Presenting Zelda the Unexpected Hamster (Syrian)

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Zelda

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Hi All,
I'm Andrea and I am a sucker for a rescue. The household currently contains a rescued shelf, houseplant, Chihuahua and Zelda. I found Zel in a local pet shop; she had been surrendered because her person could not care for her. For a $20 donation to a local pet charity, I went home with Zelda and all her worldly goods. Her enclosure had clearly not been properly cleaned or maintained for some time, and I think Zel may have some food security issues as a result. Nevertheless she is now living her best life (or at least the best life that I can give her). She is a gentle soul, does not bite but is highly kinetic, so all our pictures are a bit blurry.

Zelda is my first hamster, and having a hamster was NOWHERE on my radar. There has been a steep learning curve, and I appreciate the information available on the forum (and the research citations). I will be checking in when I can to learn more about hammie training and care.
 

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She is absolutely gorgeous :) I'm so glad you've got her and she can settle and have a nice home now. I'm guessing you'll be planning to change her enclosure?
 
Congrats on getting your first hamster!
Zelda is such a beautiful girl & very lucky to have found a loving forever home with you.
 
Her balcony is very cute. Just a thought about the sticks. I have heard of hammies trapping their feet in them trying to climb over. If the bedding is nice and deep it's good to prevent falls from roof tops and platforms. Sorry to start nagging at such an early stage. She is clearly an affectionate little hamster and you have a great bond already!
 
Maz said:
She is absolutely gorgeous :) I'm so glad you've got her and she can settle and have a nice home now. I'm guessing you'll be planning to change her enclosure?
Click to expand...
Thank you! Actually the image is the third (and final) enclosure. It's a 40 long reptile tank with a pullout bottom drawer. Super easy to clean and high black out sides make her feel secure. Pull-out is super easy to clean. She totally freaked in a metal bar enclosure and wouldn't use the attached tubes. I was afraid she would break a tooth biting the bars constantly. After three high-stress days trying to acclimate her, we found the reptile tank. She calmed down the minute we put her in it. :)
 
That's great she calmed down :) Most barred cages just aren't big enough (unless you're in the Uk) and female Syrians are notorious for needing a lot of space. They need something at least about 40" x 20" deep and 20" tall. But it sounds like she's settled in her tank now :)

They like lots of deep bedding to dig tunnels as well :) That and an 11" or 12" wheel and plenty of other enrichment and she'll be happy :)

Are you able to handle her at all?
 
Socks Mum said:
Her balcony is very cute. Just a thought about the sticks. I have heard of hammies trapping their feet in them trying to climb over. If the bedding is nice and deep it's good to prevent falls from roof tops and platforms. Sorry to start nagging at such an early stage. She is clearly an affectionate little hamster and you have a great bond already!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the observation, and the concern. I debated about the fence, but honestly Zel is a klutz. The uprights have a little wiggle room (enough I think to prevent disaster) and there is daylight between the platform and the uprights. So far, so good.
 
Maz said:
That's great she calmed down :) Most barred cages just aren't big enough (unless you're in the Uk) and female Syrians are notorious for needing a lot of space. They need something at least about 40" x 20" deep and 20" tall. But it sounds like she's settled in her tank now :)

They like lots of deep bedding to dig tunnels as well :) That and an 11" or 12" wheel and plenty of other enrichment and she'll be happy :)

Are you able to handle her at all?
Click to expand...
She has her big "Ferris wheel" and plenty of foraging toys. She also explores the apartment in her hamster ball. She is almost a year old. She will let me stroke her, and take treats from my hand or palm, but is leary of stepping onto my palm. I recently read about hand-taming in the bathtub. I think we will try that.
 
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Aw - the only thing is hamster balls aren't recommended any more - most pet charities say they shouldn't be used any more and most of them are too small anyway. Rat balls are bigger, but they're not safe as they have bigger slits in them. They can be quite a useful "taxi" though - if she hops into in her tank - as a way of carrying her to a playpen area or sectioned off part of a room :)

A playpen area is safer :) Some people just use the upstairs landing, blocked off and the doors closed.

Yes the taming article should help her get used to hands :)
 
Maz said:
Aw - the only thing is hamster balls aren't recommended any more - most pet charities say they shouldn't be used any more and most of them are too small anyway. Rat balls are bigger, but they're not safe as they have bigger slits in them. They can be quite a useful "taxi" though - if she hops into in her tank - as a way of carrying her to a playpen area or sectioned off part of a room :)

A playpen area is safer :) Some people just use the upstairs landing, blocked off and the doors closed.

