looking to get my first hamster :)

[wizzyjo1]

Hi everyone, new here and I am looking to get my first hamster. Firstly I need advice on what variety of hamster would be best for me as a beginner. I'd like a friendly hamster that doesn't mind being held and is fun to watch.
Secondly, I do not want to buy from a pet shop. I have always been one to rescue but have seen some people state that buying from a breeder for a hamster may be the best option. What about getting an unwanted hamster from preloved/gumtree etc? Would a baby hamster be best or an adult?
Third, I have a blue zoozone cage that I used to use as a hospital cage for my pet rats. It has been fully cleaned and disinfected and hasnt been used for the last year anyways. Is this suitable? If not, Id ideally like a taller cage with a smaller footprint as it would fit best in my room, if this was suitable? Any suggestions?
Nearly finished... I have a lot of food and vitamin things left over from my pet rats that will be given away if not used. Are any of the following suitable/necessary for hamsters?: dr squiggles, calcivet, cod liver oil, apple cider vinegar, flaxseed oil? No probs if not but thought its best to check before I get rid of them.
Finally, what food is best? Also bedding? I used finacard for the rats so have a huge bale left if that is suitable? Its thinly cut dust extracted cardboard, good for digging in, playing in and throwing around for fun
Anything else I need to know? I dont want to rush into it and not have a clue where to begin.

[Lougarry]

Hi Wizzy and welcome to HC. You are definitely going about it the right way.

In my opinion Syrians are the best choice for a beginner as they are generally more laid back and easier to handle. Dwarf hamsters not from a breeder are more than likely hybrids who are prone to health (especially neurological problems). Robos are very fast and may prefer not to be handled. Chinese hamsters are very cute and although they are often said to be shy, I know 3 people with very affectionate Chinese. For a beginner, a lone hamster is probably better than a pair or colony and Syrians must be kept alone.

Sourcing your hamster is a matter of choice. Breeder hams are bred for temperament as much as appearance and handled regularly so are likely to be tame and agreeable immediately. I am a great advocate of adoption of unwanted hams though, and they are very rewarding. I adopted my recently-deceased Bear from P@H's adoption centre and although she bit at first she soon became gentle and loving. I adopted Magic from a member of this board who takes in rescues and he was a delight from the start. Dinah is from a breeder. Gumtree and Preloved are also a good source as you say. My adoptees were both adults as I feel they are less likely to be taken on than babies.

A Zoozone is a good choice, but if you had a big Syrian you'd be better off with a ZZ2 than a ZZ1. Substrate is another individual choice. I use Megazorb (wood based horse bedding) for Magic and wood shavings layered with hay for Dinah. Some use Auboise which is another horse bedding, hemp-based. finacard would be fine too. The best bedding material is unscented cheap toilet paper. Avoid the fluffy stuff like te plague as limbs can become tangled and it can cause intestinal blockages if swallowed.

If you prefer to extend upwards, the IMac Fantasy with one or more expansion packs is quite popular. I've got a Furet rat cage which Bear loved, but you need to ensure your ham can't fall from top to bottom, or on anything that might hurt them.

The other must is a wheel (or saucer) big enough for the hamster to run on without arching its back. For a Syrian no less than 8" and preferable 10" or 12". Wodent Wheels or silent Spinners are popular but you'd have to cut down the stand of a large SS to fit it in a ZZ.

I don't know about the other rat stuff, sorry!

Hope this helps. Welcome to the wonderful world of hamsters.

[fluffymunchkins]

Welcome
From my experience, roborovskis are the most interesting to watch, but aren't usually very cuddley. Syrians and winterwhites, tend to be the most cuddley and playful.

Rescuing can be very rewarding, its brilliant if you can. Breeders offer the best chance of a healthy and tame hamster x

[wizzyjo1]

Thanks for the replies I always liked syrians best too, I seen something on the tele that had long haired syrians in and I thought they were really pretty. Is there any difference between males and females? If I was to get an unwanted hamster from preloved/gumtree and it hadn't been handled much, would it be very likely to bite? And if so, are they easy enough to tame for someone with no experience? Also is there a list of good breeders anywhere? So I can weigh up my options. I live in south shields near newcastle. Any ideas on what food is best too? I'd like to get everything in ready I use the internet on my blackberry and its very slow so Ill struggle to read through loads of posts which is why I'm hoping to get everything I need to know for now from one post are syrians prone to any health issues? And what is the average lifespan?

[kiania]

Not sure if it helps for a syrian, but I use a thin layer of finacard on one of my hybrid's Perfecto shelves, and scatter tiny seeds in it as well as have her millet spray (which also sheds millet like mad). No idea how syrians cope with tiny seeds, but scatter feeding (either all food, or treat bits like me) is a good way, and I worry that they'd get lost in my deep substrate layer (~15cm megazorb), so the finacard works perfectly.

