A
AnimalAddict
What do you think of this hedgehog starter kit? it includes the wheel and a bunch of supplements for omnivores. https://www.exoticnutrition.com/Products/Starter-Package-for-Hedgehogs__890756.aspx
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Ours occasionally get the odd bit of human leftovers as a treat, but it needs to be plain - no spices or sauces or gravy etc. Eg a piece of spaghetti if we've had spaghetti or a bit of plain cooked chicken or meat. So if you have a roast chicken she'd enjoy a bit of that! I only tend to give that during out of cage time though to make sure they eat what they want and leave the rest, rather than pouch it - or you then have to go hunting for it in the cage in case it goes off. They also like the occasional tiny bit of scrambled egg or porridge as a treat.
But they still need a regular hamster mix daily as it contains all the fortified vitamins and correct nutrients. The protein levels in the first year of life are really important. 18 to 20%. After the first year it's less crucial and they are fine with 12 to 15%. If they lack protein in the first year it can lead to muscular problems or losing fur.
But they still need a regular hamster mix daily as it contains all the fortified vitamins and correct nutrients. The protein levels in the first year of life are really important. 18 to 20%. After the first year it's less crucial and they are fine with 12 to 15%. If they lack protein in the first year it can lead to muscular problems or losing fur.
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I wouldn't go with that to be honest. The food mix won't be the same for a hedgehog as a syrian. The little pouch looks nice for out of cage time but you can probably get one separately. It does need to be a hamster specific food mix. Do you prefer the green colour of the hedgehog wheel then
It really is huge. The orange version is the correct size for a hamster.
M
Member ID2
36 USD for a 12" Silent Runner is still less than what we pay over here. It's a good price for that wheel. Both my Syrians have it.
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There are a lot of very unsuitable hamster mixes sold though - which is why there is not much to choose from. Some are very sugary and low in protein and anything that says for hamsters and gerbils isn't really suitable (gerbils have different requirements). And definitely avoid Oxbow essentials.
I couldn't see Harry or Hazel hamster for sale on Amazon. The one some hamster owners use is Higgins vita garden. It's sugar free and has a range of good ingredients (Even though it says it's for hamsters and gerbils) but the protein level is too low so you'd need to supplement the protein with things like nuts, freeze dried chicken, scrambled egg etc.
www.higginspremium.com
I couldn't see Harry or Hazel hamster for sale on Amazon. The one some hamster owners use is Higgins vita garden. It's sugar free and has a range of good ingredients (Even though it says it's for hamsters and gerbils) but the protein level is too low so you'd need to supplement the protein with things like nuts, freeze dried chicken, scrambled egg etc.
Vita Garden Hamster Gerbil — Higgins Premium Pet Foods
www.higginspremium.com
A
AnimalAddict
OK, orders placed..... thank you all for your incredible help and information!
R
RainbowBrite
What did you decide to order in the end?
A
AnimalAddict
12" Silent Runner (orange) and the food mix suggested above. I'm in no position to question any decisions by people with experience... it's been a LOT of decades since I owned a hamster and as a young person back then, I'm sure I didn't take proper care of it.
A
AnimalAddict
I am due at the local animal shelter (I volunteer there) and then have evening plans so you guys will have some peace and quiet (at least from me) until late tonight or tomorrow morning. Have a good day/evening!
R
RainbowBrite
Hope you have a good day too and all goes well at the shelter.
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That sounds really rewarding work at an animal shelter - what kind of animals do you get there? Everything? Or specialised? It's great having you on here and good your're checking everything out. I had all kinds of problems with our first one and eventually got there!I am due at the local animal shelter (I volunteer there) and then have evening plans so you guys will have some peace and quiet (at least from me) until late tonight or tomorrow morning. Have a good day/evening!
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She is going to LOVE that new wheel! When you put it together, you need to make sure the front and back panels are pushed really firmly together to there is no gap either side of the little plastic joining strip. Exotic nutrition have a video on how to assemble it here (I got it wrong the first time). It's a fiddle to put together the first time, but after that it gets quicker and easier. The shiny side of the running track goes on the outside and the grippier side on the inside. There is also a bar attachment you can get separately, to attach it to the bars at whatever height you want rather than use the stand. I used it with the bar attachment as it's more stable. But that costs extra. It's only the first half of the video that's relevant. The second half is all about sandy tracks and grid surfaces for other animals. You definitely don't want the sandy track (bad for their feet again).
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That's a good tip! The bearings on mine were always fine - never had any issues. But I believe it's advised not to submerge the back black piece in water to prevent the bearings going rusty. I managed to clean mine without submerging it in water.
A
AnimalAddict
Shelter work is rewarding, but it's really heartbreaking - we see a lot of cruel, awful things and cry often. But there's also happy tears when we pull a seriously ill animal from the verge of death and not only get them healthy but also find them a good, permanent home. We only do dogs and cats, and I started as a cat staff person, then became supervisor of the shelter, and then resigned and now am a volunteer. I like it much better that way - I can come and go as I please and pick and choose what I help with. The supervisory position had me on call 24/7 and had to handle SO many things that I may as well have gone back to my full-time corporate job (that paid a lot better). I've pretty much done it all with cats and kittens right down to giving injections, meds, microchipping them, and all aspects of the adoption process, so now I'm training to work with the dogs. That's a little more risky because a lot of the dogs we get are scared, confused, have been abused, and aren't fond of strangers getting near them. I've got some scars from cat scratches and bites that will probably never heal, but I'm sure an attack by a dog would be worse so I'm taking it slow. The biggest danger with working with the cats was that I would always take home the orphaned kittens for bottle-feedings, or take home the old, end-of-life ones to give them a home to spend their last days in, and you naturally develop some favorites that you end up fostering and never returning.
