cleaning cage

[phillip]

how EXACTLY would i clean my cage just change the hay

[MouseyMari]

Put the hamster in a safe, ventilated box/container, rinse the toys, dump the bedding, scrub the cage with dish soap. Rinse and dry, replace bedding and toys. :-)

[phillip]

cheers and is that once a week

[PetLuver21257]

Yes, it should be once a week. But you change the food every other day for a dwarf and every day for a syrian. Now, hay, uhhh you mean bedding right? Like carefresh or aspen?

[phillip]

no sos i ment sawdust the bedding is like a paper

[PetLuver21257]

What is the beddings exact name?

[phillip]

it doesent say on it

its white like paper mach

[MouseyMari]

CareFRESH cotton maybe.......

[phillip]

no ill look later

[yodelinghamster]

Why did you post just to say you would look later? :?

You shouldn't use sawdust or hay. Please give us the exact name. I think you should do more studying on hamsters if you don't know the basics on how to take care of them.

[phillip]

erm i do it doesent have a name it says safe for hamster,mice and gerbils

[yodelinghamster]

That is weird.... Could you post a pic. I mean't it looks like you don't know very much about hamster care because you made a board on how to do one of the very basic things on how to care for a hamster. You should know that before you get a hamster.

[PetLuver21257]

Yea, I sorta agree with yodelinghamster. You should know a lot of this stuff from the reasearch you do before you buy a hamster....

Sawdust isn't good because the dust causes respitory problems. And even if it does say "Safe for hamsters, mice, and gerbils" That is not always true because ceder bedding is still on the market and it can give dwarf hamsters severe allergic reactions like this one:

http://www.trigene.com.tw/dermato/TMAC/HCA3.JPG

That's an allergic reaction in a dwarf hamster... It's so sad! :(

[yodelinghamster]

Oh that looks pretty bad! Yes what bedding you use is very important! So please let us know.

[phillip]

yes i went the pet shop she said the one i bought it safe and good for syrian hamsters ;)

[dwankrista]

once again, pet shops usually do not know their own heads from their holes. never take the word of someone at a pet shop.

[phillip]

she doesent sleep in there anyway she sleeps in the tube

why is this will she go the house soon

and what else can i put in the cage for her

[PetLuver21257]

Why can't you just tell us what it says on the package?

I mean it has to say it there! What, is it Aspen shavings, carefresh? Please just tell us what it is called!

Yea, sometimes petshop people don't know what is true and not true, I mean ceder bedding is still on the market and look what it does to hamsters!

And ofcourse they will tell you it's ok because you bought it already and because they don't want to lose money!

[yodelinghamster]

It looks like pine from the pic. Change it now, if you care about your hamster!! Listen to us please! Get aspen or carefresh they are cheap and GOOD for hamsters! Or any of the other bedding I listed.

[phillip]

it says

animal dreams

suitble for hamster,mice and gerbils

[phillip]

http://chinchillacymru.co.uk/pics/nibbles/pets/dreampaper.jpg

thats it

[yodelinghamster]

I would use that. It does look like bedding... You hamster probably does'nt enjoy it. Some people say your hamster can get tangled up in it, this is not true, hamsters are born escape artists and won't get stuck that easily... But it still is not a good bedding. You should get one on the beddings I listed and I still stand by that.

[MouseyMari]

FYI-

http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/June05/52108_48703.jpg
http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/November04/8093_3f7f3.jpg
http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/December05/50070_515e7.jpg

Those are the best and most popular bedding.

Do not believe everything you read or what a pet store employee tells you.

[phillip]

ok thanks ill go a pet store tommoz

is that why she hasnt been going on the bed

[PetLuver21257]

Yea, that might have been why....

[phillip]

good so carefresh or aspen there is a big petworld buy me ill go look tommoz now is there defo NOTHING LIVE ANIMAL i can put in with the syrian hamster that it wont eat

[PetLuver21257]

NO NO!!!

You can't put anything live in with a syrian!

SYRIANS ARE SOLITARY ANIMALS!

MIXING DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ANIMALS (LIKE A HAMSTER AND MOUSE FOR EXAMPLE) WILL GUARANTEE DEATH OF THE SMALLER ANIMAL!

DO NOT DO SOMETHING SILLY LIKE THAT!

[phillip]

ok just wondred

i love my hammie think ill call it holly
she is brown,bit of black n a bit of white:)

what pets you got petlover

oh and i have £9
what could i get with that

[MouseyMari]

No offense, but you sound really, really odd........*shrug*

Are you using the money for the hamster? Buy a wheel, chew sticks, houses, treats.....Etc, etc.

[PetLuver21257]

I have a dog named Sparky (she's a westie/bichon mix), a Campbell Dwarf hamster named Kiba, about 50 guppies (I breed them), and 5 tropical fish.

Well with $9, I guess you could buy a wheel, and some of the other stuff MouseyMari said. You know though that $9 isn't enough to keep your hamster forever, I mean it's enough for a short while, but when food runs out and bedding runs out, and when a surprise vet trip happens, well, you need to save a lot of money!

Oh, and MouseyMari, are you saying that I am odd?

[MouseyMari]

Hehe, no:p phillip sounds kinda weird....I'm not judging yet though!!

Oh yeah, I recommend you buy a large runabout ball or CritterCruiser, so your hammie can have some fun:-)

[azarathzinthos]

Yeah They Are So Cooool!!!

[phillip]

WELL ILL REPORT EVERYONE WHO SAID THAT IM NOT WEIRD

I HAVE GOT A BALL FOR HER
what can i do she is chewing on the cage wires

[dwankrista]

that is usually normal behavior for a hammy, if the hammy is well attended and not bored.
there is nothing you can do.

[MouseyMari]

Try buying some chew sticks; also paper towel or toilet paper tubes. They enjoy going through those and chewing them.

[phillip]

yes i have her some treats and give her a a tube

she has a house and everything and she sleeps in the tubes THEN she falls down it goes back up and back to sleep

[animalmagic]

Guys- I know you're all experienced in hamster care, but I just wanted to add my two cents and say that a lot of the brands of bedding that you all list (Carefresh etc) aren't available in the UK, which is where Phillip is. Over here in England there's a much less wide variety of bedding available!
Just wanted to add that.

[phillip]

arr no wonder thanks

[MouseyMari]

Ah, my apoligies. Sorry phillip.

[phillip]

ok i see you have mice and hamsters what is your fav