Why a hamster?

[Ria P]

It's March now and in March 2019 i got my first hamster. I'm in my 60's so discovered the joys of sharing a house with hamsters late in life. I dislike the phrase "owning a hamster" because i couldn't own a human as neither of them is a possession.

Just now i asked myself what made me decide to get a hamster and i wonder what motivated other people to welcome a hamster into their lives.

I missed having a pet and a hamster was asleep when i was at work. My research consisted of watching youtube (didn't know about Erin and Victoria then) and chatting to my OH who had a hamster in the 70's. Great start.

Only place i knew of that had hamsters was petsathome so of i went to buy the first hamster who walked out of the tank, our lovely silver grey boy Henry. I had bought a p@h xl cage the day before and set it all up.

Like two little kiddies we sat by the cage and watched baby hamster monkey barring and falling off the ceiling. We had no idea that hamsters could do that and got a bit worried so went on the internet to learn about hamsters.

LUCKILY, the internet brought up a website called Hamster Central so i had a browse, liked what i saw, realized that i didn't have a clue and an awful lot to learn and the rest is history.

[cloudy]

Thank you for sharing this. It is a lovely and interesting story.

I am yet to have a hamster but what made me think of adopting one is that I find them fascinating. I started watching youtube videos and the more I saw the more I fell in love with hamsters. I joined this forum as you are all so friendly and non judgemental. I was browsing lots of hamster forums for months before joining this one. I look forward to adopting a hamster in the future and sharing them with you all.

[Pebbles82]

I'm similar to you Ria And similar age. For me it was stepson, who was 6 at the time, wanting a pet. I remembered a boyfriend from many years before who had a hamster. When we moved in together, the hamster came too - and I had got really fond of it.

We looked in the local pet shop and saw the hamsters (plus I'm allergic to most other pets - I reckoned I'd be ok with a hamster having been with one before). They had two hamsters. She picked out one to show us saying the other was "a bit bitey". And Charlie stood on his hind legs in the tank and popped his head over and was virtually nose to nose with stepson - he wanted us. That was it - love at first sight. We had to wait a few days to pick him up because a) OH got cold feet and fussing about the space and costs etc. b) Had to get a cage sorted c) Had to move things around to make space for a cage.

I vaguely googled hamsters and it said - at least 60cm by 40cm cage (back then). My old bf's hamster had lived in a 3 tier round rotostak and I thought - get one of those again. The newer ones had a larger base unit which was not 60 x 40 but I convinced myself that the overall area of the three compartments was at least that.

So we bought this 3 tier rotostak in yellow and blue with lots of external tubes and a kind of space pod thing on top. The food bowl was in the space pod at the top so to eat, the hamster had to use the long external tubes to get to the top. Unfortunately, being a baby he was then too scared to go down the vertical tubes. But he got the hang of it eventually.

It didn't go so well - he kept peeing in the tubes. He nested in the bottom larger compartment but if you tried to put your hand in he'd run at it and try to attack you. He constantly bar chewed on the small bars of the middle compartment and seemed desperate to get out all the time.

I began to think - he's not happy in there. My old bf's hamster had seeemed fine - but - we left that cage open all the time and he free roamed (wasn't possible in our house due to gaps in floorboards etc). Him running at you was a bit like cage rage.

But what really tipped it was he suddenly grew very big - and got stuck in a vertical tube. Nightmare. That was it - I did a lot more googling about hamster cages and found the RSPCA recommended a minimum of about 80cm x 50cm for a cage and a big open cage was better than smaller ones linked together.

Hamster central came up time and time again and I found a lot of info on there. I then had to quickly get another cage as hamster too big for the tubes. I moved a piece of furniture out of the living room to make space for an 80 x 50 cage and ordered the Savic Mickey 2 XL - it seemed huge - but afterwards wished I'd bought a 100cm cage - we had made enough space to fit bigger than 80 x 50 in the end. And realised he needed a bigger wheel too. We got the wood 28cm Karlie wheel and it made us smile. OH and I would sit as this wood wheel spun round while we were watching TV (the only hamster I've had who used his wheel mid evening with the lights on).

