New hamster questions?

[BiffyTheHamster]

Hi! I’ve literally just only got a Syrian hamster (I’ve called him Biffy), but I just wondered if anyone could answer a few questions? So I’ve just had two gerbils, they lived very old and were very tame and happy, but obviously Syrian hamsters are different in their need etc. I haven’t got a proper wheel for him yet (only the one pets at home recommended, but I think everyone knows that’s not exactly advice to go by lmao) and I was wondering was the ideal sizing would be as I know it needs to be large. I also was wanting to make sure I had all the enrichment needed, as I want to make him as happy as possible- especially before I introduce the playpen to him.

And the last thing (sorry this is a lot), was about climbing the bars in the cage. I know this is a stress response- which is especially why I wanted more enrichment- but I guess I was also wondering how panicked I should be considering he’s only had 2 days in his new environment so far.

THANK YOU, I’m looking forward to spending more time here <3

 

[Daisy]

Hello,

Congratulations on the new hamster!

What is the width of the wheel you got? It may be okay for the first few weeks since he's probably quite young. Bar climbing isn't necessarily a stress response, especially when a hamster is new. It's often just normal exploring and should stop as he settles in. You could post a photo of your cage if you would like tips or suggestions on improving enrichment.

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome If he's bar climbing, he might just be exploring if it's only been a couple of days. If he's bar biting then yes he could well be stressed if the cage isn't big enough or enough bedding or anywhere dark to go to.

They do need a couple of weeks to settle into a cage so it's usually best not to change too much during that time but it's fine to add a bit more bedding or the odd new item as long as it's not changing things around or removing them.

Do you have a photo of his current cage and we can make some suggestions. Usually plenty of bedding helps them feel secure, along with a house or hide that's dark inside, or a shelf to sit under. That would be a start.

 

[Maz]

Posted at the same time as Daisy

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

Hello,

Congratulations on the new hamster!

What is the width of the wheel you got? It may be okay for the first few weeks since he's probably quite young. Bar climbing isn't necessarily a stress response, especially when a hamster is new. It's often just normal exploring and should stop as he settles in. You could post a photo of your cage if you would like tips or suggestions on improving enrichment.

Thanks for your reply! The wheel he has right now is one of the flying saucer ones, but it’s quite small. I was going to order a 10.5 inch one to attach to the side? I’ll take a pic of the cage

 

[Maz]

If it's a small flying saucer then that will need replacing, yes, and he might be climbing the bars because he's needing to burn up energy and the wheel is too small He might still try to use it. I'd take it back for a refund! Just say it's too small for a Syrian. Doesn't matter that it's been used.

A wheel needs to be at least 11" diameter. 10.5" might need replacing as the hamster grows. Which wheel do you mean though? If it's 27cm it should be ok.

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

Hello and welcome If he's bar climbing, he might just be exploring if it's only been a couple of days. If he's bar biting then yes he could well be stressed if the cage isn't big enough or enough bedding or anywhere dark to go to.

They do need a couple of weeks to settle into a cage so it's usually best not to change too much during that time but it's fine to add a bit more bedding or the odd new item as long as it's not changing things around or removing them.

Do you have a photo of his current cage and we can make some suggestions. Usually plenty of bedding helps them feel secure, along with a house or hide that's dark inside, or a shelf to sit under. That would be a start.

Thank you! That’s put me at ease about the climbing, and he’s not biting the bars. When he’s settled I’ll introduce him to the same pen I made for my gerbils, which was the whole room with all the dangerous bits and bobs blocked off. In regards to the photo right now, I’ve ordered in for tomorrow lots more bedding to add in, another hide, some different substrates and a large wheel for the side- so I’m aware there’s lots of improvement to be done! Under the ledge there’s more toys and a hide.

If it's a small flying saucer then that will need replacing, yes, and he might be climbing the bars because he's needing to burn up energy and the wheel is too small He might still try to use it. I'd take it back for a refund! Just say it's too small for a Syrian. Doesn't matter that it's been used.

A wheel needs to be at least 11" diameter. 10.5" might need replacing as the hamster grows. Which wheel do you mean though? If it's 27cm it should be ok.

okay cool thank you, I’m about to send a photo on the other reply you did! I will order thats at-least 11” instead, and it’s a silent savic one.

