Pet Hamster

[tortoise]

DS7 got a female syrian hamster for his birthday. They are notorious for being hard to keep happy. They need a large habitat and a lot of enrichment. Its tempting to buy all the things for a huge beautiful cage, but I'm trying to be a good example for DS7 and use the opportunity for him to make things.

We have a dwarf hamster size aquarium (gifted from a friend), some dwarf hamster supplies (purchased second hand for previous hamster). So we have a lot of work to do to keep this new not-dwarf hamster happy!

DS7 and I made a cardboard cage divider and cardboard ramp so we could add a sand bath. His hamster loves digging and sleeping in the sand.

We cut some bottles and cans from the recycling bin to make a new hide. We tried making paper mache forms over a soda can, but DS7 doesnt like the feeling of paper mache and gave up.

DS7 grated a carrot to dehydrate for her feed blend. His idea! 😍

Next up is making a larger running wheel. And growing a hamster garden (sorghum, wheat, millet, quinoa, amaranth, sunflower, etc).

 

[tortoise]

Sleeping in her sand bath

 

[Britesea]

Reminds me of some friends that had a pet white mouse. They just kept him in a regular metal cage with a wheel in it. He was happy at first, would run on that wheel most of the night (they could hear the wheel squeaking in the next room). Then, he apparently got bored with just running, and he started running as fast as he could for a few minutes and then just grip the wheel and let it carry him around and around like a ferris wheel for a bit. Eventually that palled also. The day they found him clinging upside down from the top of the cage and just spinning the wheel with one "hand" while he watched the wheel spin, they decided to open the cage. For the next couple of years, he had the run of the house, but always returned to his cage to eat and sleep. It was sort of bizarre to come over, be sitting on the couch and suddenly see a movement out of the corner of your eye. Turn and look and this little white mouse is sitting up, whiskers moving, right by your head, apparently just watching and listening to you. I believe he finally got an infected spider bite that killed him, but he was already pretty old for a mouse-- about 3 years old.

 

[tortoise]

I'm pleased how this pet hamster is working out for DS7. I booted him outside with 2 foraging picture books. He also dug up some plants and put them into trays to establish for her cage. I asked him to plant maple seeds too (for me for bonsai, but he doesn't know that). He has been happy and busy outdoors most of the day.

 

[Britesea]

@tortoise We need pictures!

... of @Chic Rustler and his holy underwear? lol

 

[tortoise]

Dehydrator is running with dandelion flowers, spinach from the fridge that was starting to go off, and some cooked peas that my family won't eat. I'm proud of DS7 - he noticed the spinach needed to be used up at lunchtime and remembered it when he was filling the dehydrator.

 

[tortoise]

So much effort. We never went half that far for the gerbils.

Rats were even easier. Of course we had to keep a lock on the rat cages because they learned how to lift the latches and get out. The rats would come when called and would run up to us if they escaped.

There has been a lot of research into rodent care and welfare. Mostly coming out of Germany, where hamsters are kept much differently than in the USA. Small cage sizes and insufficient bedding for burrowing cause stress and behavior problems like bar climbing, bar chewing, and biting.

In the USA, typical cage size (among uneducated owners) is 200 square inches. German-style cages are very large. The cage pictured is over 1,700 square inches.

 

[tortoise]

Hamster is found! I plugged 2 gaps - 1 leading to a wall void and the other into floor joist space. H heard her chewing on the plug - she was in the floor. I set live trap and caught her in minutes.


She is in her playpen for the night for more enrichment. I added coconut coir bedding to see if she likes it. I plan to add or switch to peat moss because it costs less and DS7 wants to grow edible plants in her habitat.

I sprinked her food so she can forage for it to keep her busy.

I ordered a larger running wheel for her because she has outgrown hers. She seems to be uncomfortable running in her wheel. I'm impatient for her new wheel to arrive.

 

[tortoise]

Hamster got her larger wheel upgrade. She wasn't using her small wheel at all anymore since she had outgrown it. She runs on her larger wheel for a long time. She prefers it to getting treats.

She has outgrown her cage (360 sq in). Some female Syrian hamsters are stressed out if their habitat is under 2,000 sq in. My house isn't that big, she will have to settle for less. LOL

I'm planning to pick up a used 55 gallon aquarium (576 sq in) for her tomorrow. I want a 75 gallon for larger floor space, but there aren't any used ones in my area and they cost twice as much (used) as 55 gallon.

Last time I had plans like this DS7 (who was 4 at the time) broke the new aquarium by trying to pick it up and drag it inside! It was too heavy for me to pick up, I have no idea how he did it! I'm hoping for better results this time.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I hope I dont regret it. 🤷‍♀

when i was a kid we had hamsters. they got loose and chewed holes in my underwear. we never caught them