Questions

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Okay well i posted a thread like this yesterday, but i dont know what happened to it? :confused: did it get deleted or something??

Anyways... I have two questions..


I am going to get a teddy bear hamster, and at petco they have a lot of crittertrail cages, which are very small.. Can someone go to the petco website, and look at there hamster cages and advise which one i should get? (I have a crittertrail 1 from my other hamster, and she was starting to grow out of it and someone told me there too small for a teddy bear.)

Also, just wondering but what kind should i get? Sandy was a teddy bear, and i liked her a lot and she didnt bite me at all, but ive seen really cute dwarfs... so which one would you reccomend? Thanks!!!


:hamster1:


-Tiff

[darthturkey]

teddy bear hamsters?

is that a name for a real type of hamster like russain or chinnese ect?

lol

bloody yanks hehehe

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Lol =P Actually, there long haired syrian, but for some reason pet stores call them teddy bear to make them more appealing. (My icon is a picture of sandy, a teddy bear hamster) also, heres more pics of her http://www.petshub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72077

[Sandy Da Cutie]

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s118/SandyDaCutie/sandyscage.jpg

This is her cage for referance

[SuperPopple]

I have a syrian (short hair) and he's too big for anything like that at his full grown size. i got him a three level wire/metal bottom cage that would be roughly the size of a 10 gallon tank with a topper on it. Personally I've always thought that syrians once they are fully grown are too big for the CritterTrail cages even if you hook some up because the tubes might be a bit small for them. I know I would not feel comfortable with my full grown syrian crawling in those tubes. But maybe my Syrian is just a big boy.

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Thanks, i was thinking the same thing, after only a week of my critter trail cage. Ive been searching all over petco online, but i still am not sure. But i dont have to hurry, cuz im not going to buy another hamster till another two days.

[pinkpink33]

hey :)

well i 2 dwarfs (who live separately) right now, and one is the most agressive territorial girl ever, and the other is quite sweet. i had a real sweety who would come running for me and sit on me, but she died 3 days ago.
russian dwarfs (campbells) can be quite nippy if you get them from a pet store, and are not a cuddly pet. there are different types, the most common being the russian, but the chinese i hear are a lot less nippy. the robos are less nippy but are uber-fast and mainly a pet to watch play, not play with (i've heard). the siberian (winter white) look more like a russian and are less nippy, but i am yet to see them in a pet store.
syrians are more happy to be handled (as im sure you know), harder to lose and less nippy.
dwarfs can live alone or in pairs, but you have to be careful about the spacing between the bars of the cage! i think most of the cages these stores sell are too small for a syrian, as they do tend to outgrow them. i like the bin cages you can make from storage boxes myself, they are much cheaper and give your ham much more room to run and explore. if you're lazy all you need to do is drill air holes in the top and a hole in the side to attach a water bottle to!
i dont keep syrians so dont know how much space they would be happy in, but a dwarf needs a 10g tank minimum i believe. you also have to be careful with the tubes, as a dwarf cannot climb all of the tubes in these sam/rotastak, crittertrail cages usually.

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Ah sorry for all my questions, its just that i want to be prepared and i dont want my hamster to die like last time ;S

One final question... this cage is sorta like a crittertrail, but i wasnt sure... would this be too small too?

http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_images/3%5C3017202998B.jpg
or this one?

http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_images/0/045125605235B.jpg

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Thanks so much for the info, Im leaning toward a syrian right now, because from a lot of sources of hear every like 70 out of 100 dwarf hamsters are aggressive and bite.

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Im guessing i would probably have to get a tank or a cage like this

http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_images/9%5C9161100335B.jpg

or

http://www.petco.com/Assets/product_images/5%5C5226811225B.jpg


I really appreciate all your help!!

[pinkpink33]

i dont know the size of those cages, but the wire ones in the last post look good for a syrian. the wire platforms need to be covered with carboard or lino i think though, as the hamster can get bumblefoot from walking on mesh or wires, which is painful and needs vet care.
the top pink cage looks ok too, but again i dont know the exact size! i'd say the 2nd one looks a bit small for comething i would want my ham to live in.
i think that it is pet store dwarfs mainly, as they havent been handled. dwarfs havent been pets for very long, so they are generally less tame than the syrians, and they feel threatened a lot too. a breeder would be a good source of dwarf hams (if reputable) as they will be used to handling, and less nippy.
my dwarf is only nippy in her cage, or down the side of the bed (her 2nd home lol), once out for a run they tend to be friendly enough, though often looking for escape lol.
what did your last ham die of? i take it you've also researched sawdust and foods, as hams can have problems with types of wood such as cedar or pine.
if you're planing on keeping him/her in your room, i would suggest getting a tank or the top pink cage, as they will gnaw on those bars for hours! also, the wheels that arent solid are dangerous (like in the bottom pic) and hams can break a leg. a good quiet wheel are the silent spinners, they cost a little more but they are well worth it. my boyfriend appreciates not being woken up by the hams in the wheel all night long lol.
thinking of getting a syrian myself. i love my dwarfs but i'd like something a little more snuggly as well i think :) questions are good, it's good to research before getting the pet, im doing the same thing as it's been a while since i've had a syrian :) so ask away and i'll answer if i can :)

