Getting My First Hammi

Hey guys! I've wanted a hamster since I was a little kid (my parents got me a guinea pig instead lol) and now I finally am getting one!

I don't have her yet, my friend's friend has one she can't keep, so I get it. She is a 3 month old female Syrian that is white and cream colored. She's so cute and I can't wait to get her the weekend after next (the 10th)!!

I've had lots of pets, and am confident in my ability to properly and responsibly keep a hamster, my only question is... How? Lol

What are the do's and don'ts with hamsters?
How do I keep them happy?
What are good treats for them?
I want to make mazes and houses for her, what can I use?

Any tips?

Thanks a ton guys!!

 

what size cage are you getting her.
cardboard toilet tubes are a great toy for hammies because they can go though them and chew on them.
make sure you have a wheel for a female syrain I suggest a 10 inch wheel. (females are the bigger sex)
I like to feed mine sunflower seeds, cucumber, carrots and walnuts.
I also suggest using popsicle sticks or cardboard for making mazes and houses.
there so much about them if you have more questions please ask

 

Do:
- get a cage with at least 360 sq inch. of continuous floor space
- get a high quality hamster food of at least 17% protein. You can refer to a list of high quality foods on Hamsterhideout
- get a large enough wheel so it’s back doesn’t arch when running
- feed a wide variety of treats, including sunflower seeds, fruits and veggies, dried mealworms
- provide a variety of chew toys
- spot clean the cage every week to avoid bad odors

On the other hand,

- don’t use chinchilla “dust,” use chinchilla “sand” if you want to give your hamster sand baths
- don’t use pine and cedar wood shavings for bedding

 

If it is a dwarf, make sure to have at least 450 square feet, however, I would recommend 650 to keep your hamster happy. They are very active (though it often is in the dark so you don't see it) I have no clue on cage size for syrians, though being substantially larger, I would assume they require more tank space.

Do:
Give high quality food
Spot clean often
Give it a large wheel
Give it lots if hides and toys
Give it deep substrate (no dusty substrate for sand baths)
Don't:
Use cedar shavings
Keep multiple hamsters together
Take it out more then once a day
Use a Hamster ball

To keep them happy give them a large and enriching environment. Lots of chew toys, food hidden for them to find, deep substrate for burrowing, hides, tunnels, wheels, etc.
Good treats are sunflower seeds, carrots, and if you can get them to eat it, some greens. Do not give them treats often, many species are prone to diabetes.
Puffer boo said it best, things like cardboard toilet tubes and popsicle sticks are great and can give your hamster something to chew on.

 

Wow! Thanks puffer boi, GoldFiska and @ fishflake38!! So much usefull information here.

I plan on making a bin cage that has 450 sq in of floor space (as the main floor with a wheel and food ect) and then maybe having that sit on top of an under the bed bin for extra running around room and connecting them with one of those hamster tubes. Does this sound adequate? She'll also be going under my bed (under my bed has a 4ft tall space for storage), I'm sure she'll like that cause it'll be kinda dark.

I also want to biuld climbing structures (not too tall) with popsicle sticks. What kind of bonding material is safe to use in case she chews on the sticks?

I've also decided that I'm going to use this post progressively and I'll be updating with lists, updates, and of course, pictures!!

Thanks again guys!!

 

Wow! Thanks puffer boi, GoldFiska and @ fishflake38!! So much usefull information here.

I plan on making a bin cage that has 450 sq in of floor space (as the main floor with a wheel and food ect) and then maybe having that sit on top of an under the bed bin for extra running around room and connecting them with one of those hamster tubes. Does this sound adequate? She'll also be going under my bed (under my bed has a 4ft tall space for storage), I'm sure she'll like that cause it'll be kinda dark.

I also want to biuld climbing structures (not too tall) with popsicle sticks. What kind of bonding material is safe to use in case she chews on the sticks?

I've also decided that I'm going to use this post progressively and I'll be updating with lists, updates, and of course, pictures!!

Thanks again guys!!

I glue gun should be good I mean my hammie is not dead yet so it should be okay...

also is there any way you could buy a bigger bin, 450 is the minimum and I would go bigger with a syrain(unless you have already made it)
this was helpful.
I made a couple paper mache things

 

That's a really helpful video! I'm planning on connecting a long under the bed storage toat to his 450 sq in toat so she'll have a lot of running around space!

 

That's a really helpful video! I'm planning on connecting a long under the bed storage toat to his 450 sq in toat so she'll have a lot of running around space!

sweet also I suggest u check out this hamster form
Hamster Hideout Forum
they are super helpful

 

sweet also I suggest u check out this hamster form
Hamster Hideout Forum
they are super helpful

Already did! Lol thanks!!

