Hamster searching before final lockdown

[Jadetooth]

Facing a long and lonely isolation as am an at risk group. You may know I’ve posted several times about meaning to get a hamster and got my heart set on a rehome at a centre near me who wasn’t ready to go yet because they lost a little weight.

I think in one or two days all non essential shops will get shut so I’m going to go Monday morning and try and buy a new or rehome hamster from my local soulless profit driven pet shop (pets at home) because I think it s going to be my only option. I’m going them and see if I can do all their screen questions and pay on the phone and try not to go in the store. Hopefully they’ll be ok with this.

I have so far got:
Alaska cage
85L Kay tee clean and cozy
6* 700 g Harry mix
Small bag of treats

Burrow box
Wooden shelf thing(5inch of floor)
Toy ark for children with has hiding space
Small house wood
Small house plastic and shelf that comes with Alaska
Single water bottle planniNg to buy a spare
30cm Trixie wheel

I think this is all I need?


So looking for recommendations - is the new one or the rehome if there is a choice likely to be healthier? I want to avoid other trips out if poss so want to avoid it getting sick for this reason.

Looking for a Male Syrian ideally one a fawn or orange colour but if not any.

Going to be a long and lonely time :/ have been so excited for so long to get one and being slow and thinking a lot about it and collecting kit turned out to be the wrong thing to do!

[Jadetooth]

I should add I was going to borrow a friends car and get a lift to collect the rehome because it’s a drive away (pet shop I can walk to) and I don’t want to put them at any risk so going to rehome centre is out of the question

[cypher]

It sounds as though you have pretty much what you need. I would ditch the plastic house that came with the alaska though it's really not much use for a hamster! How big is the wooden house you have?
Definitely get a spare water bottle as they can stop working but you can always use a small shallow bowl if that becomes a problem.
If the cage is a little empty with the things you have you can make toys/hideouts with things like cardboard boxes or tubes.

[Ria P]

I would get some Whimzee dog chews, millet sprays and monkey nuts as well. A plastic corner toilet and sand is useful too.

Do you think that the pet shops are going to close? I would have classed them as essential shops though, pets have to eat too.

[Pebbles82]

I would just get one from pets at home. They will need to be cared for and I doubt they will be getting new stock of pets. If they have to close down I hate to think what they would do with all the pets. They will need homes. And also - how about getting two! We had a Robo and a Syrian at the same time and it was nice. Then if one does happen to not live as long as hoped you will still have a hamster to care for. You would need another cage of course. Two Syrians and two Alaska cages? A Robo and a Syrian may be easier.

Supplies wise. I would get some bedding in bulk - maybe a 10kg if Fitch as well as what you have. I wouldn’t worry about toys. A good house and wheel and diet are the main things - cardboard tubes are good for toys and a shoebox is an ideal house (cut a hole for a door, cut the base out and use the lid as a lift off roof). They need a big dark house to build a big nest and bury hoards on it. Second the litter tray although you can use any dish as a litter tray. You’ll need chinchilla sand for the litter tray but can use substrate if necessary. Sand soaks pee up better though.

Robos often just make a burrow under a shelf. Small houses are no good for Syrians but could be good for a Robo cage.

[LunaTheHamster1]

I hope you find yourself a hamster, I don;t know what I would be doing without mine at the moment, for something so small they can give a great amount of comfort.

Serendipity, I was thinking the same as you, what about all the pets in the pet stores and then it made me think about all the pet mills. I don;t even want to think about what is going to happen to all those little creatures.

Sorry Jadetooth I didn't mean to take over your post with sadness, do let us know what you end up doing.

[AmityvilleHams]

I would go with any option that is following proper sanitation procedures. It may not be the choice that feels best, but if the safest choice ended up being a chain pet store that would most likely be the right decision.

I can't speak for all pet stores worldwide, but I believe the policy at least from Petco here in the US will be transporting any animals if necessary to other locations but still providing care regardless. While their care standards obviously aren't going to be great, at least Petco animals are covered. I'd hope other pet stores would have a similar policy in place but obviously there are so many different stores including small local ones that a blanket statement can't be made for all of them!

[Jadetooth]

In other countries you’re only allowed out it the house if you are buying food or medicine and all other shops and business are ordered to close. I’m sure that will come here very soon.

Also the later I go out the more risk I am at of infecting others or catching it as cases doubling every three days

Thank you hopefully I will be able to post a photo Of probably a lovely hamster hiding under bedding tomorrow!

[Pebbles82]

Look forward to meeting him/her. I am sure there are hamsters in the adoption centre at PAH who would love a home with you. Also baby hamsters needing homes.

[Jadetooth]

I have a beautiful male syrian probably called Marmalade! Struggling with the photo upload :/

Thanks so much all