I then made a huge mistake. I treated our adorable Charlie like a parcel. I just put him straight in the new cage cold turkey. His reaction filled me with guilt and worry. He was completely traumatised. He would sit in and shake and look terrible. OH and I sat and watched him, very worried every night. OH said - maybe we should put him back in the rotostak. I said - can't he'll get stuck in the tubes again. We then thought about putting a blanket over the cage. Didn't help much. He was still terrified and sat and shook. I worried he'd have a heart attack.

So we sat and watched and worried for about a week while this carried on. He was our new baby and we both felt responsible for him (when stepson wasn't around). It was seeing him like that made me realise this is not just something to sit in a cage and be fed - it has feelings and how would I like to be suddenly moved without any warning.

I was about to put him back in the bottom section of the rotostak without the tubes, when on day 10 he suddenly got happy! Loved his new cage, loved his new wheel - got perky and confident. Ran in his wheel then threw himself on the substrate lying like he was sunbathing, all happy. Started to interact with us again. All was well. I know now you shouldn't move them cold turkey and should move their bedding with them and allow a bit of adjustment (which is common sense).

Then my second mistake. The new cage was in a different part of the room - further along. I had left the old one where it was. Every time he was out in his ball he went over to the old cage and got quite frantic and upset. He could smell it/recognise it! He missed his old home. I quickly removed that from the room. And hoovered around that area. But he still used to roll to that spot and sit there looking a bit sad. Eventually he got over it.

So - old cage has to be well removed when moving them to a new cage.

At first I found this all huge hassle - suddenly I was the one looking after the hamster and I wasn't that interested - stepson just wanted to hold him but he was very untame and that took time. But after the cage move I suddenly fell in love with this little thing who would communicate with me with looks and get scared now and then. He was just a baby!

We did lots of research on here and the internet about taming and stepson and I tamed Charlie in the bathtub - it took 2 months - but boy was it worth it - after that he would go to sleep on my knee or sit between us on the sofa. Charlie really bonded with me but perked up when stepson was around.

He was a lazy gentle hamster - enormous (I actually went back to the pet shop and said - are you sure he was a hamster, he's grown huge! Was his Father a guinea pig?

I made a few more mistakes with cage set up before getting it right (unsafe toys etc). A house that was too small that got stinky and kept falling over.

So Charlie was a pet for the whole family - we all loved him - we had our escapades (free roaming turned him a bit maverick and he got stuck behind the fridge). He moved house with us and settled fine. We were all completely hearbroken when he was dying and had to be pts. It really affected me and I realised you can become just as bonded to a small pet like a hamster, as something like a dog. People didn't understand.

A few months later, we were kindly given another Syrian by Souffle from one of her litter. That was Newtus Hamsterus - and the gloom lifted off us bringing him home.

Quite simply hamsters can really really get to you. They need us and they bring a lot of joy (and anxiety) - just like toddlers. But then they become little old men (or women) in front of our eyes and become patient with us and wise. So although they don't live very long I like that we see their whole life development from baby to child to teenager to confident middle age, to wise, patient old ham.

[Pebbles82]

I can tell you I was fuming at having spent over £60 on the rotostak and various ridiculous little add ons, only to then have to spend another £80 on the Savic cage. But that's why this forum is good - it helps people avoid making expensive mistakes. Once I found out how unsuitable rotostak cages are (no ventilation for a start off as well as far too small) and how awful it was to keep a hamster in one, I couldn't even sell it on - I just binned it. It's not suitable for any small pet.

[Ria P]

Same here. I can't remember how many wheels i bought when Henry grew and grew into a 230g hamster.
I didn't even know about online shops and heard about Zooplus on here. That's when i bought the Alaska he was really happy in. Cages, wheels, houses, hides that were too small, silly toys, you name it, i got it wrong.
It happens to a lot of people though.