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Okay, well i think im going to get a cage like the bottom two, or a tank. And yeah you should get a syrian, they are really cuddly and they rarely ever bite. Although mine didnt really like her wheel that much, she like her ball way better. The only thing i probably dislike about teddy bear hamsters are they are more likely to get wet tail, and thats what mine died of (I was going to take her to the exotic vet the next day since they didnt have room) :( Anyways, i dont think i have anymore questions, thanks tho. I think the pink one may be the same size as critter trail, so i dont think ill get it. I think they have the exact size if you go to petco.com and search hamster cages, and theres a whole bunch of them. Oh yes, and i have researched foods and what not to give, and bedding. I only buy the bedding the petstore uses, so they feel a little more at used to it, and so i know nothing bad will happen.

Oh yeah, im not against dwarf, ive seen some pretty nice ones at my friends house. And yeah i guess that it is true they are less tame then syrian.... its just that i like long haired :)

<3 Thanks, youve been very helpful, and ill inform you and show you pics when i get my hamster in 2 days!

[pinkpink33]

yeah i love the long haired ones, they're so pretty! pics would be cool :)
dont know if i'll get one though, my dwarf who just lost her sister is pining, she misses playtime. so i may have to get one tomorrow, going to phone and see if they have any from the same litter left, or any young ones she might like. might take her up to see if she likes any.
wet tail is a concern for me too. i have 2 good pet stores nearby, but neither like the other much, so im not quite sure as one is probably good and the other not so good. one is pets corner, if anyone knows of their rep please? the other is a small non-chain. they seem pretty knowledgable and are often out of stock, which makes me think they dont oreder in loads of animals, and only buy when they sell the ones they have, which pleases me :)

[Sandy Da Cutie]

ah yeah thats nice, selling what you have and not ordering a whole bunch. The only store i have near me is a petco, and to go to the vet i have to drive 30- 45 mins to get to an exotic vet place.... so its kinda hard. Good luck with getting another one! :)

[ScarlettDesire2]

The multicolor cage and the pink cage seem too small to me and they don't have much ventilation, which would mean you would have to clean them more often. The bar cages you showed could be fine, but the hamster may chew on the bars and I've heard they can hurt their mouths, don't know if that's true. Your best bets would be either a tank or a plastic bin. I would suggest a 15 gallon tank minimum for a syrian because when my last syrian became full size, he totally outgrew his 10 gallon tank.
I have had syrians and what I like about them is their larger size. They are easier to handle and grab. But after my last hamster passed away from old age last month I purchased a dwarf a couple of weeks ago. He's very sweet and doesn't bite and likes to be handled, so they're not all nippy and unhandleable. But you'll have a higher chance probably of having a sweeter syrian than a dwarf. Also the dwarfs smaller size can make them easier to lose in the house. Just go with whatever you find cuter in the store. ;)

[pinkpink33]

o yes i forgot to mention that! if a ham chews on the bars of the cage a lot, it can force the teeth back into the brain, either causing brain damage or death, i've read here.
if you get a 15/20g tank, then when you're at the store you could have a look at the syrians and the dwarfs and just see who seems friendliest, who is most curious but not agressive etc. i think this is a good way of selecting a ham with a good temperment, which for me is the most important thing, barring health of course :)

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Okay.I decided im going to get a 15 gallon tank, since im scared something will go wrong with the bar cages. And if i end up getting a dwarf hamster ill get a 10 gallon, maybe a crittertrail, probably not though

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Ahhh! I cant decide now.....! I looked through petco online, and i couldnt find any 10 gallon tanks. And ive also heard that cleaning tanks is hard.:confused:

[pinkpink33]

lol the bar cages werent meant to be a horror story! that's just what i've read on here, and there do seem to be some pretty knowledgeable people around :) but tanks are a good choice, very escape-proof if you leave the lid on :)
dwarfs are very very cute :) they make me laugh watching them explore, even my evil one, i love her really (she just doesnt like me lol).
when are you going to get your ham? good luck, hope you find a sweety :)

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Well, i would have gotten a hammy by now, but my aunt and uncle and lil cousin are visiting, and my cousin would not listen to me if i told her not to the hamster, and my aunt HATES and i mean HATES all animals cuz shes like a neat freak. So there leaving saturday and thats when i get one

[Sandy Da Cutie]

Btw, do you mind posting the sites where you get all this information? Thanks


:bighug:

You guys have been a great help!

[pinkpink33]

nearly all my info is based on this forum lol! i've spent days of my month holiday reading nearly all the old posts, so if you search for cages you'll probably come up with some pretty good stuff and pics etc!
everything is on this forum, anything else i've found has agreed with what most people have said :)

[darthturkey]

Lol =P Actually, there long haired syrian, but for some reason pet stores call them teddy bear to make them more appealing. (My icon is a picture of sandy, a teddy bear hamster) also, heres more pics of her http://www.petshub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72077

OH ok cool thanks =p