Question for hamster owners...

by AnonymousMouseOwner Wed 12 Oct 2016, 8:06 pm

I have only ever had one hamster, and she was a nightmare. Everything that went in the tank was attacked violently. She would run up and jump onto your fingers and latch her teeth on so you couldn't get her off. She lived in a 10 gallon until she later moved into a cheap cage that only looked attractive to the human eye (like a cheap version of CritterTrail). I knew nothing about hamster care and my dad pretty much took care of her, because I was younger. Now my dad is terrified of hamsters, and every time I even mention that I might want to try again with hamsters, he starts telling me how great my mice are lol. I love my mice, but I want a hamster too, because they are just so different. She was a dwarf or robo hamster. Now, are Syrians better tempered or is it pretty much the same? I also have a feeling the 10 gallon may have been too small, could that be why she was behaving badly? After she passed, there was an empty spot in my heart, so we went to the pet store to look for another small pet I might like. They told us robo hamsters make terrible pets and recommended I get a rat, and let us pet a rat. But I wasn't really into rats or mice then, so I wasn't impressed haha. She was very aggressive towards us, but I miss her anyway, her cute little face, her love of sunflower seeds, I think I miss having a hamster.

by River Wed 12 Oct 2016, 8:13 pm

She was probably behaving badly because of the too-small cage. Hamsters need 360 square inches, or 20 gallons. Hamsters, especially females, can be territorial to humans though, so sometimes it's best to only handle them outside of the cage.

by scaredymouse Wed 12 Oct 2016, 8:27 pm

Agreed, hamsters can get cage aggression in a small tank. Additionally, syrians are slower and less aggressive in general. That said, I keep robos, dwarfs and Syrians and I love them all. But there only ones that have ever bitten me are dwarfs.

They need a 20g tank minimum, for all species.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Wed 12 Oct 2016, 9:06 pm

Thanks for your input. I started talking to my dad and he said she was in a 20 gallon, my mistake. But I think it still could have been too small, I just started watching hamster videos and several recommend a 30 gallon MINIMUM, so the bigger the better I guess. Maybe a Syrian is a better option, I'll keep looking into it. Smile

by MouseLover Thu 13 Oct 2016, 8:51 am

My dwarf hamster (Archie) is the sweetest thing. He never bites, and he really likes attention. If I open the lid to his tank, and call out his name, he'll come out to see me. If I do this in the day time, he often comes out with squinty eyes, cuz he's all tired cuz he just woke up Love

Perhaps there was a reason your old hamster was aggressive - perhaps it was just her personality. Either way, I don't think you should let it put you off of all dwarf hamsters.

by CallaLily Thu 13 Oct 2016, 10:01 am

I agree with River and Scaredy, though I think minimums depend on what site you go to or where you're from. I've read 450 square inches is the bare minimum. Of course some hamster are perfectly happy in less but some are still unhappy even when given more than the minimum. I think most everywhere it's said that, with hamsters, more is almost always better.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 13 Oct 2016, 5:23 pm

I'm not sure how to measure in square inches, what would that be in quarts or gallons? I'm going back and forth between whether to think of saving up for a 40 gallon breeder, or a 110 qt bin. It would be easier to save up for a bin, but I have a fear of animals chewing out of bins. So I just am not sure. I am hoping next time I go to the pet store I can ask questions about hamsters and their personalities, and see what the employees think of them. Then maybe watch each kind for a while to see which type of hamster has the best personality. What do you think of hamsters chewing out of bins, is it likely?

by CallaLily Thu 13 Oct 2016, 5:30 pm

Just take the length in inches and multiply it by the width in inches. So for example: for a 20 gallon long 30 inches long x 12 inches wide = 360 square inches or for a 40 gallon breeder 36 inches long x 18 inches wide = 648 square inches.

I've used a bin cage for a hamster before and had no trouble with chewing. Make sure whatever bin you use has a flat bottom - no edges for them to get their teeth in - just to be safe. I cut a section of the lid out and zip tied in some metal hardware cloth for ventilation. Worked well for us.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 13 Oct 2016, 6:06 pm

Thank you, I will keep that in mind Smile

. I think a homemade bin cage may be the best option.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 13 Oct 2016, 9:18 pm

After a while of thinking, I am seriously considering trying a hamster again, with Syrians on my mind. A few months ago I bought hardware cloth expecting to make a bin cage for the mice, but decided on a tank instead. So, I think I'll buy the biggest bin I can find at the store with a flat bottom, (as long as it is 110 qts or more, because that's huge), and turn it into a bin cage. Also, yet more questions (Sorry!), would connecting another bin cage to the main cage, with a tube or something, count towards floor space? And, what are the pros and cons of male vs female Syrians?

by River Fri 14 Oct 2016, 4:16 pm

As far as the 'adds more floor space' thing, that's a pretty controversial topic from what I've seen, so I'll leave the answer up to someone more experienced than I am.

Females tend to smell every couple of days. Not every female will, of course, but some do - I'm not sure if that'll deter you or not. Females being the dominant sex of hamsters, also tend to be more territorial, which can be a problem with taming, but again, it really just depends on the individual hamster.

by scaredymouse Fri 14 Oct 2016, 10:14 pm

I haven't noticed any distinctive male/female behavior. But as River pointed out, females have a stronger odor. They go into heat every 4 days. For some, they get stinky, others not so much. I have a very frisky female who gets really stinky. But it doesn't permeate the room, she smells. The next day she and her tank smell normal. Both my males and females are really friendly and playful.

I consider floor space to be the main living environment, I don't think tubes and connected things count. I mean, I'm sure its nice but the primary bin still needs to meet the minimum requirements.

by MouseLover Sat 15 Oct 2016, 3:36 pm

I think every hamster will have their own unique personality, but I have heard that females tend to be more energetic, and males are more laid back. But even if that were true, there would be lots of hamsters who are exceptions to the rule. I would just go for the ham that steals your heart Wink

I agree with scaredymouse about the floor space. One big bin is better than two medium bins connected. I think having one open space is less claustrophobic than multiple smaller spaces. However, having another bin connected can be a really cool thing, more room to put toys, create a digging area, or a different themed zone - just see it as added enrichment, rather than added floor space, if that makes sense?

by AnonymousMouseOwner Fri 21 Oct 2016, 10:17 pm

I put a 40 gallon tank on my Christmas wish list, so we'll see Wink

. I don't think I can afford that much CareFresh though, is aspen ok for hamsters? Would it be ok to use like 80% aspen? (The rest being CareFresh). Oh, and, does anyone know any good hamster forums just to get more information from?
I think I would want a male, just because females are more territorial, but we'll see when the time comes Smile

.

by CanadianExport Fri 21 Oct 2016, 11:35 pm

Hamster Hideout or Hamster Central are both good forums

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