Glad to be here!

[Maz]

something like this is what i would do
white= bedding
brown= cardboard
View attachment 2334

I just looked back at JaysBeans suggestion and it's a good one. There is no need to make a full level higher up if you put cardboard round the inside bars very deep and fill that with bedding. Then you have a normal height cage with one (or two) platforms. And she can dig tunnels. The one downside I can see to this is if she decides to chew off the cardboard (which my Syrian did!) then the bedding would end up on the floor a lot,. but the majority of it would stay in the cage held up by the bars. That's assuming there's still an accessible door above that.

Meanwhile I'd look out for a second hand 75 gallon tank - it's the right dimensions for a syrian.

 

[AnimalAddict]

But how do I keep her in a 75... she chewed through the metal cover of her last tank. And isn't one level kinda boring? Tonight she is enjoying running up and down from Main level to first shelf.

Is it normal for them to grow tufts of spikey fur??? Any way to tell how old she is?

 

[elusive]

Lovely photos of her, spiky, tufty or bed hair are all quite normal! There isn’t really any way you can tell how old a hamster is, she looks quite big so fully grown but that’s all you can tell.

 

[Frida]

Lovely photos. She's beautiful

 

[RainbowBrite]

A one level home is not boring to a hamster. They are burrowing animals and their favourite thing to do is to make tunnels, burrows, nests all underground. Your hamster would benefit from a 75 gallon tank because it will provide her with enough floor space and the height will enable her to have deep bedding.

There is so much information on here which will enable you to learn all about hamsters. On the home page you can find all sorts of information about the right substrate, enrichment etc. Then we have threads on here were members show their cage set ups which will enable you to get some ideas of how a hamster likes their cage set up.

Hamster care has come a long way from the 90s were they were considered happy in small cages and without deep bedding. I think it can be a shock for people who have had hamsters in the past to see how much their care have changed.

Enrichment is so important for hamsters. She will need chew toys, sprays (things like millet and flax) and forage. It would be nice for her to have a playpen too so when she is settled she can enjoy time playing in a safe space.

What is her name?

 

[Maz]

They are lovely photos . Love the hairdo today

Absolutely they really enjoy having a shelf or level - it’s somewhere to go and something to do and something to sit under. The basics are plenty of substrate, a level or shelf, a wheel the right size with a solid running track and somewhere dark to hide plus other enrichment and tunnels etc. In a tank people use platforms for a level.

It can be difficult finding a suitable tank lid if diy isn’t an option. I actually prefer cages to tanks personally - especially if they have a door at the front for interaction. I believe it’s possible to get the Savic Plaza in the US now - that is a great cage with a large front opening door. I’ve no idea where it’s in stock or how much it costs in the US though - it will be more than it costs in the U.K. due to import taxes. There is the Prevue cage which exotic nutrition sell (they call it the Zanzibar cage). That’s usually considered bare minimum size in the US. It has a good shelf and a large front opening door. It’s tall enough but not too tall. The good thing about a cage being the right height is you can use the roof bars to hang things from and that gives extra enrichment - I have a large rat tunnel and hanging Sputnik (plastic hammock) attached to mine.

 

[Maz]

Posted at the same time as Rainbow who has an amazing tank set up - it’s in the “show us your cages” thread which can be good for inspiration and ideas - we all get good ideas for our cages from that . People use sandblasted branches and similar things for climbing enrichment as well.

 

[Maz]

This is the Zanzibar/Prevue cage. A 40 breeder or 75 gallon tank might actually be cheaper in the dollar per gallon sales. Some people find hamsters bar chew if the cage is on the small side which is another reason tanks are popular. Hopefully she’s not bar chewing.

Zanzibar Cage

Discover comfort and security with Exotic Nutrition's Zanzibar Cage! This sturdy cage boasts a chew-proof metal shelf and ramp, plus a 6.5" deep tubby base for all that bedding that's sure to stay in the cage. And there's lots of room for accessories too! Crafted with a durable plastic base and...

www.exoticnutrition.com

 

[Member ID2]

What a gorgeous hamster!

The only way to secure an aquarium is with a strong, made to measure lid that has a metal mesh.

Personally, i prefer barred cages with a burrowing area on one end and plenty of shelves and ramps to climb safely.

I'd make your existing cage safer by resolving fall risks and by replacing fabric with wicker, seagrass, cardboard etc items and then watch your hamster for a while to see what she does.
Not all Syrians burrow, ours don't and many like to climb up solid ramps to sit on shelves, ours do.

All hamsters are different and what suits one may not suit another.

The little house is cute but more suited for a dwarf hamster i think so a cardboard shoebox size house may be a better option.

