10 replies to this topic

[mini-auto]

Newbie potential Hamster keeper/carer.

 

Looking for some advice re-Hamster or Hamsters from experienced Hamster keepers.

 

What type, how many, best home for it/them, etc to keep them happy/content.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

 

[mr cooke]

The female hamster's stink, best with a male syrian hamster

also there nocturnal

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

I would disagree strongly that females smell more, this is a myth.

 

Go into your local pet store and buy the biggest cage you can afford, this is my advice. You can keep one Syrian hamster on it's own, these are good pets for children but still pack a hell of a bite if you wake them up! Smaller dwarf hamsters etc can be kept in pairs or small groups and you can have a pair in a single cage the same size as you would a syrian, they don't grow to even half the size.

 

Spot clean them everyday, with fresh food and water, and a thorough clean once a week, including all bedding and litter.

 

Leave your new hamster to settle in for 24 hours before interrupting them. This will help them to feel more at home with you. If you interrupt them too soon they will feel scared and threatened and won't settle in as easy. I can't stress this enough, if you want to bond quickly with your new pet you are best leaving it to get used to it's new surroundings. You have to remember that it has come from a supplier to wherever you will buy it from, probably then from a quarantine room to the shop floor and then onwards to your house. Insist that you take home some of the bedding it has been living in and sprinkle this around it's new home, again this will help it to settle in.

 

Their teeth don't stop growing so you need to provide plenty of wooden toys for them to gnaw their teeth and claws down on.

 

They aren't long lived pets. A maximum of 4 years is a great age for hamster, but most are lucky to make it to 3, especially larger breeds.

 

Finally, they don't produce their own Vitamin C. This is a vital part of their diet if they are to grow healthy and happy. You can buy water supplements which comes in powder form and lasts for a long time, but still fresh fruit every single day is a must. Broccoli and most fruits provide vitamin C. Apples, and oranges are great, Kiwi is one of the best.

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 05 December 2014 - 08:18 PM.

[mr cooke]

female hamsters smell when in heat FACT

[yeti21586]

Hi Guys my wife has had 20 hamster between the age of 9 and now (25) the only extra advice on top of what craig has put, is that you can buy big cages cheaply from a site called, www.zooplus.co.uk and the alaska cage is a good one as is a barney cage, also an alexander cage.

 

 

if you are on facebook there are couple of groups that my wifes on that are friendly and offer advice:- syrian hamsters UK    and     syrian hamsters GB

 

they accept all sorts of hamster owners

 

 

PLEASE DO NOT BUY FLUFFY BEDDING AS IT IS DANGEROUS TO THE HEALTH OF THE PET!!!!   regardless of what the pet shop says, only use paper based bedding, my wife uses carefresh instead of saw dust and recycled shredded paper for bedding.

 

any more info then dont hesitate to drop me a pm and i can ask my wonderfull wife questions.

 

but craigs advice is superb!

 

 

YetI

[andy159]

female humans smell when in heat FACT

 

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

female hamsters smell when in heat FACT

 

Everything smells when it's in heat. If you keep on top of the cleaning to a level that doesn't disturb them too much theres no reason to get a male over a female. There is a pungent smell that females create when on heat but it isn't anything to worry about.

 

Do you have any advice on how to rectify this odor problem, Mr.Cooke? that would help the OP.

[mr cooke]

 

female hamsters smell when in heat FACT

 

Everything smells when it's in heat. If you keep on top of the cleaning to a level that doesn't disturb them too much theres no reason to get a male over a female. There is a pungent smell that females create when on heat but it isn't anything to worry about.

 

Do you have any advice on how to rectify this odor problem, Mr.Cooke? that would help the OP.

 

I would disagree strongly that females smell more, this is a myth.

 

Everything smells when it's in heat.

 

 

[lsto]

I'd buy a guinea pig...

What is it for, a pet for the kids? Guinea pigs are easier to handle, not nocturnal and are quite happy to sit still and be stroked. Hamsters are always on the go, just constantly want to move, and when I was a kid I always had both and prefered to play with the wigpigs.

My opinion B-)

[mini-auto]

Thank you for your thoughts & useful information, much appreciated. 

 

In the end we opted for 2 Guinea pigs, a wiggy one & a smooth one, they're a bit timid at the moment so we're leaving them alone to settle in to their new surroundings. 

[blacktulip]

Get a pair of gerbils. They are brilliant pets. Plus its cool watching them chew empty toilet rolls up for bedding.