Black Bear hamster question

[FemaleCheetah]

I just got a black bear hamster today and I really dont know that much about him. I only paid $30 for the hamster, cage, cage accessories, full bag of food, full bag of bedding, ball and a bunch of spair peices to add to the cage. I already have 10 dwarf hamsters but I have never owned a black bear hamster before.... can someone please tell me about these little guys?????

[jkudach]

the black bear is just a black coloured syrian. i have had mine for 2 weeks and he is adorable. seems to be just like a normal syrian, (but much more adorable =) )

[SnowPrincess]

yes, like jkudach said. black bear is just a fancy name for a black syrain hamster... ;)

syrains are solitary hamsters...they don't like to be kept in pairs (one syrain hamster per cage)

i find syrains to be very loyal hamsters and very easy to tame if given the love and attention they require.

as soon as my syrain Lily hears me enter my bedroom she climbs to the top of the cage and begs to be let out or offered a treat.

i personally never owned a black bear but they are really cute little guys! :p i like the ruby eyed creams which are born through black bears (so i've heard) they are REALLY cute!

[lilforjc]

our little black bear Ralph is sooo sweet! like Lily-when he hears us he gets up on 2 feet and greets us! apparently they have good personalities cuz I haven't heard a complaint from anyone.

[yodelinghamster]

um.... why did you get a pet you know nothing about! Don't be so worried though, they are pretty much just like dwaves:) except for the whole ONE to a cage thing... Oh and jkudach, WELCOME to PetsHub!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yodelinghamster]

^lol anyway If you own 10 dwaves you will be fine! It was just surpizing I guess that you would get him then come here suddenly wanting to us to "save you" lol... I don't know when people REALLY do that I want to slap em' . So sorry I just had to shout that out for some reason...

[lilforjc]

well I can tell you why people do that...and I speak from personal experience...it just doesn't seem hard to have a hamster...we all had or knew someone who did when we were kids and noone talks about wet-tail or how fragile the lil babes really are and the petstores certainly don't do a good job of educating the public, so we think we can just get one and go on our merry way...I learned a hard lesson at Christmas when the 2 I got my kids died due to wet-tail, due to stress...I did not know how to care for them, so they died...I did a buncha research, I mean a TON!...went to a reputable pet store and got Ralph and Hoop who thankfully are thriving! that's when I found ya'll and ya'll have been such a blessing and taught me even more! sorry this is so long, but I wanted you to understand that people aren't bad or stupid, just un-informed.

[o0sapphirerat0o]

Black bears are just a fancy name for a black syrian.
Syrians HAVE to be kept in solitary pairs.
What kind of cage did you get? If it's a habitrail or 10g tank, those bite. lol
Get a 90quart sterilite bin, drill holes in the upper high sides and in the lid for ventilation.

You can add levels if you want, but drilling holes in the side and attaching a piece of plexiglass with bolts, and drilling some small holes in the plexiglass and adding a bird ladder. If you want to move it, just put aquarium sealent in the holes, smooth wait for it to dry, add hammie.

What kind of bedding do you have? pine? cedar? if one of those get rid of it, they can give animals respirtory infections.

What kind of food did you get as well? if it is hartz or kaytee, those are "bottom of the barrel" kinds of foods. I don't trust hardly any "Comercial" foods.

I only use holistic dog and cat food, and make my own mix for all my small animals that consist of

dog food (holistic)
puffed wheat
puffed rice
cherios
shredded wheat
mueslix (all natural cereal)
oatmeal


plus she gets a yoggie in the morning and at night (which you obviously don't want to do with dwarves)

I get alot of information here.

www.hamsterific.com

Have fun with your new hammie and post pics!

[o0sapphirerat0o]

and veggie mac pasta swirls.

(it wouldn't let me edit :) lol)

[Jiffykat]

You can give them dog treats too, my little Snowbell (it is really funny to see becuase she is a dwarf so she is kinda little) will drag a milkbone treat all the way across her cage to get it to her little house so she can hide it from all the hamsters that just randomly wander through her cage.