Pet shop surprise - Need help! To buy or not to buy?!?

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

This is a Syrian hamster based thread.

So I've always been the type of person that wanted to own one hamster. I never really understood how people could own two hamsters. How could people give both hamsters the equal amount of time and care? So I figured that because of my simplistic mind, I'd be someone to own one Syrian at a time and give it all my love, attention and care. Then today happened...

I went into the pet shop and before heading out I looked at the hamsters. They had these adorable white hamsters! One was a white long haired male and the other was a short haired female. The male one caught my attention.

So I left the pet shop and so my boyfriend and I started to talk. He doesn't want this to be an impulsive purchase. So I'm trying to sort out my mind and thoughts. I feel so bad leaving this hamster behind. Not because I feel guilt for leaving him but because I want him. I just feel sad about not bringing him home with me. However, I don't understand if I want him because I'm blinded by the fact that he's a white hammy. I mean, I don't know anything about this hamster. I don't know it's temperament or personality or anything. Shouldn't I know more about a hamster's personality before rushing into an impulsive purchase?

I just need help and advice from people that have gone through this. I don't understand why I want this hammy. Is it just because of the color? Its odd because I've never had an interest to own two hamsters and now this has caught me off guard. If someone happened to buy this hamster then I wouldn't have a need to own two. It just so happens that I really like the color on this one, but is that good enough of a reason?

So how do you guys deal with these situations? How do other people pick out hamsters? What helps you guys decide to bring home another hammy or leave it behind?

So that's pretty much why I'm here. I know that there are people on here that have gone to pet shops and a hamster caught them off guard and they brought it home. I've never experienced this before. So I'd like to get input from people that have been in this situation.

Some of my boyfriends concerns are personality and possible risk of spreading any diseases because the housing situation would be a Detolf split in half. Are there any diseases that could spread from hamster to hamster if they share a split Detolf?

Also, if you do have two Syrians, what are some pros and cons? Or what have you learned about having to Syrian hamsters? Is it that much harder to care for two than one? Anything I should know about owning to hamsters that caught you off guard?

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Well the first thing you need to make sure of is do you have the time to spend with a 2nd hamster. Then the biggest issue I see is normally the new hamster would be placed in a quarantine cage for at least 2 weeks time to be sure it is not ill as there are many illnesses which can be transferred to a healthy Hamster. With having only a Detolf that quarantine is impossible(unless you would be able to house in a temp bin cage away from your current hamster for 2 weeks). As for temperament and personality you would only be able to see what he is like at the store and most pet store hamsters are not calm and relaxed and probably will be jumpy and scared. Taming will require a lot more time but this is not always true. If he is jumpy then you will have to decide wither to risk it that this is not his actual temperament or to walk away and be safe. Pet Store hamsters are never a for sure thing for temperament so you'd need to decide.

However having Two hamsters is not that much more work, and once tame you get twice the joy of Hamster owning, and twice the stories to tell on HC :)

Good Luck on your decision.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

As far as time goes, I'm active and awake until 3am or so every night. Aria is very reclusive. She will only come out after all the lights are out. I usually have to "drag" her out of her cage so she doesn't live her life in the dark. Poor thing. I've accepted that she's just that type of hamster. I love and care for her but also respect her. I make sure she's happy. So the time spent with her is minimal. I would LOVE to have her out more often but if she seems to stressed then I'll place her back home.

I do have a bin cage! That would actually give me time to set up the detolf properly without having to rush. What types of illnesses or red flags should I be looking out for? Is there a guide on what to look for in a healthy hamster? How should long haired hamsters fur look?

I did ask to hold the hamsters. The male seemed less scared. I managed to scoop him up but he tried to hop out of my hand. I already had my other hand ready so he hopped onto my other hand and then hopped back into his cage. The person helping me was new and said they were hand tamed but I can tell they aren't and that I would need to put some work into it. I'm planning on going back tomorrow and spending some hours at the shop. Hopefully they won't be busy and I can try handling him a bit more.

While I was offering him my hand he did nip a bit but it didn't hurt. I'm familiar with these nips in the beginning and it seemed more of a "whats this" nip and not out of fear. Actually! He did try to eat my nail, ha ha, but Aria used to do that too. So I'm not to worried about that.

I'm actually not too concerned with the amount of time it will take to tame. Kit Kat took months! I never thought I'd tame her, ha ha. Aria is just reclusive and it didn't take long to tame her.

I can't recall that he was too jumpy. The female was actually more terrified of my hand. Paws up, open mouth and chatters! The boy let me corner him and scoop him if even for a moment. I also tried to pet his back and he was surprised but didn't try to bite me. Aria is still a little iffy about that too and I know some hamsters don't prefer it.

