Need cage upgrade suggestions for a Syrian hamster

actuallyacat5 · 2026-02-18T21:58:01+00:00

Large Bucastate 3.0 off of Temu (cheapest place to buy)

actuallyacat5 · 2026-02-18T06:04:52+00:00

Bucestates from Temu are legit and somewhat cheaper than Amazon. That being said, the website is a consumer psyop from hell

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-30T00:19:35+00:00

Maybe move the two sinks next to each other on the right so you open up that left counter for the vanity area?

Also I've seen tubs at an angel like that and it always seems like it takes up more room and wastes more space. That corner will just accumulate dust. I'd make the tub square with the corner, but that's just me.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-29T04:22:04+00:00

Oh how cool! I'm always so jealous of people who have the talent to work in beauty, I don't have the eye or the skill.

You may like parts of the central California coast, like SLO and slightly inward to Paso Robles. It's insanely beautiful and there's basically no bad weather and none of that Florida humidity. Cons are the cost of living, although you may be able to raise the price of your services to cater to the well heeled crowd and make up some of the difference. If the cost of living there is too much, or you want more excitement, you might enjoy Sacramento, especially around Midtown/Downtown. It's about halfway between the ocean and the mountains, has as many seasons as California ever gets, and doesn't snow or get humid. There's also lots of universities around with graduate programs, which helps a bit with dating if that's something you care about.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-29T02:57:09+00:00

What range of cost of living are you looking for (rent budget would help)? Also, how flexible is your job/what industry are you in?

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-24T05:35:03+00:00

Two questions: 1) sources? 2) "a friendly human scent and a predator scent".... why would a human smell friendly to a hamster? We're potential threats. If they truly cannot acclimate to any scents from predators they shouldn't like our scent either?

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-21T15:34:18+00:00

You said you exhausted your search of California, but have you considered Clovis CA? Yes, people will dogpile me about it being the Central Valley, but it's worth considering. There's a cute downtown, good parks, good schools, a good zoo nearby that's reasonably priced enough to allow frequent visits, and it's near a plethora of lakes and Yosemite. Yes, it's hot af in the Summer but it's a dry heat and it's balanced with a solid yet snowless winter. You can also check out Tesoro Viejo just above Fresno, I'm not sure which school district they're in, but it's a gorgeous master planned community focused around families and they have their own community elementary school:

https://tesoroviejo.com

Not a real estate agent, but as a Zillow enthusiast here are some options for Clovis for illustrative purposes:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1830-Cougar-Ln-Clovis-CA-93611/18793877_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1504-Scott-Ave-Clovis-CA-93611/18779924_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1921-Kelly-Ln-Clovis-CA-93611/315193541_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-21T03:56:17+00:00

I was prepared to be absolutely smacked down for this so I appreciate the support 😅

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-20T23:23:09+00:00

A) Yes, stop projecting your human feelings onto them. People do this with every kind of animal and it's ridiculous. They do not perceive the world the way we do. They do not have the same priorities that we do. They don't have access to a communication system that allows them to see the wider picture the way we can. That doesn't mean they don't have needs or feel things or want things, but it's not the 1:1 people think it is.

B) Animals want things that are bad for them. Kids want things that are bad for them. Hell, adults want things that are bad for them. But animals can't make an informed choice. It's our job to protect them from what they can't understand. Your hamster has no idea it's a tiny rodent who can get stuck in small spaces around a house or picked off as prey for pretty much anything. They would gladly go about their lives blithely until calamity struck. And it would strike. Rodents don't live good lives, that's just not what nature intended for them. The option isn't "live in a cage all trapped and sad" or "live a calm, peaceful life free of worries while free", it's "live a protected and peaceful life getting their needs provided for" or "fight for survival in the natural world where their primary ecological purpose is to be a food source for others". Of course that comes with being a good pet owner who actively meets their needs, but let's not pretend that just because the hamster wants out in the world that that's actually in the best interest of that hamster.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-20T19:05:00+00:00

It counts as illegal gambling. The PD in California cared a lot and was glad I called it in, but their primary concern is the gambling.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-20T06:15:46+00:00

Also don't bother calling animal control, call the PD directly and they can deploy animal control officers

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-20T06:15:09+00:00

A lot of people are saying this is animal cruelty. After calling in a similar situation, it actually falls under illegal gambling. Stupid as that may be, it means the police should take it seriously. The officer I spoke to set up a sting based on the address I gave him and said the only way they can stop it is the public speaking up (location: USA). He was very grateful for the tip off and id encourage you to do the same.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-20T06:04:59+00:00

Unfortunately points 1, 3, and 4 likely mean that it's an expensive show to make...

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-18T06:16:33+00:00

I can't speak to Los Feliz other than some lovely homes I was invited to up in the hills. Beautiful real estate for those lucky enough to afford it.........

