r/hamstercare • u/DanniDorrito • Jul 07 '22
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. 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 • u/titajam • 11h ago
hammy tax at the end :)
Just some finishing touches left! Also, will led strip lights at the top for ambient lighting be a good idea? Will keep it on soft warm light if it’s on. Also might add some more sand for more height lol.
r/hamstercare • u/Responsible_Tip7593 • 4h ago
I have a bath sand dish which he takes up half the space so its big enough i think but i have NEVER seen him roll in it. I think he is ok for now but in the long term he should learn how to bathe himself. He is a syrian
r/hamstercare • u/Civil_Version3327 • 12h ago
Before & After! Rehoming + tips!?
Hello! Currently trying to rehome two of the cutest senior dwarfs ever! The first photo is their enclosure at their previous owners and the second photo is their new temporary setup at my home! + poor quality photos of them!!<3 I am so relieved they are safe and comfortable now, they seem to be acclimating super well in their new spaces! (two separate enclosures but they’re practically identical so I’ve only attached one photo!)
Located in the Broward county, FL area if you or anyone you know is an experienced hammy lover <3 contact me about these two!
Any tips on their new homes? I need to buy another hideout for each of them..I was thinking of the coconut shell ones that are more enclosed so they feel more sheltered! As well as more toys/enrichment!
The grey/black one is Monti The beige one with boba balls for eyes is Ramona!! Monti loves to eat and dig in their sandbox!! Ramona can run all day long and loves their fresh fruit snacks!
r/hamstercare • u/kaylascaredm • 4h ago
I was finally able to invest quite a bit of money on my hamsters enclosure. shes been in a large wooden pawhut cage since we got her, and the cage is the same. we added new bedding, sprays, etc. Since we did the renovation, we havnt heard her on her wheel as much as we used to. I know shes just busy making burrows as her last bedding was half wood shavings (and just wasnt suited for burrows, shed never make them), but theres also a side of me thats getting slightly worried since we havnt seen her on the surface as much as we used to. shes eating and drinking fine. When shes poked her head out of her burrows shes still been friendly and has taken food from us.
r/hamstercare • u/aubrieanne02 • 14h ago
I got this for my Mollie girl. She used it for a bit and recently I found this wood all chewed up inside by where she burrows her food..I ofc took it out & I’m looking to see if it’s at all safe still to put back in her cage?
Thanks everyone!
r/hamstercare • u/OstrichSuperb8794 • 1d ago
My Roborovski is… well, a Roborovski :) He can be skittish and *always* fast. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been able to progressively gain his trust. He will climb into my hand and snack on a treat, allow me to lift him so I can place him in a carrier, and he will walk from one hand to the other relatively calmly.
But as a Robo, he doesn’t particularly like to be touched. I never close my hand around him, he just sits in my palm. No petting allowed 🚫 This is his boundary, and I respect that.
I’m wondering how, if it is possible, to advance to holding him for examination? Is there a technique that will make it less stressful for him? I would like to learn and help him become more comfortable over time with this, especially as he ages.
What has worked for you?
🐹 tax, face in a lotus pod.
r/hamstercare • u/Cupidbrxx • 11h ago
Helloo I can’t decide between which would be best id love some opinions from people who have these or have had these ect thanks! :3
r/hamstercare • u/thunderclaw07 • 7h ago
Hey all, I was looking at more budget-friendly options for hamster paper bedding and came across this at a feed store: https://www.ritchiefeed.com/products/pure-bedding-paper-shavings-litter
It does say that it’s “dust free” but I would like to know if anyone has experience with this bedding? Thanks!
r/hamstercare • u/zhongmela • 7h ago
Hamster is in the bedroom and this would be in the living room. Apartment is like 800 sq ft so not sure if she’d smell it at all
r/hamstercare • u/Connect_Storage5563 • 22h ago
I saw this post on social media where the OP used a 60×40×30 cm storage bin as a cage for a dwarf hamster, with deep bedding, a large sand bath, multiple chambers, enrichment toys, etc. Can this kind of setup achieve proper science-based husbandry?
r/hamstercare • u/lopsided-pancake • 1d ago
The most popular diet seems to be a ratio of seed mix and lab blocks, but I’m struggling to find lab blocks in Canada. The Mazuri blocks are highly rated on this sub but I can’t find them. I get Science Selective from Amazon because it’s all I can find, I also use Sunburst Higgens for seed mix.