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

Hello and welcome If he's bar climbing, he might just be exploring if it's only been a couple of days. If he's bar biting then yes he could well be stressed if the cage isn't big enough or enough bedding or anywhere dark to go to.

They do need a couple of weeks to settle into a cage so it's usually best not to change too much during that time but it's fine to add a bit more bedding or the odd new item as long as it's not changing things around or removing them.

Do you have a photo of his current cage and we can make some suggestions. Usually plenty of bedding helps them feel secure, along with a house or hide that's dark inside, or a shelf to sit under. That would be a start.

Sorry I couldn’t quite get the angles right. I’m not sure the exact size, I think something like 57x100? I chose the largest size available. And I plan on filling it up with much more bedding but I want a to make sure I give him the best enrichment as I know there’s a lot to do. thanks for all the help btw

 

[Maz]

It's a good sized cage He has lots of nice bedding in there. I would be tempted to put a shoebox house in there, front left. Just cut the base out of a shoe box and keep the lid as a lift off roof and cut a hole in the side for a door. And put one of the bendy stick bridges over the door to make a tunnel entrance (it also makes a ramp onto the roof and will make it dark inside). Then there won't be so much open space and he'll have somewhere dark to nest in. Pringles tubes also make good floor tunnels - they like a tunnel to dive into and run through. Just wipe the inside out and I then pull the silver paper off inside - it comes off quite easily. If you start at one end you can unravel it all in one go and just pull it out.

Maybe put the little wood house at the back on the shelf as an extra hide and have the wheel at the back there next to the shelf. I think that cage is 41 cm tall (maybe 38 ish on the inside) so a 27 or 28cm wheel will fit fine but you might need to have the bedding lower in the wheel area so the wheel will fit. PAH do a wood and cork wheel for £16 that's silent. It will probably get pee'd on though so most people paint the inside at least, with Plastikote enamel water based paint. They also sell the Giant Savic Rolly wheel for £17 which would attach to the bars, so you could have it a bit higher up and have more bedding underneath. That might be a bit rattly and the hamster might grow out of it but it would be a good start.

Pets at Home Small Animal Exercise Wheel | Pets

Buy Pets at Home Small Animal Exercise Wheel | Available to order today & Free Delivery on orders over £45

www.petsathome.com

Savic Giant Rolly Wheel | Pets

Buy Savic Giant Rolly Wheel | Available to order today & Free Delivery on orders over £45

www.petsathome.com

The other option with the Rolly wheel is just stand it on top of the substrate on it's stand, but tie it to the bars to keep it stable so it doesn't fall on the hamster. But only use sisal or seagrass string for tieing things on. As normal string isn't safe to chew.

A better wheel option would be the trixie 28cm plastic wheel (from Amazon). Also about £16 and it will be the right size when the hamster grows and is wipe clean. It's not a silent wheel but they're usually quiet.

Trixie 28cm plastic wheel - click here

 

[Maz]

Also I'd recommend getting one of these - hamster corner litter tray. And put sand in it. Syrians will almost always use a litter tray to pee in which helps keep the cage clean and dry. But only if you put it where they decide to pee! You just empty it every few days. If you can make a shoe box house, then put the litter tray inside in a back corner opposite the door as the hamster will choose to nest at the end away from the door where it's darkest. So having the door at one end of one of the long sides of the shoe box works well.

If you don't have a shoebox handy, there are multiroom houses you can buy but they can get expensive and also need painting to make them wipe clean inside.

Corner litter tray

 

[Maz]

The chew/toy hanging in the front left corner - you'll need to remove the chains for safety as a hamster climbing up there could get a foot caught in the chains and end up hanging by a broken leg. Things with chains aren't advisable. But you could use it without the chains or tie it up with sisal string again.

An easy way to get seagrass string is this trio of balls. I like to get these. The hyacinth ball is nice in the cage and you can stick pumpkin seeds under the folds of the hyacinth to make a boredom breaker and the hamster woiuld enjoy picking the seeds out The seagrass one I unravel to use for string to tie things to the bars. The wicker one I find a bit spikey so I keep that for out of cage time.

