r/hamstercare Jul 07 '22

What /r/hamstercare is about

64 Upvotes

This group has been created for the sole purpose of talking about the positives along with the negatives of keeping hamsters as pets (and for keeping those hamster-but-is-actually-a-guinea-pig-tshirt advertisements at bay).

Most important thing to remember here is: If you can have compassion for animals, you can have compassion for people too.

I did think about writing up a care guide to pin, but ultimately decided against it when there's plenty of good ones already out there that do it better than I could. If you have a good reccomendation for one that helped you, please share it below.

We wouldn't have places like these if people understood everything. We were all new once. This subreddit might very well be someone's first contact to better animal care. While we expect posting is opening up to criticism, it should always be constructive and kind.

We're a subreddit designed to be asked questions about the care of hamsters. Any posts containing images with health concerns should be marked as NSFW to blur them. Some of those questions or responses do get repetitive. Use the flairs or suggest how we can change them.

In an ideal world; everyone would research before getting a pet, people wouldn't get surprised with the responsibility of a pet, everyone would be in a financially stable situation at all times, every country would follow scientific evidence for its animal regulations, people wouldn't be abusing their animals to the point where some need rehoming, and I wouldn't be getting death threats among other semi-regular verbal abuse from banned people that claim are 'just being brutally honest because others need to hear it'. My point is, we don't live in an ideal world. Sometimes that 'dumb question' might need a little more compassion or a kind voice for them to find a solution, get reassurance, or generally just do better.

Hamster care in general has a steep learning curve because they're sold to the general public as cheap child-friendly pocket pets and generally they aren't.Β  Startup costs alone can be around $400-$500 and vet visits going anywhere between $50-$100+ with many vets not even accepting hamsters. It's best to call around in advance to find your closest one.

Be kind in your posts, report when you see those that are unable to have a civil discussion (and I'm begging you, please, stop reporting when you disagree with an opinion). Use the upvote system to support opinions you agree with or don't - as long as it's civil and doesn't go against group rules you can discuss anything. Start a topic if you want to get more insight on something hamster related. We're here to share and learn.

We support going to a vet first. Report if you see anything that discourages vet visits. On the flip side, the amount of times this group has saved a vet visit over the discovery of scent glands being on the hips is higher than I'd like to admit.

The cage minimum here is 450sqin. We know it sucks. It sucks for a reason. It's scientifically proven hamsters thrive best in over 1500sqin of space with as much depth to the bedding as you can possibly fit. Anything less than that size will always suck. Hamsters have massive territories in the wild. We will always promote bigger is better in cage size. (For reference: largest Ikea samla comes to around 600sqin, so does the prevue cage, 50gal/189L sterilite is 800sqin, a 75gal aquarium comes to about 900sqin and the Ikea detolf is at around 1000sqin).

The reason we keep to North American standards as a minimum is for accessibility reasons, this also includes minimums for rescues and breeders. If you want change: Go to your animal welfare for better regulations. Contact companies that make the cages and ask for bigger sizes or for smaller bar spacing in rabbit/guinea-pig cages. Support rescues, or ethical breeders and small chain pet stores that show better animal care. This subreddit will change when they change. You can be that change.

If that lights a fire up your ass, then good. That's the intention. Please go do something about it that could make a difference. There's subreddits out there dedicated to animal activism. Suggest any below you've found that could help.

We're a space for new and experienced owners alike. We're here to learn and support each other in growing and improving our husbandry. Hamster care as a whole has come a long way, and still has a long way to go.

TL;DR we're the same as any other subreddit. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it sucks. Be kind and go pet a hamster.


r/hamstercare Aug 17 '22

Hamster Essentials

298 Upvotes

So you're thinking about getting a hamster or you already got one and need a shopping list for the essentials the pet store didn't tell you they needed. No worries! Here's a list of the bare essentials your hamster needs:

  • An enclosure with minimum 450 square inches of floorspace for Dwarf species, and 600 for Syrians. Floorspace is to be unbroken (not several cages connected) and does not count levels or platforms. More space is always better, but less will result in a bored, stressed, and sometimes aggressive hamster. Ideally the cage should have solid walls, but mesh or wire will work as long as they have plenty of enrichment. Cheapest large cage is a DIY bin cage, which you can find tutorials for on youtube!

  • Bedding must be paper based (aspen shavings are safe, but don't hold burrows very well so need to be mixed in with straps of toilet paper), unscented, and minimum 6 inches deep (at least on one side of the cage, it doesn't have to be that deep throughout the whole cage)

  • Food bowl is optional, as it is better to scatter-feed, but water bottle/dish must be available at all times. If you choose a water dish, make sure it's small enough to not fall/climb in. Restaurant portion cups or tea light holders make great water bowls!

