Cleaning used toys & other Chinese hammy questions

[Kiki_3173]

Since school is starting next week, I've realized that Darwin will be returning to the classroom for the week, which will leave me hammyless at home (during the week). I'm not sure that I'm ready for that, so I am contemplating on getting a Chinese hamster. I have a few questions prior to that though...

#1 - Many of the toys (and the cage) I would use have belonged to my dwarf Smudge. Since I don't exactly know what Smudge passed away from, how should I go about cleaning those toys (many of which are wood) & cage?

#2 - The Chinese hammy I've been looking at is pretty small, so would it be ok to start her out in a 66 qt (approx. a 62L) bin cage while taming before moving her to the IKEA Billy cage?

#3 - I know The Chinese hams love hiding spots (which I fully intend to provide) but during taming, should I avoid any levels in her cage, so she can't hide under it all of the time (avoiding taming)?

[racinghamster]

Hi Kiki. Chinese hamsters are wonderful, but they are not for everyone because they don`t particularly like noise or rough handling. If you are getting a single Chinese for yourself, he can have a shelf, ramps, branches, climbing accessories and basically enjoy his cage. Think Mouse....and you have a Chinese hamster only with a shorter tail!

1. If you have wooden toys/accessories, a mild chlorine bleach solution (follow instructions on the bottle for usage) or get a baby bottle sterilising fluid and soak them as per bottle instructions and properly air dry outside for a few days to a week. Any bark covered wood might fall apart though so only bare wood might hold well.

2. The cage size doesn`t really matter, but your right that they do better with plenty of hiding places and egg box/toilet roll tubes and anything other dwarf hamsters will enjoy.

3. Is Darwin a Chinese hamster? If he is, then you will be used to watching how a Chinese hamsters reacts to things.

4. A Bin cage is fine as long as it`s well ventilated. Meshing the front is a good idea rather than just having the lid meshed.

The diet should be considered before getting your Chinese. They are one of the diabetic prone species, but that just means they can`t have `added` sugars in their hamster mix. There is no need to remove corn, maize or peas. These are all part of the nutritional mix. If you want treats, look at small fingersnail pieces of raw broccoli, cucumber, carrot and a small amount of cooked brown rice.

Hope this has helped a wee bit. x

[Kiki_3173]

Originally Posted by racinghamster

Hi Kiki. Chinese hamsters are wonderful, but they are not for everyone because they don`t particularly like noise or rough handling. If you are getting a single Chinese for yourself, he can have a shelf, ramps, branches, climbing accessories and basically enjoy his cage. Think Mouse....and you have a Chinese hamster only with a shorter tail!

1. If you have wooden toys/accessories, a mild chlorine bleach solution (follow instructions on the bottle for usage) or get a baby bottle sterilising fluid and soak them as per bottle instructions and properly air dry outside for a few days to a week. Any bark covered wood might fall apart though so only bare wood might hold well.

2. The cage size doesn`t really matter, but your right that they do better with plenty of hiding places and egg box/toilet roll tubes and anything other dwarf hamsters will enjoy.

3. Is Darwin a Chinese hamster? If he is, then you will be used to watching how a Chinese hamsters reacts to things.

4. A Bin cage is fine as long as it`s well ventilated. Meshing the front is a good idea rather than just having the lid meshed.

The diet should be considered before getting your Chinese. They are one of the diabetic prone species, but that just means they can`t have `added` sugars in their hamster mix. There is no need to remove corn, maize or peas. These are all part of the nutritional mix. If you want treats, look at small fingersnail pieces of raw broccoli, cucumber, carrot and a small amount of cooked brown rice.

Hope this has helped a wee bit. x

Thanks for the info racinghamster! . You have been so very helpful throughout my research of Chinese hamsters. The Chinese I plan on getting will be a hamster for home, not for school. I've not had a Chinese before as Darwin is a Syrian, but I am very excited. I think I will just start the new hamster in the IKEA Billy cage that I had originally planned (instead of a bin cage). That way it will avoid any unnecessary stress on the hamster with moving cages later. I had a hybrid, so I had to keep an eye on the added sugars for her. Again, thanks for the info.

[racinghamster]

Sounds good. All you need to remember is that Chinese hamsters are not quite as run around mad fluff balls that Russians are! They do love climbing and digging though so your set up will have lots of hiding places and enrichment. x