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Old 04-23-2022, 05:57 AM   #1
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Do hamsters get lonely?

Hello,
Do hamsters get lonely? Whenever I google this question the answer is no, but the other day I visited my local pet store and hamsters were I saw hamsters together in the same cage and I only have one hamster, because I thought hamsters must be alone, but whenever I go near the cage my hamster tries to come to me and even tries to climb out the cage (unfortunately sometimes successfully) and he lets me hold himself in his hand and pet him. Whenever I'm not near his cage he calms down though.
Is it possible that he tries to escape when I'm near the cage because the cage is too small or he just wants some closeness?

What are the signs of cage aggression exactly? It's not possible for him to climb the cage. Are there any other obvious signs? Would he try to escape even if I'm not near the cage if it was cage aggression?

Also, I know I'm changing subjects, but he's not using his wheel in the cage, but he's using the same wheel on his playground. What's that all about?
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Old 04-23-2022, 06:02 AM   #2
cloudy
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Hamsters do not get lonely. They can have a bond with their person and want to interact. I used to have beta fish. They lived alone but always wanted my attention and to interact.

Maybe posting a picture of your cage would be helpful? That way people can give you some more advice and tips.

Pet shops put hamsters together in cages which can be okay when babies but then they will fight.
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Old 04-23-2022, 06:42 AM   #3
Ria P
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Also keep in mind that pet shops want to sell as many hamsters as possible so will keep more than one in one cage when they are babies.
If they don't sell and move into the adoption section they will be housed alone because hamsters are solitary rodents.

If your hamster wants to interact with you then you are lucky enough to have a bond with him. I'd suggest to spend as much time as you can with him.

As for the wheel. I'd exchange the wheels and see what happens. Some of our hamsters are like that and spend more time on the wheels in the playground than their own wheels in their cages. No idea why but as long as all the wheels work ok, i'm not really worried about it.

A photo of your cage would help but you really do need to make sure to secure the cage so he cannot escape from it.
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Old 04-23-2022, 10:59 PM   #4
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

This is the cage he's living in:
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Old 04-23-2022, 11:03 PM   #5
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowNinjaHamster View Post
This is the cage he's living in:
You'll need to remove the wire wheel right away. Those are incredibly dangerous for small pets and can cause serious injury including bumblefoot, ripping toenails or entire toes off, and much more.

It also looks like you could possibly have a cage with very large bar spacing which of course inevitably leads to escape. You need 1/2 inch bar spacing for hamsters, nothing over that!
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Old 04-23-2022, 11:24 PM   #6
Lilafernim
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

I also just want to add if finding a cage is difficult, you may be able to just mesh around the enclosure just make sure that any sharp ends aren’t exposed. If you can find a new cage or even a second hand one then I’d opt for that as mesh can be very fiddly!

I believe it’s a guinea pig enclosure though? So well done for going bigger on floor space but as said the bar spacing will be too big!

Also with the wheel, I use a Trixie wheel which are pretty cheap really, and are fully plastic so easy to clean and no holes for little feet to be trapped in.

You asked about other signs of cage aggression and I think in glass enclosures they do something called pacing instead of bar biting where they’ll rapidly go back and forth trying to scramble against the glass.

It’s great you use paper substrate, I just wanted to make one more suggestion and I know you say it’s hard to find pet supplies where you are. I just think the cage could do with a few more chews. Such as whimzees dog chews they love them. Alternatively, it is possible to collect things on walks like I sometimes get pine cones and bake them in the oven and then they can be placed in the enclosure. I bake mine but I actually wait a few days extra just to be EXTRA sure.

Also, this should be really cheap to do and I believe smaller breeds of hamsters thrive with this. Just get a sandwich container or a tub of some kind, and some children’s play sand. Bake the sand and sieve before using but you can get a massive bag of it for £5 here so it is cheap. And just make a sand bath for them they’d love it!
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Old 04-23-2022, 11:39 PM   #7
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
You'll need to remove the wire wheel right away. Those are incredibly dangerous for small pets and can cause serious injury including bumblefoot, ripping toenails or entire toes off, and much more.

It also looks like you could possibly have a cage with very large bar spacing which of course inevitably leads to escape. You need 1/2 inch bar spacing for hamsters, nothing over that!
I was going to purchase another wheel anyways. He has three other wheels and. one of them is spinning hamster wheel, but he doesn't know how to use it. The last time I tried to show it to him I put him on there and spun it a little bit he bit me.

I can't find a good cage from any stores and everything delivered online is delivered by DHL and every time I've used them I've had awful experiences.
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Old 04-24-2022, 12:12 AM   #8
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilafernim View Post
I also just want to add if finding a cage is difficult, you may be able to just mesh around the enclosure just make sure that any sharp ends aren’t exposed. If you can find a new cage or even a second hand one then I’d opt for that as mesh can be very fiddly!

