First time owner

[Gerbil]

Hi everyone,

So, as the title suggests, I'm a first time hamster owner and today I got this little ball of fluff I have decided to name Dudley (mostly because his chubby face reminds me of Dudley Dursley) XD

I'm a little concerned about the fact that he's already bar chewing... is that normal? He's in the Duna Fun which I hope is big enough.

Unfortunately I'm struggling with adding photos from my phone but I'm absolutely in love with his colour and would like comfirmation on what it's called.

Thank you!

[souffle]

Hi there - you have a beautiful Long haired Sable banded boy there. What a cutie. Sables tend to go a bit browner as they get older so you may notice that. If you look under his top coat you will see that he has a cream undercoat and the cream eye rings :) I love sables.
You will get lots of cage opinions on the forum and remember these are the posters opinions but the key is to decide what your hamster is happy and content in and change if need be to a different type or size. You will need at least an 8inch wheel while he is a baby and monitor how he grows to see if he needs upgrading.
Welcome to the forum.

[Gerbil]

Thank you so much for replying! I'm already absolutely in love with him, I just wish he would stop chewing the bars! My gerbils do this and it tends to rub some fur off their noses.

[cypher]

Hi Gerbil welcome to the forum & congrats on your new ham :)
Dudley really is a very handsome little ham man :)

You will get varied personal opinions on suitable cages, things to bear in mind are the size of wheel you will need (anything up to 10" or even larger for a fully grown syrian), a nice house with no base & a good depth of substrate to burrow in, space for toys & enrichment to keep your ham happy & occupied.
It's hard to provide that in a very small cage, you might want to have a look at this thread to get some ideas from other people's cages regarding size & set up.
http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/housing/66113-lets-see-your-cages-may-2016-a.html
Two of the most popular cages in the UK are the Barney & Alaska from Zooplus. (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages)

[Millie]

He is such a cutie! Absolutely love his fur :)

If you do decide to look at getting a bigger cage for him, I would definitely recommend the Alaska from Zooplus. Both my two hamster's have one each and they love the amount of space that they have!

[Drago]

Hello and welcome to HC!

The Alaska, Barney, and Alexander are three wonderful barred cages. With Syrians, the general rule of them is "the bigger, the better", but you'll also need to evaluate the personality of your ham when choosing a cage. Pick one with a very deep base so it can fit about 12 in of bedding and a 12 in wheel. When choosing a wheel, (this applies to adults only) go no smaller than 10.5 in, although 12 really is ideal. As Souffle said, he's a LH sable banded Syrian, and he's definitely super cute :) If you ever have any other questions, please ask!

[Gerbil]

Thank you all so much for replying. I thought I had replied earlier but it obviously didn't go through.

Yeah, the cage was going to be either the Alaska or the Zoo Zone 2, but I fell in love with his sweet, inquisitive personality at PaH without a cage ready... I'm reluctant to replace it and see £55 go down the drain but obviously his happiness comes first. Perhaps I'll see how he grows?

Thank you all so much again, as you can probably tell I'm absolutely smitten with him

[BorisPasha]

What a beautiful boy, he's gorgeous congrats :)

[Drago]

Thank you all so much for replying. I thought I had replied earlier but it obviously didn't go through.

Yeah, the cage was going to be either the Alaska or the Zoo Zone 2, but I fell in love with his sweet, inquisitive personality at PaH without a cage ready... I'm reluctant to replace it and see £55 go down the drain but obviously his happiness comes first. Perhaps I'll see how he grows?

Thank you all so much again, as you can probably tell I'm absolutely smitten with him

He's probably alright in that cage for now, but upgrade would definitely be a good idea! Both the Alaska and Zoo Zone 2 can be appropriate cages when filled with stimulation and bedding. They're definitely a worthwhile investment, as many owners around can testify!

It's no surprise you're loving him, he's an adorable little guy. Please be sure to keep sharing pics of him as he settles more :)

[dreamtree1234]

Hi and welcome to HC, Gerbil! Congrats on giving Dudley his loving, forever home! He is an absolutely stunning sable! I look forward to hearing more about your handsome guy and seeing more pics whenever he is settled in more and time permits. Eros says HI! :)

[CMB]

Congratulations. Dudley is lovely. As he grows, you may decide he needs a bigger cage and wheel.

With a bigger cage it is easier to add enrichment opportunities, like toys, digging area etc.

Hope he settles in well and you develope a good bond between him and the family.

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi and welcome to HC.
Congratulations on Dudley who's so fluffy, soft and very cute.

[Gerbil]

Thank you! :)