I think that even if I don't get this hamster and even if I don't get one until Aria's passing (may that be many years from now), I'd still respect what ever limits that hammy has. :)

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

Heading back to the pet shop to get a better sense of its personality. Im honestly really confused on what to do. I would truly and sincerely appreciate any words of advice.

Thank you. :(

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Check that his eyes are bright and alert. That his bum is clean and his poos are normal and not soft. Check that his teeth look ok(some may have a bit of the tip of a tooth missing but as long as the four front teeth are there and all the same color he will be fine. When you hold him see if he feels in good body weight and no ribs can be felt or seen. LH males develop their skirts at different ages so just look that he has minimal tangles and knots and it is not dirty from loose poos.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

So I just got back from the shop. As far as the fur goes, I really can't tell good fur from bad fur. This white one has some waves to it.

His temperament seemed good. He took a nip at me, a little harder than I'm used to but not enough to make me jerk my hand or bleed. That was pretty much it. He did hop out of my hands but after a couple minutes I was able to cradle him up against my chest.

http://i.imgur.com/vHSKrey.jpg?2 http://i.imgur.com/i25LfBX.jpg?2
http://i.imgur.com/UErBl7I.jpg?2
http://i.imgur.com/5pz2Lck.jpg?2

As if I weren't confused enough, they told me that they had a litter in the back ready to go home next week. Then they should them to me. Blah, I'm really torn on what to do.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Well the first thing to jump out at me with the White LH Hamster is very down ears. Unless they were just woke up I'd steer clear of him as down ears are usually a first sign of a sick hamster or a very stressed one. In that 2nd photo he looks to have conjunctivitis in his eye, and the 3rd picture looks like he is missing a good amount of fur having a bald spot on his chest all not good things to see and buy. I'd pass on him to be honest he just doesn't look healthy at all in these photos.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

Yep, I took all these pictures as soon as he woke up. Once he managed to wake up all the way his eyes opened up nice and wide. His ears also opened up and stayed alert.

My biggest concern is his face area. Because I'm not familiar with the long haired males I don't know if spreading of the fur is normal. The reason why I'm concerned about it is because Aria has a full face full of fur with no gaping. The fur gaps are more predominant at certain angles. However, even my boyfriend mentioned the hamsters fur seemed a little scraggly but because it's unknown long haired territory I'm not sure if this is normal/healthy.

His chest isn't bare but I've noticed that the area around his nose is a bit bare? Again, not sure if this is normal or something to be wary of. I did get more pictures later in the day because my boyfriend wanted to see him again as well as his personality.

The first picture shows the fur around his eye being a little patchy
http://i.imgur.com/yYWGaKm.jpg?1

This second picture looks like it's more filled in.
http://i.imgur.com/qc1tmMm.jpg?2

Then this is another picture of him looking head on. Does the fur around his nose look a bit bare to you? Or is that normal?
http://i.imgur.com/Fy1mVyj.jpg?1

[racinghamster]

The last picture of him looks good, although pet shop hamsters are hit or miss so you could be buying a nice, healthy little one or one that goes downhill soon after you buy him. They seem to have a conveyer belt of baby hamsters ready to come to the shop floor, so these guys will no doubt be less of an attraction as they get older. I would say if you want him, go for it, but removing him into a carrier to take home should be done quietly and with little stress. Plan your journey to go straight home to a prepared cage with food (keep him on the same diet the pet shop have him on and you can slowly change this over time) if you feel it`s necessary, and water. make sure he can drink from a bottle. Check what he has in the tank and ask questions. Especially his age and his definite gender.

Wet Tail usually occurs in young Syrians, so you want to keep his stress levels as low as possible. The shavings inside that tank could also be aromatic and cause the hamsters breathing and eyes to be effected, so once he`s out of there, that should improve. The poor lad is probably just tired and cramped in there, as most pet shop animals are.

Syrians are not my area really as I keep dwarf hamsters, but he`s so cute! x

[Snowz]

Adorable! but their is something about his face that makes me feel that he could be ill? its kind of the way hes eyes and face is all sloppy. Maybe that's where he just woke up.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

His eyes still look too small for his body, and inflamed/irritated. The loss of fur about his eyes and nose COULD be from him in the very near past having a URI and being treated and he recovered from it. With a URI their eyes all gunk up and their nose runs non stop causing the fur around all three areas to mat, and get very inflamed which causes the fur to fall out. The good news there is he has fur regrowing which means he beat the infection, the bad news is a hamster who had a URI is always prone to having it reoccur.