I think another thing that takes people by surprise is when they find out that hamsters have their own personalities and their ability to communicate with us humans.

It's lovely how Charlie chose you. "Yep, they'll do. I'm off".

[Lilafernim]

This is an absolutely brilliant thread to start and to read great stories. Cloudy hamsters are great and I would say watching other people’s hamsters is very different to owning one. For me personally some of mine have shown me loyalty unlike no other pets I’ve owned. There’s something very special about their uniqueness between each one you own.

As Ria said, I know you spoke very fondly about Henry in the past and you helped me a lot when dafdaf passed away, it helped a lot hearing you’re growth with hamsters also.

Serendipity luckily I’ve never bought brand new cages for that reason! But what a nightmare, at least you could tell they were upset. I know rotostak still sell some funny shaped things, I used to have attachments myself as a kid but my hamster never paid no interest, probably because of the tubes.

I’m actually quite younger I’m in my early twenties. I actually first got a hamster though when I was around seven or eight. I can’t at all remember why I got obsessed with wanting one but I was absolutely obsessed. And around my birthday my mum was asking me questions about hamsters and I knew I was going to get one.

My mum was really excited because she found a mickey max cage but looking back now it was way too small. I got a Russian dwarf hamster and she was the last one left in the shop and I named her Shnuffle Berry. I absolutely adored her, as soon as I got home from school I’d open her cage and she’d just run around and go in her cage when she needed it. Looking back now that’s a magic trick!

I loved her to pieces and my family planned this holiday and said a friend would look after and I just had this feeling. When we got back my mum came up to me and before she said anything I knew, me as a blunt kid just said “she’s dead isn’t she?”. A funny way to say it looking back now but I was distraught.

I then got two robos to fix my wound but that was a mistake. P@H also said they live in pairs which I soon found out wasn’t true! I can’t say I gave them a rich life I’ll always feel guilty for that. But I just always saw shnuffles when I saw them I couldn’t help it I was a kid. Keep in mind in these days we had one laptop between the family and all I knew what it could do was play sims XD I didn’t really know anything about proper hamster care.

So then I didn’t have a hamster for ages after that, I came to where I am now to study at university. My partner went on about wanting a pet and loved tigers and panthers so I found a beautiful black kitten on preloved we got him.

She’s lovely but he’s very possessive of her and being away from home for the first time without any pet of my own for the first time in my life I wanted a pet that was sweet and loyal, but as dark as it sounds, doesn’t have a long lifespan in case my degree meant I’d have to make big changes in a few years. So I went back to looking for a hamster.

I got a Syrian this time (dafdaf) and loved her to absolute pieces of all my animals deaths hers scarred me the most and I felt awful. I had a three tier cage which was totally not okay I know now, and I used that kapok bedding because it was soft. I don’t really know why I didn’t ask more questions, I think she just seemed happy she loved us clearly and never bar bit. She was always calm. Then she passed away at only a year old. That’s when I found hamster central.

At first I wasn’t going to ever get another hamster but I missed the sound of pitta patta on the wheel. A week later I picked Mitzi up off of preloved and she’s much larger and more energetic than dafdaf was. She’s not so cuddly but I love her personality all the same. I’m just happy even if I messed up in the past at least now I’m doing things better, even if I am still learning.

[Pebbles82]

Oh we’re all learning . When I think back to my bf’s hamster some 30 years ago, he didn’t just live in a rotostak, it was a bare rotostak! Apart from some nesting material in the bottom section. He did at least free roam. Cage was left open all the time and he’d come out early evening, run all over then go back in at night and run on his wheel all night. He was always asleep in it next morning. But food! I didn’t feed him, the bf did but he literally just got a lettuce leaf! I think he must have foraged a lot of crumbs to survive. And we’d think it funny he used to run up the curtains and poke his head over the top (which I cringe to think of now - he could have fallen from a height). He was never tame though - you couldn’t pick him up and hold him. But he did used to tag a ride on the back of my long dressing gown! And actually got out of the room that way once. I was going upstairs and could feel something pulling at the back of my dressing gown - and there he was sitting on the end, hitching a ride! That’s when I thought how clever and cheeky they were. He lived till 2 years old but then got a large neck lump. Vet said they could do surgery but he died under the anaesthetic. I cried and cried! In those days they all looked the same. I had never seen anything but a small golden Syrian - so Charlie was a shock - a giant white banded hamster. I learned a bit about colours after being in here and got passionate about diet and safety in cages.

