Any major care differences between male/female Syrians?

[AnsWolf]

I've only owned male Syrians. I'm going to pick up a girl being rehomed tomorrow. I've read that they can be picky and need a lot of space. I've avoided them due to this and I'm very concerned about eventually dealing with pyometra and vet visits (don't worry, I have an exotics vet, a vet fund and I'm considering pet insurance for her which is like $10 a month). I know all the hammie basics so that's not the question here, basically are all these warnings about females true and should I do/add anything additional for her? Do they stink at all when they're in heat?

Her current owner appears to take great care of her and has all the things she needs, but she's in one of those weird all-wood Amazon cages that are about the size of a 40 gal breeder. I have a 75 gallon aquarium for her.

 

[Maz]

Hi. I can understand the trepidation. And here are some tips:

1) Firstly, you have a 75 gallon tank which I am sure would satisfy any female Syrian - its a really good size

2) Check out the cage cleaning tips article (linked below) about avoiding stress (sorry you might know all this already). To me, the most important thing is getting everything set up before they arrive - and then never change a thing! Not unless absolutely essential or something breaks. They really do thrive with the security and stability of familiarity.

3) Don't worry too much about spot cleaning the first two weeks if the pee area isn't obvious - better to let her settle and not destroy her tunnels - providing she has plenty of bedding.

4) They all very and from what I understand most females have incredibly sweet personalities, even if they go a bit hyperactive one day out of every four. Very affectionate (I say apparently, I've only had a female dwarf). I have never heard of a vicious female.

5) Give her old cardboard egg boxes to rip up, it'll keep her happy

6) Even in a really large cage, they still need out of cage time IMO - so if you can rig up an area for a large playpen, and get her handleable, so she might be able to free roam in future, you will both probably have a happy existence.

7) I have never had a female Syrian but - I have had a male Syrian who behaved like a super active female! He wanted to be out every single night - as much as possible. He owned the living room. He would give incredibly sweet and affectionate bonding looks but be very funny and cheeky.


So I'd say - love her for what she is I think you'll be fine with a nice big glass tank and if the previous owner has been having issues, she could behave completely differently with you. Just be calm It can often set up a cycle of stress and frustration between hamster and owner, when they start chewing out of wood cages. It's a terrible mix - a female syrian and a wood cage IMO!

I know there's the worry about the future and things like pyometra. However many many hamster owners have had female syrians for a good long life, and no sign of anything like that. It's like humans - it's just luck and genetics.

People I know who keep Syrians (including an NHC breeder) have said they love the girls best because they're so affectionate. Males can be a bit reclusive sometimes. Although I tame them so they stop being reclusive!

 

[Maz]

As for the smell - I haven't had the experience, but from what I've heard, individual hamsters vary a lot. It's only usually when they come on heat every 4 days - some it's not noticeable, others it is noticeable. One option though, if it bothered you - is to have an air purifier in the room that removes odours

I forgot to add the cage cleaning article

Hamster cage cleaning

Tips on how to clean your hamster cage and avoid causing stress to your hamster. It's best to have plenty of depth of substrate and mainly spot clean your hamster cage. Avoid disturbing your hamster's nest and hoard.

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Lovelyness]

My girl Blossom was fairly true to the crazy bonkers Syrian female stereotype She was especially bonkers when in heat! She didn’t smell particularly, unless I had a) cleaned her out or b) relocated her cage at Christmas and the she tended to scent mark like crazy She loved chewing on an egg box and digging in her dig box to burn off excess energy. She was very sweet tho, and liked nothing more than a little chat with me by her bars. She wasn’t keen on time out in a playpen, but was quite happy pootling around in her own little world One things for sure…you won’t be bored with a female Syrian around lol Blossom lived to 2 years and 4 months and wasn’t unwell at all until right at the end.