I still say to pass up on this guy cause he just does not look healthy. If he was in a very very bad situation I'd ask if they would let him go for a donation offering, but once home it would be and immediate trip to a small animal Vet to find out why he has those light furred areas, and would see if the Vet felt it a good idea to do a skin scraping for Sarcoptic or demodex Mites as both those type mites burrow in the skin, can only be found with a skin scraping, and not visible with the naked eye. The first sign of them is thinning of the fur around the eyes and nose. Sarcoptic Mites are Zoonotic and if you catch them it is not at all fun to be rid of them on you.

I went through my 5-6 week old LH and one SH pups to show you what I mean.
Here is 5 week old Maiju a LH Black Tort (she is home bred)
31188
Next is Riker who was given to me cause of his missing toes on one front paw
He is a Pet Store Bought Hamster and is a Golden LH Male Note his thinner fur on his head in this photo.
31189
Next is a good photo of a healthy 5 week old LH Satin Black Band Male who was born here and is shown with his Umbrous Het ED Black Band cage mate. Note this photo was taken mid day and I woke them up for food and water replacement
31190
I wanted to show you a White Hamster who is 6 weeks old and is from a Pet store and was only purchased for his color to test my females who may be carrying the ED gene. Bela(Bee La) was found after almost 6 months of hunting by Erin R from the Pet store she manages. For a store bought male he has turned into a very good size and temperament Hamster. Though he is SH look at his eyes and nose and you should see that this LH boy your looking at is not healthy.
31191
Now I know this Boy your looking at is not Anophthalmic White but here is a 5 week old Anophthalmic White LH Female who currently lives with Erin R and is called Wendy. Note even eyeless there is NO thin fur about her eyes or nose.
31192

In the end only you can decide what you want to do. He may just have been very sleepy and the photos show that stronger then is real, or he could be very ill and cause a huge heart ache for you.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

Thank you very much for all of your advice and help. After reading your comments my boyfriend and I talked about this little hammy and decided that in the best interest of Aria we won't be adopting this little guy.

I'm really sad about it because he seemed nice personality wise. I just wish the health circumstances were different so it wouldn't jeopardize Aria. I want to give this guy a good home and it's just unfortunate and heartbreaking. :(

[Nancy's Hamsters]

I commend you on the hard decision, but I do feel strongly you did make the best choice. I hope if someone unaware buys him we are all wrong and a newbie doesn't get stuck with a very ill Hamster and have to learn the hard way that Pet Store Hamsters are not the way to go.

Hard as this was for you in the long run it does help stop commercial breeding slightly as whenever we buy a pet store mass bred hamster we actually are promoting more Hamsters being bred in horrible conditions.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

I actually got to see the back to see some other litters they had. They offered to save one for me if I wanted. I did go back there and... I'm sure everyone here on hamster central would have torn them all to pieces.

Three different litters. Mom and pop with the pups in a drawer like situation. I'm not educated enough to know if your allowed to have a wheel in when pups are around. Needless to say that there was no wheel. They mom and pop didn't have enough room to stand up if they wanted too. No toys or enrichment of any kind. Luckily they did have food and water. The pup litters were 4 weeks, 3 weeks and I think a 1 week old litter.

I was completely swamped at work today but I meant to call the ASPCA or Humane Society to see if this is legal or if it constitutes animal abuse. I just moved to Utah so I'm not familiar with the legalities as far as hamster housing breeding requirements are for pet stores. I'm also not familiar with what you are and are not supposed to do while a litter is present.

Does this sound odd to you guys or is it just me? The pop shouldn't still be in there with the mom and litter at 4 weeks age, right? And they should have enough room to stand as well? I'm not sure about the wheel, toys or enrichment. The living space would have had to be 61x55x9cm (2ft x 1.8ft x 3.5in) give or take.

I'll be giving them a call tomorrow. However, I'd appreciate any feedback on whether or not this is legal or not. Like I said, I'm not familiar with this area of hamsters. The hamsters did look healthy but it just didn't feel right and it's not because I love hamsters and spoil mine but because it just felt off. Even my father in law felt a little off with how they kept the animals.

Oh, they also had mice, dwarfs, possibly gerbils. There were birds in cages as well. The interesting thing is that you can see these drawers from the main store because there is a window. I've gone by this window COUNTLESS times but never stopped to look at them because I never suspected that they had animals in there to begin with.

