Hamster Care

[[P]owder Blue]

Anyone keeping hamsters around? A friend of mine wanted to give me 2 baby hamsters - need some advice on hamster keeping

[Achilles Tang]

Rumour is the Hamster Man... he can sing the Hamster song front and backwards!

[hoppinghippos]

hamster care is easy, just get a hamster cage, hang on water bottle, food. The cage can either use bedding or simply put newspaper in the tray below if cage is those kind with grills as the floor. then put several pieces of tissue paper inside too, the hamster will shred it and make a cocoon to sleep in at nite. oyah must buy hamster wheel, keeps them occupied, preferably hook up a dynamo generator to the wheel to give you electricity for your marine tank.

don't just feed sunflower seeds cuz very fattening. hamster behaviour is that they will pee only in one particular corner of the cage. so can put extra newspaper there. hamsters do not like being woken up, will bite. they let you carry but sometimes also bite.

lastly, very very very smelly, unless you wash the bottom litter tray often, don't place cage near places you'll often be, like bedroom.

oh and make sure the hamsters are same ######, cuz they errm procreate very quickly and rapidly!

[flubberina13]

I used to have sixty-seven hamsters in eight cages...

What do you want to know? Just a note...there will be agression if you keep two of the same ###### together in one cage. And after mating, you need to separate the female and leave the male inside the original cage. Always introduce the female to the existing cage instead of a male into a female cage. Females are more agressive in the hamster kingdom ...

[flubberina13]

Btw...propagation period is around fourteen to eighteen days and each brood up to a max of twelve though two to six is more common. There are many reasons why they eat their young babies...till then then you post again...

[lona]

hey I was just wondering the other day about hamsters as well...how do you take care of the smells?

I was wondering if it's possible to layer activated carbon somewhere to absorb weird smells...does anyone do that?

[KingFish]

[P]owder Blue, First off wil be what breed of hamsters are you expecting to receive?

Dwarfs, Syrians, Campbells or Roborovskis?

Holy Cow Amy ... I thought I have a Hamstery, you have a Farm...

[flubberina13]

Actually they like to groom themselves too...ever noticed? That's why, they usually urinate only at one spot? You can actually toilet-train those who dun urinate at one spot.

On the otherhand, their 'urinating' patterns allow you to just change sawdust on that spot every alternate day or three. Just a 'spot cleaning' exercise only.

And dun use newspaper. It is bad for their health and doesn't contain the stench caused by their urine.

Actually...you can also bathe them but must be with care...I use a special type of cleanser which doesn't foam.

[flubberina13]

Holy Cow Amy  ... I thought I have a Hamstery, you have a Farm...

Haha...back then...this is the way to motivate underachievers but now...sigh...they are smarter...

[[P]owder Blue]

flubberina13, thanks for the many contributions! So say, can I tell my friend to give it to me after 3 weeks from birth? BTW, I am curious about how you bathe them - can you tell me more? (mini bathtub?)

[[P]owder Blue]

Rumour is the Hamster Man... he can sing the Hamster song front and backwards!

Rumor, can tell me how the hamster song goes? I just sent an email to my friend asking for the breed's name. (I hope it's a robo)

[flubberina13]

Put it in a basin with warm water. The water must not be higher than three quarters of their full length. I actually use Ceraphil as their cleanser. very ex but it gives them fluffy fur...

Stand by a small hand towel and after washing, place them on it and gently rub it down. They especially love the gentle massage.

Meanwhile, change the saw dust while putting them in a plastic box that does not encourage gnawing. And change the sawdust fast, otherwise they will gnaw a hole in it.

I usually bathe them once every month...

Hamsters' average livespan is about two years in captivity.

Rumour...now I only have two so can't compare w yours...

[KingFish]

Frankly, I thought the Hamster Song sounded like a slew of Cantonese profanity

Motivation tactics eh? What happened to chocolates? Or a good old fashioned ###### whopping? *remind not to be a teacher**

My wife is the one who is bonkers over Syrians. She has some robos though, they're small and also very fast, but relatively easy to keep I think. Do they need a wash? Thought they have their own sand bath or something like, I see mine floundering in them once in a while ... they get their own doodoo in there though.

