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Hamster for holidays :-)

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doglovinpiggylover

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ok, my friend got her little girl a syrian hamster from pah (lets not go there) for her birthday, and rather than her leave it at home alone when they go away (they are caravan lovers) i said i will take him to mine, and look after him, of course, as if i would see him left on his own, they go away...a LOT!

So anyway, he is coming over for easter he he he (omg soooo excited) but i have no idea what they eat, what they do, what they like blah blah blah

Please can anyone tell me what to expect, what to do, how to make him comfortable, how to make him happy, etc etc

Thanks.

Is it wrong to be REALLY excited? :))
 
haha, i used to have my friends when she went away.. she commented he came back fatter :)

I was giving him bits of veg and fruit when i did the piggie and bunnies :))

enjoy :)

there are loads of sites if you need any guidance x
 
Ha, I'd be excited too if I got to look after a hamster! :(|) I'm sorry I don't have any advice though. I haven't had a hamster in YEARS!
 
god, ive never had one, I'm sooo excited and sooo nervous, only because i really want him to have fun yeah?
 
I've got a syrian hamster called Lola.

Give him his normal seed mix, they like pieces of fruit but not too much at a time as they are awful hoarders and it goes off if they have too much. They like loo rolls in their cage, they run through them and they also chew them up. And, assuming he is used to being handled, he will like coming out for interacting.

But be warned, at night they become really active and they can get noisy either using their bars of the cage to chew on or using his wheel if he has one in his cage.
 
I've got a syrian hamster called Lola.

Give him his normal seed mix, they like pieces of fruit but not too much at a time as they are awful hoarders and it goes off if they have too much. They like loo rolls in their cage, they run through them and they also chew them up. And, assuming he is used to being handled, he will like coming out for interacting.

But be warned, at night they become really active and they can get noisy either using their bars of the cage to chew on or using his wheel if he has one in his cage.

had to lol at that. I spent a night on the phone to my bf telling him someone had broken in. I had heard the patio doors open. I was in tears, in the end I had to wake my son and get him to come down with me (giving him my phone ready to press 999, but told him i thought there was a fox in the garden)
all was fine, and after same thing happened next night i realised it had been the noise of the wheel ") x
 
mellyb, thank you. he isnt that used to being handled...but he will be! :))

Aww bless. is it ok for them to go in a 'ball' to roll round the room? i dont know these things, apparently he likes it?

my friend says, they dont see him much, he just takes his food and bedding and hides in his tube?
 
had to lol at that. I spent a night on the phone to my bf telling him someone had broken in. I had heard the patio doors open. I was in tears, in the end I had to wake my son and get him to come down with me (giving him my phone ready to press 999, but told him i thought there was a fox in the garden)
all was fine, and after same thing happened next night i realised it had been the noise of the wheel ") x

All I have to say to that is snap! First hamster I ever had was years ago and I didn't know much about them, but wanted one cos it was cute lol I woke up in the middle of the night thinking there was someone in my bedroom and I was absolutely petrified. It was the damn hamster! After that at night it got put in the bathroom so I couldn't here it :))
 
Some like to roll around in a ball, when mine were younger they loved it & would follow me all over, they never wanted to go back in their cages.
If your friend is using the cotton wool type bedding please remove it is totally unsuitable. Mine all have loo roll, shredded & they shred it further :)

Hamsters are wonderful little furries with such characters, i think you'll be smitten :)

Hams in balls at my feet, they used to come to me if i called them x)
HamsInBalls29510.jpg
 
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Completely agree with Niki on the fluffy bedding.

Some of mine love their balls, others aren't bothered. The all love coming out for cuddles though and a run round our hall which we shut off so they can't escape.

Ours all have a small amount of veg each day with the piggies too.

What type of cage is the hamster in? that will depend how easy it is to handle them.
 
mellyb, thank you. he isnt that used to being handled...but he will be! :))

Aww bless. is it ok for them to go in a 'ball' to roll round the room? i dont know these things, apparently he likes it?

my friend says, they dont see him much, he just takes his food and bedding and hides in his tube?

Yes a ball is fine, they like that. Be careful when you start to handle him cos they can give you a nasty nip. Try rubbing your hands in the sawdust/bedding from his cage first, then you will smell familiar and he should be ok.

They also like hamster treats that you hang in the cage, also helps their teeth cos they have to bite bits off.
 
really loving all this information guys, thank you so much.

He is in sawdust, is that ok?

They have just started to handle him really, they havent had him that long. Because the daughter whos hammy it is is only 8, she sits in the bath and gets it out to cuddle.

I dont care if i get bitten, he will be handled at mine.


Will the piggies be ok with him here? Do they mix or not??
 
really loving all this information guys, thank you so much.

He is in sawdust, is that ok?

They have just started to handle him really, they havent had him that long. Because the daughter whos hammy it is is only 8, she sits in the bath and gets it out to cuddle.

I dont care if i get bitten, he will be handled at mine.


Will the piggies be ok with him here? Do they mix or not??

I always used shavings with no problems but changed to carboard bedding because that's what the mice & gerbils needed so the hams have it too.

The pigs will be fine with him, i doubt they'll notice. My pigs share a room with hams, gerbils & mice & have, in the past, temporarily shared a cage with an escapee hamster. The pig & the hamster in question weren't in the least bit bothered by one another, unlike me, who had a complete egg :))
 
I've always had mine in sawdust with no problem. Like the others said, no fluffy bedding. Ripped up toilet paper is best.

Piggies will be fine with him there, just get them out seperately.
 
I would be excited too! I got my first hamster, Puck, about a month ago. He is so cute! He and I are getting used to each other and am trying to handle and tame him. He seems so tiny compared to my piggies and moves much faster I warn you now! He likes being stroked although I read they don't like having their heads touched. He will even wake up from his nap if we are moving around and will come out in the hope of a treat (which of course he will always get, even if it is his usual food being hand fed to him!). I am sure there are much more experienced hammy owners on here but I am about if I can help!
 
mine used to love their balls for running in! One went absolutely nuts and loved running full speed towards any object and crashing into it! You'll love looking after him :) I'm looking after my best friends parents hamster at the end of April for a week as the whole family is going on holiday hehe can't wait!
 
we're gonna be looking after a chinese dwarf hammy soon as its owner is going to USA for a week other than being smaller and faster than syrians do they need anything extra?
sorry to highjack
 
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Awwwwwwww how exciting! I remember looking after my Godmothers hamster when i was 13 and was just sooo in love with hamsters ever since (I now own my very first hamster at the grand old age of 21! :)) ).

They are such funny little creatures, and so fast too...ummm you can feed them a small amount of veggies/fruit as treats, such a carrot which is Thims favourite! Thimble enjoys ball time and also enjoys digging in lots of woodshavings, i usually hide his food in the woodshavings to make dinner time more fun!

Cant wait for pics ooooo x) x)
 
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