And yes, I have been feeling terrible the whole day over that hammy. I honestly wanted him very badly. Seeing him have a good temperament just makes it that much more of a heartbreak. I'd be lying if I didn't say that the heartbreak would be a million times worse if I took him home, loved him and had him die. I still have Kit Kat flashbacks and I rather... *sigh*

Poor hammies and stupid humans... :'(

[Nancy's Hamsters]

What you describe sounds like Rat Racks which are used in Commercial Rodentries/Farms.
They are not bad short term but sadly they are actually accepted by the USDA as sufficent for raising any type Small animals(I've even seen Guinea Pigs in them). The wheel is removed when a litter is present and most Breeding farms don't offer Toys as that can cause fighting which they don't want. Sad way for the Hamsters to live but if they are clean and water and food is present then they would pass USDA regulations on rodent housing. Now if they are not USDA licensed you may cause them to be fined IF they exceed the numbers allowed in Utah(each state has a different limit of animals being bred before requiring a License from the USDA).

The "IN" thing of late is keeping a pair of Syrians together throughout their breeding lives and how they manage this is beyond me, but even on CL more and more ads are saying that it is fine to house two Syrians together as long as they are Male and Female(in fact I just rescued a pair who were told to be M & F but turned out to be two Females. One died soon after and the remaining pup(she's only 8 weeks old) will be petted out once she is tamed and I give her a clean bill of health. The seller Insisted that you MUST keep them in pairs and that they would grow up happy and joyful. The ONLY reason I got them is they look to be wh and didn't want any poor unknowledged soul to buy them and think it was just fine to keep them together and they were actually M & F and they end up with eyeless whites. Remaining girl will make someone a wonderful pet soon.

[EmilyS_79]

Oh my goodness! That has to be the cutest hamster I have ever seen! I love his little fluff and that face! <3 Oh, how sweet!

[Piebald]

Yeah OC have a look on YouTube for rodent breeding and you will see people proudly showing off these dreadful trays of "product". There are a few animal rights films too from workers undercover but beware they are disturbing. :(

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

This is really a shame... I can't believe that things like these are allowed. I mean, these animals are supposed to be someone's pet. Maybe these people just see animals as animals and not the loving family members we do. It's truly disgusting. Honestly, I don't think I'm going to be giving anymore of my business to that store. I rather order things from Amazon from now on.

[Piebald]

I applaud the sentiment but many of the items on amazon are from the same source.
IMO, and this is my own view not trying to create controversy, the issue is about the right of sentient beings (including rats and other rodents) to be free from gratuitous abuse by humans. Anyone who has loved one of these creatures as a pet is aware just how much feeling, just how clever, and just how much individual personality they have.

I am not advocating any group I only mention that PETA has been at the forefront of advocating "rights for rats". I have no connection with them btw.
Here is a vid about that and yes, they are looking for your money so investigate before buying:
&#039;Who Cares About Mice and Rats?&#039; | Videos | PETA (http://www.peta.org/videos/who-cares-about-mice-and-rats-2/)

FYI they have recently been targeted by another group claiming PETA kills animals;
https://www.petakillsanimals.com/contact/

And within 5 minutes on google I traced the source of that campaign to an individual lobbyist with, it is said, connections to the tobacco and food industries:
Center for Consumer Freedom - SourceWatch (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_for_Consumer_Freedom)

So you decide, I just raise the issue in case you want to get involved as I think protection for all critters should be a goal for civilization and we have a long way to go.

End soap box. xx

[Nancy's Hamsters]

PETA's first amendment and By-Law is to see the complete and total end of any domestic animal owning. Their campaign is to destroy ALL domestic animal ownership, so you owning a Hamster and forcing it to live in a cage is seen to them as abuse. PLEASE don't help them achieve this goal. They spent Millions of dollars to have draconic laws passed in the USA which has caused reputable and responsible breeders to have to close down by forcing any one having(In some states) 10 intact animals to purchase a $1,000.00 USDA License, and they have to keep the animals in a building not connected to your home which is built with Sterilizible material through out the building. Breeders are not allowed to even keep their animals in their home. Many States here in the USA have passed state ruled laws which have forced even pet owners with more then 5 dogs or cats to Surrender their pets or risk having them taken from them if not spayed or neutered. This number decided by legislators often includes ANY fur baring animal in the numbers game and the need to pay rediculous fees for a license just to keep your pets.
My State of Ohio is currently battling PETA for the right to own our pets. Right now they are only focused on Dogs and Cats, but they have a clause which could at any time spread on to Rodents and Birds. Imagine you needing to spay all your Hamsters or be forced to re-home them or pay up to $1,000.00 A YEAR to own 10 intact Hamsters

Do your research on their spending, and you will find Legal records of their income(Government recorded Income Tax returns), and where most of that income went, and then you will find out they have not donated even $1,000.00 to any animal shelters anywhere in the USA. They use a sad situation to gain more money to back more laws which make it almost impossible for a righteous Breeder to continue raising healthy tame animals BUT do NOTHING to stop the large mass production type Breeding farms at all.

