Just got my first hamster home!

[SammieHammy]

I just got my first hamster and brought her home, right now she is exploring her new home. Must say my experience in the pet shop was a bit stressful. The sales assistant while very lovely and knowledgable was trying to talk me into to getting a dwarf hamster, i had my heart set on a syrian and had done lots of research and felt quite put on the spot.

He was saying that I wasn't going to like a Syrian as they bite and forget who you are and you always have to re tame them as opposed to the dwarfs and was talking about wet tail a lot. I went with my heart anyway and got a lovely little cream and white Syrian female.

We haven't been home long but Im yet to see her drink, i have the savic hamster heaven and am using the bottle it comes with but it falls out of the holder due to heaviness unless i put it on an angle….which causes it to leak? any suggestions?

Also how much is too much bedding? I'm concerned iv put way too much in ?

Thank you for the help guys brand new hammy mummy!

[Shannonmcn]

Congratulations on your new little friend!! That shop assistant is obviously just biased (or stupid), that's absolute nonsense about Syrians being biters or forgetful. Maybe they have dwarfs they need to get rid of before Christmas or something!

I have a hamster heaven and I've never had a problem with the water bottle falling off, it's pretty secure. If you rest the nozzle on a horizontal bar and clip the bottle in near the top, that's as steady as its going to get i think. If you post a picture we could maybe see what the problem is?

You can never have too much bedding! She's going to love burrowing into it and kicking it about the place the hamster heaven has a nice deep base and I usually put as much in there as I can fit.

[Thin Lizzy]

Sammiehammy, that guy in the pet shop is a stupid idiot and shouldn't have put you on the spot.
I have always had syrians and they are such brilliant pets, make sure you let her settle in for a few days before you attempt to touch/hold her. Talk to her and use her name and let her get use to your voice.
As for biting, all hamsters will bite if they fell scared or spooked.
You can never have too much bedding and especially with the winter, it's good to give more.
As for the water bottle, is there anything you could use to prop it up/support it?
Have you decided on a name?

[SammieHammy]

Yes he was also being quite rough with her and put her in a second box and just let it fall in to the second box. You could hear her thump inside against the other end. I put some double sided tape on the inside on the holder and its now firmly in place so hopefully that will be ok?
I have her in the living room at the moment should i move her? My partner was saying its no noisier than the pet shop but i thought id ask you guys.

I made the mistake of holding a twig out to her that had fell through the bars and as she took it off me she let out a screech. I hope i didn't upset her. Ill make sure to just leave her to be.

I really need help with a name here are the ones i like.
Penelope
Amelie
Willow
Fawn
Alice
Blossom
Lavender
I love harry potter so i had to sneak at least one name in their.
Ill try and post a picture!

[SammieHammy]

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[SammieHammy]

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[Shannonmcn]

Lavender is a lovely name! Though after watching the half blood prince yesterday and seeing how ridiculous they made the character I'm not sure I would use it Im going to put in a suggestions for Luna, because she is wonderful!

That shop guy sounds like a moron, I'd avoid him the next time you're in. So long as she can't get to the tape to nibble on it that should work, my Ceecee is always getting her whiskers caught trying to chew on the tape I use to secure the lid of her exercise ball.

If you have somewhere quieter for her to settle in it will probably be better, leaving them completely to themselves (apart from food and water) in a nice quiet place for the first 3-4 days will stop them getting too stressed out in a big new scary environment and risking wet tail. Once she's a bit more used to you you can think about moving her into the living room but a bedroom or a quiet office or something might be best for now. Don't take offence at the screech, she's just stressed and nervous. I'm sure all of us have been scolded at some point

Edit: just saw photos, what a beautiful colour she is! :3 and yeah you can put waaay more bedding in than that in the future but I'd leave her as she is for now.

[cypher]

Congrats on your new ham!
Forget everything you were told in the pet shop & just enjoy your new friend
I have one of mine in a hamster heaven & totally fill the base with substrate, you really can't have too much!
I don't use the water bottle that came with it so I can't really help with that but I would say always try to have at least one spare water bottle in case of problems, I always use the basic cheap bottles, they fit to the bars easily & I don't have any problems with them.

Just give her time to settle & don't move her cage around, decide on where you want to keep her & she'll adjust to the sounds around her. Don't worry about frightening her with the twig but do leave her to get used to her surroundings for a day or two, apart from feeding & putting water in the bottle just talk to her for now.

[Bec]

Congratulations on your new addition, she is lovely.

I echo the comments already made above, give her a few days to settle in, talk softly to her and use this site to read up on the taming process which may help.

Look forward to seeing how this little one settles, and once you have decided on a name, think about doing a thread for her.

[SammieHammy]

Oh boy is she a bar chewer! i was talking to her as she chewed on the bars and once again she gave a wee screech. Not sure if she's just having a wee chat or perhaps doesn't like my voice. mind you she squeaks to herself as she goes.