Now, back to hamsters: how cold/warm does it need to be in their room? I close the door on the room the hamster is in at night in case she decides to escape and wander and with the door closed it can get chilly in there. Should I add a space heater? And do any of you leave small lights or night lights in the room for these nocturnal wheel runners or are they fine in the dark? For tonight, that's all, folks!
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I can imagine the work is upsetting sometimes.
Ideal temperature in the room is 20 degrees centigrade. You don’t really want to let it drop below about 16 degrees centigrade. They can start to feel quite cold at that temperature. Hamsters are susceptible to very cold or very hot temperatures. If it gets too cold they can go into torpor (a kind of hibernation but it’s not really hibernation as they often don’t come out of it and just die). Not sure what the weather is like where you are but we’re not having much heating on during the day now and the room is warm enough at bedtime to see them through until the heating comes on in the morning. In winter with cold temperatures at night and risk of frosts and freezing temperatures, I have a small oil filled heater on overnight on a timer with a thermostat so it comes on when the temperature drops below a certain level. But we live in an old draughty house!
They actually need complete darkness at night. They have a very insteresting eye structure. They don’t see anything well at all and use scent and their whiskers for navigation mainly. It’s one reason not to clean out the cage too much - they can feel lost if all their familiar scent is removed. They scent mark everything in a cage which is partly to claim it as their territory and partly to help find their way around. So the idea is not to clean everything at the same time. Eg wheel as and when needed if it’s pee’d in (but not every day). Sometimes it just needs a wipe with a damp cloth. Spot clean any pee area once or twice a week. Or empty the litter tray (Syrians will actually use a toilet/litter tray). They are really quite clean little things and groom themselves regularly. It’s only their pee that’s unhygienic.
There’s no need to use pet disinfectant unless there has been illness or disease. Just a damp cloth or soapy water on things (ie dishwashing soap in water), but important to avoid scented things when cleaning or it can affect them. Their sense of smell is way stronger than ours and they do have sensitive respiratory tracts. So any bedding needs to be unscented as well.
Most people use Kaytee clean and cosy or similar for substrate. And just plain white toilet paper torn into strips for nesting material. Wood shavings can be risky - due to the phenols in them. At the very least it needs to say kiln dried and dust extracted on the packet (that removes some of the phenols but not all of them).
So no they don’t need a light on at night. They have a distinct period of high activity at night and some won’t even come out and start their night time activities until the lights are out. But they will often come out earlier in the evening at feeding time.
Ideal temperature in the room is 20 degrees centigrade. You don’t really want to let it drop below about 16 degrees centigrade. They can start to feel quite cold at that temperature. Hamsters are susceptible to very cold or very hot temperatures. If it gets too cold they can go into torpor (a kind of hibernation but it’s not really hibernation as they often don’t come out of it and just die). Not sure what the weather is like where you are but we’re not having much heating on during the day now and the room is warm enough at bedtime to see them through until the heating comes on in the morning. In winter with cold temperatures at night and risk of frosts and freezing temperatures, I have a small oil filled heater on overnight on a timer with a thermostat so it comes on when the temperature drops below a certain level. But we live in an old draughty house!
They actually need complete darkness at night. They have a very insteresting eye structure. They don’t see anything well at all and use scent and their whiskers for navigation mainly. It’s one reason not to clean out the cage too much - they can feel lost if all their familiar scent is removed. They scent mark everything in a cage which is partly to claim it as their territory and partly to help find their way around. So the idea is not to clean everything at the same time. Eg wheel as and when needed if it’s pee’d in (but not every day). Sometimes it just needs a wipe with a damp cloth. Spot clean any pee area once or twice a week. Or empty the litter tray (Syrians will actually use a toilet/litter tray). They are really quite clean little things and groom themselves regularly. It’s only their pee that’s unhygienic.
There’s no need to use pet disinfectant unless there has been illness or disease. Just a damp cloth or soapy water on things (ie dishwashing soap in water), but important to avoid scented things when cleaning or it can affect them. Their sense of smell is way stronger than ours and they do have sensitive respiratory tracts. So any bedding needs to be unscented as well.
Most people use Kaytee clean and cosy or similar for substrate. And just plain white toilet paper torn into strips for nesting material. Wood shavings can be risky - due to the phenols in them. At the very least it needs to say kiln dried and dust extracted on the packet (that removes some of the phenols but not all of them).
So no they don’t need a light on at night
. They have a distinct period of high activity at night and some won’t even come out and start their night time activities until the lights are out. But they will often come out earlier in the evening at feeding time.
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Although they don’t see well, they are aware of light and dark. And virtually colour blind. They can see a bit of blue and green apparently. Some of us have nightcams . Like a baby monitor that records infra red. You can watch on your phone in bed or review the recording next day - and see what they get up to.
It’s partly because of their poor eyesight that heights are risky. They can’t see where they are! And tend to just let go and drop and can get injured. They climb but then can’t get down again and can climb right up to the roof and monkey bar across it! And then just let go. They are not very clever like that but probably because they’re not wired for that type of thing. They can be very clever and communicative on other ways (and also sneaky !)
. Like a baby monitor that records infra red. You can watch on your phone in bed or review the recording next day - and see what they get up to.It’s partly because of their poor eyesight that heights are risky. They can’t see where they are! And tend to just let go and drop and can get injured. They climb but then can’t get down again and can climb right up to the roof and monkey bar across it! And then just let go. They are not very clever like that but probably because they’re not wired for that type of thing. They can be very clever and communicative on other ways (and also sneaky !)
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Just thought - as you mentioned cats at home. Ideally the hamster needs to be in a room where cats don’t go. They can get quite stressed- being prey animals- by the presence of a cat. Also cats can pull cages over!