They were taken to court and found guilty of euthanizing several dogs and cats they collected from various over full shelters and euthanized in their labeled PETA Vehicle and threw out the bodies in a dumpster of a big name chain store. They were found Guilty in court of these actions and were fined by judge to repay the shelters which they blatantly lied to claiming the animals the over full shelter gave them were heading to new homes. So you have to decide about PETA.

[SquishyHelium]

It is true to say that getting a second hamster is not all that much more work, particularly if you are able to exercise both at the same time (in separate exercise areas of course). What you would need to consider is the added cost (double the bedding, food and toys) and the space required to put the addition.
This is coming from someone who started out with one Syrian hamster, now currently has three (all rescues, in very big cages taking up a large part of the lounge), a chinchilla and two degus (also rescues, taking up the spare room) all of which come out for an appropriate exercise time every day.

What I would say is that having them both (if you get a second hamster) in the same detolf would be a little risky - you must make sure the dividing barrier is very secure and cannot be climbed/breached. Also if your current hamster is used to the whole space within the detolf it's not really fair to suddenly divide that in half - just a suggestion - if that was what you were planning.

It's not too hard to give each a suitable amount of attention. What is very rewarding is having the different personalities of different hamsters - because it really is sweet that they all behave and act in different ways. I consider them little, hyperactive people! It's also lovely to be able to watch all of them at once, in the evening my lounge becomes like a hive of activity which I love!

On the downside, more than one hamster (or any animal), inevitably leads to more frequent heartache when they pass on. More cleaning out of course, as well.

I would be careful with gender too of a second hamster - at one point I had two males and a female, living in the same room. It drove the males mad and one of them (Titan) broke his leg after climbing and subsequently falling in a mad effort to get to the female. This situation would invariably lead to considerable stress for the hamsters so as a final word I would (from personal experience) recommend housing them far away from one another, particularly if they are of opposite genders.

Whatever you decide, good luck :) x

[SquishyHelium]

Needless to say i hadn't read the whole thread, so my reply above relates to the earlier points.

[Piebald]

You are actually more on point than the rest of us :)

And thanks Nancy, it's good to hear from you because we all know you are a caring and responsible breeder. It just goes to show how careful one has to be!

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

I applaud the sentiment but many of the items on amazon are from the same source.
IMO, and this is my own view not trying to create controversy, the issue is about the right of sentient beings (including rats and other rodents) to be free from gratuitous abuse by humans. Anyone who has loved one of these creatures as a pet is aware just how much feeling, just how clever, and just how much individual personality they have.

I am not advocating any group I only mention that PETA has been at the forefront of advocating "rights for rats". I have no connection with them btw.
Here is a vid about that and yes, they are looking for your money so investigate before buying:
&#039;Who Cares About Mice and Rats?&#039; | Videos | PETA (http://www.peta.org/videos/who-cares-about-mice-and-rats-2/)

FYI they have recently been targeted by another group claiming PETA kills animals;
https://www.petakillsanimals.com/contact/

And within 5 minutes on google I traced the source of that campaign to an individual lobbyist with, it is said, connections to the tobacco and food industries:
Center for Consumer Freedom - SourceWatch (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_for_Consumer_Freedom)

So you decide, I just raise the issue in case you want to get involved as I think protection for all critters should be a goal for civilization and we have a long way to go.

End soap box. xx

PETA's first amendment and By-Law is to see the complete and total end of any domestic animal owning. Their campaign is to destroy ALL domestic animal ownership, so you owning a Hamster and forcing it to live in a cage is seen to them as abuse. PLEASE don't help them achieve this goal. They spent Millions of dollars to have draconic laws passed in the USA which has caused reputable and responsible breeders to have to close down by forcing any one having(In some states) 10 intact animals to purchase a $1,000.00 USDA License, and they have to keep the animals in a building not connected to your home which is built with Sterilizible material through out the building. Breeders are not allowed to even keep their animals in their home. Many States here in the USA have passed state ruled laws which have forced even pet owners with more then 5 dogs or cats to Surrender their pets or risk having them taken from them if not spayed or neutered. This number decided by legislators often includes ANY fur baring animal in the numbers game and the need to pay rediculous fees for a license just to keep your pets.
My State of Ohio is currently battling PETA for the right to own our pets. Right now they are only focused on Dogs and Cats, but they have a clause which could at any time spread on to Rodents and Birds. Imagine you needing to spay all your Hamsters or be forced to re-home them or pay up to $1,000.00 A YEAR to own 10 intact Hamsters

Do your research on their spending, and you will find Legal records of their income(Government recorded Income Tax returns), and where most of that income went, and then you will find out they have not donated even $1,000.00 to any animal shelters anywhere in the USA. They use a sad situation to gain more money to back more laws which make it almost impossible for a righteous Breeder to continue raising healthy tame animals BUT do NOTHING to stop the large mass production type Breeding farms at all.

