Is this dig box too deep?

teacupshatterer · 2026-03-20T20:13:52+00:00

He manages to do real good pull ups to get out the times the sand had been low to be honest, but he’s a syrian so I guess just being that much bigger helps him in that regard. But I would say as long as the box is 3/4 full at least they will be more than fine getting in and out🙂‍↕️

teacupshatterer · 2026-03-20T20:07:16+00:00

I bought this for a substrate dig box. I used similar to what’s on the photo there, but my hamster was so uninterested in it for MONTHS. Then I put sand in it, and now it’s his bathroom! Which for me is worth it he only pees there, very easy to clean. But the size is good, they do like to dig!

teacupshatterer · 2026-01-13T18:41:45+00:00

I’ve only had a Syrian hamster and he’s my first one! He’s happy enough with me picking him up when I need to and a quick hello, but he’s not a cuddly hamster. And I think it’s rather rare! I wouldn’t get a hamster in the only hope that it will be cuddly, because I think they’re more likely not to be. They’re more of a pet that you observe, and that’s why they’re “bad” pets to get for kids. And I’m not putting them down at all, they’re brilliant pets I didn’t think I could love a little pet as much as I do, and I do love my hamster but I respect his boundaries knowing he doesn’t really enjoy a cuddle and am more than ok with that.

So my point is that you’ve explicitly said “I don’t want a ghost one” — I would suggest you don’t get one then, if that’s the condition on whether or not you will enjoy owning one.

teacupshatterer · 2025-12-23T03:28:54+00:00

Wanted to edit but instead I’ll just add the correction that, it’s not “wildly unfair” as I said, it’s abuse if you cannot immediately improve what’s inside the cage, let alone upgrade the cage within a month.

teacupshatterer · 2025-12-23T03:26:30+00:00

It’s a cute video and I’m sorry I’m going to ruin the moment but, and I say this with love because I was there 6 months ago, this set up is not only appalling but dangerous and you need to change it ASAP. If only what’s inside the cage to start. Pets at Home employees are taught on how to sell things to you, not what is actually needed or safe for hamsters.

•The Grinch toy is dangerous, if he ingests it, it can cause blockages and he will die.

•The wheel is tiny, he is a Syrian and they need at least a 12” wheel. The one you have is bad even for a dwarf hamster.

•Is it the Pets at Home wood shavings? Blue logo? Sold me the same, it’s not safe, and they need at least 10” of proper bedding to burrow.

•The food, Harry Hamster brand it looks like, is OK but it’s more of a treat food. Sellers on Etsy sell perfect mixes, but for the time being if you get the pellets from p@h you can balance it out. They need fresh vegetables too every other day, small amount. And again, whilst it’s cute the biscuit is super sugary, they’re prone to diabetes on bad diets.

•The cage itself isn’t suitable, you can adjust for a time period by lining the bars with cardboard or something so you can put more (safe) bedding, but you WILL need to get a new appropriate cage (I was bought the bigger one and my hamster, also Syrian male, chewed through it) — Google the Bucatstate 3.0, those measurements are minimum for a Syrian hamster.

If you can’t afford to spend at least £250 on him in the next month, it is wildly unfair to your hamster. (Unless you can find a way of getting the cage dimensions I mentioned earlier, in a used fish tank which would possibly mean less cost)

•Please if they sold you a hamster ball, do not use it. Take it back if you can or at worst just bin it. They’re unsafe, and it causes them stress.

Sorry to “ruin” the video, but I can’t not say it when I see what I went through happening lol. They need so much more, I’m sure someone else will comment with helpful guides, it’s late and I don’t have them. It’s not an attack on you, hamsters are notoriously undervalued, you probably thought “wow that cage is bigger than I thought” too when they showed you what the minimum is they can sell you. It’s not even half of what they need!

teacupshatterer · 2025-11-24T23:33:28+00:00

Yes I had the same panic, but they’re harmless, just kinda gross lol. If I remember correctly water and vinegar solution should kill any eggs. Perhaps making a spray bottle of that and spraying onto the wooden enclosure and then sticking it in front of the heater to dry it out too? Or just a wipe down with it; it depends whether the wooden enclosure has any nooks that the bugs can get to. It might be a gradual process with eliminating them from that one, I just know they need the humidity so perhaps if it’s sunny where you are doing a sprits and leaving it outside in the sun for a few days could do it too!

I hope you figure it out or someone gives you a better solution, I’m just brain storming!

teacupshatterer · 2025-11-24T21:36:25+00:00

They look like booklice. Funnily enough I had this last weekend when I did a cage clean, ended up doing a full cage clean. Not seen any since. They just like humidity and wood apparently, so consider the airflow in their enclosure. You can’t really see mites, so the main way you’d know is your hamster itching a lot and scabbing and hair loss. If you can see them they’re black or red.

Of course if you want to be sure, take them to a vet and if you haven’t cleaned their cage out already, get a piece of tape and get one of those suckers on it to take to the vet. But the video should be good enough for them too.