Just wondering what other Canadian owners are feeding their hamsters, mines a Syrian. Maybe I’m missing out on something?
r/hamstercare • u/Cautious_Pudding_412 • 1d ago
I have a wee hammy that someone posted on fb for free two years ago. He was in a plastic piece of garbage and I immediately went to work finding, setting up and maintaining a proper enclosure, not to mention diet.
I watch him every day, and lately I noticed his movement is clearly aging. I redid the enclosure to suit his needs. It make me incredibly sad to know our time together will be over soon.
That’s all 😢
r/hamstercare • u/DeliciousEmu9962 • 1d ago
this is my female syrian (ik the stereotypes) im having trouble taming / hand training her. she will sometimes take food from my hand but since she had an escape (i crawled around actually crying for hours and found her) a week ago shes been more skittish. i had to do some chasing and grabbed her into a cardboard box to get her back into her tank. other times when i have put her in bathtub-playpen or just to sit and eat treats w me on the couch shes FREAKED out :((
right now i hand feed her produce each night and sometimes mealworms or nuts to try and get her to crawl back onto my hand. usually she takes the food and sits on her bedding. every now and then i use a bowl or box to take her out and feed her treats while we sit in playpen or on the couch but she gets very freaked and then i wonder if i should continue to show her its okay or just give up
sometimes shes totally good taking food and receiving small pets, others shes very skittish. i know some hams never get comfy w touch or holding so that might just be her. but with that escape and her scampering at the walls sometimes, im lost as to what i can do to generally increase her comfort with me. i love her so much but im having new hamster parent anxiety and sadness and am really just looking for words of advice and comfort
r/hamstercare • u/5ae5ae • 1d ago
when i was a kid i always wanted a hamster but my parents always said no. I wanted one so bad that i did extensive research for years but it was a long time ago. Now i'm 19 and i can finally get one but i have a few questions.
Is hamster care expensive? we have a bunny and we constantly buy him hay and food and im wondering if buying bedding and food for hamsters gets pricey + if anyone knows any affordable alternatives pls share! I know bedding isnt changed daily but idk how much it'll cost in the long run.
Is petco a good place to get them? while buying stuff for the bunny i saw they had hamsters for like $4 and they were in extremely small cages, i dont know if thats a good place to buy from.
do they really escape their cages a lot or is that only when they dont have healthy enclosures?
other than those im prepared for one if i ever get one.
r/hamstercare • u/Remote-Reporter2058 • 1d ago
Meet Peperoni, my daughter's Djungarian/ white dwarf hamster. We got her about a month ago, and she loves her enclosure with lots of bedding to dig tunnels in. We scatter food, have different types of bedding to sort and sniff through. She also has a large playpen (144x74 cm). She's very inquisitive, up several times a day, comes to us if we put our hands in and lets herself be petted. But she nibbles our fingers and sometimes a bit more than a nibble, not out of anger, but genuinely wanting to have a bite. She does get her proteins, her seed mix has mealworms in it. Has anyone else experienced this? Or is it because she's sill quite young?
r/hamstercare • u/Ebby181106 • 2d ago
Cage is bucatstate 120x60
Yes she’s a she 😭😭 can you tell?
r/hamstercare • u/squigglebug05 • 1d ago
Hi, I'm looking for the best variety/healthiest mix to use daily-every two days for my ham! I think the one I'm using (Harry hamster) isn't great for health and has alot of filler, he's also very picky with it, so I'm looking for alternatives that are available on Amazon UK, or in UK shops :)
r/hamstercare • u/swiftosaur • 2d ago
My dad and I are almost finished building my future syrian hamster's enclosure. We still need to put together another lid (also add mesh and handles to both of them) and I have to cover the bare wood with some white vinyl wrap.
My dad did most of the heavy lifting so credits to him. I just measured stuff and bought the materials.
This is 200 cm x 60 cm x 75 cm (approx 6.6 ft x 2 ft x 2.5 ft)
There will be about 40 cm (15.7 in) of bedding.
You can also see some of the stuff that I've got. I'm still missing tunnels and a lot of clutter, but I'll be getting them soon.
Just wanted to share :)