They were taken to court and found guilty of euthanizing several dogs and cats they collected from various over full shelters and euthanized in their labeled PETA Vehicle and threw out the bodies in a dumpster of a big name chain store. They were found Guilty in court of these actions and were fined by judge to repay the shelters which they blatantly lied to claiming the animals the over full shelter gave them were heading to new homes. So you have to decide about PETA.

I actually wrote a college essay a couple years back. I had to do a lot of research and I learned that things aren't always what they seem. I learned that there are people who care about animal rights and then there are others that take animal rights to an extreme.

I feel so sad but more disappointed that this is what the world has come to. It's unbelievable that things have come to this and other stuff. I envy and find it amazing that animals lead a simple life. Somehow they manage to survive in the world without crime, money, clothing, etc and life just works for them. Maybe I'm going on a tangent but... it's sad that some people choose to be cruel, disrespectful or unloving towards animals. Then there are others that choose to be extremist. However, then there are others who love, care, defend and spoil animals. So at least there is hope. Sadly not everything is so simple. :/

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

It is true to say that getting a second hamster is not all that much more work, particularly if you are able to exercise both at the same time (in separate exercise areas of course). What you would need to consider is the added cost (double the bedding, food and toys) and the space required to put the addition.
This is coming from someone who started out with one Syrian hamster, now currently has three (all rescues, in very big cages taking up a large part of the lounge), a chinchilla and two degus (also rescues, taking up the spare room) all of which come out for an appropriate exercise time every day.

What I would say is that having them both (if you get a second hamster) in the same detolf would be a little risky - you must make sure the dividing barrier is very secure and cannot be climbed/breached. Also if your current hamster is used to the whole space within the detolf it's not really fair to suddenly divide that in half - just a suggestion - if that was what you were planning.

It's not too hard to give each a suitable amount of attention. What is very rewarding is having the different personalities of different hamsters - because it really is sweet that they all behave and act in different ways. I consider them little, hyperactive people! It's also lovely to be able to watch all of them at once, in the evening my lounge becomes like a hive of activity which I love!

On the downside, more than one hamster (or any animal), inevitably leads to more frequent heartache when they pass on. More cleaning out of course, as well.

I would be careful with gender too of a second hamster - at one point I had two males and a female, living in the same room. It drove the males mad and one of them (Titan) broke his leg after climbing and subsequently falling in a mad effort to get to the female. This situation would invariably lead to considerable stress for the hamsters so as a final word I would (from personal experience) recommend housing them far away from one another, particularly if they are of opposite genders.

Whatever you decide, good luck :) x

Thank you very much for your input. It's all very heartfelt and useful information. I was thinking about trying the Detolf idea. However, I've been hearing a lot of people mention the male and female dilemma. Aria honestly doesn't seem to be enjoying the open space of the Detolf. She will run out for a drink, food or to go potty. Then she will run back to her home like mad. I've put some hay mats along the viewing side of the detolf and that seems to have helped. She also has a blanket and wallpaper along the back. She honestly seemed happier in a BIN during our move from California to Utah. It was cramped but she never showed signs of stress or being uncomfortable. She seemed really happy. So that's where I got the idea of getting another hamster and splitting the detolf. I would feel terrible taking half her home away but if she didn't seem happy then I'd always place her happiness at top priority. I'm not saying that I would ditch the other hamster but simply that I'd seek another solution until both hamsters were happy.

After Kit Kat passed. I decided if I wanted to keep having hamsters. I realized that as painful as it was to lose her I was happy that I got her and that I met her. I would have done it all over if I could. So the joy of owning these wonderful creatures are worth the sadness. They make my life better and happier with them in it and if the price to pay is sadness when they pass then I'm willing to pay it. So I'm going into pet owning knowing the outcome. So yes, I agree and thank you for bringing that up.

Needless to say i hadn't read the whole thread, so my reply above relates to the earlier points.

hee hee! this made be smile. :)

[Pebbles82]

Splitting the detolf sounds like a good idea to me. I'm afraid I would be terrible choosing and if I fell for that gorgeous little guy I'd have got him sick or not and would want to rescue him and look after him :rolleyes: But he probably would need quarantining (in the bin cage?) before going in the detolf I guess - although really if there is solid glass between the two halves it might be ok maybe? Anyone know? Just thinking it might be stressful for him moving cage after a couple of weeks. I think if it was me I'd put Aria in the bin cage and the new guy in the detolf (if you were to get him).