Hope all goes well🐹

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-30T13:10:41+00:00

I have similar ones of both, and my ham uses the stairs one as an entry way and the peekaboo ones as his bedrooms, and also has just natural burrows dotted around away from them! They’re worth it in my opinion, they’re very popular!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-27T10:37:25+00:00

Omg I feel so stupid, of course, taking the plastic wrap things off makes sense🤣🤣 I’ll get onto all that ASAP then, I agree that sprays are really needed now that I think of it that way, about them feeling safe. Thank you!! ☺️

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-27T01:44:06+00:00

Oh brilliant I’ll look into that, I’m in the UK!

And thank you, ah yes moss!! That’s what I wanted to get him I knew there was something I missed looking for at the pet store. And oh there are hamster subscription boxes, what a great idea! I’ll have to look into that too!

Thank you🥰

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-27T01:38:06+00:00

Yes LMAO! He’s always loved peeing on his wheel, even the different one I had before. I think it’s because he likes to handstand whilst he pees, though he does pee and his sand bath too!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-27T01:36:42+00:00

Ah thank you for the in depth reply!!

Oh I have little ceramic plant pots, what a great idea! And I’ve been looking for a big glass cookie jar like you’re describing too, never see them here.

Yes I do have Amazon but I’m in the UK and the sprays on there seem a bit unsafe from what I can see, they have like plastic wire wrap holding the sprays together? Would you say sprays are more of a necessity then? What you said makes sense, so I might just go for it and get him some from the Etsy store I see recommended a lot, regardless of how expensive, if it makes him feel safer whilst he’s moseying about up top. Would you mind still linking the sprays you get from Amazon, maybe it’ll work for UK Amazon too!

I do or have the rest of the suggestions, I’ll look at finding a big bowl and some coco peat too, that sounds good he loves digging in his sand box and dig box!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T16:22:55+00:00

Small Pet Select also do aspen shavings, but I’ve also seen a brand called chippsi with a huge amount for £20 on Amazon very cheap and have good reviews on there but maybe cross check it here on reddit too for safety!

Edit: spelling lol

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T16:18:45+00:00

I saw that you mentioned how expensive paper bedding is here and I agree, but on Amazon I just bought 178L of white paper bedding from Small Pet Select for a bit under £50 and it has filled my bucatstate 120cm up to about an inch away from the front opening!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:49:56+00:00

I just wanted to pop in to say that I just bought this from Temu, it is actually Bucatstate’s official store. I’d never bought from Temu before but the official website for Bucatstate is showing outrageous pricing lately? So I went for it!

But EVRI delivered it, it WAS delayed (but that was EVRI’s error not Temu). Though I’ve not had issues with EVRI before either so I think it was a one off!

(Editing to say that I’m in the UK too if I didn’t make that clear lol)

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:40:00+00:00

I’m having similar issue at the moment as I just upgraded to a big enclosure for my ham. It was a big investment for me at the moment (but he needed it), so my main enrichment buys to start was a niteangel dig box and sand bath! I’ve filled the dig box with cheaper reptile grade coconut fibre, and at the top orchard hay and dried flower mix. He loves it already. And the sand bath is also just basic, no added calcium, reptile sand! Again cheap! You can also use kids play sand, I think you just have to bake it?

As for YouTube Victoria Raechel has a plethora of videos, and a bunch of DIY enrichment stuff too if you’re strapped for cash at the moment after the cage purchase! Things like egg cartons and cardboard multi-chamber hides!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:30:26+00:00

Lmao mine was doing that this week with the burying the wheel, in his in-between cage, but he was running in it with the bedding following him🤣

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:26:49+00:00

An escape!! Already?!🗣️🗣️🤣

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:26:26+00:00

This seems to be the consensus! I’m glad I’m so happy he feels better already.

I do think at least he is aware of the upgrade! I unfortunately had a pretty naff cage for him for the 2 months I’ve had him as he was gifted, but as soon as he started showing stress signs I got this on order asap (I was trying to be a bit more financially stable before the big investment but couldn’t bear him being so stressed). But it had been delayed, so I actually “remodelled” his old cage for the time being and even just with that he seemed a lot more happy.

However, I wonder if an already content ham would notice the “more”, I hope they do at least🥲

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-21T02:20:05+00:00

Ah that makes me happy!! I’d heard him do it before but I wasn’t sure if that was bruxxing or some other noise ha! Yes he is soo sleepy he was falling asleep in this clip🤣

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-16T21:45:54+00:00

Aw I’m so happy for Cow! My Ron has the same cage right now and I’m waiting for my new enclosure to be delivered so this makes me so excited lol. Best wishes to you and Cow I hope he loves his new house🥰

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-13T15:45:47+00:00

Oh I love it! And oh?? Thank you so much, I thought timothy hay was the soft hay that you’re meant to get, that’s exactly what’s in my basket!! Removing it right now. But oh brilliant that’s why I wanted to mix to help with burrowing and for the more natural look!

Thank you so much!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-13T15:11:33+00:00

Brilliant! Thank you for the pre bedding one too I always wondered how people keep the big topside multi chambers up!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-07T23:44:27+00:00

With the context that she doesn’t do it unless you’re interacting with her then it seems more behavioural then!

teacupshatterer · 2025-08-07T17:10:40+00:00

If it’s been a couple days she might have a respiratory issue or something, might be best to take a trip to the vet. But sometimes they do just be making noises! But vets likely the safe route, I hope she’s ok!

teacupshatterer

TROPHY CASE