LH Syrian Hamster Hut

[Pebbles82]

This is what they say on the link below

"SHELTERS
ALWAYS PROVIDE YOUR HAMSTER WITH A SUITABLE PLACE TO HIDE
Provide your hamster(s) with a dark nesting box which is sufficiently large for them to set up a larder, to sleep, and to comfortably move around. Hamsters like their nesting box to be placed near food and nesting material. This shelter should be dark inside; some have an entrance via an angled tube to prevent light entering it. It is better if the shelter doesn’t have a floor but just rests on the bedding material so that you can check your hamster(s) just by lifting the shelter."

It's at the bottom of this page - pdf link on the right "shelters for hamsters"

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwe...rs/environment

I think it's good advice It mimics a burrow. A cardboard house might be good for a long-haired hammy too as there would be no bits or window struts etc to get their hair caught up in.

They sort of create it themselves by making an open nest big enough to hide under, but a house helps it hold together.

[AmityvilleHams]

Bendable bridges are not likely to be 100% open though.They'd be comparable to any other house,given that hamsters are extremely likely to burrow and therefore block up at least one entrance(this sounds strange,but they still can move around,it's just closed off visibly).If they were on a shelf of some sort they'd be somewhat open,but they're still just as good as any other option.

[Pebbles82]

I think if they choose to nest under a bendy bridge it's ok, but not if there is no other option. So providing some kind of hide where they can go to be in the dark means they can do so if they need to.

[ladyntramp002]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Actually,those plastic igloos are far from breathable despite having a few tiny ventilation holes They're just as bad as any other plastic hideout,because plastic as a material will always be less breathable than any other hideout.This can lead to respiratory problems,along with also being more prone to making a nest smell far worse than other hideouts in my experience.They're especially dangerous for hamsters which chew plastic,as the plastic can and easily will cause a blockage once ingested(not digestible,similar situation as cotton for example).

Bendable bridges go down very well in my experience,especially the ones from Petco which are much larger than most!They're actually breathable unlike plastic,which helps a ton when it comes to keeping respiratory health in check along with not dealing with the ridiculous difference in odor.

Oh, my goodness! I did not know this! Thanks Amity! This will not be going into Mr. Kilian's cage for a hideout. Thank goodness, he doesn't like hideouts much and makes his own nest. Plus, he isn't a plastic chewer. He just chews on bendy bridges(to file his teeth) and Whimzee's alligator chew.