 

any updates?

 

I would suggest the following of products:
Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel
Sunburst Higgins Food and MazurI Rat and Mouse diet (add veggies)
Kaytee Clean and Cozy
Twilight Chinchillas Hamster Furniture (Warning, can be pricy, I paid $70 for my adorable custom 4+ piece set)
Iris Chrismas Tree Storage Bin (If you can find it, makes a HUGE bin cage)

My tips:
Scatter feed. My ham Peach never ate out of a bowl. Plus, it gives them some extra enrichment to search for their food.
Spend time with your hamster. Remember, while they may only be a part of your life, you are their whole life.
Give lots of veggies. Here are some of my favorites:
Carrot (with caution, sugary)
Apple (sugary)
Banana (Peach loved this, but again, its filled with sugar)
Spinach (Peach went crazy for this)
Dry pasta
Cheddar cheese (Okay, this one Peach absolutly LOVED. But, very tiny piece once every month or two.

Let me know if you need any more help

 

Thank you guys so much for all the help! It's super great! I got a bin that's a bit bigger than mentioned before, and haven't done the larger under the bed storage toat addition yet, but she gets to run in her ball every day and I try to hold her at least once a day for ~10-20 min. I'm buying my first house in August so I'm waiting for more space to upgrade her bin.

I've only had two problems so far... One, I'm trying to stay creative with ways to play with her while I'm still saving up to buy some play pens for her so she can run around outside of her ball or cage.

And two, she keeps chewing on the bin almost obsessively. She has several chew toys in her cage, she gets to run in her ball every day, and be held every day, I play hide and seek with her food some times, she has toys, etc. Etc. Idk why she's trying to get out.. she escaped once before when I had a screen on the side of the cage and she could get her teeth around the bin plastic. I replaced that bin with one with a screen only on the top. Now she is climbing her wheel (getting greasy from veggie oil) to chew on the plastic on the lid.. how can I get her to stop??

Otherwise, she's adorable. Never tried to bite, is completely used to being picked up and held, and is always going going gone... Not ever a moment's rest in the little adventurer.

I am curious, I wrapped her up borrito style in a washcloth today and she seemed to like it, would a cuddle pocket (the hommock thing for birds) be okay for her? Would she just pee in it? Lol also, she's potty trained pretty darn well, is it possible to keep her on some kind of cloth like you can do with guinea pigs and hedgehogs (fleece?) And would that be better/easier than shavings? I have cardboard "pockets" that I stuff with papers and bedding for her nest, so if I continue to provide those, she could still have her nest in her little house even though she would be on cloth..

Thanks for all you input guys!!!

Here's a picture of the cage, and her, I named her Dalilah ️

 

I would say that a 10 gallon aquarium would make a fine home for a hamster or even 2 of them.

 

I would have to disagree with Dch48, respectively, because hamsters are highly active.

Edit: a 40 gallon breeder is great for them as well.

Have you tried Whimzee dog chews? My Peach would go crazy for them, that was the only thing she would chew.

Your cage looks great!

 

I would say that a 10 gallon aquarium would make a fine home for a hamster or even 2 of them.

Disagree, they need much larger spaces than of that.

 

I would have to disagree with Dch48, respectively, because hamsters are highly active.

Edit: a 40 gallon breeder is great for them as well.

Have you tried Whimzee dog chews? My Peach would go crazy for them, that was the only thing she would chew.

Your cage looks great!

I will most definitely try the dog chews! Thanks!

A 10 is a no go for any hamster.. they'd go insane in there. That'd be like being confined to a closet (like Harry Potter). Hamsters run for miles and miles and need space to explore (to keep their minds active) besides having a wheel to run on.

I'll probably upgrade her cage when I get my house.. I have a pretty cool idea of it in my head already

Thanks again

 

No problem! I love that bridge thing! What do you plan to upgrade her to? I love the IKEA detolf, personally.

 

oh no I love her

 

I will most definitely try the dog chews! Thanks!

A 10 is a no go for any hamster.. they'd go insane in there. That'd be like being confined to a closet (like Harry Potter). Hamsters run for miles and miles and need space to explore (to keep their minds active) besides having a wheel to run on.

I'll probably upgrade her cage when I get my house.. I have a pretty cool idea of it in my head already

Thanks again

measurements?

 

They sell hamster habitats that are smaller than a 10 gallon. Of course, they also sell "Betta bowls". My question is if a 10 gallon is no good for Hamsters, how come it is considered to be fine for Gerbils?

