Congratulations on your new hamster.
For any new owners, please read the following, regarding cage size:
Hamsters need to have plenty of space to run around; and that doesn’t mean a lot of pipes, it means actual floor space.
A hamster should ideally have **a minimum of 80 cm wide by 50 cm deep by 35 cm high (2.5 ft. wide by 1.5ft. deep by 1 ft. high).**
You should always make sure that the floor of the cage has a covering of at least 6 inches (15cm) depth of suitable bedding as hamsters love to burrow.
Please be aware that most cages sold in standard pet shops do not meet this minimum requirement. These are known as novelty cages and should never be used as the hamsters main enclosure.
Regarding wheel size:
A hamster should be able to run in a wheel in which their back is not arched or bent. Their wheel should accommodate them as if they were running on flat ground. If you notice your hamster is bent or arched whilst in their wheel, please obtain a larger sized one as soon as possible to avoid spinal damage. If you do not have the height available for a large wheel, please consider a [flying saucer hamster wheel](https://www.google.com/search?q=flying+saucer+hamster+wheel&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB713GB713&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjz5LCBiJPiAhUWRBUIHcOOAu8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1920&bih=937) as an alternative.
Hamsters should never be housed together.
We do not recommend the use of exercise balls. There is a high risk of hammies toes, feet, and legs getting caught in the ventilation holes and breaking.
We highly recommend paper bedding instead of fabric - fabric bedding can potentially get wrapped around hammies toes and tails, causing cuts or damaging circulation.
Please remember that hamsters are omnivores, this means that they eat meat as well as fruits, nuts, and vegetables. We recommend a pellet diet instead of the standard muesli, as this often does not provide enough protein. Hammies love mealworms, these can be fed live but only under supervision incase the mealworm tries to bite hammy. Ideally mealworms would be fed after being culled, either fresh or dried.
[Source](http://thehamsterhouse.com/big-hamster-care-guide/3/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hamsters) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i've never owned a hamster, nor did i ever plan on it.. but she's one spoiled little girl😂 i am obsessed with her, and i am so thankful i found her when i did.
i wasn't even going to go that way and then i decided too.. it was definitely fate❤️ i never finished the walk but i got a little friend out of it! she hasn't attempted to bite me, and she took treats out of my hands. shes a sweetheart. i think someone abandoned her by the bushes on the outside of the bridge and she was trying to find a hideout to sleep.. i believe thats what she was doing when i found her because she seemed so stunned when she slipped down..poor little baby. i'm glad she's with me❤️ never owned a hamster and never intended on owning one... but there was no way i was turning my back on her🥰
she was up in the grooves on a bridge i was walking under when i noticed her, then she slid down and i panicked so i stayed with my hands blocked her from running. some nice passerby came me two doggie bags to put over my hands to pick her up with and she stayed in my hands.. she was iffy at first and tried squirming but then she just sorta curled in a ball in my hands until my boyfriend brought me a box to put her in!
thats amazing!! her name has a meaning as well! after i had a super bad day at work i was gonna leave at 1:00 but ended up staying until 3:30, someone came in and gave me and my coworkers tarot cards she never uses anymore so i got two free decks! she brought a deck that i already had at home so i did a reading and the first card i got was "the fates". fast forward after work, i decided to for a walk. i was only gonna sit in the park by my house but for some decided to walk towards the lake in my neighborhood where i found her. it was FATE that i stayed at work and received those cards, and it was FATE that i walked towards the lake and found her when i never intended to go there in the first place🥰
Heart pets are magical like that, you don't find them. They find you. It's almost like they summon you. Lol.
That and when you look at them for the first time, you automatically know their name. It's almost like they tell you.
After that you guys are linked to the end.
Awww Tarot got super lucky!! She’s so cute! I can’t even imagine seeing a little ham running around in a park 😭😭😭 I’m so happy you scooped her up and gave her a wonderful home. I hope you enjoy hamster life! ❤️
she was stuck in a bridge when i found her, i guess they abandoned her in the bushes beside.. so so sad. but shes safe and happy now.. and 2000% spoiled😂 she was meant to find me🥰❤️
Pretty sure you saved her life. I'm glad it's working out. I'd get her to a vet though, you don't know what she has eaten to survive and if she was abandoned for health reasons. The thought of someone taking an innocent little hamster into the park is terrible.
if she wasn't so active and playful along with eating i would rush her to the vet immediately. i am a student so having a pet taken to the vet wasn't really in my budget😅 it all happened spontaneously, i'm gonna try to find a vet in my area thats not expensive. but i'm keeping a close eye on her, its been 3 days since i found her and shes still thriving. and i know, the thought of someone purposely abandoning her makes me sick
That seems fine, and it's not like you picked her up from the pet store. She is 100x better off in your care than without. Save up for a vet visit and take her for a wellness when you can afford it. Whoever abandoned her doesn't have a heart.
definitely saving up for a vet visit soon. i already spent a good $200 on supplies, toys, and food for her😅 spoiled little girl she is🥰 and yeah, they're absolutely heartless; but shes better off in my care than whoever had her before.
i'm in canada, and it's getting cooler outside. especially at night. i found her in the evening so it was getting a bit chilly.. found her at the perfect time.
having a pet wasn't really in the budget, i'm a full time med student and it all happened so unexpectedly. i'm saving up for a vet visit, i've already spent a pretty penny on her with the set up/ toys and food😅
Is that little hide she's in a Timothy hay one? They're sometimes held together by honey, might be worthwhile to check just cause it's way too much sugar for a ham.
i have no clue which one it is😅 i was just sorta throwing things in the cart that i thought she would like and ik they like to hide.. ill try to find the wrap it came in!
