Blacky's Thread - The Black Spanish Syrian Hamster

[SKB_Hamsters]

Blacky cage is looking really good - I'm sure he is really enjoying the layout and the extra substrate. Love the photo is Blacky he looks like he was really enjoying his food - and Blacky's mini stash is so sweet too!

Although I haven't ordered from Viovet for a couple of year, these are some items which I've got from my local pet shops which viovet also sell too. So my recommendations are:

Woodies Caterpillar - https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...nimals/c22301/ - this looks adorable in the cage and also this was Sherbet's favourite wood chew one of the only wood chews she liked to chew. Pumpkin also like her I often find it gets taken into her house. They do like to chew the sisal string off but I normally rethread the pieces onto some more sisal string

Hyacinth Tunnel - https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...Tunnel/c14498/ - as well as the Seagrass tunnel - https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...Tunnel/c14497/ - the small size is a perfect size for Syrians and Pumpkin herself has both of these and she often enjoys climbing in and out off the holes on the sides.

Willow sticks - https://www.viovet.co.uk/Small_N_Fur...nimals/c22052/ - these are one of the only natural wood chews my hamsters have seemed to like to chew can be used either as a bunch (I find they get chewed on more like this I stand them up in the corner of the cage) or individually.

I know you mentioned that you have enough snacks but I would recommend the dandelion treat sticks - https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...Sticks/c15823/ - these are one of Pumpkin's favourite and are a really good price compared to some of my local pet shops.

Rosewood Garland - I have the flower garland for Pumpkin which I like to use in a natural themed cages and I also use the chews individually too (https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...arland/c11961/) but Rosewood also do a sports version - (https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...arland/c11962/)

Some of the other items I have for Pumpkin are the
fruit rollers (https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...nimals/c22303/),
fruity spinners (https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...inners/c20908/) ,
rosewood sisal carrots (https://www.viovet.co.uk/Boredom_Bre...arrots/c11975/), and she also has loofa slices.

You and BorisPasha have also listed a good selection of items - I always find it hard to narrow a Hamster shopping list down. I'm sure Blacky's will appreciate the items you decided to get him.

[Thin Lizzy]

Harvey's seen the adjustments you've made to Blacky's home and he's wondering if he can stay a bit longer lol!
Blacky's home is amazing and so good to see him out and getting stuck into his bowl.

[Hamsterita]

Thanks SKB and BP, your suggestions helped me to narrow the list and add a few interesting things.

Lizzy , Blacky says that Harvey can stay as long as he wants, and that they can share his new treats that taste amazing.

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Someone decided to give an opportunity to the spelt, and this is the final result



I think that in the end he approved

He also liked his new treat stick. I only gave it to him for a while so he could try it, and he looked like he was trying to pouch the whole thing in a row.

[cypher]

Maybe he just wanted to take his time & savour his sprouts Good to see he approved of all your work growing them!
Lovely photo of him with his treat stick, if they could pouch a whole one I think they would!

[BorisPasha]

Aww such a sweet pic of Blacky, he reminds me so much of Jaska in it. Good to see he's out and about again enjoying his treat stick and I'm really pleased he enjoyed his spelt in the end sometimes I think it just takes them a while to stop being stubborn over something new.

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww total bliss Blacky tasting your sprouts. I think he was a bit wary before seeing something different. You can't go wrong with a treat bar lol!

[SKB_Hamsters]

That is such a lovely photo of Blacky - looks like he was enjoying nibbling on his treat stick. It also nice to hear that he also approved of his spelt sprouts too!

[Thin Lizzy]

So loved Blacky's latest video Hamsterita.
Seeing him out and about exploring, having a good sniff brought a huge grin to my face. He clearly approves.

[Hamsterita]

Originally Posted by cypher

Maybe he just wanted to take his time & savour his sprouts Good to see he approved of all your work growing them!
Lovely photo of him with his treat stick, if they could pouch a whole one I think they would!

Yesss, and I'm getting ready for the next one, the new lentils are sprouting! The treat stick is being a total success

Originally Posted by BorisPasha

Aww such a sweet pic of Blacky, he reminds me so much of Jaska in it. Good to see he's out and about again enjoying his treat stick and I'm really pleased he enjoyed his spelt in the end sometimes I think it just takes them a while to stop being stubborn over something new.

Jaska and Blacky are very similar, Jaska reminds me of Blacky too. He's not coming out at daylight, I think he never will, but he's being doing fine when I feed him, and I even started to taking him out again. I still don't know if he really enjoys it.... I think he's not particularly interested in coming out, tbh but sometimes it looks like he's having a good time.

Originally Posted by SKB_Hamsters

That is such a lovely photo of Blacky - looks like he was enjoying nibbling on his treat stick. It also nice to hear that he also approved of his spelt sprouts too!

Thank you! he's being spoiled

Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy

So loved Blacky's latest video Hamsterita.
Seeing him out and about exploring, having a good sniff brought a huge grin to my face. He clearly approves.

mmMMmmm I don't know what video are you talking about


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I was going to make the order to viovet and I'm outraged!! I have read that the shipping cost to Spain was 10 gbp, but I think that it depends on the weight because they wanted me to charge more than 20 GBP!!! So... I'm sorry but no, the whole order would cost me 70 euros and with that money I can buy a lot of things in other websites. Actually I found a Spanish website that sells half of the things that I was going to buy from viovet, and that website it is not cheap, but anyway it's cheaper than viovet with that shipping cost. So I'll probably order from the Spanish website.

I have several questions, which flowers do you think are the best for a ham?

flores
Ingredients: Calendula, lavender, cornflower, red clover, hibiscus, camomile and rose petals.

Kraquis - Flores
Ingredients: Rose, chamomile, marigold and carob.

Do you think this hay would be suitable and good for a ham?
JR Heno Timothy y Hierbas
Ingredients: Timothy Hay, Oat Hay, Vegetable Hay, Mountain Oats, Meadow Grass, Red Clover, Belly Grass, White Hay, Narrow Oat Grass, Wild Pea, Black Spruce, Dandelion, Lesser Plantain, Spring Daisy, daisy, black pimpinela, wild blonde, parsnip, sorrel, juvenile meadows veronica, common mouse ear, giant parsley, ryegrass, male beard, veza, wild orchids, ruddy grass, rooster crest, Yarrow, among others.

I want to try to put hay again in his cage, but I want a good one and I don't want to have a big bulk.

Do you think this would be a good enrichment?
Cama Natural Extrasuave 17 litros
It's made with Barley straw. They send me a sample in a previous order and it looked really soft, but I throw it away when I had the bug problem. Maybe I could use this as hay? or in his house?

[AmityvilleHams]

The first one has lavender(natural rodent repellent,would be quite cruel as it could cause serious discomfort even in tiny amounts)so that one is absolutely not a choice.The second one doesn't seem too bad,but the third one has unspecified ingredients at least once so I wouldn't bother with that one.The fourth is straw,which definitely isn't a good idea.Straw would have less nutritional value than hay(which already has minimal nutritional value to hamsters)and in almost any case would be a lot more of a rough texture(with rare exceptions,but I still wouldn't bother with it as it just isn't necessary and it wouldn't do much for your hamster).

Instead of hay you could just get hamster-safe dried foliage(generally safer than hay as it isn't rough,where hay either starts rough or can quickly become rough)and use that scattered over the substrate instead.If you can get a crinkly paper "nesting" material(not really good for nesting,but adds substrate enrichment)such as Carefresh Crinkles that can be good too.