Minimum cage requirements and help please

[Jain]

I don't know your age or how close you are to your Mum but honestly everything said previously is just fact and to be very blunt to have a hamster as a class pet is just cruel can you sit with your Mum show her all of the comments and also do research together so she understands and comes to the right conclusion as you already seem to have done. BTW someone on here has lots of knowledge regarding Guinea pigs they can be kept in pairs or group are sociable and are awake during the daytime look up more advice on their suitability it could be a way for your Mum to turn things around good luck and very best wishes with your endeavours.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I don't know your age or how close you are to your Mum but honestly everything said previously is just fact and to be very blunt to have a hamster as a class pet is just cruel can you sit with your Mum show her all of the comments and also do research together so she understands and comes to the right conclusion as you already seem to have done. BTW someone on here has lots of knowledge regarding Guinea pigs they can be kept in pairs or group are sociable and are awake during the daytime look up more advice on their suitability it could be a way for your Mum to turn things around good luck and very best wishes with your endeavours.

Guinea pigs would not be suitable to live as classroom pets. They need a huge space and are very timid so would be overwhelmed by the noises.

 

[Jain]

Guinea pigs would not be suitable to live as classroom pets. They need a huge space and are very timid so would be overwhelmed by the noises.

Sorry I was hopeing someone with knowledge of them would reply so thank you to be honest it's looking like any small furries are really not suitable it's such a shame the research wasn't done before involving the children but as we know a lot on here myself including are constantly asking questions and ongoing learning

 

[Frida]

I think any classroom pet is a very bad idea. When I was at school we had rabbits and guinea pigs as classroom pets. The poor creatures were never left alone and constantly passed around the class. They lived in very small cages and left alone over the weekend. School holidays children would take it turns to take one of the pets home and it didn't always end well. So the teacher would just go out and buy another one. I never took my turn to hold any of the pets or take them home over the holidays because I thought it was cruel. The other kids used to laugh at me.

 

[Ghostborb]

I think any classroom pet is a very bad idea. When I was at school we had rabbits and guinea pigs as classroom pets. The poor creatures were never left alone and constantly passed around the class. They lived in very small cages and left alone over the weekend. School holidays children would take it turns to take one of the pets home and it didn't always end well. So the teacher would just go out and buy another one. I never took my turn to hold any of the pets or take them home over the holidays because I thought it was cruel. The other kids used to laugh at me.

Yes I understand that class pets in general are not a great idea. I have a chameleon who is a rescue from a class pet situation so I’ve seen exactly what can happen. Unfortunately I don’t think the decision will change, so me and my mom are going to do our best to at least give it the best enclosure to live in and do as much research as we can. I think there’s a plan on having lesson for pet Heath and care along with it.

 

[Member ID2]

Another factor to consider is environment and temperature.

How cold does the classroom get in the winter months?

Hamsters can't handle extreme drops in temperatures too well. They can go into a state called torpor which can be fatal.

 

[Ghostborb]

Another factor to consider is environment and temperature.

How cold does the classroom get in the winter months?

Hamsters can't handle extreme drops in temperatures too well. They can go into a state called torpor which can be fatal.

Good question, I’m not to sure but I do have some spare heating lamps if they need to be used. I pretty sure the school has heating as well.

 

[Member ID2]

I was wondering about the overnight temperature during the winter.

Heating lamps like used for reptiles may not be suitable for a hamster though.

There are so many factors to consider because a classroom environment is so different from the domestic setting of a pet hamster.

Ideally, the whole idea should be abondend on animal welfare grounds but if that is not going to happen, i really do not envy you the situation you've found yourself in.

What exactly is the purpose of a classroom pet? I was educated in Germany and have not come across anything like that in my school days.

 

[Ghostborb]

I was wondering about the overnight temperature during the winter.

Heating lamps like used for reptiles may not be suitable for a hamster though.

There are so many factors to consider because a classroom environment is so different from the domestic setting of a pet hamster.

Ideally, the whole idea should be abondend on animal welfare grounds but if that is not going to happen, i really do not envy you the situation you've found yourself in.

What exactly is the purpose of a classroom pet? I was educated in Germany and have not come across anything like that in my school days.

Honestly I’m not sure the purpose. I’m stationed in the US so it’s more common. I think what mainly happens is people think they are cool and so on. Sometimes it’s for education purposes. I also haven’t had many experiences with class pet so I’m not too sure.

 

[Member ID2]

I think the Prevue is similar in size to the Alaska here in the UK. It does fit a 10/11in wheel. Here is a link to cages from 2022 with an Alaska set up. I still use the Alaska and currently have a rescued Syrian in one but will upgrade him once i figure out his needs.

Show us your cages 2022

Hamster Heaven without external tubes and shelves set up for a Roborovski hamster.

thehamsterforum.com

 

[Jain]

I was wondering about the overnight temperature during the winter.

Heating lamps like used for reptiles may not be suitable for a hamster though.