 

[Socks' Mum]

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[AnsWolf]

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What were you using this (old wheel?) and shredded paper for? I'd like to steal this idea from you.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Blossom's mum would put sunflower seeds and treats into the paper for Blossom to search for as enrichment. The wheel came with the cage but was too small for Blossom so Lovelyness used it as a forage container ❤

 

[Lovelyness]

What were you using this (old wheel?) and shredded paper for? I'd like to steal this idea from you.

This old wheel became Blossom’s dig box.I filled it with shredded cardboard from a parcel which had been delivered, so a really cheap option. I scattered some of her food in it every day for her to forage. She LOVED it! It very quickly and definitely became her top favourite thing in her enclosure, right up to the end of her days

 

[Maz]

Repurposing an old wheel was a great idea Lots of lovely photos of Blossom disappearing into that.

 

[AnsWolf]

I've had this girl for a few weeks so I'll ask this question here...she is the craziest hamster I've owned. LIke I said, I've only had males. They were easy to satisfy. I would scatter feed them, throw in a few treats and they were happy. This girl requires me to buy new toys and decor, I made a dig box for the first time, I'm making all sorts of DIY toys, etc. She has a 75 gallon tank, 10 inches of bedding, a 12 inch wheel, stuff everywhere and she is driving me crazy!! She still chews on the top of the tank. Now she's started to make a nest on the wheel. Not really her fault, just a hamster thing except she's in my bedroom. She runs with her stuff on the wheel and it's sooo loud. Is this all normal for a female compared to males?

 

[Maz]

Some female Syrians can be extremely active and divas yes Is she keeping you awake at night? And presumably there is a pattern from when she's on heat as they can have their mad active phases then sometimes. Did you try giving her egg boxes to rip up? A lot of people find that helps. Ultimately she might need regular out of cage time maybe.

They do mellow as they get older

 

[AnsWolf]

She isn't keeping me up at night for the most part. Sometimes she'll be bit loud running with food on her wheel. She tends to be cranky when she wakes up around 5pm which is when she chews on the cage. I'll feed her and give her some boredom breakers. She does seem to calm down overnight or I'm not hearing her - not sure which. I'm vegan so I don't have egg cartons lol - I have given her toilet paper and paper towel tubes.

 

[Maz]

5pm is quite early for her to wake up. Do you think she wakes when she hears you come in or something? It sounds like she might want to be out of the cage when she wakes up. Or maybe later in the evening. Do you have a playpen area?

 

[Lovelyness]

I've had this girl for a few weeks so I'll ask this question here...she is the craziest hamster I've owned. LIke I said, I've only had males. They were easy to satisfy. I would scatter feed them, throw in a few treats and they were happy. This girl requires me to buy new toys and decor, I made a dig box for the first time, I'm making all sorts of DIY toys, etc. She has a 75 gallon tank, 10 inches of bedding, a 12 inch wheel, stuff everywhere and she is driving me crazy!! She still chews on the top of the tank. Now she's started to make a nest on the wheel. Not really her fault, just a hamster thing except she's in my bedroom. She runs with her stuff on the wheel and it's sooo loud. Is this all normal for a female compared to males?

Sounds pretty standard to me

 

[Lovelyness]

Some female Syrians can be extremely active and divas yes Is she keeping you awake at night? And presumably there is a pattern from when she's on heat as they can have their mad active phases then sometimes. Did you try giving her egg boxes to rip up? A lot of people find that helps. Ultimately she might need regular out of cage time maybe.

They do mellow as they get older

Blossom did calm down when she got older

 

[AnsWolf]

5pm is quite early for her to wake up. Do you think she wakes when she hears you come in or something? It sounds like she might want to be out of the cage when she wakes up. Or maybe later in the evening. Do you have a playpen area?

She doesn't have a playpen but I'm considering making one. Her previous owner told me 5pm to 6pm was her usual wake up time.

 

[Maz]

Either a playpen or a sectioned off part of a room that is hamsterproofed. Some people use the hallway, closing all the doors (and you might need to block off the top or bottom of the stairs as hamsters can climb stairs.

It does sound like she needs some daily out of cage time and a routine of play time out of the cage.