I believe it’s a guinea pig enclosure though? So well done for going bigger on floor space but as said the bar spacing will be too big!

Also with the wheel, I use a Trixie wheel which are pretty cheap really, and are fully plastic so easy to clean and no holes for little feet to be trapped in.

You asked about other signs of cage aggression and I think in glass enclosures they do something called pacing instead of bar biting where they’ll rapidly go back and forth trying to scramble against the glass.

It’s great you use paper substrate, I just wanted to make one more suggestion and I know you say it’s hard to find pet supplies where you are. I just think the cage could do with a few more chews. Such as whimzees dog chews they love them. Alternatively, it is possible to collect things on walks like I sometimes get pine cones and bake them in the oven and then they can be placed in the enclosure. I bake mine but I actually wait a few days extra just to be EXTRA sure.

Also, this should be really cheap to do and I believe smaller breeds of hamsters thrive with this. Just get a sandwich container or a tub of some kind, and some children’s play sand. Bake the sand and sieve before using but you can get a massive bag of it for £5 here so it is cheap. And just make a sand bath for them they’d love it!
He already has a sand bath. He actually also had a bathroom for awhile (with the same sand in it), but he didn't use it, so unfortunately he pees and poops and washes himself in the sand bath and he also brings food there, which means he also eats there.
I've visited pet store many times when I have days off, but I cannot find paper bedding anymore, so I'll have to order online again. I still have regular bedding left, a big bag of it. I thought to use it someday. Currently it's in the fridge. He used to have bugs when I got him and I have no idea where the bugs came from and if he already had the bugs. I cleaned frequently and I cleaned everything in my apartment as well as I could and with vinegar and other substances. Someone here told that my apartment might be infested with bugs and there's a specific spot where they keep hiding and I haven't found it. I told about it to my friend and she said: "I don't believe it" and we booked a time together to a vet. He had no idea what those bugs were, but he gave him a shot and some things to clean the cage with and I had to wait for 8 hours and then clean wash the cage as well as I could after that otherwise my hamster would be poisoned and would die. He also told me to clean the toys, but I threw those toys away and bought new ones. He hasn't had bugs ever since and I washed his cage for 8 hours and other cleaning products and I washed his cage many times. It would appear I did a great job, since he's still alive.


"trying to scramble against the glass." - My hamster does it when I am near the cage, but when I go further away and peek him from the kitchen for example he's calm, but as soon as I go back he starts and sometimes he has managed to climb and climbs out through bars, but so far he has only done it when I am near. I feel like this is only a matter of time when he climbs out when I am not near.

Also, I took him to another vet and she said he's extremely obese (the first two vets didn't nor said anything about his weight). He has started to be more active and manages to do more now. Such as climbing out of the cage. He even once climbed on top of his house. We still have 25g to lose.

I don't know who that cage is for. I just bought the widest one from the pet store.

Wait, did I understand right that I'm supposed to get him dog chew toys? The thing over here is that you can find everything easily for cats and dogs but not for hamsters. You just have to buy online, but sometimes I've seen hamster toys. I'll go and check out today. What I am mostly afraid of is that the cage will be small when there are lots of toys.

Pinecones is another great idea! Thank you!
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Old 04-24-2022, 12:26 AM   #9
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
You'll need to remove the wire wheel right away. Those are incredibly dangerous for small pets and can cause serious injury including bumblefoot, ripping toenails or entire toes off, and much more.

It also looks like you could possibly have a cage with very large bar spacing which of course inevitably leads to escape. You need 1/2 inch bar spacing for hamsters, nothing over that!
Media Expert

Would that cage be good enough?
Or actually, I'll look for a mesh…
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Old 04-24-2022, 12:43 AM   #10
Lilafernim
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Default Re: Do hamsters get lonely?

Great to hear he has a sand bath! It is a small image it might just be hard for me to see it XD yes I understand the removing situation and the fear of putting in new items after that but if you’ve had the all clear I would consider reintroducing some new enrichment.

Also I wouldn’t worry about taking space up in the cage with enrichment. Obviously you don’t want it where it’s difficult to get on the wheel or access food bowls etc but it’s good they have routes to explore. Also different hides. There’s a thread on here called “let’s see your cages” and it has good examples of what I mean. You don’t have to go as fancy or large as some of them are on there but it will give you a good idea.

As for the food chews I don’t mean any dog food! Just the whimzees chews are safe, they come in a variety of shapes but most people get the toothbrush ones for their hamsters.
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