Trio of balls

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

It's a good sized cage He has lots of nice bedding in there. I would be tempted to put a shoebox house in there, front left. Just cut the base out of a shoe box and keep the lid as a lift off roof and cut a hole in the side for a door. And put one of the bendy stick bridges over the door to make a tunnel entrance (it also makes a ramp onto the roof and will make it dark inside). Then there won't be so much open space and he'll have somewhere dark to nest in. Pringles tubes also make good floor tunnels - they like a tunnel to dive into and run through. Just wipe the inside out and I then pull the silver paper off inside - it comes off quite easily. If you start at one end you can unravel it all in one go and just pull it out.

Maybe put the little wood house at the back on the shelf as an extra hide and have the wheel at the back there next to the shelf. I think that cage is 41 cm tall (maybe 38 ish on the inside) so a 27 or 28cm wheel will fit fine but you might need to have the bedding lower in the wheel area so the wheel will fit. PAH do a wood and cork wheel for £16 that's silent. It will probably get pee'd on though so most people paint the inside at least, with Plastikote enamel water based paint. They also sell the Giant Savic Rolly wheel for £17 which would attach to the bars, so you could have it a bit higher up and have more bedding underneath. That might be a bit rattly and the hamster might grow out of it but it would be a good start.

Pets at Home Small Animal Exercise Wheel | Pets

Buy Pets at Home Small Animal Exercise Wheel | Available to order today & Free Delivery on orders over £45

www.petsathome.com

Savic Giant Rolly Wheel | Pets

Buy Savic Giant Rolly Wheel | Available to order today & Free Delivery on orders over £45

www.petsathome.com

The other option with the Rolly wheel is just stand it on top of the substrate on it's stand, but tie it to the bars to keep it stable so it doesn't fall on the hamster. But only use sisal or seagrass string for tieing things on. As normal string isn't safe to chew.

A better wheel option would be the trixie 28cm plastic wheel (from Amazon). Also about £16 and it will be the right size when the hamster grows and is wipe clean. It's not a silent wheel but they're usually quiet.

Trixie 28cm plastic wheel - click here

Oh my gosh thank you so much for all this advice and the links! That’s honestly the most helpful thing ever I’m gonna go check out the wheels and order one. And I’ll also try the shoebox hide

 

[Maz]

I'd get the plastic trixie wheel from Amazon if it was me With that wheel you can just stand it on the substrate and tie it to the bars at the back so it doesn't tip over.

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

The chew/toy hanging in the front left corner - you'll need to remove the chains for safety as a hamster climbing up there could get a foot caught in the chains and end up hanging by a broken leg. Things with chains aren't advisable. But you could use it without the chains or tie it up with sisal string again.

An easy way to get seagrass string is this trio of balls. I like to get these. The hyacinth ball is nice in the cage and you can stick pumpkin seeds under the folds of the hyacinth to make a boredom breaker and the hamster woiuld enjoy picking the seeds out The seagrass one I unravel to use for string to tie things to the bars. The wicker one I find a bit spikey so I keep that for out of cage time.

Trio of balls

Thanks I’ve just removed the chain

 

[Maz]

Where is he sleeping at the moment? Under the shelf or in that pile of bedding in the corner? He will almost certainly move into the shoebox house as it'll be dark inside But if you put a bit of cucumber inside it'll tempt him in to explore in there and he'll move in then. Or I'll eat my hat ha ha.

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

I'd get the plastic trixie wheel from Amazon if it was me With that wheel you can just stand it on the substrate and tie it to the bars at the back so it doesn't tip over.

Perfect thank you I will do that!

 

[Maz]

All starts adding up! But pringles tubes and shoe boxes are free

 

[BiffyTheHamster]

Where is he sleeping at the moment? Under the shelf or in that pile of bedding in the corner? He will almost certainly move into the shoebox house as it'll be dark inside But if you put a bit of cucumber inside it'll tempt him in to explore in there and he'll move in then. Or I'll eat my hat ha ha.

He’s sleeping in the pile of bedding right now, but he has been in the hide under the shelf too