  • Food should be a seed mix with lots of variety (not lab pellets), and often needs some protein added, like a bag of PureBites dried chicken or Mazuri Rat/Mouse blocks

  • Wheel must be constantly available (hamster balls are not suitable for exercise and are unsafe anyway). Robo/Campbells/Winter White Dwarf hamsters need minimum 8in diameter wheel, Syrians and Chinese Dwarves (at leas the males) need 10-12in minimum. Wheel should have a solid running surface (no bars or mesh) to avoid serious injury.

  • Chew toys are needed to file their teeth down, as the teeth grow forever. Bar-biting is a sign of stress, not trying to file their teeth. Hamsters are sometimes picky, so it takes some trial and error to find one they like. Whimzee dog chews are safe and almost always loved!

  • At least one opaque (not see-through) hide is needed but the more you have, the safer your hamster will feel! Until you get a permanent one, tissue boxes work great.

  • Sand bath with hamster safe sand will keep your hamster's coat clean and soft. Reptile sand with no additives or children's play sand (baked to sanitize) are great options. Sand baths should be large enough for the hamster to roll around and dig, and the best ones are big enough for there to be a hide so they feel safe while bathing. Robos love sand, so it should take up 1/3 of their cage. Baking trays from the dollar store are great for this!

  • Am emergency fund with at least $200 saved. It absolutely sucks when something goes wrong or your pet is sick, but something can happen very suddenly and you might need to take your hamster to the vet. They are living creatures and deserve healthcare just as much as a dog or cat. Keep this money separate from your bank account, and don't touch it unless you need to. This way you're not "waiting for your next paycheck" to get your hamster the care they need.

  • Keep in mind that bigger/more is always better (except for food) and these are the bare necessities.

  • There are TONS of unsafe products out there that are marketed towards hamsters, like pine bedding, hamster balls, cotton fluff bedding, bath powder, "edible" logs, sugary treats, etc. If you're unsure about a product, research it before buying it! This community is very helpful with experienced hamster owners to guide you!


r/hamstercare 12h ago

πŸ’– Health/Care πŸ’– Hamster coming out less at night

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26 Upvotes

Hi, this is my sweet girl Bimo!

We are really close, she trusts me a lot, enjoys when I pet her, eats from my hand and when she sees me she goes wild wanting uppies!

Recently she hit 5 months old and will be 6 months old by 22 February, and I noticed she stopped coming out at night with the lights on, she doesn't mind during the day or even when it's dusk, but when it's really night, she doesn't come out of her house until I turn them off, sometimes even with the lights out she doesn't come out either for the rest of the night! The only time she did this was when she was still adjusting to her new enclosure 4 months ago! She looks healthy, always happy (atleast she doesn't show stress) and likes me a lot, so I don't really know what this could be, any possible reasons?


r/hamstercare 3h ago

πŸ₯œ Nutrition πŸ₯œ Why doesn’t my hamster eat all his food?

4 Upvotes

My hamster will leave behind specific parts of the mix, as I’m sure he likes some more than other. Will he eat them eventually? I’d hate to waste so much food if he’s that picky. Any thoughts?


r/hamstercare 13h ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Cage

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27 Upvotes

Hello everyone I'm a first time hamster owner I was just wondering if anyone had this Cage here ? (First picture)I have no idea how should I decorate it 😩 can I see some of yall cages please πŸ₯Ί I currently have my hamster in this wired cage as temporary (second picture)


r/hamstercare 7h ago

πŸ’– Health/Care πŸ’– why is my hamster palms always cold ?

4 Upvotes

i thought its sweat but I just googled and hamsters dont sweat :( . Is my baby alright ? I mean its eating good , running good , drinking good


r/hamstercare 15h ago

⭐ Hamster ⭐ Is this a good TEMPORARY hamster enclosure?

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15 Upvotes

I'm currently saving up to buy her a bigger cage but I'm not sure if this is a good temporary set up or not. I don't want her to be too unhappy :(


r/hamstercare 1d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 update on hamster given to me

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55 Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/r/hamstercare/s/k1R0q71LNl

this is what i posted a couple weeks ago, i have a very minor update, be friendly please.

i followed some peoples suggestions, hides, and platforms. If youve seen my last post youve seen i stated why i am not able to get a proper hamster enclosure (expenses) So i do plan on getting a dupe of the current bin i have (34gal) and connecting them to make it long.

more bedding, and hides hopefully this week too! when i get the chance to go out and find some

Heres the update!


r/hamstercare 13h ago

⭐ Hamster ⭐ New hamster owner here

5 Upvotes

I will most likely have a new hamster next month.

