on that ^_^
I was told before that hamsters couldn't stand the sound of those ringing alarm clocks, so it's interesting knowing they don't mind it. I always use my phone alarm because I thought that haha.
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Old 07-02-2018, 02:23 PM   #7
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

That would only be in extreme cases, most hammies will groom out any knots but as they get older, they can get matted more as they sleep more and don't groom as much.

Like long haired dogs, the knots can get very tight and sometimes can't be brushed out, and the closer to the skin the knot is the harder and potentially painful it is to cut it out. I used to trim my LH boy as his poops had a habbit of getting tangled and he doidnt seem to bother to groom them out!

Regarding the alarm clock, do you mean like a classic old school one? A sharp shrill noise wll startle any animal, If you have to use it , id place it away from directly by the cage. Most hamsters will adapt to household noises over time
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Old 07-02-2018, 06:02 PM   #8
livedinhogwarts
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

@Amethyst_ice

Ahh I understand what you mean- more just tugging of the skin can be painful. I guess that could cause irritation too. My hamster's skirt has grown quite long but I'm far too scared to cut it in case I cut too much or accidentally hurt him, especially since he can be a jumpy one haha.

Yep I mean a classic alarm clock. The ones with really loud bell ringing noises. I've stopped using those and rely solely on my phone alarms now.
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Old 07-03-2018, 04:14 AM   #9
Amethyst_ice
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

I only cut very tight knots that had got twisted out..my hamster was very tame so was used to being handled. Just keep an eye on any as they can get quite large. The tooth brush grooming should be sufficient

Some people prefer to keep their hamsters skirt short, some can be quite fuull and others can be wispy and vary in length around. IN warmer weather id trim my hamsters skirt a little but again, it was personal choice and i did it more when he got older and he found grooming a little harder
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Old 07-03-2018, 05:26 AM   #10
livedinhogwarts
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Default Re: Long hair Syrian issues

@Amethyst_ice

Ahh I see thanks My hamster isn't tame at all so he can't be handled. I wish I could groom him with a toothbrush though haha. It seems like a fun bonding exercise. Maybe when my hamster is more tame like yours is.

Last edited by livedinhogwarts; 07-03-2018 at 05:41 AM.
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