Kitting my cage out

eviee.jpg

eviee.jpg

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Hi all, I am getting a hamster soon and I am going shopping tomorrow to get most things, I have a very lengthy and picky list already but I'm just wondering which is the best bedding, sand, food, accessories etc to get? and which brands are trustworthy.
Thanks, Evie :)
 
eviee.jpg said:
Hi all, I am getting a hamster soon and I am going shopping tomorrow to get most things, I have a very lengthy and picky list already but I'm just wondering which is the best bedding, sand, food, accessories etc to get? and which brands are trustworthy.
Thanks, Evie :)
Click to expand...
Good you are thinking in advance I would say firstly make sure you get a cage big enough I was ignorant as to how much space they need luckily I could exchange the original purchase for a larger size had to get rid of a piece of furniture to fit it in the room though lots of advice on here
 
Jain said:
Good you are thinking in advance I would say firstly make sure you get a cage big enough I was ignorant as to how much space they need luckily I could exchange the original purchase for a larger size had to get rid of a piece of furniture to fit it in the room though lots of advice on here
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Im thinking of getting the savic one from pets at home
 
I’d recommend Kaytee clean and cosy for substrate, I’ve tried quite a few over the years now & stuck with that as it’s the best I’ve had.
For a Syrian Harry Hamster food is fine.
I’ll leave accessories to the Syrian owners.
 
I'm sure people probably have a few sand recommendations and substrate recommendations. I use Fitch for substrate - a lot of people use Kaytee Clean and cosy. Fitch is very similar to Kaytee but they sell it in a bigger bag.

I noticed you mention the Savic Plaza on your other thread :-) And it's a good cage for a Syrian. I think a good sized house that's dark inside is important as well - so they have a place to feel safe and secure and in the dark and are less likely to want to get out. There are various house options on the houses article on the home page. Most of the contents the cage comes with are a bit useless. Like the little blue plastic house, and the wheel is too small so you'll need a different wheel. The trixie plastic 28cm wheel is popular and one of the cheapest options.


It can be an idea to add an extra small shelf or two, but that's not essential. Other popular items for Syrians are this hyacinth tunnel


And a coconut hut - this one has an entrance hole big enough for Syrians

barksandbunnies.co.uk

Coconut Hut

The Happy Pet Nature First Coconut Hut provides small pets such as hamster, mice and gerbils the perfect luxurious snooze spot!
barksandbunnies.co.uk barksandbunnies.co.uk
 
And here's a list of things not to get lol,

Don't get a hamster ball or fluffy bedding/kapok! You probably know that already :)

Chewsticks - Whimzee toothbrush chews are popular - some pet stores sell them loose

Most things sold by Rosewood (Rosewood natural, Rosewood boredom breakers) are good and safe - except the Kapok and fluffy bedding.

If looking at tunnels etc - make sure the diameter is at least 7cm - rat sized ones are better for Syrians.

Some things you might only be able to get online. Stores like Hopes Healthy Treats and Happy Henrys' homes in the Uk sell all sorts. Rodipet and Getzoo in Germany sells hamster things too and they ship to the Uk fairly quickly. Be warned though, looking at nice hamster stuff can be addictive!
 
Sorry meant to add Pete is a dwafie and minimum size HH is suitable for a dwarf its maximum size I could accommodate Pete does have a lot of time in his playpen though
 
Are you just looking for general enrichment or thinking of a natural theme - or a mix of all sorts? Main thing is - a good house, plenty of substrate (fill the base at least), plenty of hidey places like other smaller hides like the coconut hut, or cardboard ones. Just check entrances are big enough on ceramic items and houses etc. At least 6cm and ideally 7cm. Some heavier items like ceramic ones need to go on a shelf. Will you be using the green shelf it comes with?
 
Maz said:
Are you just looking for general enrichment or thinking of a natural theme - or a mix of all sorts? Main thing is - a good house, plenty of substrate (fill the base at least), plenty of hidey places like other smaller hides like the coconut hut, or cardboard ones. Just check entrances are big enough on ceramic items and houses etc. At least 6cm and ideally 7cm. Some heavier items like ceramic ones need to go on a shelf. Will you be using the green shelf it comes with?
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I don’t really know what theme to go with tbh and yeah I’ll be using the shelf and will probably get a better one later
 
Ok - it's a good start :) The shelf is a good shelf. You don't need to go with a theme at all, I just know some people have something in mind sometimes. Just suitable items and work out what will fit where :). You don't even need to get a different shelf later, if the layout works for you, it's fine. I have that cage. The only reason I went with a different kind of shelf was I'd had a previous cage that had a shelf across one end instead of a corner one so wanted to recreate the same set up. But no need to buy extra shelves to replace it with. Sometimes adding the odd smaller shelf at the opposite end can help as it gives a bit more overhead cover.