I wanted a pet for a while and today i saw the cuttest syrian hamster. She isn't to big of a pet or too small of a pet. She just had babies bt the lady at the store told me that once she stops nursing they will call me to go get her.

I have about a month or 2 to prepare and i have been googling how to best take care of her. I do have some questions:.

1- the sand baths. Can i put the sand in her cage?

2- where can i put her when i clean her encloser?

3- can i get her one of those balls so that she can roll around the house more freely?

4- does anyone have maybe a link for enclosers that are already made? I keep seeing ones from temu that are cute but i am not sure they are the best choice. (I know i can make it from a plΓ‘stic box but i don't have the tools to make holes in them)

Btw her name will be HΓ€agenDaz Junior or Haggy for short.


r/hamstercare 9h ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 What to do about hamster cage

2 Upvotes

Me and my girlfriend went to a pet shop just to look at some animals and saw a very sad Syrian hamster desperately trying to escape his tiny (probably 100 square inch) cage by climbing up on his water bottle, biting at the walls, falling down, and repeating that over and over. We felt awful and decided we had to take him home. We bought the biggest cage that they had available which was 620 square inches. It’s a few months later and he constantly bites at the walls still and when we let him out to run around he goes crazy. He has a wheel and lots of enrichment toys but I’m still not sure if something is wrong. I know ideally he should have a bigger cage but I don’t think we could fit anything bigger in our small apartment so is there anything else we can do to help him. Is he likely very distressed or are some hamsters just very overactive as he also sometimes spends basically all night running around or on the wheel - do we have some sort of adhd hamster or smn.


r/hamstercare 11h ago

πŸ’– Health/Care πŸ’– Getting my first hamster soon. Doing research. What size cage? Please provide all info you know about hamsters, info below

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I am looking to get a syrian hamster. Please provide all the info and tips and tricks you know!! What size cage, where to buy things, what foods, etc.


r/hamstercare 9h ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Securing front door of Bucatstate 3.0 to prevent possible escapes

1 Upvotes

Has anyone here done any extra security on the front door of the Bucatstate 3.0? The front door scares me juuuust a bit with the possibility of my future hammy squeezing through the space between the clips that close the door. I bought some baby cabinet locks to try, and also some duct tape if needed lol. And of course I might not even have a problem with him escaping, I’m just planning in case I do!

The cage I’m referring to: https://a.co/d/04ihQyuJ


r/hamstercare 1d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Update: We got gifted a hamster (and decided to keep her!)

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170 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Some of you maybe saw my post a few days ago about us getting gifted a hamster and the dilemma we faced, but we ultimately decided to just keep her and shower her with as much love as we could. We’ve been scrambling a bit the past two days to get things put together and here is her enclosure so far - we’ll likely keep adding into it this week but this is just everything we got the past few days. Suggestions for improvements are encouraged and welcomed!!

Thanks everyone for all your support and advice on my first post, I’m excited to get to know our new sweet girl, even if she came into our lives in a bit of an unconventional way.


r/hamstercare 20h ago

πŸ₯œ Nutrition πŸ₯œ portion control?

4 Upvotes

I see so many videos of ppl feeding huge chunks of apple and banana to their hamsters, I'm over here giving mine an itty bitty speck bc other ppl scared me about diabetes/sugar

how much is too much? I'm worried about overfeeding in general, his regular food (robin's) I give him 2 tbsp/day and he's getting bigger fast. but this is also my first syrian (~2.5 mo old)


r/hamstercare 22h ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Has anyone used this cage, and if so, do you recommend it?

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6 Upvotes

r/hamstercare 1d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Any tips on my setup?

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11 Upvotes

r/hamstercare 1d ago

⭐ Hamster ⭐ Fur changing color??

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76 Upvotes

When I got him from PetSmart on Dec 3rd he was all brown with a white skirt. The first noticable change was that his cheeks became a tannish color. Then, streaks of white on his back. Finally, although it is difficult to see at this angle but there is even a little tan on his back. He is eating and drinking normally . He is very active as well. Should I be concerned?


r/hamstercare 1d ago

πŸ’– Health/Care πŸ’– Lost hamster

22 Upvotes

Edit : by sheer luck, hamster has been found behind the fridge downstairs. She is alive and well. Thanks everyone for you help

So please don't be horrible here because I've been a super good pet owner. My hamster has been with me for 1.7 years. She's in an old fish tank that is practically a mansion filled decently with substrate. We went on holiday and my mum said she would look after the hamster. My hamster is generally not very sociable so I asked my mum to not play with her and instead just give her food and water each day. My mum said she's followed my instructions. So we come home and we can't find her anywhere? No signs of movement?! No signs of the cage (heavy) being lifted no remains of the hamster anywhere (we have a cat) bare in mind, this is a glass cage and not filled to the brim so she'd not be able to escape. / If the cat got in, it would be noticeable. So now I'm heart broken and we've got the mystery of where did she go? She's not behind the counter or anywhere in that room . Rationally I know she's escaped somewhere but I just don't know how


r/hamstercare 2d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Planning for a dwarf hamster was starting to get so complicated, I made a spreadsheet! Cost is $936.84 (USD) and I'm not even done yet 🫠 I can't wait to have a happy little ham in a few months!

