Thank you I'm glad to have found this site

[fridakahlo]

I got my little one about 4 months ago from North Devon small pet rescue, she's approx 6 months, and she is deaf. At the moment I'm looking for information on maintaing and cleaning her bin enclosure without disrupting her world

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hello and welcome. What a beautiful hamster you have! What is their name?

 

[elusive]

Hello & welcome to the forum.
Congrats on getting your little one, she’s gorgeous.
Have you seen the article on cage cleaning tips here

Hamster cage cleaning

Tips on 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

 

[fridakahlo]

Thank you! Also, I was given meadow hay, not sure if it's OK or not?

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome . Yes the cage cleaning tips should give most of the info. If your little one is deaf there may be other things to consider as well. She is absolutely gorgeous by the way! She may be more easily startled if she can't hear you or hear cage noises when you move things. So you'll need to think more scent based. As she gets to know you, she'll get familiar with your scent anyway, but it might be an idea to work out a particular scent or visual routine that she will start to associate with you doing something in her cage. Maybe a particular item - like a small fleece cloth or something, that you rub on your skin and put near the entrance of her house, every time you're going to do something in her cage, or attempt to get her out of the cage, so she gets some kind of warning of what to expect. You can't really leave fleece in the cage or it'll be chewed though, so just temporarily when going to clean or remove something. Or an easier thing might be a rat tube - once she has been in it a few times and it has her scent (don't clean out very often!) you can put that in the cage and she'll probably just walk into it to be lifted out. So she will get in the habit of that as well.

But with her being deaf I would probably suggest it's better to only do any cleaning in the cage when she is out of the cage. Spot cleaning is best mainly anyway. But with some hamsters it's easier to do spot cleaning when they're in the cage, so they can see what you're doing. Others are better not seeing what you're doing! The important thing is that some things always smell familiar - so not everything is cleaned at the same time. They don't see well either so rely on scent to find their way around and feel safe in their territory.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Some people add a little hay in a cage for enrichment but it is up to you if you want to use it.

When I had a deaf guinea pig I would always get her attention before doing anything so she would not jump. Being deaf did not impact negatively on her life in anyway and in fact she was more confident as she did not hear noises which may be scary otherwise.

Maz suggestion of spot cleaning her cage when your little one is in a playpen is great.

 

[Maz]

Posted at the same time! Hamsters don't need hay, and particularly not for eating. Some people put a bit in and they might take some for their nest. If you do decide to use it, I would put it in the freezer for a week first in case it contains mites (hay commonly contains mites) - just to kill anything off! The last thing you want is bugs hatching out in the cage!

For substrate, paper based is better. So it would just be a small amount of hay as added enrichment. Rather than hay as bedding.

They also need nesting material and the best for that is torn up strips of plain white toilet paper in a heap. They often pouch the strips to take them to the nest.

Females can be quite active too so cardboard things they can rip up can be helpful - like a cardboard egg box carton eg. If you cut a hole in it, it can make an extra hidey place - then she can choose to either use it as a hide or shred it!

The main thing with cleaning generally though is not too much or too often. It's only really their pee that smells and Syrians will use a litter tray which can just be emptied out.

The other main thing is a suitable nesting box or house so they have a large space that's dark inside to build a big cosy nest and bury hoards under it. And a wheel the right size. What food do have for her?

 

[elusive]

Hay can contain sharp bits that could potentially damage pouches so you do need to be careful & pick those out before using it.
They don’t need it like some other animals & I haven’t found mine to be too interested when I have tried it so personally I don’t really think it’s worth it.

 

[fridakahlo]

Thank you all very much for the advice, I will spend some time reading them all. Yes she does startle so I am very careful, and I have a little jug she always happy to jump in it!!!

 

[Maz]

Is fridakahlo the name of your hamster as well? In addition to being an artist of course!

 

[Member ID2]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I had a female foster Syrian once i called Frieda. I really like that name but your hamster may be called something completely different. Whatever her name, she's a beautiful girl.

 

[fridakahlo]

Is fridakahlo the name of your hamster as well? In addition to being an artist of course!

Yes my hamster is called Frida Kahlo!!

 

[fridakahlo]

Yes my hamster is called Frida Kahlo!!

I don't see very much of her as she wakes up very late, I always make sure I hear her on her wheel through the night

 

[Maz]

How long have you had her? She may just be settling in. It can take about two weeks for them to fully settle into a cage and feel it's home. Which is why it's best not to do any cleanouts or changing things in the first two weeks. You can just spot clean the pee area once a week if it gets a bit whiffy (if you can find it). I find within 10 days to 2 weeks they suddenly become more confident and interested and out and about a bit more.

 

[fridakahlo]

How long have you had her? She may just be settling in. It can take about two weeks for them to fully settle into a cage and feel it's home. Which is why it's best not to do any cleanouts or changing things in the first two weeks. You can just spot clean the pee area once a week if it gets a bit whiffy (if you can find it). I find within 10 days to 2 weeks they suddenly become more confident and interested and out and about a bit more.

I've had her for 4 months now. She pees very near where she sleeps so it's a bit difficult as I don't like disrupting her

 

[RainbowBrite]

Would you like to post a picture of Frida's cage to enable members to advice you? I can be really helpful to see the layout.

 

[Maz]

I've had her for 4 months now. She pees very near where she sleeps so it's a bit difficult as I don't like disrupting her

Oh sorry I thought you'd just had her a month and she was 4 months old Ok so she should be well settled in now. Does she have a litter tray? Syrians will usually use one - if they like where you've put it! Normally they choose a corner of the cage as a pee spot. Unless they have a large house or multiroom house and then they tend to choose a place in the house to pee and you can put the litter tray there. In fact putting a litter tray in the house - she will probably just use it anyway - if it's large enough. Otherwise you could put it where she currently pees. Then it makes life simpler, you just empty out the litter tray once or twice a week. I put chinchilla sand in the litter tray. Soaks up the pee and safe.

I also use something like these corner litter trays - even if it isn't in a corner - the raised back keeps everything inside the tray.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Corner-Toilet-Multi-color/dp/B000PKIKZ2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=282OQUGPCUX8V&keywords=hamster%2Bpotty%2Btrixie&qid=1674067160&sprefix=hamster%2Bpotty%2Btrixie%2Caps%2C351&sr=8-3&th=1

That ones on Amazon uk but if you find the same one or something similar, check the size. This size is just right for a Syrian but some of them are huge - for guinea pigs.

I would try the training her to wake up at feeding time for out of cage time then. When the nights get lighter they often start coming out earlier anyway.

 

[Zara]

Hello and welcome, Frieda is beautiful and sounds like she is settling in well.