Too many toys?

[Adeliek]

I recently adopted what I believed to be a male Russian dwarf hamster, but I have just confirmed is in fact a female Chinese hamster. Honestly I don't know much about hamsters, I keep rats so I know the basic rodent needs and have done some recent research to give me and my hamster the best start. I have never owned an animal so tiny before...and so cute (shhh don't tell my ratties!) When I originally brought her home from Pets at Home I was told that too many toys can incur wet tail as the hammy gets too stressed over a lot of choice of toys. But I have seen some AMAZING cages here which seem to demonstrate the complete opposite. So was that information I was told exclusive to Russian hamsters? A complete misunderstanding or is there some truth? I know these guys should be kept as individuals so I figured they would need loads of toys? Plus my three ratties have more toys than any child

[kyrilliondaemon]

Er... I think whoever told you that was kinda completely wrong I'm afraid... We have russians with loads of toys (and chinese with the same)

[NiceCrocs]

Yeah... I have never heard that xD I think the person who told you that was terribly misinformed.

[velma]

They can get wet tail if they are stressed so they need to have a quiet couple of days & then take things slowly but I've never heard the too many toys thing before. I could be wrong though. They'll get stressed if they get bored & Chinese can be timid so will get stressed if not enough places to hide/enough cover for them in the cage. I've only had chinese hamsters once & that was quite a long time ago but there are lots of Chinese owners on here with a lot of experience who will be able to help you.

[Shannonmcn]

It sounds like the employee heard that too much stress and change in environment can cause wet tail and took that to a weird extreme.

A small amount of knowledge is a dangerous thing!

[cypher]

You get some very strange advice in pet shops!!
My chinese can't seem to have enough toys, hideouts, things to climb on & masses of substrate to burrow in, they get much more stressed if put in a cage with lots of open space.

[Adeliek]

I thought as much, considering he didn't even realise he was selling me a Chinese hamster and not a Russian I thought it was worth checking. Oh what a shame I'll have to go shopping again

[Vectis Hamstery]

Chinese hamsters enjoy having things to hide in (and dwarf hamsters don't get wet tail ). Chineseys don't mind if they're bought toys of homemade - in fact, most of my Chineseys seem to prefer the box the toy came in to the actual toy!

[Adeliek]

Originally Posted by Vectis Hamstery

Chinese hamsters enjoy having things to hide in (and dwarf hamsters don't get wet tail ). Chineseys don't mind if they're bought toys of homemade - in fact, most of my Chineseys seem to prefer the box the toy came in to the actual toy!

Really? I've read that they answer is more of a 'maybe'? But then Chinese hamsters aren't technically dwarf hamsters they're more like mice/rats right? So does this change that? Oh god I'm such a newbie to all of this

[Vectis Hamstery]

Chinese hamsters are very different to mice or rats, for example mice and rats require company and Chinese hamsters often prefer to be housed alone. Whether they are dwarf hamsters or not depends on how you define 'dwarf hamster' Some people (and law-makers) define them as only hamsters of the Phodopus genus and therefore feel Chinese hamsters aren't a dwarf. I, however, feel that as I show them in the dwarf hamster section of shows, they are dwarf hamsters (and I prefer the term 'dwarf hamster' to the rather cumbersome alternative of 'General Other Species of Hamster' or GOSH).

I'm not sure whether you were referring to wet tail or liking toys in saying the answer was 'maybe'. Chinese hamsters don't get wet tail like Syrians (though they can still get diarrhoea, but not wet tail). My answer regarding toys was my experience of Chinese hamsters, that they prefer to have things to hide in rather than wide open expanses of cage.