There are so many factors to consider because a classroom environment is so different from the domestic setting of a pet hamster.

Ideally, the whole idea should be abondend on animal welfare grounds but if that is not going to happen, i really do not envy you the situation you've found yourself in.

What exactly is the purpose of a classroom pet? I was educated in Germany and have not come across anything like that in my school days.

I went to a school which had an agricultural stream we had 2 goats, chickens,ducks and pigs but never any creatures/livestock in the classroom. I agree best outcome for this situation would be to abandon the idea many reasons could be given to the children regarding why.

 

[Roza]

Please do not feel stressed about this. You are doing such a good job you have the animals at heart and you should feel proud.

Of course we are all worried cos we love hamsters & we understand their needs

This is a bit random but have you thought of snails? I work in a Petshop and this lady & her daughter came in. They keep African Land Snails. They are really interesting you keep them in a tank they grow massive and you can hold them! Ideal for a school room pet and they need minimal care x

 

[Ghostborb]

Please do not feel stressed about this. You are doing such a good job you have the animals at heart and you should feel proud.

Of course we are all worried cos we love hamsters & we understand their needs

This is a bit random but have you thought of snails? I work in a Petshop and this lady & her daughter came in. They keep African Land Snails. They are really interesting you keep them in a tank they grow massive and you can hold them! Ideal for a school room pet and they need minimal care x

This is one thing I love about these kinds of forums. They always have a lot of super kind and caring people who want to give creatures the best. I won’t lie I am pretty stressed about this. I don’t think the pet choice is going to change but we will try to get the right set up.

 

[Roza]

So do what you can. We are all rooting for you x

 

[Maz]

Yes the Prevue is accepted as a minimum size in the US and might be ok for a male Syrian but probably not for a female Syrian. Female Syrians are notorious for needing a lot of space and woukd be likely to bar chew.

I’d check out dollar per gallon sales at petco as well as you can get a large glass tank quite cheap in the sales. It would need a mesh lid either buying or making though or a hamster will escape. A hamster might feel a bit more secure in a glass tank as well if it’s a classroom pet.

A minimum for a tank would be a 40 gallon breeder tank which is about 45 to 50 cm wide and about 90cm long.

It’s great you’re looking at the best environment for the hamster and I would factor in something like privacy for the hamster - eg via a glass tank and at least 10” deep bedding. The children can learn about hamster natural behaviours as they will see the tunnels and burrows the hamster digs in the substrate.

I think a hamster could adjust to a certain amount of noise in the environment, just as the adjust to a TV being on for example. My concern would be that too many people wanting to handle at once could be stressful for the hamster. And what would happen in holidays.

One thing your Mum may need to know about is a playpen area or safe area for it or when the hamster is handled so if they jump, they can’t escape.

 

[Maz]

To add to the list - a Guinea pig sized pet carrier in case the hamster needs to be taken to the vets eg. They are more secure in a pet carrier.

 

[Maz]

This video shows what they could see when the hamster has deep bedding and can have normal behaviours like tunnelling . A glass tank is ideal for them seeing this while the hamster is unaware.

A tip with bedding - paper based bedding like Kaytee clean and cosy works best to hold their tunnels - in that video it looks like aspen and the tunnel the hamster dug just collapsed again.

There’s also a very cute photo of a hamster asleep in their underground burrow on this page (which also chives details of types of bedding). Again it’s the kind of thing the children would see through a glass tank and the hamster would still have privacy.

Safe & Unsafe Hamster Bedding - HamsterWelfare.com | Welfare Advice – Evidence – Care Information

Hamster bedding is one of the most important things in your hamster’s cage. To encourage natural behaviour, it is best to have plenty of bedding so that your hamster can make a burrow just like they would in the wild. Popular choices such as Carefresh and Kaytee have a tissue clump texture and...

www.hamsterwelfare.com

I assume it would be a Syrian hamster? Aka teddy bear, black bear etc.

A good diet would be Higgins Vita garden supplemented by lab blocks for extra protein. Or to keep it simple, Hazel or Harry Hamster is an ok hamster mix and doesn’t need the protein supplementing.

Scatter feeding the food is in idea rather than putting it in a bowl. About a tablespoon a day. The hamster can then have natural foraging instincts and enjoying foraging for the food (which also means they are out and about at feeding time perhaps.)

As regards cleaning - have a look at the home page article on this topic - it has useful tips and explains how big clean outs can stress hamsters.

I am sure your Mum will organise things so a parent is involved if any child is responsible for the hamster during a holiday and that the parent is provided with a care guide. (Or they could come on here ).

 

[Member ID2]

What would happen with the hamster over the weekend though? The hamster couldn't be left alone from Friday afternoon through to Monday morning. Moving the tank would be too heavy so the hamster would need to go in a different cage every weekend which would be very unsettling. Even a fully set up Prevue will be a job to move every Friday and Monday.

 

[Maz]

Technically it could be left for a maximum of two nights but maybe someone could feed the hamster and check on it over the week end.