Anyway will wait till your list is here!
 
so the list goes,
savic plaza cage
large running wheel (12" plus) axel free non slip (need reccomendations)
gnawing material (need reccomendations)
paper bedding, dust free, absorbant (maybe carefresh natural paper fibre bedding or fitch)
wooden chew toys not treated with pesticide
pet friendly cardboard
hiding place (need reccomendation)
food and water bowl
mechanical water bottle (need reccomendations)
hamster sand (need reccomendations)
 
Ok

Wheels:

The 12" Silent runner is a popular one and that can screw to the bars easily so you don't have to worry about something to stand it on. The cage mounting plates are separate though and about another £5.

Product Page | Toms Pet Creations

www.tomspetcreations.com www.tomspetcreations.com

Cage attachment brackets

Product Page | Toms Pet Creations

www.tomspetcreations.com www.tomspetcreations.com

There are other 12" wheels as well that others may have recommendations for.

Gnawing material

Whimzees toothbrush chews, sprays, Chew sticks (Whimzees can be got from a pet shop individually or from Hopes Healthy treats below)

Rosewood do various flavours of these


Vitakraft do various flavours of these


Bedding

I use Fitch. Kaytee Clean and Cosy is popular on here. Both are fine for holding tunnels. Carefresh seems less popular these days - it can be a bit dusty.

Wood chews
Apple wood sticks, forage sprays and lots more items on this page

hopeshealthytreats.com

Hamsters

Premium Hamster Toys, Treats and Chews
hopeshealthytreats.com

Cardboard
Toilet roll inners, tissue boxes, shoe boxes, amazon boxes are all fine.

House/main hiding place - lots of info here

www.thehamsterforum.com

Houses, multiroom houses and nesting boxes for Hamsters

How to choose the best house or nesting box for your Hamster. The best houses have multiple rooms for nesting, hoarding and for a litter tray. This mimics a Hamster's burrow and they can have normal behaviours and enjoy a dark, safe and cosy...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com

Food and water
As Elusive mentioned above, Harry Hamster is fine. It contains everything needed and the correct protein levels and is sugar free. If at some point you want to look at something with more variety, there are other options, but most of them ship from Germany.

Water bowls I'll leave others to recommend. I use water bottles and like this one - it doesn't drip and lets water out easily and comes with a clip to attach to the bars, so it's easy to take the water bottle in and out.


Sand
Also listed on the Hopes Healthy treats page. I think Rainbow uses that one (Natural sand). There are various others and people have their preferences. Others may have other suggestions. I see the Natural sand is out of stock at Hopes Healthy treats but it's available on Amazon








 
Maz said:
Ok - it's a good start :) The shelf is a good shelf. You don't need to go with a theme at all, I just know some people have something in mind sometimes. Just suitable items and work out what will fit where :). You don't even need to get a different shelf later, if the layout works for you, it's fine. I have that cage. The only reason I went with a different kind of shelf was I'd had a previous cage that had a shelf across one end instead of a corner one so wanted to recreate the same set up. But no need to buy extra shelves to replace it with. Sometimes adding the odd smaller shelf at the opposite end can help as it gives a bit more overhead cover.

Anyway will wait till your list is here!
Click to expand...
I did that in one corner with platform steps to it and put a ceramic hide there as it just gives Pete a bit more to explore especially when he finds treats inside the hide
 
eviee.jpg said:
also need recs for cleaning supplies
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Do you mean for cage cleaning? You don't need anything special for regular use. A cage only needs disinfecting if there's been illness or disease. For that you can either use Beaphar for small animals, Johnson and Johnson for small animals or Safe4Pets - there may be others as well. It's good to have a bottle in though, just in case it's needed.

For general cleaning just fairy liquid and water is fine. You shouldn't need to do a main clean out that often if you have plenty of substrate and a potty litter tray. You can just spot clean mainly. You can easily go 2 to 3 months or more with just spot cleaning and a litter tray, without needing to change all the substrate, and even then partial cleans are better for the hamster (and save on substrate). You keep back a third to a half of the old clean substrate and mix it in with the new, or spread it on top of the new. Also best not to clean everything at the same time. More info below

www.thehamsterforum.com

Hamster cage cleaning

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 www.thehamsterforum.com
 
And having mentioned potty litter trays - that is a good thing to add to your list. Syrians will use a litter tray with sand in - if you put it in the right place. This makes life a lot easier! You just empty the litter tray a couple of times a week and the rest of the cage stays clean and dry. I use these corner ones - they fit in a multiroom house or the corner of a large house, or the corner of a cage. If a Syrian hamster has a large house they tend to have their pee place in the house in a corner. If they don't have a large house they tend to choose a corner of the cage as a toilet. You put the litter tray where they have their chosen pee place.

 
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