 

They sell hamster habitats that are smaller than a 10 gallon. Of course, they also sell "Betta bowls". My question is if a 10 gallon is no good for Hamsters, how come it is considered to be fine for Gerbils?

it isnt.
because they sell small cages doesn't mean that a small cage is okay.
gerbils also should be in a way bigger tank.

 

This is the only place where anybody says that. Everywhere else says a 10 gallon makes a good home for a PAIR of Gerbils.

 

it makes sense. gerbils are highly active, and no rodent should ideally be kept in a small cage. but that's why they also make wheels, hamster balls, tunnel extensions, and toys for rodents to make up for the lack of space. a lot of people also take their rodents out to run around once or several times a day. I think the small cages for rodents is just a convenience thing, and people will believe that since rodents are so small, they don't need a lot of living space. it's just like how they make tiny little bowls for bettas and people fall into the trap. (seriously saw some "betta bowls" at the pet store that were no bigger than the cups they keep bettas in.)

that being said, I always kept my hamsters and rats in probably too-small cages, but I also tried making up for it using the above methods.

 

Those addon habitats intrigue me. Years ago, when Gerbils were just becoming popular, the big pet store on Long Island (might have been called PetWorld), had a large setup that was like an ant farm. It was filled with regular soil and the Gerbils had dug burrows and tunnels and you could see them moving through them through the glass.

 

This is the only place where anybody says that. Everywhere else says a 10 gallon makes a good home for a PAIR of Gerbils.

That's a ridiculous habitat size for even a single gerbil. My friend who is a HUGE rodent lover had to keep her pair of gerbils in a 10 gallon for a week when she moved and they seemed to be absolutely miserable (they're now in a 40 breeder). Gerbils are incredibly active and intelligent rodents that explore every inch of their enclosures, so it'd be relatively cruel to keep them in a habitat as small as a 10 gallon. They need lots of space to run around in, along with a thick (6+ inches) layer of bedding, in addition to tons of chews and things to stimulate their mind.

 

That's a ridiculous habitat size for even a single gerbil. My friend who is a HUGE rodent lover had to keep her pair of gerbils in a 10 gallon for a week when she moved and they seemed to be absolutely miserable (they're now in a 40 breeder). Gerbils are incredibly active and intelligent rodents that explore every inch of their enclosures, so it'd be relatively cruel to keep them in a habitat as small as a 10 gallon. They need lots of space to run around in, along with a thick (6+ inches) layer of bedding, in addition to tons of chews and things to stimulate their mind.

Years ago, I had a single male who lived out his entire 4 years in a 10 gallon. He only had a log thing to go in. Having said that, he did get out frequently to run around the room and when he got tired, would want back in to his home. Maybe he just knew where the food was.

 

I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking it might be on a shelving unit. On the bottom, will be a large, Christmas storage toat. Then the 2nd story will probably be a 40 gallon breeder tank where her wheel and food, etc. Will be at. Then the 3rd floor will be a smaller toat on one side with (appropriate) sand for bathing, and the other side with a similar toat full of burrowing materials. all the toats will be connected with large, clear PVC tubes (she's too big for the critter trail tubes) and then she will have another tube that runs across the room to a 10 gallon with another wheel so she can sit with me at a desk.

Again, this is all in my head. I might ommit the sand bath depending on my research. I also have to buy a house first and see where and if I could even set this thing up lol. If it turns out I can't do this, I'll upgrade her current toat to at least a 40 gallon tank. What do you guys think?

 

I don't think syrians need sand baths? I think only dwarves use them, and they aren't necessary. just get the sand, not the dust.

 

If you want your gerbils to fight to the death, not like you, and become stressed and depressed. I get that they're captive bred, but their instincts come from the wild, so you're essentially taking them from (the mind set of) the whole world (only constricted via geological restraints aka rivers, mountains, etc.) To a 10 gallon tank which gives them literally 1.38sqft (200sqin)... considering the average gerbil grows to be 6-12 inches including the tail, that's like being stuck in a bathroom for your entire life. Not even exaggerating.

 

I don't think syrians need sand baths? I think only dwarves use them, and they aren't necessary. just get the sand, not the dust.

The don't really NEED it, but I know my hammI really enjoys it. The person who gave her to me showed me how much she likes to play in the sand lol

My whole goal here is to keep her mind active and to keep her from getting board.

 

interesting! i've only heard of the little ones using it.
you're doing more for your hammy than like, anyone would, lol. I hope she lives a long and fulfilling life!!! you will be a great owner.