Source
r/hamstercare•
SilverCuber

Watching 2 Syrian hamsters for a friend during Covid19 crisis. Advice

Disclaimer, I have never taken care of hamsters before. So after picking them up I decided to do some digging around on how to take care of these boys. She’s kept them both in the same confinement, but was told that that was okay because they were raised together or something along those lines. Is this a big no no? If so should I get another container and half the old bedding between the cages and put new bedding in there?

Also any and all advice is welcome, even off topic.

Edit: When I woke up they were cuddled up to each other, can anyone explain this behavior?

Posted Apr 17, 2020, 1:35 AM UTC · edited

1813
itsthebird11•

Keeping them together is a big no. Syrians are territorial, and will likely eventually kill each other, whether they were litter mates or not. Best case scenario, the stress of living together shortens their lifespan. Minimum cage size is 450 square inches, but I understand they are not your hamsters, and with what’s going on, it may be difficult to find suitable cages. Please tell your friend to look more into hamster care, it seems they have a lot to learn! It’s really wonderful of you to be looking into better care for them, so thank you for that! I hope you don’t read this as an attack on you (or your friend, I’m sure they mean well), I’d just hate for something to happen to the hamsters :)

18
SilverCuberOP•

Thanks for the pro tip, I can’t really fault her cause she’s got a lot of family drama and needed a pet. It’s not her fault some pet store clerk wanted to boost their hamster sales. Imma look into getting another enclosure, however cheap it may be, and make sure they get additional floor time (?) or would a new environment stress them out?

12
itsthebird11•

Definitely get a new cage. They may be stressed for a bit, but it’ll be so much better than them being with the other one. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this sub, it’s to always double check the facts pet stores give you. Not your friends fault though, I just wish pet stores were more upfront. You can get decently priced bins that can be easily converted into cages. They’re often cheaper than the ones sold at the pet store, and a much more suitable size. The YouTuber Victoria Rachel has a video on owning a hamster on a budget, so you can check that out here. It’s a good starting place :)

6
SilverCuberOP•

I’ve seen a couple of her vids and that’s what prompted me to ask.

As far as bare minimums I’ll need for toys and stuff, I’ll need to get

  • one more burrow log
  • another food tray
  • another 8in solid wheel
  • another enclosure
  • another bottle for water

Is there anything I should definitely add to this list? The local pet store is curbside assistance only cause of the virus, it’d be helpful to have a list handy before I pick up supplies tomorrow when they open.

7
urmothersmother•

I always recommend 6-8 inches of bedding at least on one are of the cage so they can burrow deep. wooden or whimsey chews will help with their teeth. hides (could even be tissue boxes). There's a bunch of DIYs on pinterest too if you're feeling it. 450 sq inches is the bare minimum for their cages (I try to get around 600+ for syrians as they get pretty big. You can make bin cages for fairly cheap and they're very customizable. Thank you for doing research to give them what they deserve 💜

3
itsthebird11•

That sounds like a good list! If you can find a bigger wheel, that would be great, but 8” will be alright for a little while, if that’s all you can find. It’s really nice of you to do that for them, thank you!

2
RazzBeryllium•

Syrians actually need a 10-12" wheels. 8" is the size for dwarfs.

It's tricky giving advice because in your situation you're just watching them - and the initial costs of hamster ownership can be quite high.

If you're willing to spend the money, focus first on getting bins (here is a good one from Home Depot, but I think you can find it at Wal-Mart too).

Then on getting enough bedding to allow them lots of burrowing. I personally think unscented paper bedding is the best choice here.

Then on a high-quality seed mix. Higgins Sunburst is a good one and is available at PetCo.

Then on wheels - good ones are the 12" Silent Runners (different than Silent Spinners) and 11" Wodent Wheels. Both need to be ordered online. Those aren't cheap, either.

Then if you still have any budget left, sand for a sand bath (if you're getting this, ask first -- finding a good sand is trickier than you'd think).

Basically everything else they need, from hideouts to boredom breakers to chew toys, can be DIY using cardboard boxes and popsicle sticks and that kind of stuff.

As for treats, unsalted sunflower seeds are great, but they really love fresh, raw fruits and veggies like apples, spinach leaves, broccoli, etc. Don't bother buying pet store treats.

1
bonio22•

A 80x50 samla from IKEA is probably the cheapest cage that is above recommended requirements. The only problem is that you need to make a lid to protect them from other pets and prevent them from getting out

1
EquiKiara•

Separating Syrians is always the best idea as they grow to value very territorial.

6
NicoleTaffiOreo and Rose 🍪🌹•

For food you should give each hamster around one teaspoon of hamster food every day and 2 mealworms. They also need fresh food every day or every second day. Here is a video about what hamsters can and can’t eat: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AdCC8AxHFVg

You need to change their water everyday even if it looks clean. Do not put them in water (it’s ok if they get a bit wet from a water bowl). They’ll probably be scared at first so you shouldn’t pick them up right away. Here’s a video on taming hamsters: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J2l-JbBjX4g

Victoria Raechel is a very good hamster youtuber and I suggest checking her out.

2
Aurora_96•

It depends on how old they are. If they're grown up and haven't killed each other yet, they're exceptionally tolerant towards each other. They would be from the same nest. However, make sure they're from the same sex, because else you'll have a dozen of hamsters within no-time. If they're still young, split them asap to avoid fighting.

Separating Syrians definitely is preferred as it is less stressful to them to have their own area without "intruders" and unfamiliar scents... Hamsters do a lot with scents.

I'm not sure how much your budget is for getting an additional cage, but there are two ways to save on cages: Bin cages are not expensive and offer enough space if you get a big one. Or look up secondhand large hamster cages and clean them thoroughly with desinfecting soap, like Dettol.

When it comes to bedding, always make sure to mix old bedding with new bedding so that they recognize their scent, which makes cage cleaning less stressful as the hamsters have something familiar around them. It helps them settle in their freshly cleaned confinement.

Good luck!

1
SilverCuberOP•

She said they are about 8 months

2
Aurora_96•

They're exceptionally tolerant then. I'd still strongly advise to split them up.

1
Wheres-My-Wings•

SEPARATE THEM ASAP!!! They WILL kill each other. Keeping them together as babies is OK, but not as adults. Pet store hamsters are usually too young to be territorial yet, but it won't take long. My late boy Luke (RIP) was kept in plastic storage boxes I made into cages. One had mesh and the other had holes drilled in for air (my room is kept cold because I am not a fan of sleeping when its hot). He was quite happy with it. Would highly recommend. They are cheaper and bigger than regular cages. Connect tubes to them using duct tape so they don't cause an escape.

Good luck hamster-sitting!!!

1