Hamster 101 tips

happyhamster

happyhamster

Active member
Member
Messages
10
Reaction score
38
Points
43
As a first time hamster owner, what is something you wished you would have known when you first got your hamster?
 
Good question!

1) What size cage to buy
2) What bedding to use
3) Where to get a hamster from
4) Being told about freezing hamster food for a week before using it
5) Which rubbish and dangerous hamster items not to waste money on
 
Ditto all of Maz’s above 😃

…. and for our household….

1). That they don’t all appear in the day, some are truly nocturnal and some only early risers.

(My daughter had watched too much YouTube I think and was disappointed when our Ham only appeared around 8-9pm earliest which is actually pretty good!)

2). That befriending/taming could take between 4-6 months. (But it was well worth the patience 😊)

3). That there are so many different healthy food sprays, forages and treats.

Think I wasted money early on buying treats that were ok but kinda unhealthy compared to all the more natural sprays and forage mixes you can buy)
 
I had no idea how much storage space I would need! I am forever buying jars and containers for the sprays, forage, food.

That I would need cameras in order to find out what they get up to which helps me to know if they are healthy and if anything in their cage needs to be changed.
 
I sleep next to the cage 😄 but we have pretty compatible hours ATM, or I sleep through the hamster noises now that he seems to have stopped bar biting. Socks was used to kipping with his brothers in the pet shop so I couldn't leave him all alone 🥰
 
Yes species does make difference as to when a hamster emerges! I think that is why dwarf species seem very popular these days - and there are always plenty in rescues. Plus Roborovski hamsters are great to watch and talk to but very difficult to handle and are more watch pets. They can be tamed but I think it’s rare and they are still incredibly fast if they shoot off.

I do have a soft spot for Syrians even though they sleep all day and even part of the evening. But they can be trained to get up earlier for out of cage time :) .

I’ll add to that list - knowing that you need a playpen or safe area for free roaming.
 
Maz said:
Good question!

1) What size cage to buy
2) What bedding to use
3) Where to get a hamster from
4) Being told about freezing hamster food for a week before using it
5) Which rubbish and dangerous hamster items not to waste money on
Click to expand...
Ditto! I definitely wasted money by buying the wrong things. Even now Miss B is in a too small cage (80 x 50) and I can’t afford to upgrade it. Fortunately, with the addition of plenty of enrichment (especially her dig box!) and deeper bedding, she is actually genuinely happy in it. But would definitely have been helpful to know beforehand as I could have bought the right things, probably for less than I spent on the wrong things 😏
 
How exciting, looking forward to the updates.

Lots of great info above, for me I would also add, females can be demanding and need more space. I have a female syrian.
Don't underestimate how big the cage needs to be, I upgraded mine within 2 months, lots of info on here for suitable options, depending on the hamster.
The play pen or safe free roam space is a must.
Cardboard is your friend, I had lots of chews, but cardboard seemed the preference, lots of ideas on here for cardboard creations.
The deeper the bedding the better.

There is one other thing I wish I had done before getting my hamster and that would have been to join this forum, it's helped me so much, so I think you are off to a great start😄
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top