# Hamster Advice, including wheel size!



## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Hi 

I acquired a hammy yesterday. Its been a few years since I've been in the hammy game and I wondered if anyone can tell me the answers to some q's:

1) Is there a guide re size of hammy and size of wheel? ie. a 12 inch fits on ground floor but I'd prefer it to go on first floor to leave the bedding level more free, which would mean a smaller wheel. I'm not sure if, for her weight she is particularly big or small! She's 16 weeks *ish*.

2) As hamster owners, what do you find most successful as bedding? I used to just use wood shavings but saw in [email protected] that they have all types of fancy stuff (I bought a bag of soft bedding from them but would like to learn what's great/less great from people's experience)

3) Do you cover the entire floor with the same bedding or give them additional things to nest in?

4) Food wise, what do you all do as a main mix? I've got what [email protected] were feeding her, but having not had a hamster since I was young I'm not savvy on if there is a particularly good/bad one to buy.

Thanks


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

Congrats on your new addition 

1) Bigger is always better in my opinion, you don't want any curve to their spine as they run in the wheel, as flat backed as possible. I have a wonderland wheel, that is meant to be chinchilla size, makes my ham look tiny but its very light weight and he runs easily. Im guessing you have a Syrian, don't bother with flying saucers, I have yet to meet a Syrian who will use one.

2) I use hay mostly as its very warm and the ham can eat it. But I also use shredded tissue paper, I usually scatter this round the tank after a cleanout (in the evening) so the night can be spent gathering and creating his own bed, great enrichment!
Do not use cotton wool.

3) I mostly use shavings, but he also has stones, logs and his giant wheel that takes a lot of floor space. In his toilet area its just shavings. 

4) I don't use any muesli mixes, I use a pellet form that he will have once / twice a week, the rest of the week is made up of veg, protein (meal worms, cat food etc), small amount of fruit, herbs, grass / dandelions, occasional monkey nuts and seeds. As treats apple branches, cuttlefish bones, dog biscuit.
Most of this is whatever I find in the fridge. The majority is veg, the rest is scattered through the week. I usually chop food up and scatter it across the tank for foraging.

Hope this helps, piccies please :thumbsup:


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Fabulous thank you! And yes, a Syrian!

She is from the [email protected] Adoption Section 

I just googled your wheel, someone somewhere said something about enclosed wheels, do you think they are any better/worse, like the Wodent Wheel? Flying saucer defo off the to buy list 

I think I read that hay can poke and hurt a hamster's pouches, is that a myth? I bought some Nature food from [email protected] too and that has hay in it and then I was like uh oh I shouldn't give her that...

Ah I did see some pellets and read about them being omnivores but when I searched on here most people seemed to feed Harry Hamster type stuff, so fabulous you have told me what you feed. I know to give more veg than fruit due to sugar content I think.

If you think of your hammy's whole diet, roughly what % do you think is pellets versus veg/fruit/cat food/meal worms? sorry if that's super annoying, I'd like to do something like that instead of just muesli food.

She just had a minute amount of sawdust in with her so I chucked some bedding in pretty quick so she could get nesting and I could just place the bottom of the travel cage in her proper cage 

They said she was 'feisty' and therefore her board said 'I am different from my friends and need extra care'. I think she had just been in there too long and not bought  I was a bit miffed that they had no idea on her age either, because they must know when they get litters in. I feel bad 'buying' from [email protected] but she kept coming up to the glass when I was snooping at her (over two days) and I didn't want her stuck there forever or going to a home that didn't give her 'extra care' 

She is my first hammy in about seven years I think. I had two when I was younger (one after the other) but I got my advice from the local pet shop, and was rather uneducated I think!!

Meet Mooglee:


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

Sorry I should have made that clear I put the hay in his bed area (a cave) already, I have never actually seen him attempt to put it in his pouches, only his soft bedding is scattered for him to collect. Its not a myth but a hamster can get problems with their pouches from pretty much anything. In muesli some of the pieces in there are solid and sharp, can easily scratch.
Like all furries though you need to be careful about mites.