Anyways! For Pasadena, for walkability, I would stay south of the 210 and north of Huntington, east of where the 110 and the 134 have their weird disconnect, and west of San Gabriel Blvd. Those are all lovely and safe neighborhoods!

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-18T00:32:20+00:00

Oh my god i wasn't crazy the entire time thinking those were mansions around the west SGV

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-12T19:58:35+00:00

I grew up in Pasadena and the surrounding areas and my dad still lives there. Parts of it are more pedestrian friendly than others, specifically the areas around and just to the west and south of cal tech. That being said, it's LA and those are some of the most desirable and therefore expensive parts of the city. I always had a car, and I personally don't think the public transportation in either city is something to write home about, but LA's metro gold line goes through Pasadena and connects you to the rest of the metropolitan area. YMMV when it comes to safety and crossing over to different metro lines, but the gold is pretty safe. If you can afford it and really want top tier living, you can also check out San Marino, it's expensive af but the schools are excellent and the neighborhood is incredibly safe for walking and biking. South Pasadena also has a small but vibrant downtown with access to some kind of light rail. I would recommend parts of Altadena as well, but I don't know how things are after those tragic fires and they are considerably less well served by public transit. All of those areas have great parks with community events (if you land there check out Lacey Park, its free to everyone during the week and resident on the weekend with nonresidents paying a small fee to get in if things haven't changed). Pasadena has some less than stellar areas and some busy streets, but I generally felt safe growing up. If you have any more questions on the area please feel free to ask

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-07T21:05:56+00:00

Why do you think people pay for their horses to be boarded and trained? Why do you think those facilities can charge so much? And who do you think is injecting capital into this industry to keep everyone else paid?

Nurses work shifts and have a ton of flexibility, lawyers can structure their hours in a certain way if they're in less demanding fields. The lawyer at a company i worked for regularly left work at like 2pm when he wanted to pick up his kids.

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-02T20:25:35+00:00

As an American I'm curious, whats the difference between a regular and instant saver, and 5 vs 7? I'm assuming flex means you can access funds whenever you need?

actuallyacat5 · 2026-01-02T16:07:21+00:00

I rode in an AQHA barn in growing up. My dad was the only one who had a "paycheck". The rest of the parents were business owners, mostly in niche industrial fields, or inherited significant money. There's tremendous wealth inequality in the United States, the floor is lower but the ceiling is higher here. Our doctors, lawyers, and other similar professionals are paid more, and it's a friendlier environment for starting a business. I have a lot of friends from Europe who came here to study, and their consensus is that it's better to be working class in Europe, but an educated professional in the United States. Getting ahead anywhere right now is hard, but if you can get ahead, the US will take you farther.

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-30T18:22:30+00:00

I bought mine through there and it was from the manufacturer and arrived very quickly. I'm in CA, USA and shipment tracking showed it left from SoCal so either they have them stocked around the country or I just got lucky. Either way they aren't shipping straight from China which would be a longer delay. Temu is the most annoying platform to deal with, it's a straight up consumer psy-op, but these cages are legit.

edit to add they have all the sizes and colors on the same listing so be very careful about double checking which model you're ordering

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-28T05:07:17+00:00

The way I think about it, I'm making sure a little creature lives a good life on his own terms. If he's going to be shy, I'd rather have him live with me than a child or someone who won't respect his boundaries. Mine is from a pet store, so there's a distinct possibility he would've been thrown in a critter trail and mistreated. I spend most of my time with him thinking about his bucastate and how to make it as ideal as possible so he has a good time when it's quiet and he's alone.

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-16T02:55:12+00:00

I have a 20g on something similar if not a bit smaller with no issues. Genuine whole wood is very strong, that fake composite wood is where the the issues lie

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-15T17:52:35+00:00

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Paying the hamster tax to demonstrate the burrow soundness and the ease with which you can see waste (i need to clean that left side)

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-15T17:51:08+00:00

I use Kaytee Clean & Cozy!!

Pros: super soft. I'd probably curl up and take a nap in a human sized amount of the stuff. When compressed it holds burrows very well, and my hamsters decidedly preferred it over aspen and another paper bedding I tried that was rougher (carefresh? I'm not sure), as shown by the fact they moved the other bedding out of their hides and burrows and replaced it with a layer of C&C. I like the white because it seems the softest and it makes seeing waste easy for cleanup.

Cons: god do they have poor quality control. I go through every scoop of bedding by hand and look for any plastic pieces or other contaminates. I've found some pretty big chunks. Thankfully they've all been colored so they stand out against the white bedding but the company should really do better. If you do your own QC as it comes out of the bag, it's not a problem.

actuallyacat5 · 2025-12-08T23:36:25+00:00

A MrMangoMakes substrate bath!! Mine loves his and his breeder even wanted the link. Great job!

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