Yes the taming article should help her get used to hands :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info _ wasn't aware :(
 
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It's ok :) It's quite a recent thing in the last few years. I've used one in the past, but a playpen is better.

"THE RSPCA HAS CONCERNS OVER THE USE OF HAMSTER BALLS AS THEY MAY
CAUSE THE HAMSTER STRESS AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE INJURY.
Offering animals the opportunity to exercise is important. Inactivity can cause obesity
which can lead to very serious health and welfare problems and can also reduce the
length of a pet’s life.
The hamster ball is an exercise device for hamsters. The hamster is enclosed in the ball
and can then exercise/run in the ball which then rolls around on the floor. There are
concerns that such products may, in fact, be stressful for hamsters and so the RSPCA
does not recommend their use.
WELFARE CONCERNS
• Because hamsters’ sight is very poor, the senses of touch, smell and hearing are vital
means of exploring their environment. Being enclosed in an exercise ball could restrict
the hamster’s use of these senses and could compromise his/her ability to gain
information about the environment, which is likely to be very stressful for the hamster.
• Whilst in the exercise ball the hamster will have no control over its environment and will
be unable to access any resources he/she may need- for example food, water, bedding/
nest area. This may prevent the hamster from being able to perform natural behaviours
and could cause considerable stress.
• It is also likely to be extremely stressful for the hamster should the exercise ball collide
with other objects; for example, furniture.
• There is potential risk of injury to the hamster’s paws and/or legs if pinched or caught in
the air holes in the exercise ball."

The link is near the bottom of this page

Hamster Health & Welfare Tips | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk

Read our tips on how to keep your hamster healthy and happy with regular health checks and signs of stress to look out for.
www.rspca.org.uk www.rspca.org.uk
 
Maz said:
It's ok :) It's quite a recent thing in the last few years. I've used one in the past, but a playpen is better.

file:///C:/Users/elain/Downloads/Hamster%20balls%20(PDF%20148%20KB).pdf
Click to expand...
Thanks but can't access the file. I would love to get a playpen for Zel, but she is quite a prolific chewer.
 
Maz said:
It's ok :) It's quite a recent thing in the last few years. I've used one in the past, but a playpen is better.

"THE RSPCA HAS CONCERNS OVER THE USE OF HAMSTER BALLS AS THEY MAY
CAUSE THE HAMSTER STRESS AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE INJURY.
Offering animals the opportunity to exercise is important. Inactivity can cause obesity
which can lead to very serious health and welfare problems and can also reduce the
length of a pet’s life.
The hamster ball is an exercise device for hamsters. The hamster is enclosed in the ball
and can then exercise/run in the ball which then rolls around on the floor. There are
concerns that such products may, in fact, be stressful for hamsters and so the RSPCA
does not recommend their use.
WELFARE CONCERNS
• Because hamsters’ sight is very poor, the senses of touch, smell and hearing are vital
means of exploring their environment. Being enclosed in an exercise ball could restrict
the hamster’s use of these senses and could compromise his/her ability to gain
information about the environment, which is likely to be very stressful for the hamster.
• Whilst in the exercise ball the hamster will have no control over its environment and will
be unable to access any resources he/she may need- for example food, water, bedding/
nest area. This may prevent the hamster from being able to perform natural behaviours
and could cause considerable stress.
• It is also likely to be extremely stressful for the hamster should the exercise ball collide
with other objects; for example, furniture.
• There is potential risk of injury to the hamster’s paws and/or legs if pinched or caught in
the air holes in the exercise ball."

The link is near the bottom of this page

Hamster Health & Welfare Tips | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk

Read our tips on how to keep your hamster healthy and happy with regular health checks and signs of stress to look out for.
www.rspca.org.uk www.rspca.org.uk
Click to expand...
Thanks! Is there a good article on playpen recommedations?
 
Yes :) There's a thread on it here. If you can leave one up permanently then the songmix type ones are good. If that's not possible and you need something that folds away, then people use the ballpit type ones. Or you could make one maybe. You can still dismantle the songmics type but it's more fiddly.

www.thehamsterforum.com

Playpens and Playareas

Many hamsters enjoy regular out of cage time and it is our responsibility to create a safe area for our furry friends. There are various types of playpens available, some are very good and others are a waste of money. I provide our hamsters with a playarea on the upstairs landing. Prior to...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
Hi all,
I reviewed the playpens thread (thanks!) and notice that y'all are putting down blankets and soft cloth toys on the floor of the area. I'm concerned Zelda would likely chew on blankies and stuffed toys? Isn't that a hazard? Thanks for any advice :)
 
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