Few questions to begin with

tommy · 05-20-2013, 07:22 AM

Hi All,

I am new to the forums and this is my first post here. We have kept Syrian Hamsters before. We had two girls, both lived to about 2.5 years. However, Maria, the last girl was ill in the end and regardless of treatment and vet visit she died ill. They had been dark days, I tell you. It was horrible watching her to deteriorate. The whole thing got me thinking about how we had neglected our pets, to a certain degree. I think that it was made worse because the Maria never became tame enough and didn't like being handled all that much.After going trough the tough times, I wanted to get the joys of caring for a lively youngster. All this together inspired me to get another furry friend. This time, I want it to be different. I want to provide a better living environment and better care. I don't wish this all to sound that we hadn't cared for our past girls, but it was easy to have the cleaning slide for yet another week and I hadn't really spent much time with her in last half a year or so, apart of the time when she was ill.

Anyway, Spacey, a male hammy about 8 weeks old from Pets at Home, joined our family four days ago. I had a cage all set up for him, before bringing him home and he seemed very happy in there. Unlike our girls before, he was running around and exploring right form the beginning. No signs of fright, just a nice neutral flow of things. It was a big surprise to me to see him so cool. Mind you, a prepared a lot of toys for him and nice deep bedding of Carefresh. I already have him taking foods from my hand, albeit with some reluctance. He is getting tamer every day. It is very nice to have my interest rekindled and to watch him getting to know his new place in life.

I have a few questions to ask though. I have done a lot of reading and frankly, the more I read, the more contradictory some parts seem to be.

1. How often to change water?
We have a large bottle and I fill it with quality filtered water, the kind of water we drink. I would be happy to drink the water a few days in if it was kept in the fridge, it is that good. Some places seem to suggest to change daily, some every other day. I personally feel every 2-3 days to keep it fresh should be fine. I wanted to add that I sanitise the bottle when refilling.

2. How often to change bedding?
I used about half of 6l Carefresh to give him a nice deep bedding. I made it deeper in places for him to be able to burrow. I spot clean by taking away poops daily and there is no evidence of urine anywhere yet, although I think that I know where he does his business. The Carefresh looks and smells very clean still. It is suggested in some places to change the bedding and to wash everything weekly. Is that really necessary, especially if it all looks and smells pretty clean? I will toilet train Spacey and obviously, I intend to change the toilet littler lot more often. Other places seem to suggest and I feel that I agree, that that changing bedding once every couple of weeks with the aid of sanitising spray should be often enough. And having a full on wash of the cage once a month could do the trick too. Well, I am prepared to wash it weekly, if needs be, but I am failing to see the point here. Could you offer some kind of reasoning to this, please? Obviously, should the cage ever become soiled or smelly, I'd clean it up regardless of the schedule.

3. How much do small Syrians eat?
I bought Pets at Home muesli and it says to feed about 10-12g daily to an adult hamster. I reckon Spacey gets trough about 5-6g daily, if that. He has, however, a seeds filled log which he seems to snack on, so I guess he would eat a little more than 5-6g when this is taken into the account. Which brings me to a secondary question about the filled log. Is it a good idea to keep it there whilst he is still interested in it or just put it there, say once a week, as a treat?

It is about all I had on my mind for this moment. I'd appreciate of you could help with a little guidance from your experience.

Many thanks
T.

PS: I know, it's a long post, I can't get them short, it's just my thing

linford27 · 05-20-2013, 08:07 AM

Hi!
1. Give fresh water every day. 2 days if you are going away for the weekend is fine, but every day is best.
2. Spot cleaning everyday is good. Changing bedding stresses hams out, so if you are ok with it, changing bedding once a month will be fine, and good for your hammy, as long as you spot clean.
3. Firstly, Pets At Home muesli is not so healthy for hamsters. I reccomend Harry Hamster, a good mix that is highly reccomended. Pets At Home sell it. I usually just give a tablespoon a day. There is no need to exactly measure it. Check his food store - if there is a ton, then feed less, if there is not store, feed more. You want to be giving enough so that he has a small stash/store in or near his nest. The treat log will be fine to leave in until it is finished, but make sure he doesn't eat that instead of his normal food as you want him to get full nutrition.

tommy · 05-20-2013, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linford27

Hi!
1. Give fresh water every day. 2 days if you are going away for the weekend is fine, but every day is best.
2. Spot cleaning everyday is good. Changing bedding stresses hams out, so if you are ok with it, changing bedding once a month will be fine, and good for your hammy, as long as you spot clean.
3. Firstly, Pets At Home muesli is not so healthy for hamsters. I reccomend Harry Hamster, a good mix that is highly reccomended. Pets At Home sell it. I usually just give a tablespoon a day. There is no need to exactly measure it. Check his food store - if there is a ton, then feed less, if there is not store, feed more. You want to be giving enough so that he has a small stash/store in or near his nest. The treat log will be fine to leave in until it is finished, but make sure he doesn't eat that instead of his normal food as you want him to get full nutrition.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I never thought that changing the bedding only once a month could be a good thing?! I understand the argument though and that was one of the reason why I felt a bit uneasy about washing everything on weekly bases.

I am interested to know how did you come to a conclusion about the suitability of Pets at home muesli? I am not suggesting that you are wrong, but I wonder why you imply that it isn't healthy? I am very happy to change it if it makes sense.