Things have improved a lot for hamsters. Although have to say our first one had a good life free roaming and a lot of independence- despite a ropey diet.

Lila that was awful about your first hamster - must have been really upsetting.

[Lilafernim]

I think hamster care now has definitely exploded, and I know when I got Mitzi in her new cage I sat back in awe a little bit. I don’t really understand how I fitted anything in previous cages because I saw Mitzi in this one, and all I think now is “she needs bigger!”. Suddenly seeing a hamster in the minimum requirement you see why it’s called the minimum.

That is incredible serendipity! Maybe he tagged along in the night gown on the persuit for food in pockets! To be honest I’m sure there’s plenty hamsters can find in crumbs, we have clean floors but whenever I let Mitzi out or used to let dafdaf out I’d always catch them crunching on something XD they’re incredibly clever little things.

I think everyone has made mistakes in the past but this thread is really nice to show that. And thank you for your condolences, it did actually teach me something that actually is true. I used to work in a care home and people always used to say they’d pass away as soon as the relatives left. Even if it was for a coffee. I saw this happen myself inside our family. It’s an actual thing where the body holds on for those they love but when they’re out the room they just allow themselves to be at peace so I guess in a way if shnuffles did do that, it was her time to and she was only holding on because she loved me. A compliment really. I’m sorry for your loss also, at least it would’ve been incredibly peaceful for him.

[LunaTheHamster1]

Great thread Ria, I adopted my first hamster when I was about 9 I think. I was at a local bonfire night put on by my dads work. Long story short one of my dads colleagues was fed up of being late for work because the hamster kept escaping because the kids didn't put the lid back on properly (in hindsight it was probably also because it was a crappy cage with a crappy lid). So, the hamster came to live with us and I put heavy books on top of the cage, no more escaping. This has always made me laugh as the girl whose hamster it was went on to be an RSPCA inspector. I honestly can't remember his name (the only animal I have ever had that I can't), possibly because I just kept the original name.

Then, when i was about 11 I got Danny the hamster as I had been really ill and wasn't allowed to do cross country running competitions anymore and I was so upset my mum said i could get another hamster to cheer me up (cringe). What is beyond baffling for me is although the cage I got this time was on two levels, it was probably way bigger than some of the cages still on the market today. But like Serendipity said, a very empty cage, a house to sleep in, a wheel and some food and water. Poor bored hamster. I also used to wake it up when I got home from school (cringe again). I did get books out of the library (pre internet) on hamsters but they didn't really have much in terms of proper care, I even created a booklet on hamsters with my best friend at the time for an English Assignment, I drew a hamster on the front with glasses on. Then that was it, no more hamsters for a long time, I think it was possibly because I got so upset as they don't live very long.

Then in 2018 I had the thought of getting a hamster, I have a chronic illness and pretty much housebound, bedbound at times. I wasn't 100% sure if I could manage looking after one, but I also knew I couldn't bring myself to get one from the pet shop, so stopped thinking about it. Literally, a week later a friend of mine posted on facebook, did anyone want a hamster. An acquaintance of hers was looking for a home for her hamster. So, I said I would take it, if my landlord said yes. As luck would have it my friend was driving up to the coast pass my house in a few days so it gave me enough time to do some research, and order a load of stuff from zooplus before she dropped Luna off. I had no idea what she looked like when i agreed to this, but fell in love as soon as I saw her. My friend sent me a photo of her cage and I took one look and said is that it, it was a £22 cage aka prison from pets@home, it didn't even fit a wheel in, she is the biggest hamster I ever had and she was on a tiny flying saucer as that was all that fitted in the cage. The few days my friend had her she went and got her a little tunnel and strawberry hide and some treats.

