Blind hamster - advice on cage for her

majey · 09-11-2008, 12:47 PM

We have just got a white hamster, Snowflake, who has no eyes. The cage which came with her is very small and I would like to buy her something bigger. But what would be best for her? Could she cope with tubes, different levels, etc? There are so many different types of house on the market I am very confused. Also can you recommend any toys for her?

Thanking you in advance for any advice!
Majey and Snowflake

souffle · 09-12-2008, 02:22 AM

Hi Majey and well done you for taking on a very special little hammy. They are called anapthalmic whites and have no eyes because they have two of a gene called white belly gene. As hammies have poor eyesight anyway it should not cause her too much trouble. The best cage is really a flat cage on one level and it is best to keep all toys, houses, wheel etc in the same place as she will learn her way around. look in the cage review section. I would suggest something like a Gabber rex or lux or a savic rody or zoozone. Make sure she has a nice wide open wheel she can find easily such as a Savic jumbo rolly. When you put her in the new cage rub the water bottle spout with cucumber and then she will smell it. Keep it in the same place. These hammies are special and require some extra care. They are often also deaf and can suffer from tooth problems such as missing teeth or poorly meeting teeth. If she seems to have trouble eating offer soft foods and also grind normal food up in a food processer. She needs to know when you are going to handl her so always talk, chirp or russle the sawdust so she knows you are coming. Offer a treat like a raisin before you pick her up. If she is also deaf you need to set up some sort of vibration she can feel. These hammies are often up during they day as they cannot sense and daily ligt changes so do not fllow a nocturnal pattern. I would not give tubes in case she gets a fright and jams herself in one or gets confused. She may enjoy cardboard boxes you can cut doors in and she can trash and chew them. I hope she settles well and you get lots of fun and love from her. Batkat on the forum has experience with these hammies so it may be worth PMing her for advice. Looking forward to hearing more about her.

BatKat · 09-12-2008, 04:23 AM

We have two Anophthalmic Whites, we did have three but the female died at 15 months old, they are now 18 months old. We treat our exactly the same as our sighted hams. Buy a large tank style cage and once set up keep it the same as they follow a pattern that they learn early on. Our boys also have hearing problems and Skippy only has bottom teeth and they need to be filed down every 2 weeks. We give them baby rice/porridge and baby veg from jars, they do struggle to keep their weight stable so just finding foods they like can be difficult. Please check your Snowflake to see if she has all her teeth and that she can hear. Ours have wheels, hammocks and a few toys but don't put too many toys in as they need a clear path to run around in. If you want any other info or photos please PM me.

Jen