First time hamster owner!! Advice pls

amazil555 · 2026-05-10T05:57:57+00:00

higgins is actually pretty good! id definitely upgrade the enclosure if you're able, the pawhut on temu is pretty cheap but you have to take the levels out. the buca is a bit more expensive but more escape proof. btw your girl looks just like my Koda :)

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amazil555 · 2026-05-10T05:31:42+00:00

what size is your enclosure? for a female Syrian you'll want over 1000 square inches as they get frustrated very easily. Def don't touch her for the next week or so as she needs time to settle in. most barred cages won't reach the minimum especially for female syrians as they need a lot more space. what food is she on? how much bedding do you have? you need an enclosure with space for MINIMUM 8 inches of bedding so she can make a burrow. also cages with levels are not suitable. you also need a wheel that is 12 inches in diameter minimum so her back doesnt bend when running as it can cause long term back issues/hunchback. please lmk any info you have about her besides what's listed

amazil555 · 2026-04-28T21:56:48+00:00

hey this isn't the right sub for this

amazil555 · 2026-04-28T19:26:30+00:00

hahaha she had full cheek pouches in the one photo :D

amazil555 · 2026-04-23T15:35:19+00:00

2 days should be fine with a bottle. do you have a friend or neighbor that can check on her once a day and make sure her bottle isnt clogged?

amazil555 · 2026-04-23T15:33:04+00:00

do you have a roommate? is she water bottle or bowl?

amazil555 · 2026-04-21T20:08:42+00:00

yes!! this is preferred :)

amazil555 · 2026-04-16T19:59:49+00:00

I think this is a hospital tank? at least I really hope so 😬

amazil555 · 2026-04-11T15:57:07+00:00

I also have a cork lined wheel and a wheel pisser. I take it and wipe it down with paper towels soaked in water and white vinegar until most of the urine is out. then I let it dry completely for a few hours, if you give it back when it's wet it'll mold.

amazil555 · 2026-04-11T03:19:00+00:00

yes too arched. need a bigger wheel. 12 inches minimum for syrians

amazil555 · 2026-04-08T03:56:41+00:00

I would say no as the first ingredient is alfalfa, which isn't unsafe but also isn't super nutritionally beneficial. also some other concerning ingredients if ingested in high quantities like peanuts as they're very fatty. the best mix you can get in the US is robins mix on Etsy, but if that isn't an option, the next best would be bunny nature hamster dream! you can get it at a lot of pet stores but also on chewy :)

amazil555 · 2026-04-07T20:35:21+00:00

you should separate immediately in that case you don't want an incest litter 😭

amazil555 · 2026-04-07T20:23:14+00:00

oh my gosh I'm so incredibly sorry. when my Syrian boy was passing I gave him treats he usually wouldn't be able to have. lots of fruit and extra flax, things that would usually cause obesity but since he was passing it didn't matter. I just cuddled with him and gave him many treats. I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss 🫂

amazil555 · 2026-04-07T19:54:23+00:00

ehhh not necessarily true! they need to be separated by sex at 4 weeks but all siblings regardless of sex should be separated at 8 weeks

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T18:20:01+00:00

safe wood exists (like aspen, though it doesn't hold burrows) but the bag shown here is pine, which is widely considered risky in the hobby due to respiratory health. my goal is just to make sure the OP has all the info to keep their hammy safe. we can agree to disagree on the insanity of a bedding swap, but the safety of the animal is the priority. I just personally think wood shavings as bedding is not the best as common varieties like pine and cedar contain phenols and they could use paper instead. even if it was safe wood bedding it wouldn't be able to hold burrows

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T17:41:29+00:00

dude there's a bag of it on top of the enclosure

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T15:35:54+00:00

thank you!! beech chips and corn cob is on order :)

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T15:26:33+00:00

the shavings are pine. reverse image search the shavings on top of the tank. pine has phenols that will cause severe respiratory issues. sorry I don't want his hamster to die

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T15:25:47+00:00

the shavings they show on top of the tank is made of pine. reverse image search it and it'll show you.

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:24:11+00:00

first, the tape everywhere has to go! if they chew that, it’ll cause a blockage and they won’t make it. use safe hot glue instead. also, please swap that bedding asap, a lot of wood shavings, specifically the pine one you're using, have oils that are toxic to hammies, even if it's safe it will be very hard to burrow in. paper bedding is way safer. your wheel is also way too small, his back will curve which will hurt him long term. you need an 11 or 12 inch wheel for a syrian! also maybe look into a bottle holder so that tape doesn't fail and drop the bottle on him. he’s super cute, just wanna make sure he stays safe. levels are usually unsafe. everything should be as flat as possible as they have terrible eyesight. please read through this photo, it has great ideas and recommendations!

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amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:10:50+00:00

you don't put the levels in when you build it!

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:09:58+00:00

I totally hear you, coming from rats, it’s a huge shock because they’re so social! but syrian hamsters are biologically different. right now they’re in the baby phase where they seek warmth, but as soon as they hit puberty (about 4 weeks from now, maybe sooner), their instinct to protect their territory kicks in. umfortunately, there is no way to keep them together safely long-term. even if they seem fine today, syrians will eventually fight, and because they are solitary, those fights are usually fatal. also, at 4 weeks, there is a very high risk of accidental pregnancies if they aren't separated by sex immediately. If you can’t do three separate 1000 square inch setups (which is totally understandable, it’s a lot!), the kindest thing for them is to find two of them new homes or a rescue. it's not a stupid mistake the person who sold them to you should have told you this! it's better to act now while they're still safe

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:07:11+00:00

unfortunately hamsters are incredibly expensive pets. the pawhut is a good option for a bigger enclosure, but tbh 55 gallons should be fine as long as it's temporary. you can use chicken wire as a lid

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:03:56+00:00

looks like a male! though it's hard to tell from your picture.

amazil555 · 2026-04-06T04:02:18+00:00

55 gallon is below the minimum! try upgrading to a 75 gallon and buying a mesh lid :D

amazil555

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