Getting a hamster

I can't wait! I got the cage last week it cost me £25 complete with everything except shavings, food and bedding. When I get a job ill buy another cage as I can add cages with tube connections.

I had looked at other small furries but found the set up too expnesive along with their care and my room is not really big enough for anything big. To keep a hammie it will cost me around £4 every 3-4 months.

Ive kept hamsters before my first was 3 for the price of one deal ^^

She lived till the age of 4 which is double the normal life expectency, my polish chickens are 7 this year and my brahma is 5 the averege life expectency of chickens is 4 years and the cat is 21 now and the averege life expectencey is 15 years for a cat and its not unheard of for cats to go at 11.

Might I suggest Megazorb instead of shavings. And unless you have dwarves I wouldn't bother with a cage with loads of tubes, Syrians tend to make their beds in them and can get stuck.

What cage have you got and which food is it?

Syrians have the life expectancy of 4 years, dwarves of 2 but they can live less or more.

I've kept hamsters for 6 years, both Robo's and Syrians, never had chance to get a chinese or winter white. Sadly I cannot have another as my OH is allergic to small animals, hence why we have rabbits so they can live outside.

Ill have to keep any eye on the newbie when I get him as I plan to get a syrian hamster never been a fan of the dwarf types but all hamster cages tend to be designed the same these days so its confusing what to get o.0'''


It has been a while since ive got one I decided to go with pellets as I know they like to hoard food in their beds and hope this may reduce that, ive got some mineral sticks though i seem to remember my hamsters never touched this.

Ive all ways used shavings never had any problems can ask why is megazorb better???

the cage is like this but different colour and lacks the layer
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/syria...re-only)-36753

The cages I used to have were like this one
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.a...45&pf_id=58401

Hamsters are great fun - the cage you have chosen will very quickly be far too small for a Syrian ham - and so will the wheel so be ready to upgrade quite soon - are you getting a ham from a breeder?

when he gets bigger I will be able to get another cage connected by tubes thats why I got this one as it seemed a good idea, I had a good look and it does say suitable for hamsters, dwarf hamsters, mice ect, thinking I may get a hamster ball as my room is out of bounds for other pets.

My local petstore has been going for years and thats were I got my first hamster from so I am going to go their for the new one, their animals are well cared for, reasonably priced and well handled too :>

The best cage we ever had was a ferplast one that we added to over time. We have a rotastak now which I am not keen on but we have added to it so it is HUGE!!!
Syrians make lovely pets but they do need a lot of roo
and need you to think about cage enrichment.
We feed ours on a dry food but they get a small amount of fruit/veg daily. Last two have been rescues and had clearly never seen it before lol!

Syrians last until they are 2-3 any longer than that and you are lucky. They are prone to cancers, which is why they are used for experiments once they get a cancer it tends to be quite aggressive. Average age for a Syrian is about 2.

We have just added a 'bear' hamster to our gang, having lost our last hammie to cancer on Christmas Eve. This one is a sweetie, black with a white stripe and huge ears. VERY nosey and friendly bless him he's lurvely

When do you hope to get your hamster?

Just to add, we have always had syrians, the last one was huuuuuuge but none have ever made their bed in a tube ( they prefer corners which is why I don't like rotastak) or got stuck in one.

The cage that I have the tube are very big and so are the bends I reckon they would be large enough for a syrian to make a uturn in ^^

Hopefully tomorow but their maybe a wait if the store I go to doesnt have any in.

Ive been reading up on food for hamsters and never realised they could get meal worms! I could get a big tub from flyte so fancey and shair it between the hammie and the chickens.

Ive got pellets but I plan to add the odd veggie, fruit ect on a weekly basis not to often as veg, fruit can give them the runs like any small mammal.

Im hopping for a boy as when I got females in the past I had the problem of pregnant ones! though im prepaired to keep the babies till they find new homes in the event that does happen.

Oh yes Pippam, I got the fright of my life one day when I saw one of my hammys munching on a fly she found in her cage...

even crickets!!

I went to the pet store a week ago but they dont have any yet and im willing to wait as I know they will be the best to go to ^^