Hello From Canada

[babycakies]

I'm thinking about getting our family a hamster. My kids are interested in adding a new pet to our family and seeing how we are living in an apartment and not a home at the moment, I thought a hamster would be a good idea.

I am the type of person that NEEDS to know what I am getting into. So,. I have been reading and looking at cages, dietary needs, etc.etc. I know the basics.

I also know I do not want a cage to small. I know I am aiming for a Syrian so,.. cage recommendations would be great. I have looked at some cages and while I know all would be appropriate for baby hammy,.. which would best accomodate the needs of a full grown??

Any other tips?

Thank in advance for help!

[Hope]

Hi and welcome

Well done for doing your research first and not just plunging in! Where abouts are you? It can be quite tricky to find decnt cages in places like America and Canada, so I have heard, some end up uses cages marketed for rats as they are much bigger than the tiny cages sold for hamsters.

When looking for a cage is it much better to have length rather than height for a hamster, so bear that in mind when searching

[Iluvhamsters]

Hi and welcome

Are you able to get something like the Zoo Zone 2 in Canada?, they're indoor Rabbit/Guinea Pig cages but are a great size for Syrian Hamsters but you usually need to attatch wire mesh to the bars on top to stop Hamsters from squeezing through the bars.

[souffle]

Welcome to the forum. Glad to hear you are researching the best pet and hope you are successful in your search

[babycakies]

Originally Posted by Hope

Hi and welcome

Well done for doing your research first and not just plunging in! Where abouts are you? It can be quite tricky to find decnt cages in places like America and Canada, so I have heard, some end up uses cages marketed for rats as they are much bigger than the tiny cages sold for hamsters.

When looking for a cage is it much better to have length rather than height for a hamster, so bear that in mind when searching

I'm in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan about an hour and a half outside Saskatoon.
I don't mind spending more money on a bigger cage and I was looking at the rat/chinchilla size cages because I was NOT impressed with the options and how small they seemed in the hampster selections. I just rried that they may be too spacious between the bars for a little hammy.
We have an older cat but, he was a great hunter in his prime and I don't want little hammy escaping and becoming dinner... That would be horrific.

[fluffymunchkins]

Welcome
Theres enough info to sink a ship on here so your in the right place!

If you look on the cage review section of the forum there are lots of good cages, not sure whats availible in Canada though

[babycakies]

Originally Posted by fluffymunchkins

Welcome
Theres enough info to sink a ship on here so your in the right place!

If you look on the cage review section of the forum there are lots of good cages, not sure whats availible in Canada though

To answer that,.. I would have to tell you that I spent most of my morning looking for an "adequate" cage and I am so frustrated and disappointed right now. There didn't seem to be anything close to adequate here. At best, i found a Ovo loft... yup,.. not sure I'm liking it but, trust me when I say this was the BEST option. So,... Here I am a half a day wasted, no cage and Thus no Hammy. My kids are upset as am I.

[fluffymunchkins]

Sorry to hear of your trouble, have you considered making your own bin cage?

It needn't be complicated if you use a plastic storage bin that has high sides, as you can just leave the top off for ventelation.
I know lots of people in countries with limited cages resort to bin cages, but they are brilliant as you can make them just how you'd like You could even connect several bin together or stack them on top of each other for more interest!

[cheekycheeks]

Hi! Iam from canada too! nice to meet a fellow canadian. As for cages, it seems all the cages they sell in all the pet store are too small for a syrian hamster. So what i did was go to a bigger chian pet store company, if your in ontario you'll know the one (not allowed to say the names on here) and got him a rat cage. It was 40 bucks, and because rats are bigger and the cages are usually built for two, it was much bigger then any hamster cage sold there. And the bar spacing was the same as the one in normal hamster cages. The one I got was like alllivingthings, I think its a no name one specifically sold for the pet store. Anyways I would reccommend it, as it is large and very nice looking. It said it was for rats, or a chinchilla! (which I would not put a chin in there). As we don't have any in the line of duna's or zoozone type cages sold, at least where I live and if you don't want to buy online, this is a good option. Heres a picture of it below. The dimensions are 61cm l X 35.5 cm W x 38cm H, plus there's the second level
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...a-001b2166c2c0