What I've got so far

[MeganLouise]

Hi everyone, I'm going to be getting my hamster hopefully sometime next week. I'm hoping to get a dwarf hamster! I just thought that I would make a small list of what I've got so far and use this as a chance to ask some questions, since I haven't owned a hamster in a long time I'm sure the standard for care has probably changed a fair bit haha.
The cage I'm going for is a bin cage the Wham 133l crystal box Ive ordered it but it hasn't arrived yet so I'm praying that it doesn't arrived cracked!
Some of the items ive purchesed so far
Food bowl, watter bottle
Flying saucer wheel
2x bendy bridge
Multiple different types of tunnels and hides
Chew toys and boredom breakers.
Cardboard boxes
Toilet roll / kitchen roll tubes
A platform and a bendy bridge ladder
Sand bath
Pet carrier
Pet safe disinfectant
Wire mesh and zip ties for the lid of the cage

I really want to add a sand bath I'm considering this one from argos Buy Children's Play Sand - 15kg Bag | Play sand | Argos I was wondering if any one here has used it and if they recomend it? I know with play sand people recomend you bake it before using it.
I was also hoping that someone could recomend me some bedding available in the uk I've tried to do research on my own but theres a lot of conflicting information out there about hamster bedding and I honestly don't have a clue what one is the best to use. Also any other toy recomendations are very much welcome Thank you!

[Ria P]

You'll need an upright wheel and i'd go for the 28cm Trixie wheel available from Amazon or package pets unless you have another 21cm + for a dwarf in mind. A flying saucer is ok as an additional or playground wheel. A Syrian needs a 28cm wheel anyway.

They all like a coconut hide from p@h, a cork tunnel from the reptile section (freeze for a few days before use) and a ceramic hide which doesn't have to be a hamster hide.

I use Tiny Friends Farm sand but many people use playsand which has to be washed and baked i believe. I'm too lazy for that myself.

[Ria P]

As for substrate, paper based like Kaytee clean and cozy (85l bag is economical), Fitch and Carefresh are all available in the UK.

Looking forward to see your future hamster.

[Lilafernim]

Also for the sand, I used a reptile no calcium sand originally and it was really nice sized grains, and obviously clean. The issue I had was my Syrian uses it solely as a toilet so I have to change it every couple of days/ three days. At £8 for a 5kg it was costing a lot.

So instead I bought a 15kg (I think?) bag of sand from the range for £4. I bake a large batch and I’d advice to get a fine meshed sieve as some chunks are small enough to fit through a regular sieve but big enough a hamster may scratch theirselves so you want to get all the bits out.

For me it’s a lifesaver as mine just wees in it but I’ve said if I ever have a dwarf hamster in the future or a Syrian who does bathe in it, I’d return to the reptile sand. It’s just much coarser than the reptile one and I wouldn’t feel happy knowing a hamster rubbed against it.

Also as Ria said I use Kaytee clean and cosy, and I had the 24l for £10 on amazon but now on amazon for £13.75 you can get 49.2l! Definitely missed out there but recommend to you.

[MeganLouise]

Thank you everyone, Ive ordered some kaytee clean and cozy bedding I also got some snowflake woodshavings from a friend whos hammy sadly passed away so i thibk it will be fun to add some different substrates and textures. Ive also seen multiple people using coconut fiber / soil thingys in their cage so im looking into that too!

[Lilafernim]

I wouldn’t use the wood shavings unless they’re aspen. Only because softwood shavings have been linked to respiratory issues and also can contain insecticides so isn’t a healthy substrate to use. I do use coconut fibre though and yes it’s very cool! I need to get some more I got a small brick to test it and it’s too low but it does puff up loads, just be sure to wet it every so often.

I want to get some plants in there too but I need to do some more research first.

[MeganLouise]

Originally Posted by Lilafernim

I wouldn’t use the wood shavings unless they’re aspen. Only because softwood shavings have been linked to respiratory issues and also can contain insecticides so isn’t a healthy substrate to use. I do use coconut fibre though and yes it’s very cool! I need to get some more I got a small brick to test it and it’s too low but it does puff up loads, just be sure to wet it every so often.

I want to get some plants in there too but I need to do some more research first.

Deffinetly wont use the woodshavings then I thought they'd be safe since its says that theyre dust extracted but its best to be safe. What brand of coconut fiber do you use and where do you get it from?

[AmityvilleHams]

Snowflake brand shavings, unfortunately, are extremely dangerous and as you've already been advised should definitely not be used. They're a blend of pine, spruce, and cedar - cedar being incredibly unsafe in terms of toxicity and respiratory health issues so nothing made from cedar should ever be used with hamsters and small pets in general!

Coconut fiber is controversial lately but ultimately the only viable safe soil option as it is pure coconut fiber, nothing unsafe etc. It does have to be kept neither too dry nor too moist for safety and it can lead to mold issues if kept too moist etc, but it isn't completely impossible to use safely. Live plants however in general should never be used with hamster enclosures - they add too much moisture and are a huge risk for mold etc, plus you can't use proper soil in hamster cages safely anyways.

I would also recommend Small Pet Select paper bedding over Kaytee. It's pure virgin fiber with no additives etc, so much better than recycled Kaytee in terms of safety. Kaytee Clean and Cozy can also often be very hit or miss in different batches, some being extremely dusty or containing dangerous hard pieces which I've personally noticed and people have also found here, and that has been happening for several years now!

Play sand is going to be your safest and most economical sand option - just make sure to do the entire process of rinsing, sifting, and baking for safety.

[Ria P]

I've never been 100% convinced that woodshavings produced in the UK really are as dangerous as people make them out to be.

I've rescued hamsters of various ages and they have all lived on cheap woodshavings so in theory they should all be dead or gasping for breath. Thing is that i've not once had a hamster with respiratory issues.

When i was young which is a very long time ago, we got our woodshavings free from the local saw mill and i can't recall pets suffering from respiratory problems either.

Personally, i believe that poor genetics, backyard breeders and hamster mills are more likely to lead to various ailments in hamsters than woodshavings.

I use Kaytee as the main substrate and always use it in burrowing, nesting and sleeping areas but in areas where i place the wheel, sand bath etc and need a more solid ground i do use kiln dried woodshavings from a Wiltshire saw mill.

[AmityvilleHams]

Originally Posted by Ria P

I've never been 100% convinced that woodshavings produced in the UK really are as dangerous as people make them out to be.

If it were just kiln dried pine we could agree to disagree, but cedar(included in the Snowflake shavings) is known to be an extremely serious danger to various pets including hamsters. This is honestly a big reason why knowing exactly which wood species is used is critical, because generic "softwood" could be anything from safe species to something dangerous like cedar rather than just a species which can cause allergic reactions or irritation etc.

Allergic reactions in general to wood shavings are also pretty common, though not everyone has personally seen them or heard as much of them - they're definitely out there though, even to wood species such as aspen which often get called safer!