[Piebald]

I think Nancy recommended quarantine in a separate room. You could try to split the detolf just to see how Aria likes it before deciding if another ham is viable for your hamily.

[Pebbles82]

I think Nancy recommended quarantine in a separate room. You could try to split the detolf just to see how Aria likes it before deciding if another ham is viable for your hamily.

Sorry missed that bit. Well I guess he could be quarantined in a separate room in the bin cage and stay in the bin cage? Or be upgraded later. But good point about seeing how Aria reacts to the detolf being split.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

I think Nancy recommended quarantine in a separate room. You could try to split the detolf just to see how Aria likes it before deciding if another ham is viable for your hamily.

I actually didn't see that suggestion. Why is it suggested that the hamster be quarantined in a different room? :)

[Piebald]

Well the first thing you need to make sure of is do you have the time to spend with a 2nd hamster. Then the biggest issue I see is normally the new hamster would be placed in a quarantine cage for at least 2 weeks time to be sure it is not ill as there are many illnesses which can be transferred to a healthy Hamster. With having only a Detolf that quarantine is impossible(unless you would be able to house in a temp bin cage away from your current hamster for 2 weeks). As for temperament and personality you would only be able to see what he is like at the store and most pet store hamsters are not calm and relaxed and probably will be jumpy and scared. Taming will require a lot more time but this is not always true. If he is jumpy then you will have to decide wither to risk it that this is not his actual temperament or to walk away and be safe. Pet Store hamsters are never a for sure thing for temperament so you'd need to decide.

However having Two hamsters is not that much more work, and once tame you get twice the joy of Hamster owning, and twice the stories to tell on HC :)

Good Luck on your decision.
Ok she said "away from your current hamster" so I 'm not sure what that means. :)

[Nancy's Hamsters]

It means Preferably the new hamster is kept complete separate from the current hamster for at least 2 weeks. The ideal way is a completely different place(a friends home who has no hamsters, a heated shed etc.), but most can't do that so the new hamster placed on a different floor of a home and if that isn't possible a completely different room.

When you handle the new hamster the best situation would be you are not going to go near your current hamster until a change of clothing as Infectious diseases can spread very quickly from your contact with the sick hamster to the healthy ones.

I know a fellow Hobby breeder who had over 30 Hamsters and she went out and bought a very nice Hamster from an Independent pet store(Meaning not a chain store but a mom and pops type store. The Hamster looked healthy at purchase but after just 7 days the Hamster was very ill. She had taken proper quarantine procedures except for the changing of clothes before handling her healthy Hamsters. She ended up losing all but 2 of her pups, and half her breeding adults when the Virus the new hamster had spread like wild fire. Her Vet said they had been getting many cases of what they titled Hamster Crud as the symptoms are very much like Wet Tail except it effects pups AND Adults. The adults can be Hamsters who have lived in the home for some time. 90% of the adults which got this illness died. Older Pups almost always responded to Medications and lived. However it was 98% lethal to suckling pups with her saving only 2 of 28 pups.

So with the Detolf if you couldn't quarantine you would be handling the new hamsters bottle, Food bowl and the Hamster and then tending to your other Hamster without clothes change.

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

It means Preferably the new hamster is kept complete separate from the current hamster for at least 2 weeks. The ideal way is a completely different place(a friends home who has no hamsters, a heated shed etc.), but most can't do that so the new hamster placed on a different floor of a home and if that isn't possible a completely different room.

When you handle the new hamster the best situation would be you are not going to go near your current hamster until a change of clothing as Infectious diseases can spread very quickly from your contact with the sick hamster to the healthy ones.

I know a fellow Hobby breeder who had over 30 Hamsters and she went out and bought a very nice Hamster from an Independent pet store(Meaning not a chain store but a mom and pops type store. The Hamster looked healthy at purchase but after just 7 days the Hamster was very ill. She had taken proper quarantine procedures except for the changing of clothes before handling her healthy Hamsters. She ended up losing all but 2 of her pups, and half her breeding adults when the Virus the new hamster had spread like wild fire. Her Vet said they had been getting many cases of what they titled Hamster Crud as the symptoms are very much like Wet Tail except it effects pups AND Adults. The adults can be Hamsters who have lived in the home for some time. 90% of the adults which got this illness died. Older Pups almost always responded to Medications and lived. However it was 98% lethal to suckling pups with her saving only 2 of 28 pups.