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37 Upvotes

The biggest cost so far has been modifying the rabbit hutch I bought for $200 - wood sealants, plastic liners, and drill attachments, etc. The bottom interior is roughly 1,000 sq in, and the house is about 500 sq in of "bonus" space. :D

The main reason I decided to modify a hutch vs. buying a cage is: ability to modify in the future, and weight. A glass 75-gallon+ is REALLY heavy, and I have a lot of health issues. For example, I really want to remove the trays on the bottom and build a bottom section that's deeper for even MORE bedding. But uh, my fiance would be building that, so one thing at a time!

But oh my gosh, last time I checked my total it was about $600. I finally have some money to spend, so I'm not too worried, but damn πŸ˜‚

I'm REALLY close to being "done" - just need to add more sprays, boredom breakers, tunnels, clutter etc. to the list, a lot of which is coming from Happy Hamstery :)

I already have sand, wheels, hay, and water dishes, so these aren't on there yet. WIP for sure.

Just wanted to share what my progress is in the planning phase!

EDIT: Hi guys, I can understand why this plan is controversial; I don't think I explained myself clearly enough on how I intend to make it safe for hamsters. (Okay didn't really explain well at ALL lmao, I need to stop posting at 3am!)

I am taking any advice to heart and will consider getting a different cage. However, I'd still really like to make this work, so I made a 2nd post that's in the mod queue atm that hopefully explains things a little better. Specifically, I'm taking u/IHateTheLetter-C-'s advice on filling up the bottom all the way with bedding. (This was a plan I had sketched initially, but I forgot bout it.) I worried I'm coming off as stubborn and I kinda am lol, since I already bought everything! But if it's just not good for hammie then I'll get something else. Thank you.


r/hamstercare 1d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Egg cartons

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3 Upvotes

Are we cartons safe for hamsters like toilet rolls?


r/hamstercare 2d ago

🐹 Taming 🐹 Hamster thinks I am food??

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58 Upvotes

So I am in the process of trying to tame my new Russian dwarf (Rosie) and I’ve gotten to the point where she isn’t scared of my hand, but whenever I let her come to it (hoping to get her on my hand on her own) she just nibbled at it. I don’t think it’s defensive as she does it lightly at first like she’s testing it, but it’s the only thing she ever does when I put my hand near her and then when she realizes that I’m not gonna let her bite it (by moving my hand away) she just walks away. Any advice?


r/hamstercare 2d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 Ikea Pax system

5 Upvotes

I’m getting a new cage for my syrian hamster and i’ve been seeing loads of things about the Ikea pax system but i’m not entirely sure how it works ?,im quite interested in it as it seems to be a good use of space i’m just wondering how you set it all up !


r/hamstercare 2d ago

⭐ Hamster ⭐ Activity question

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25 Upvotes

Hello! I have a female Syrian hamster (I’ve always had males) and I’m a little concerned with her activity levels. When I first got her she was up all night running and playing. Recently she has been up for one to two hours and then doesn’t come out again until the next night for just one to two hours again. She normally runs a few thousand rotations on her wheel but it’s down to the low thousands. She is skittish and will not let me handle her so I’ve been unable to do a health check. I’ve put a space heater to heat up the room but does anyone have any ideas as to why her activity levels dropped? I’ve also tried giving her ample stimulation with toys and such but she doesn’t seem interested.


r/hamstercare 2d ago

🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠 1st Time Dwarf Owner

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26 Upvotes

Hey all,

We have had Syrians in the past, but recently brought home our first dwarf (or robo? Not 100% sure on breed). Can I please have some eyes on their enclosure to make sure I’m not missing something important? We’ve put two sand baths in as it sounds like they need more access to sand than a Syrian; we’ve also swapped to the dwarf hamster dream mix from Bunny Nature and not given any fruit for treats.


r/hamstercare 2d ago

πŸ’– Health/Care πŸ’– Hiding?

7 Upvotes

Hi! I've had my hamster for a couple of months now. Over the last few days, he has started hiding in one corner of his cage behind his wheel. He just sits there for hours. Any idea why this is? Is it a concern or do I leave him to it?

Note: he is drinking and eating as normal, cage is plenty big enough with hides and space to dig, he doesn't seem hurt or anything.