Thank you.

linford27 · 05-20-2013, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I never thought that changing the bedding only once a month could be a good thing?! I understand the argument though and that was one of the reason why I felt a bit uneasy about washing everything on weekly bases.

I am interested to know how did you come to a conclusion about the suitability of Pets at home muesli? I am not suggesting that you are wrong, but I wonder why you imply that it isn't healthy? I am very happy to change it if it makes sense.

Thank you.

Hey again!
Changing bedding often removes the hamsters scent so makes them stressed, so the less you clean the better! Obviously spot cleaning keeps it hygienic too.
The PAH muesli contains Molasses, which are very sugary. I don't know if you are aware, but hamsters can get diabetes so sugary foods should be avoided. Overall, Harry Hamster is a much better balance and contains the best ingredients. Hope i explained it ok?

pinkneon · 05-20-2013, 10:27 AM

Hi, I just wanted to welcome you and Spacey to HC! I also wanted to say that it's lovely to see someone so dedicated to the wellbeing of their pet, and asking questions

tommy · 05-20-2013, 01:06 PM

Thanks to both of you. I am still curious about this claim about the Pets at home food. I checked the packaging and it does not seem to contain molasses. I will try their help desk for answers. Just to make it clear, I have no trouble switching to something better. I just want to know that it is actually better, rather than that some said once and all that jazz. I will let you know what I find. Time for taming session

linford27 · 05-20-2013, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy

Thanks to both of you. I am still curious about this claim about the Pets at home food. I checked the packaging and it does not seem to contain molasses. I will try their help desk for answers. Just to make it clear, I have no trouble switching to something better. I just want to know that it is actually better, rather than that some said once and all that jazz. I will let you know what I find. Time for taming session

I can assure you that pets at home can be beaten in quality

squishyhammy · 05-20-2013, 03:01 PM

my syrian pasta was on p@h muesli when i first got him then over a couple of weeks slowly changed it to harry hamster. after a week or so i noticed he was more energetic and his coat was much better than when he was on p@h muesli he also clearly much preferred harry hamster

tommy · 05-21-2013, 03:53 AM

Good morning,

I've taken some time to look further into the available foods. This is mainly Healthy Balance Hamster Muesli by Pets at home, Harry Hamster & Burgess Superhamster harvest food.

I am only doing this as I am interested and curious and not to start an argument with you, the more experienced pet owner. I am also doing this as there have been a fair share of claims I came across which were far from truth in my lifetime.

They all seem very similar in their nutritional values.
They are in order Healthy Balance Hamster Muesli by Pets at home, Harry Hamster, Burgess Superhamster Harvest Food

Protein: 17.0%, 14%, 18%
Crude Fibres: 6.0%, 14%, 6.5
Crude Oils and Fats: 6.0%, 2.5%, 8%
Crude Ash: 5.0%, 5%, 5%
Vitamin A: 30,000 iu/kg, N/A, 10,000 iu/kg
Vitamin D3: 2,000 iu/kg, N/A, 1,250 iu/kg

There are other values to be considered, but I had no luck finding a full fact sheet for the products. I also have no idea what are the ideal requirements of our four legged (in most cases) friends.

I must say, that the Pets at home stuff we have at the moment looks incredibly similar to HH minus the large nuts.

As I mentioned yesterday, I wrote to Pets at home with a query:

Quote:

Hi, I am interested to know whether your Healthy Balance Hamster Muesli by Pets at Home contains any form of sugar of molasses. I purchased a bag along with our new pet syrian hamster. I since came across internet forums, where many members seem to imply that your muesli isn't that healthy for syrian hamsters as it apparently contains molasses. I am no nutritional expert when it comes to hamsters, but I am curious to learn what you have to say about this claim. Is the Healthy Balance Hamster Muesli you sell really a healthy option compared to other available options such as Harry Hamster or Burgess? Many thanks for taking time to read this. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

My personal conclusion for time being?
Well, I am convinced that Harry Hamster is certainly a fine food. I really like the idea of Burgess as it contains mealworms. And I am not entirely convinced that the P@H stuff is so bad. I am curious to see what, if anything, gets to me as a reply from them. Furthermore, based on the above, I will purchase both HH and Burgess in addition of P@H and will provide a bit more varied diet to my new friend. I may phase out P@H if I find it unsuitable and I don't think that I will be getting another one after is finished. However, I do not like waste, especially when it comes to food, be it human or hamster food. I obviously understand that it is advised to change slowly over a period of about 10 days.

Anyone else cares to chip in with any facts?

PS: Now, I've re-read all what I've written, I must say I sound like a proper fruitcake, but I let it slide anyway. All what matters is a wellbeing of our hamsters.

olga · 05-21-2013, 05:04 AM

Just speaking from my own experience of keeping Syrians there is no need to change the water every day but it is okay to do it if you so wish. The water is fine for a few days in the bottle. My Syrian's bottle does not go green and I only change the water weekly. Her cage is in a coolish room. I think heat causes the green to appear in the bottles more quickly.

Also if you put plenty of substrate in the cage there is no need to spot clean the wee corner every day. Every few days is fine but you will find a routine that suits you and your lifestyle I am sure.