My Hamstery just expanded again (dunno how many, lost count already). Here's our latest litter of Syrians, quite cute actually. Here's a pic

[hoppinghippos]

I once had this russian dwarf (I think thats the name, its with grey streaks) that ate so much it became very very VERY fat, it was HUGE! when you played with it, you could feel the fats even! so amusing cuz supposed to be dwarf and all but wasn't.

anyhow my fav hamster moment is when they are snoozing, and you rattle a stick on the cage bars to gently wake them up, and then... they give this cute open mouth yawn with a tiny tongue sticking out. very cute!

[SpiderOne]

i rememeber going to my friends house and playing with his

Ham " Bag-Of-Pee" Ster.

it just sprayed everywhere and we run around the house leaving ..."marks" on the walls. then when its empty. we will get another one and do it.

it may have been a guinea pig

[flubberina13]

Frankly, I thought the Hamster Song sounded like a slew of Cantonese profanity

Motivation tactics eh? What happened to chocolates? Or a good old fashioned ###### whopping? *remind not to be a teacher**

My wife is the one who is bonkers over Syrians. She has some robos though, they're small and also very fast, but relatively easy to keep I think. Do they need a wash? Thought they have their own sand bath or something like, I see mine floundering in them once in a while ... they get their own doodoo in there though.

My Hamstery just expanded again (dunno how many, lost count already). Here's our latest litter of Syrians, quite cute actually. Here's a pic

Can I adopt some?

[seamonkee]

Very very important tip to all hamster or rodent keepers...

Please make sure you have a piece of wood for it to chew on... In nature, the incisors of rodents are constantly growing... The habit on gnawing on wood pieces is actually to help them file their teeth...

Without something for it to gnaw or chew on, the incisors will grew very long and in the extreme, injure themselves...

Phew... what I learn from the Zoo....

[KingFish]

I wish I could, but I think they have all been pre-booked even before they were weaned from their mommy..... ... even my favourite Light Grey boy is gone ... sigh ...

About helping the hamsters file their teeth, think they are given rock hard feed called NutriBlock to work their teeth while they eat... besides, its a more balanced diet where the hamsters can't choose what they want to eat.

[ZiT]

[ZiT]

i like hamsters but my mom doesn't

so we compromise..i get to keep my hamsters and she can sing karaoke anytime she wants

[[P]owder Blue]

reading thru - can I conclude that the best is to keep a mated pair? Initially I am still thinking of getting two of the same gender.

[Rufff]

i rememeber going to my friends house and playing with his

Ham " Bag-Of-Pee" Ster.

it just sprayed everywhere and we run around the house leaving ..."marks" on the walls. then when its empty. we will get another one and do it.

it may have been a guinea pig

Errm ... there's a VERY big difference between hamsters & guinea pigs. I have both. They R different in size, different diet, different temperament, different eating habits, different sleeping patterns, basically different in a lot of ways.

[FuEl]

I personally don't like keeping hamsters..their lifespan is too darn short. Anyway...in case anyone has deformed hamsters that need to be culled...can always pass to me...I will cull them naturally and humanely.

[hoppinghippos]

owder Blue,Oct 15 2003, 01:44 PM] reading thru - can I conclude that the best is to keep a mated pair? Initially I am still thinking of getting two of the same gender.

donno leh last time I kept 2 female and they never fight, but as with most pets like rabbits and all, unless you're willing to put up with many many litters, don't get a mated pair, else you'll have lots of probs finding good homes for all the many babies all the time, same ###### may bicker but I think females more safe than males.

[Rufff]

I personally don't like keeping hamsters..their lifespan is too darn short. Anyway...in case anyone has deformed hamsters that need to be culled...can always pass to me...I will cull them naturally and humanely. 

What do U mean ...? How do U cull an innocent hamster, humanely & naturally?? Just because they R deformed ... they should not B put 2 sleep right?

Poor hamsters ... I dun fancy them that much either but they R still cute (tho they bite & have short lifespan). I think they still deserve respect & dignity, like any other living creature. Sorry ... just looking out 4 the "helpless" & innocent.