But like you, I have a bale of the stuff kicking around. If I was you, I'd probably use mostly megazorb/aubiose, but offer some of your finacard (since you've got it already) for a variety, just not the main burrowing area

[fluffymunchkins]

I've always prefered males, females tend to be a little looney. But theres always exceptions, my male syrian is a right nutter Both are lovely!
Hamsters often tester nibble, but some will bite if they've got into the habit or purely from being nervous. On the whole syrians tend to be very good and not big biters once they are settled. If you look at the WIKI section and follow the taming advice (bathtub taming sessions, offering treats, scooping them up etc.), I'd think even someone with no experience can tame soon enough. Some require more patience than others, but its all worth it

Home - National Hamster Council
If you contact the national hamster council through their website they can give you a list of breeders. Or you could visit a show (theres a list of shows on the website too) and theres usually a sales table with lots of babies to choose from.
Harry hamster is really good in my opinion, never had a problem with it and its usually available in most pet stores.

Syrians are prone to a whole number of health issues. The main concerns are wet tail, which can often happen with young hamsters that go through stress. Though its unliekly to happen with breeder hams. Tumours are more common in old age, so its best to check regularly for lumps and bumps. Strokes can also happen in old age, some recover and others don't. Pyometra is a worry in females, unfortunately its untreatable accept by operation which is very risky for hamsters.
Thats an extremely basic overview - I reccommend the hamsterlopoedia which has a tonne of info of health issues.

Average lifespan varies, but it usually around 2 and a half years x

[Magnusmomma]

I am no expert by any means, I haven't had a ton of experience. But, I can share from my own experience so far. I love syrians, they are very friendly and seem like easiest to tame. I have one rescue hybrid dwarf and three pet store dwarf hybrids. I can say that I will always rescue one before I ever buy one, but I know that for me, I had to learn that if I was going to rescue one, I had to accept that it may not come from a good environment or have issues that I would need to be able to take on. Not all come from a bad background some are awesome, but it is a chance you take. My pet store hammies are good, they are very tame and they did bite a lot at first, but stopped as soon as I got comfortable and stopped being nervous. I made them bin cages because I wanted more floor space for them than most cages from a store have. Two of them LOVE the bin cage and my boy hamster prefers his little store bought smaller cage. They are all so different and have their own personalities just like we do. I also when I bought my newest ones actually went in the room where they were at night and played with them and held them to make sure that it was a good fit. I hope this also helps.

[wizzyjo1]

Thank you, Ive been reading a lot through the wiki section on the website. Ive just made a big order from equinecaninefeline.com Loads of toys, chew toys, hamster sized sputnik and little plastic houses. I also ordered food and chinchilla sand for the bath incase hes interested in that. Im going to use my zoozone (style) cage for now but am on the lookout for a ferplast mary as I think thats a good size and its barred like I want it to be. Ive emailed a lady from preloved who is rehoming her hamster as her child has lost interest. Hes a 5 month old syrian and looks grey in colour. He comes with his cage so if I do get him, Ill see what his cage is like and either keep him in that or swap him into the zoozone. He hasnt been handled at all but she says he takes food from the hand so thats a good start. If I get him either today or tomorrow, is it best to leave him in his own cage for a while before swapping him into the zz2 if I decide to swap his cage? And should I handle him at all or wait a day or 2 while he settles? I dont want to stress him out.

[Lynternette]

Congratulations on your new baby to be. I have a male Syrian. He's a black and white
long haired male. He's very shy, intelligent and was easy to tame and toilet train. As its your first one a breeder might be best as the hamster will have good breeding and be tamed. You'll get a lot of experience that you can call on for a rescue one later on. I think he/she is going to have an excellent mummy.

[StarlightSerenity]

Originally Posted by wizzyjo1

Thank you, Ive been reading a lot through the wiki section on the website. Ive just made a big order from equinecaninefeline.com Loads of toys, chew toys, hamster sized sputnik and little plastic houses. I also ordered food and chinchilla sand for the bath incase hes interested in that. Im going to use my zoozone (style) cage for now but am on the lookout for a ferplast mary as I think thats a good size and its barred like I want it to be. Ive emailed a lady from preloved who is rehoming her hamster as her child has lost interest. Hes a 5 month old syrian and looks grey in colour. He comes with his cage so if I do get him, Ill see what his cage is like and either keep him in that or swap him into the zoozone. He hasnt been handled at all but she says he takes food from the hand so thats a good start. If I get him either today or tomorrow, is it best to leave him in his own cage for a while before swapping him into the zz2 if I decide to swap his cage? And should I handle him at all or wait a day or 2 while he settles? I dont want to stress him out.

Poor little lad! Hope you do rescue him.

For me it would depend on his cage - if it's in a right state (ie hadn't been cleaned in a long time) then I would move him straight into the ZZ2. If it's fine then I'd leave him in it for his settling in period. Although, saying that, it would mean that he had two changes within a few days of each other, rather than two changes at the same time. I'm not sure which would be better. There are loads of people here who have been in your shoes though and should be able to give you more concrete advice than my ramblings >.<