So with the Detolf if you couldn't quarantine you would be handling the new hamsters bottle, Food bowl and the Hamster and then tending to your other Hamster without clothes change.

wow! that's all pretty intense! Thank you very much for this information! wow, just wow... O.O

[Pebbles82]

In that case it might be better getting one from a breeder maybe. Or being prepared for the quarantine. Nancy would it work the same if you say bought and paid for the hamster but didn't collect it for two weeks, to see if any diseases emerged? Or is that a silly thing to say lol?

[Nancy's Hamsters]

In that case it might be better getting one from a breeder maybe. Or being prepared for the quarantine. Nancy would it work the same if you say bought and paid for the hamster but didn't collect it for two weeks, to see if any diseases emerged? Or is that a silly thing to say lol?

I do quarantines on even Breeder bought hamsters just to be safe. The Vets still have not found out where and what this new Wet Tail like illness is coming from and all they know is Baytril has been of little help in curing the Hamsters.

My friend ended up Being given Neomyacin, and literally forcing some to take in Pedialyte Fluids orally and many had to be giving sub Q fluids by the vet. She spent a fortune to save like 10 hamsters of the 30. The Vet she uses asked if she would allow them to do deeper testing on a few of the ones who died and thus far they know this Bacterial Virus attacks the intestinal tract killing all the Filia in the intestines, and allowing Bad bacteria to over come the good bacteria in less then 48 hours.

Probiotics if given immediately upon discovering the Hamster is ill seems to help them battle this illness, But adult hamsters under any stress fail to recover most of the time. Some Vets are trying to see if this illness is connected to the Canine Virus dubbed Dog Show crud which has been running rampant in many states with racing Gray Hounds and quickly spread to the dog show world by storm. In the dog world it has been determined to be a mutation of either the Coronna Virus, or yet another newer mutation of Parvo Virus which does not respond to any current Vaccines against These two illnesses.

I was thankful my one case was caught quickly and I had taken precautions by having my in quarantine Hamsters away from my Breeding groups However I did lose all but two pups from two different litters, and sadly helped the infected adult Hamsters(Two rescued from a Pet store Females with a litter of 4 week old pups, and a litter of 18 day old pups) to the bridge as they were suffering and had gave up wanting to live. I tried my best to save their pups but only the biggest of the 18 day old litter, and the strongest of the older litter made it and recovered.

That could have been a real disaster had I not quarantined the two pregnant Moms. None of my breeders got sick and my friends Vet gave me a verbal OK that the virus was gone after no cases occurred in 4 weeks. Made me think twice about rescuing Pregnant Hamsters. I was also VERY glad I didn't bring the Mom's into my Breeder area and left them all in Quarantine area since I didn't want to risk the new Mom's getting upset with a major room move with new born pups. The Virus came in with the Mom of the younger litter and spread to the other Mom so fast.

As for buying a Hamster and leaving it with the person you bought it from. IF it was a private Breeder and they were willing to hold for two weeks I would think it would be safe, BUT I just can't see a Pet store being any safety as most stores have high traffic customers who could easily have lost a Hamster and came to the store to buy another and if they had this Virus or any virus on them from their passed on hamster it would mean your on hold hamster would be getting 2 weeks of risks and you would still have to quarantine for 2 more weeks which in my eyes would have just been a big waste of time before bringing the new hamster home. :D

[Piebald]

Wow thanks Nancy. I wonder is it some kind of "superbug" Mutated from overuse of antibiotics like in people hospitals? Is it a virus or a bacteria? I also wonder if it kills its host so quickly might it have some capacity to lie dormant waiting for another host? Shudder.

[DrKMcK]

Wow! There is a load of great info in this thread! One thing I don't understand...people keep a male and female together for their whole breeding life? How do they do that??? My Sandy Bear, a Syrian female, nearly killed Blaze Bear once they mated. If I left Blaze in there she would have killed him. He was on his back screaming at the top of his lungs, and my gentle Sandy almost bit my hand as she lunged for him as I scooped him out of the cage as fast as I could. 15 minutes later Blaze was all set up in his own cage. So I don't understand why a breeder would do that. I'm just baffled. :-(

[Oatmeal_Cupcake]

Wow! There is a load of great info in this thread! One thing I don't understand...people keep a male and female together for their whole breeding life? How do they do that??? My Sandy Bear, a Syrian female, nearly killed Blaze Bear once they mated. If I left Blaze in there she would have killed him. He was on his back screaming at the top of his lungs, and my gentle Sandy almost bit my hand as she lunged for him as I scooped him out of the cage as fast as I could. 15 minutes later Blaze was all set up in his own cage. So I don't understand why a breeder would do that. I'm just baffled. :-(

I don't get that either! When the shop showed me the litter of hamsters I was REALLY surprised to see the mom and dad with the pups!

[Pebbles82]

Also if they lived together their whole lives surely they'd be breeding constantly!