I rescue and rehome hamsters (mostly to myself) and don't always have a suitable cage available so have to improvise and make do sometimes. I call my temporary habitats Camp Cardboard.

As for age. If you bought your hamster from a petshop or breeder she would have been around 2 months old when sold.

 

[Maz]

The only way to resolve the fall risks is either a solid second level above the top shelves instead of the sheet. That could be made cheaply out of plywood but cutting it to fit and attaching it securely would be a real fiddle. So as with most things it comes down time and hassle versus money - ie the cost of a new cage that doesn’t need adapting.

The easiest way to make a solid roof lower down is to use the two top shelves higher up with a piece of wood between them sat on them. Ok so you’d then only have the one shelf but that’s ok and you can add lots of other enrichment as Beryl has mentioned.

Personally I would get the Zanzibar cage - it has more floor space and is a decent height. But then if she bar chews you’d need to move her to a tank anyway. If she’s not bar chewing now then she should be fine in the Zanzibar cage. Ideally it would be something bigger than that - at least a 40 gallon tank. I think there are people in the hamster community who make lids for tanks - at a cost.

 

[Member ID2]

I have an Alaska/Zanzibar for a Syrian and find this to be a good height. High enough for his 12in Silent Runner and shelves but not too high to induce any fall risks.

The Savic Plaza is preferable, true enough but hamster Otto is happy with what he's got.

If your hamster is not going to turn into a demanding, bar chewing diva (not pc i know) in the next couple of weeks or so, this cage could be a good option.

I don't know what it's like in the US but here in the UK good second hand cages are often available. All ours are second hand.

 

[AnimalAddict]

Thanks everyone. She seems to be happy and safe (for now) in the current set up but I will always be looking for ways to improve/upgrade her home, and I know I will find something that fits her and my needs perfectly in the near future. I have a camera on her and watch her A LOT (to the dismay of my husband and friends) and so far she has only ventured onto the highest shelf once so I don't think she's a fan of that. I will probably end up using the board idea to close it off, but I do hate that I will lose the ability to hang things from the top shelf. However, where there's a will there's a way!

The paperwork I received with her stated "two months" but I have to wonder about that because she is quite large. I can only hope that I will have her for at least 2-3 years because she seems very sweet and receptive already.

 

[albert's owner]

She's a very beautiful and cute hamster . I do recommend getting a 75 gallon tank or more. Since she is a female you should get a very large cage. Does she have a name?

 

[Member ID2]

Just to make you aware that hamsters can be reckless and unpredictable. They jump off silly heights simply because they can.

I've witnessed a couple of near miss events where they were lucky to escape injury which would have been entirely my fault and preventable.

 

[Maz]

Yes if the current cage is secured she could have some settling in time while you look around. To me a shelf is a shelf . Of those top two get used to make a solid roof higher up you can just add another sherif underneath - you can usually find something on Amazon - wood ones usually. I have a couple of smaller shelves at different heights which makes things interesting.

 

[Maz]

Just to make you aware that hamsters can be reckless and unpredictable. They jump off silly heights simply because they can.

I've witnessed a couple of near miss events where they were lucky to escape injury which would have been entirely my fault and preventable.

My concern would be what she gets up to at night - that is when they are highly active and want to get out and can climb the bars to look for a way out.

Re shelves - I have a small one on the back bars just below the height of the top of the wheel - you can then use a tube between that and the current shelf on the right maybe to make an interesting run above floor level. Then you won’t need the top two shelves.

 

[AnimalAddict]

Just to make you aware that hamsters can be reckless and unpredictable. They jump off silly heights simply because they can.

I've witnessed a couple of near miss events where they were lucky to escape injury which would have been entirely my fault and preventable.

I found that out - don't know if she intentionally jumped or she fell, but the first night she chewed through the metal screen cover of her tank, climbed out, and I found her running around the room. The aquarium was on a tall piece of furniture so I'm so relieved that she seems to be in perfect health. Got lucky once but can't let it happen again.

 

[AnimalAddict]

I think it's time I give this sweetie a name. I was thinking of letting my granddaughter name her when she meets her but she's probably too young to understand the concept of naming a pet. I have no idea why but a few times when talking to the hamster I have called her "Skittles". NO IDEA where that came from or why, but if I don't think of something I like better, she might be a Skittles!

 

[Zara]

Skittles is a fantastic name

 

[albert's owner]

I think it's time I give this sweetie a name. I was thinking of letting my granddaughter name her when she meets her but she's probably too young to understand the concept of naming a pet. I have no idea why but a few times when talking to the hamster I have called her "Skittles". NO IDEA where that came from or why, but if I don't think of something I like better, she might be a Skittles!

Skittles is a cute name for her.