Never used the wodent wheel or seen the need for enclosed wheels, I like the wonderland as its wooden, quiet and sturdy (I did modify it slightly though)

I don't like hamsters being fed muesli, its much more interesting to see them eat more natural food, I have had a argument with the manager of a pet store before as he was attempting to tell a customer they are herbivores. I got mine from a pet shop as he was deemed aggressive, a friend of mine works there and asked me to take him, he has never bit me :biggrin:.

I don't really think by percentages 
I could sort you out a feeding guide if you would like.
I should mention aswell if you feed live meal worms make sure to squish their heads first, so they don't bite hamsters pouch, although they are unlikely to store a tasty morsel like that.

Great name btw  Very cute


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Have got the wheel you have on order, fab reviews for it! Can I ask why you modified yours?

I would be really grateful if you could give me am example feeding guide, that would be wonderful..!

Well I can say that Mooglee absolutely adores climbing and isn't too shabby at it either. Her cage is quite tall so I've ordered platforms in a way that she can't fall very far at all (about four inches) and she's quite careful so far. Absolutely loves chewing too, and using her activity suspension bridge to the max! Loves going through tubes as well. So different to my other hammy's, they never utilised the height of a cage or cared for tubes


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

I put it on a larger base, my ham was able to tip it and I did not appreciate being woken up at 2 in the morning from the wheel hitting his tank 

Hamsters are built for climbing they would climb to reach vegetation and seeds naturally. 
I will sort one out for you this weekend


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## Bellaboo1 (Aug 10, 2011)

Hi your ham is very pretty, love her cheek flashes. Unfortunately my syrian little boy died last week he was only 1, found him on bottom of cage in the morning barely alive, tried in vain to keep him alive poor thing. Not sure what happened to him I think maybe he fell. I also have a chinese hamster female whom I adopted from [email protected] I've had her around 6 weeks she's lovely. I keep her on a mix of snowflake shavings and carefresh bedding with plain white loo roll for her bed. I feed her harry hamster but am careful about sugar as they are prone to diabetes. She's has seeds and millet and veg and sometimes a bit of egg and porridge made with a bit of warm water which she likes. Not sure if I will get another syrian I keep looking at his empty cage but I wish you good luck with your new girl x


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

loukodi said:


> I put it on a larger base, my ham was able to tip it and I did not appreciate being woken up at 2 in the morning from the wheel hitting his tank
> 
> Hamsters are built for climbing they would climb to reach vegetation and seeds naturally.
> I will sort one out for you this weekend


That's fab thank you so much 



Bellaboo1 said:


> Hi your ham is very pretty, love her cheek flashes. Unfortunately my syrian little boy died last week he was only 1, found him on bottom of cage in the morning barely alive, tried in vain to keep him alive poor thing. Not sure what happened to him I think maybe he fell. I also have a chinese hamster female whom I adopted from [email protected] I've had her around 6 weeks she's lovely. I keep her on a mix of snowflake shavings and carefresh bedding with plain white loo roll for her bed. I feed her harry hamster but am careful about sugar as they are prone to diabetes. She's has seeds and millet and veg and sometimes a bit of egg and porridge made with a bit of warm water which she likes. Not sure if I will get another syrian I keep looking at his empty cage but I wish you good luck with your new girl x


Oh no so sorry to hear that  Sounds like your little girl has a wonderful life, thank you for the info of what you do for her, superbly helpful


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

Can you PM me your email and I will send you my guide


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Just wanted to thank you again Loukodi. The feeding guide you sent me is wonderfully helpful


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## Cassies-mum (Jul 22, 2009)

I know others have told you not to buy flying saucer wheels but since I discovereed them every syrian i had loved them - it takes a while to get used to but mine seemed happy 

Now i cant remember what the OP said...
Bedding I always used wood shavings and recycled paper for nesting, and food im not really an expert in  x


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

GoldenShadow said:


> Just wanted to thank you again Loukodi. The feeding guide you sent me is wonderfully helpful


Your welcome  Glad it has helped


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