# Would these shelves be suitable for a hamster?



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Platforms | Totally Degu - Fun stuff for small pets.


A great range of shelves for your small animals cage. Easy to fit these platforms will be a fun, enriching addition to the cage environment.




totallydegu.co.uk





They are made of recycled cardboard, which of course is safe, but they are covered in jute cloth, is that safe for a hamster to chew on (a quick google search isn't helping me)?

Also could I stand a wheel on a shelf or a sand bath? 

Thanks.


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## Deguslave (12 mo ago)

I'm not sure they'll stand the weight of a wheel or sand bath as they are heavy items. Also bear in mind that if your hamster chews the shelves, will there be anything for the hamster to get caught up in such as loops, etc.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Deguslave said:


> I'm not sure they'll stand the weight of a wheel or sand bath as they are heavy items. Also bear in mind that if your hamster chews the shelves, will there be anything for the hamster to get caught up in such as loops, etc.


Thanks for your reply. 
Yeah, I wasn't sure they'd withstand much weight, that's fine I can find something else for those things. 
No idea re getting caught up in anything, that's partially why I asked on here, hoping someones used them and let me know if they are safe, especially if chewed.


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Jute is perfectly safe and is often used to suspend items in the cage. I don't think the shelves are big enough. What cage have you got? You can get sand baths on stilts so you needn't worry about having a squashed hamster. 

I currently have a robo and have an acrylic tray on dowels for a sand bath and his wheel suspended from a bendy bridge. When I had a Syrian I had a medium sized ceramic dog bowl (sand bath) on top of a sturdy multi-chamber hide. Wheels I try and attach to the cage walls using jute or zip ties (I have used wire when I had a chewer but normally jute string is enough).


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Thanks
Won't bother with those then. 

I have a Falco.


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

ForestWomble said:


> Thanks
> Won't bother with those then.
> 
> I have a Falco.


Oh, do you no longer have the gerbils?
I'd look at attaching the wheel to the wire. The plastic Trixie style wheels are easy to attach to the bars (normally upside down, but have done sideways). What species of hamster have you got/going to get?

I can't remember which falco you have, is it the 100?


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

No, I lost Ash (the remaining gerbil from the last pair) back in May. 
I attached their wheel to the bars, so yes, I'll do that again, not sure why I was considering having it on a shelf really lol 

I will be getting a Syrian hamster.

Yes, that's right, the falco 100.


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

Oh I'm so sorry @ForestWomble. I remember you saying you were down to one I didn't realise he'd gone over the rainbow bridge. 

That falco may be ok but don't be surprised if you get a female if you need to upgrade (a lot of rescues are now stating 120cmx60cm for a female syrian). 

Most of the care is the same as gerbils, just make sure you have an 11" wheel and a hamster proof free roam area. I don't know if you'd tried your gerbils with whimzee dog chews, but just so you know, hamsters love them. 

If you need help with anything feel free to ask or drop me a message. Oh and post a photo of your new hammy when (s)he arrives!


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## NimblesTheHammie (6 mo ago)

Engel98 said:


> Oh I'm so sorry @ForestWomble. I remember you saying you were down to one I didn't realise he'd gone over the rainbow bridge.
> 
> That falco may be ok but don't be surprised if you get a female if you need to upgrade (a lot of rescues are now stating 120cmx60cm for a female syrian).
> 
> ...


yes, i would never get a Syrian female because of how unsatisfied they are even if you give them a large cage haha. what's your favourite breed then


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Engel98 said:


> Oh I'm so sorry @ForestWomble. I remember you saying you were down to one I didn't realise he'd gone over the rainbow bridge.
> 
> That falco may be ok but don't be surprised if you get a female if you need to upgrade (a lot of rescues are now stating 120cmx60cm for a female syrian).
> 
> ...


Thanks. 

I've owned a few hamsters over the years, so this one won't be my first, though my knowledge is a little rusty as my last Syrian was about 15 years ago, but I had a robo before my last gerbils, so she passed away 4 years ago. 

Thanks for the tip re Whimzees, never gave those to the gerbils. 

I will introduce her/him once here. 



NimblesTheHammie said:


> yes, i would never get a Syrian female because of how unsatisfied they are even if you give them a large cage haha. what's your favourite breed then


I've heard a lot of people say similar things about female Syrians, which surprises me as I've always had female hamsters and never had a problem. 

Is the question "what's your favourite breed then" to me? If so I've had Syrians, a Chinese and a Robo, I loved them all for their own reasons, but I'd have to say Chinese and Syrians are my favourites, I would love to have another Chinese, but they are hard to come by, if I ever get the chance though, I would seriously consider getting another.
I love the personalities of Syrians, the best hamster I've had to date was a Syrian, I still miss her and she passed away nearly 20 years ago. 

To everyone: What are male hamsters like? I've read that they are in general, more chilled than girls, is this correct? Or does it just depend on the individual, rather than gender?


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## Engel98 (Oct 7, 2018)

I've owned Syrians and robos, not owned a dwarf (yet) nor a Chinese but I haven't seen any in my area for adoption. I have a special place in my heart for robos and have such a special bond which is not the same as with my syrians. That doesn't mean to say that I didn't love my syrians, I really did, but with robos there's something different.

I've only owned male robos but with Syrians I've owned both male and female. I've only had one female who was calm and people oriented. The others were hard to please and rather did their own thing. They were friendly with people, but everything was on their terms. My males have been calmer and more interested in people in general. They still liked their space and free roam, but would often come back to you while the girls would rather find a way out.

Some things so depend on the individual. For example up until my last syrian, none of my hamsters were massive chewers. Mania chewed through plastic cage bases, chewed and bent metal bars and shredded everything she could in the cage. I can honestly say she was worse than the gerbils.

I do have a preference for male hamsters but I think that's mostly down to the fact that my last 2 girls had to be PTS because of tumors/reproductive tract problems.


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## NimblesTheHammie (6 mo ago)

ForestWomble said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I've owned a few hamsters over the years, so this one won't be my first, though my knowledge is a little rusty as my last Syrian was about 15 years ago, but I had a robo before my last gerbils, so she passed away 4 years ago.
> 
> ...


WOW ITS SO NICE THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCES WITH DIFFERENT HAMSTERS!! 😍😍 Have you ever thought about a dwarf hamster? They are my favourite breeds! Syrians are known for their amazing temperaments so they are also one of my favourites. I have only probably seen 2 chinese hamsters in my pet shop, but there is no way I am buying one from there. I prefer males over females because they are more chilled, but it depends on the hamster. A lot of people say that males tend to smell smellier than females though... my dwarf male hamster can prove it but I am not sure if its true 💁🏻‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

I have considered dwarfs, but their extremely short lifespans (the shortest of the pet hamster species) puts me off, as does the fact that they are prone to diabetes. 
I might change my mind one day as they do seem to be lovely little animals from what I've seen.


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