I guess I was lucky in one way that I started off with an Alaska and zooplus items, but I still got the wrong sized wheel, as she was a big girl and I had her in the silent runner 9 inch wheel for a few months, before I looked at her one night and thought she about fills that wheel, I don't think it is big enough, so got her the 12 inch version.

The rest is history as they say, another 5 rescue hamsters later, I joined the forum (made friends on here), started a YouTube channel which has got way out of hand (made friends on there) and started an Instagram account (made friends on there too) Honestly, hamsters changed my life and I just love all the friends I have met along the way, even if most of my friends/family think I am absolutley nuts.

Didn't mean to type so much - lol - my life story

[cloudy]

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

Great thread Ria, I adopted my first hamster when I was about 9 I think. I was at a local bonfire night put on by my dads work. Long story short one of my dads colleagues was fed up of being late for work because the hamster kept escaping because the kids didn't put the lid back on properly (in hindsight it was probably also because it was a crappy cage with a crappy lid). So, the hamster came to live with us and I put heavy books on top of the cage, no more escaping. This has always made me laugh as the girl whose hamster it was went on to be an RSPCA inspector. I honestly can't remember his name (the only animal I have ever had that I can't), possibly because I just kept the original name.

Then, when i was about 11 I got Danny the hamster as I had been really ill and wasn't allowed to do cross country running competitions anymore and I was so upset my mum said i could get another hamster to cheer me up (cringe). What is beyond baffling for me is although the cage I got this time was on two levels, it was probably way bigger than some of the cages still on the market today. But like Serendipity said, a very empty cage, a house to sleep in, a wheel and some food and water. Poor bored hamster. I also used to wake it up when I got home from school (cringe again). I did get books out of the library (pre internet) on hamsters but they didn't really have much in terms of proper care, I even created a booklet on hamsters with my best friend at the time for an English Assignment, I drew a hamster on the front with glasses on. Then that was it, no more hamsters for a long time, I think it was possibly because I got so upset as they don't live very long.

Then in 2018 I had the thought of getting a hamster, I have a chronic illness and pretty much housebound, bedbound at times. I wasn't 100% sure if I could manage looking after one, but I also knew I couldn't bring myself to get one from the pet shop, so stopped thinking about it. Literally, a week later a friend of mine posted on facebook, did anyone want a hamster. An acquaintance of hers was looking for a home for her hamster. So, I said I would take it, if my landlord said yes. As luck would have it my friend was driving up to the coast pass my house in a few days so it gave me enough time to do some research, and order a load of stuff from zooplus before she dropped Luna off. I had no idea what she looked like when i agreed to this, but fell in love as soon as I saw her. My friend sent me a photo of her cage and I took one look and said is that it, it was a £22 cage aka prison from pets@home, it didn't even fit a wheel in, she is the biggest hamster I ever had and she was on a tiny flying saucer as that was all that fitted in the cage. The few days my friend had her she went and got her a little tunnel and strawberry hide and some treats.

I guess I was lucky in one way that I started off with an Alaska and zooplus items, but I still got the wrong sized wheel, as she was a big girl and I had her in the silent runner 9 inch wheel for a few months, before I looked at her one night and thought she about fills that wheel, I don't think it is big enough, so got her the 12 inch version.

The rest is history as they say, another 5 rescue hamsters later, I joined the forum (made friends on here), started a YouTube channel which has got way out of hand (made friends on there) and started an Instagram account (made friends on there too) Honestly, hamsters changed my life and I just love all the friends I have met along the way, even if most of my friends/family think I am absolutley nuts.

Didn't mean to type so much - lol - my life story

I loved reading this. I think when having a chronic condition, having a animal in your life brings so much comfort. I also subscribe to your channel.