Kinda to Hamsters...Any good books/websites for info?

[Daizis4Me]

I had some hamsters when I was a kid, but would like to get a lil' updated.

Are there any good books on Hamster Care? One for myself and one that my 7yr old son could read(no big words, a childrens book ..lol)
We just recieved 2 hamsters as gifts from Granma.(as posted on Miniature Himalayan???/no such thing i'm told)I know they are female and dwarf, but as for what breed they are,I can't find a good pic to compare them to. Plus they are just to fast to get pic with digital camera,so I have to wait to get film developed,b4 I can post a pic. Any good websites on care for hammies?

[piggy101]

well i really dont know if there is a good book made really for kids but u could check your local libary they should have books about hammies there.
********NOTE just wanted to let u know so u wont find out the hard way DONT use bedding such as cedar or Pine they can make ur hammies sick and can cause them to have breathing problems and die.
But here is are good websites to look at i think it should help with everything.
Hamsterific.com
or
russiandwarfhamsters.tripod.com

[Daizis4Me]

Geesh !... I knew about the cedar but the lady sold mil Pine Shavings ! Didn't know pine was bad too. What can be used???

[piggy101]

not may do but more and more people are starting to found out pine isnt the best way to go. Well you could use aspen its like pine but it doesnt have the dangerous chemicals that are found in pine. Did those websites help u at all??

[Texas Hamsters]

I bought some pet bedding at petco. It is gray. My dwarfs love it. I also bought some of that white soft nest building material. They go crazy with that stuff. I also know that all of the material is SAFE

[piggy101]

yea that stuff does work is it nest fluff???

[Texas Hamsters]

Yes. It is very soft. I'm so happy to find this site. I purchased 2 dwarfs a month ago for my children. It seems now that they are MY hamsters and I just adore them and their new babies.

[wheels]

You can use pine bedding, as long as it is kiln dried. For my hamsters, I have always used kiln dried pine bedding, and will continue to use it. Other good options for bedding are aspen, and a bedding like Carefresh or Critter Care. If you want, you could even you some shredded up pieces of newspaper.

piggy, you mentioned nest fluff. Nest fluff is very dangerous to hamsters. When the mother is chewing the nest fluff, she may digest some of it, and it can cause serious problems with the digestive system, and cause your hamster to become very ill, and possibly die.

[Daizis4Me]

That Russian Dwarf Hamster site @ tripod is great, Thanks!
I found a pic identical to the ones we have. It seems they are the Campbells agouti(wild colored). I'm still reading on the site.
I'm glad to see others using pine, We have enough to last a while. Granma bought them 3 bags along with the hammies,cages,wheels & food.
Thanks!

[wheels]

Just a suggestion for you...if you do not have wood chews for your hammies, you might want to consider buying them. You can get a pack of 6 or so for around $1-3. They assist in keeping the size of your hammie's teeth down.

If you have any further questions, then feel free to ask.

[piggy101]

wheels, i asked to see if it was nest fluff sry to confuse u. I wont use it with my hammies because i heard it was dangerous but i also heard not all of them are. As for pine wont use it either cause of the warnings.I really like to use aspen(not saying ppl should stop stop using it) Glad the website worked that one is may favorite wesite(besides this one(:))

[wheels]

Totally understandable. The deal with pine bedding is that if you are using a pine bedding that is not kiln dried, then there is going to be dust, which will cause problems with the respiratory system. But, if you are using a kiln dried bedding, then 99% of the dust and harm causing chemicals are removed, making it safe to use.

[piggy101]

o got confused i feel so dumb. well i just went out and got Aspen o well i just stick to dat.