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Vicky

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Hi I have a female Syrian hamster called Sammy and got a cage from pets at home habitat 2 and just wondering if it's the right cage for her

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Hi. Sorry for the delay approving your post :-) It's good you came on here to ask because unfortunately it is far too small - especially for a female syrian - they can be extremely active, even maverick, and often need more space than a male syrian. The recommended size from 3 pet charities is 100cm x 50cm or larger. On here we say approximately 100cm x 50cm or larger (or equivalent floorspace). Unfortunately pet shops do tend to just try and sell you a cage and it's not always suitable. There are photos of these cages with a hole in the bottom that a hamster has desperately chewed out of through the plastic. It is hardly any space for them at night, when they are the most active, and she is likely to bar chew as well.

What some people do is get a refund from PAH. Even though it has been set up and used. ie contact them and say you'd like to return it for a refund as it's not suitable for a female syrian, but you would like to return once you have moved her to a more suitable cage. That way you can get her settled and then return the cage.

About the most basic suitable cage is the Savic Plaza 100, which PAH do sell (not sure if it's in all their stores but it's online). You can also get the Savic Plaza's second hand quite easily for around £40 - there are usually quite a few available :-)

For comparison, 100cm x 50 cm cage is about 5000 square centimetres of floor space. The PAH habitat 2 at 70cm by 40.5cm is only 2835 square centimetres of floor space. It's a shame they are still selling small cages for hamsters. I think there is one even smaller than that.

This is the Savic Plaza 100 I mentioned - you can often find them on ebay and other sites as well :-) It still needs a bigger wheel - syrian hamsters need an 11" or 12" diameter wheel. The wheel that comes with the cages is very small and can give them back problems.

 
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Hi. Sorry for the delay approving your post :-) It's good you came on here to ask because unfortunately it is far too small - especially for a female syrian - they can be extremely active, even maverick, and often need more space than a male syrian. The recommended size from 3 pet charities is 100cm x 50cm or larger. On here we say approximately 100cm x 50cm or larger (or equivalent floorspace). Unfortunately pet shops do tend to just try and sell you a cage and it's not always suitable. There are photos of these cages with a hole in the bottom that a hamster has desperately chewed out of through the plastic. It is hardly any space for them at night, when they are the most active, and she is likely to bar chew as well.

What some people do is get a refund from PAH. Even though it has been set up and used. ie contact them and say you'd like to return it for a refund as it's not suitable for a female syrian, but you would like to return once you have moved her to a more suitable cage. That way you can get her settled and then return the cage.

About the most basic suitable cage is the Savic Plaza 100, which PAH do sell (not sure if it's in all their stores but it's online). You can also get the Savic Plaza's second hand quite easily for around £40 - there are usually quite a few available :-)

For comparison, 100cm x 50 cm cage is about 5000 square centimetres of floor space. The PAH habitat 2 at 70cm by 40.5cm is only 2835 square centimetres of floor space. It's a shame they are still selling small cages for hamsters. I think there is one even smaller than that.

This is the Savic Plaza 100 I mentioned - you can often find them on ebay and other sites as well :-) It still needs a bigger wheel - syrian hamsters need an 11" or 12" diameter wheel. The wheel that comes with the cages is very small and can give them back problems.

Hi can salvic plaza go on a chest of drawers
 
It would depend on the size of your chest of drawers really as to if it could sit on there?

Definitely a larger cage needed but you started bigger than we did… good old Pets At Home! We waited until we got a larger bucatstate tank enclosure (100x50x50 cm) then I cleaned and took his PAH cage back and was given a full refund, no issues whatsoever. I thought we might just be given store credit (which would have been fine) but it was
Much easier than I expected it might be! I just said I was sold it for a Syrian (bought at the same time) but it’s far too small and unsuitable

She will need a bigger wheel too as the integrated ones are all very small.
 
Sorry to nag as your lovely hammock looks very nice, but although it is a good furnishing for rats, hamsters run the risk of ingesting the fibres and becoming very sick. They chew up things and put them in their pouches and fabric fibres can go into their guts forming a blockage. Hamsters are also not great climbers, they are better off and healthier making tunnels in deep paper bedding. I would advise getting lots of Carefresh or Kaytee Soft and Cosy paper bedding so that hammy can dig out a nice tunnel to nest in ❤️
 
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Bucatstat cages are very popular as hammy can't bar bite or try to climb up bars in them. Bar biting risks damaging their teeth and bar climbing can lead to falls and foot entrapment. The dresser may become top heavy, so always support it when opening drawers and only open one drawer at a time so that it doesn't fall forward. I'm sorry to be doing so much nagging 😔
 
More nagging 😝 (sorry) the water bottle spout should probably be lower so that hammy can stand on the bedding and drink. They are clumsy climbers and can only drink properly while standing on a level surface. They can drink sitting on their hind legs, but not while balancing on a thin support. Short ramps which are not steep and are no more than 2" from the bedding surface are possible but no ladders or high steep ramps. Hamsters really are underground and on ground creatures, unlike rats who have their long tails to help them climb and naturally want to climb. Hamsters want to dig and are happiest when they can dig deep tunnels ❤️
 
Sorry to nag as your lovely hammock looks very nice, but although it is a good furnishing for rats, hamsters run the risk of ingesting the fibres and becoming very sick. They chew up things and put them in their pouches and fabric fibres can go into their guts forming a blockage. Hamsters are also not great climbers, they are better off and healthier making tunnels in deep paper bedding. I would advise getting lots of Carefresh or Kaytee Soft and Cosy paper bedding so that hammy can dig out a nice tunnel to nest in ❤️
Hi the cage I have could I just take the platform out and hammock so it's bigger for her
 
Looking at the size, the P@H H2 is only 70cm x 40cm and even the H3 is 95cm x 45cm. OK for the time being, but a Bucatstat is a better investment. I'm shocked the ad says OK for two dwarfies, no, definitely not 😔
 
Looking at the size, the P@H H2 is only 70cm x 40cm and even the H3 is 95cm x 45cm. OK for the time being, but a Bucatstat is a better investment. I'm shocked the ad says OK for two dwarfies, no, definitely not 😔
I have a Syrian hamster I was asking if I take hammock out and platform for her
 
Hi the cage I have could I just take the platform out and hammock so it's bigger for her
The amount of space is measured (in hamster terms) by the distance hammy has to run in on the level. Rats can exercise by climbing, but to stay active and burn off all that intense hammy energy, she needs at least 1m x 50cm along with 6" of paper bedding to make her tunnels in. It's OK for a week or two, but to accommodate her comfortably, it's best to plan for a hamster cage. There are some nice cage setups on here which are good set ups for hammies and also look very nice. But the important thing is you have her now and to make the best of what you have so that you can slowly progress. The first thing I would recommend is to buy some Care Fresh bedding and put as much into the cage as you can to make a nice deep bed for her 🛏️❤️
 
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Then I would lower the platform so that it is at bedding height and she can just step onto it. She will like sleep in her nest under the platform if it is wide enough and it should be at the back of the cage to allow her max privacy for her nest. They make very sweet little nests and cute little tunnels ❤️
 
Then I would lower the platform so that it is at bedding height and she can just step onto it. She will like sleep in her nest under the platform if it is wide enough and it should be at the back of the cage to allow her max privacy for her nest. They make very sweet little nests and cute little tunnels ❤️

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Size wise, the 1m x 50cm cages might need a table or to sit on the floor. You know you are a hamster parent when the cage takes over your living area 😉
 
I think, add more bedding, leave the platform as it is and take away the hammock. It is very exciting to have a new hammy. Pictures of your girlie? 🥰
 
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