Post by Dezzi on Jul 11, 2012 18:02:40 GMT -4
Cage/bin size: Equivalent of a 20gal long tank for floor space for a full grown Syrian. Does not need levels or anything, as they are not good climbers and can fall off and break things.
Wheel size: 7" or 8" minimum is usually good for a full grown Syrian.
Running obsessively: pretty normal, provided they're still eating/drinking. Hamsters are most active at dusk and dawn, so if you're around a lot during those times you might notice him running more. Every hamster is different with activity level, I've had some that would run about 5hrs and others that would run more like 14hrs. He's also younger and more energetic. I've had a lot of hams sleep on their wheels, or under their wheels, or with their faces smushed against the side of the bin, or randomly in sporadic spots throughout their cages. Sounds like pretty normal hamster behaviour to me!
Unfortunately, it's pretty common for a hamster (even a young one) to die with no notice. They are good at hiding symptoms because they are prey animals and in the wild, that would make them an easy target. Doing a quick health check every time you handle them can help catch problems earlier but sometimes they just go. (I personally blame inbreeding in pet stores, but that's another rant for another time.)
For foraging like DF suggested, if you don't have a bin you can do a similar thing in their cage. Instead of feeding in a dish, scoop out a little bit of bedding, place food in it, and put more bedding on top. They'll have to use their natural instincts to find the food, and trust me, they will!
Katie: I had hamsters who were escape artists, too! They're very curious and exploratory creatures. I do have to agree that it was food driven, because the #1 place I found any escape artist was trying to make their way into the food bin, or gnawing at my mini fridge.
Even if he is tame, he is in a new place with new sights and smells. Putting an old t-shirt or some tissues you've used to wipe off sweat and dried (sounds gross, but works) in the cage can help him become familiar with surroundings.
Curious what kind of bedding you're using? Soft woods (like pine and cedar) are bad because of the oils in them, but I had one particular hamster that didn't like Aspen (or other kiln-dried hard woods) either. She would spend most of her time on the wheel because she didn't like the feel of the shavings under her feet. Once I switched over to a recycled paper bedding she was burrowing, running around, and not always on her wheel. Silly princess hamturd.
I would say make sure he has everything, give him some things that smell like you, put him in a quiet area, and just observe him for a week. That way you give him time to settle in, and he won't suddenly untame because he has things that smell like you. Plus, you can eliminate the stress factor!
Wheel size: 7" or 8" minimum is usually good for a full grown Syrian.
Running obsessively: pretty normal, provided they're still eating/drinking. Hamsters are most active at dusk and dawn, so if you're around a lot during those times you might notice him running more. Every hamster is different with activity level, I've had some that would run about 5hrs and others that would run more like 14hrs. He's also younger and more energetic. I've had a lot of hams sleep on their wheels, or under their wheels, or with their faces smushed against the side of the bin, or randomly in sporadic spots throughout their cages. Sounds like pretty normal hamster behaviour to me!
Unfortunately, it's pretty common for a hamster (even a young one) to die with no notice. They are good at hiding symptoms because they are prey animals and in the wild, that would make them an easy target. Doing a quick health check every time you handle them can help catch problems earlier but sometimes they just go. (I personally blame inbreeding in pet stores, but that's another rant for another time.)
For foraging like DF suggested, if you don't have a bin you can do a similar thing in their cage. Instead of feeding in a dish, scoop out a little bit of bedding, place food in it, and put more bedding on top. They'll have to use their natural instincts to find the food, and trust me, they will!
Katie: I had hamsters who were escape artists, too! They're very curious and exploratory creatures. I do have to agree that it was food driven, because the #1 place I found any escape artist was trying to make their way into the food bin, or gnawing at my mini fridge.
Even if he is tame, he is in a new place with new sights and smells. Putting an old t-shirt or some tissues you've used to wipe off sweat and dried (sounds gross, but works) in the cage can help him become familiar with surroundings.
Curious what kind of bedding you're using? Soft woods (like pine and cedar) are bad because of the oils in them, but I had one particular hamster that didn't like Aspen (or other kiln-dried hard woods) either. She would spend most of her time on the wheel because she didn't like the feel of the shavings under her feet. Once I switched over to a recycled paper bedding she was burrowing, running around, and not always on her wheel. Silly princess hamturd.
I would say make sure he has everything, give him some things that smell like you, put him in a quiet area, and just observe him for a week. That way you give him time to settle in, and he won't suddenly untame because he has things that smell like you. Plus, you can eliminate the stress factor!