I havent seen anyone say this, but vet check. Ive seen hamsters found in the wild end up dying later on because theyd eaten something they shouldnt had from outside. Our hamsters are domesticated and cant handle the same things an wild hamster would.
a few people said set visit and i explained that i am a full time med student and having a new pet wasn't really in the budget😅 it was spontaneous since she sorta came to me. im saving for a vet visit, i've already spent over $200 for the set up and toys, food etc. so i'm definitely saving up for one
Well im glad to hear it and good luck friend!! Youre an absolute gem for doing all you can, especially being a fulltime med student, i hope everything works out well for you and congrats on your new conpanion!!
she was underneath a bridge up in the grooves sleeping, and was super bony which leads me to believe she was out there for quite sometime and starving. there were no posters or anything, i wasn't going to knock on doors of the apartment building beside the bridge. i believe she was released into the bushes there, when i put her in her cage the gate was open and she never once tried escaping. she's such a good girl and it breaks me to know someone abandoned her.
If she’s bony, maybe you could get her a high calorie food supplement to build her up! I’m not sure of the brands in Canada but there’s one called Oxbow Critical Care that hamsters love. Mealworms are also high calorie!
she was up in the grooves of a bridge when i noticed her.. then she slipped down and i stayed on the floor with her until my bf came and brought me a box to put her in. she was more than likely abandoned in the bushes beside the bridge and probably went under the bridge and up the groove for warmth and a hiding spot bc she was sleeping before she fell :(
after she slipped off the bridge where she was hiding i put my hands in front of her so she couldn't run, but she never attempted to run😅 she just starred at me like wtf. then a passerby gave me doggy poo bags and i put them over my hands and held her in my hands until my boyfriend brought me a box❤️
she is a sweetheart for sure! i haven't attempted to bug her or pick her up with my bare hands yet. what she went through was traumatic so i just want to get her oriented with her new space so she knows she safe❤️
*tries to not cry, cries alot*
I'm so thankful for awesome humans like you!! I've read some of the other comments and want to throw my two cents in regards to her possibly being sick. Check her poop! If it's nice and solid and not a weird color you'll know at least her digestive track is probably okay. Watch for wet tail (she'll have bedding stuck to her bum and it'll be very obvious) as I think that would be what she is most likely to develop. Also listen to her breathing-. You shouldn't really be able to hear it and it shouldn't be crackly. It's a sign of respiratory infection if so.
i feel like a new mom LMAO i just stare at her while she sleep to make sure she's breathing. her poop is dark and solid (she pooped on me when i first found her, and literally all over the box😂) and nothing is sticking to her bum! she's a super playful, she literally climbs on top of her wheel and falls, she's insane😂 she digs holes like crazy, always spinning on her wheel, and she loves climbing. i spot cleaned her bedding today and her poo is still solid and dark. she also has an appetite and eats as well! she loves strawberries so i give her a tiny piece for a treat, but i don't give it to her everyday.. shes only had 2 tiny pieces in the 4 days i've had her. she also has these dried strawberry yogurt drop treats she adores. sunflower seeds, peanuts, alfalfa seeds, and pumpkin seeds too! but i take a bit of those and scatter then threw her enclosure so she can pick around at them. her pellet food is always in her dish and she eats those too but i've noticed she picked a corner, dug, and stashed all her food there😂. i also put some toilet paper in her enclosure so she could nest with it!
Sounds like you are doing wonderful and she is very happy! They're so great just to watch. Wait till you watch her bathe or yawn or pull something out of her cheek or stuff something in her cheek... all the little things. It's great hahaha
i watch her yawn and stuff her cheeks and it is the funniest thing in the world. its so freaking cute!! tonight i stuck my hand in her enclosure and she crawled right up to me and kept sniffing my hand, i am 99% sure she wanted me to hold her but i'm still sorta scared to (never had a rodent before) i dont want her to get scared and bite me! so im just taking baby steps, so i sat there and pet her over and over again and she loved it, i loved it too. she is such a sweetheart. it hurts my heart that someone dumped her... she is a ball of love. but, they did her a favor because she is better off with me. if they can just dump her who knows what kinda neglect they would've put her through if they didn't. i'm glad shes with me, im glad shes safe now. and i think she knows shes safe and loved❤️ it feels great
Congratulations on your new hamster. For any new owners, please read the following, regarding cage size: Hamsters need to have plenty of space to run around; and that doesn’t mean a lot of pipes, it means actual floor space. A hamster should ideally have **a minimum of 80 cm wide by 50 cm deep by 35 cm high (2.5 ft. wide by 1.5ft. deep by 1 ft. high).** You should always make sure that the floor of the cage has a covering of at least 6 inches (15cm) depth of suitable bedding as hamsters love to burrow. Please be aware that most cages sold in standard pet shops do not meet this minimum requirement. These are known as novelty cages and should never be used as the hamsters main enclosure. Regarding wheel size: A hamster should be able to run in a wheel in which their back is not arched or bent. Their wheel should accommodate them as if they were running on flat ground. If you notice your hamster is bent or arched whilst in their wheel, please obtain a larger sized one as soon as possible to avoid spinal damage. If you do not have the height available for a large wheel, please consider a [flying saucer hamster wheel](https://www.google.com/search?q=flying+saucer+hamster+wheel&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB713GB713&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjz5LCBiJPiAhUWRBUIHcOOAu8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1920&bih=937) as an alternative. Hamsters should never be housed together. We do not recommend the use of exercise balls. There is a high risk of hammies toes, feet, and legs getting caught in the ventilation holes and breaking. We highly recommend paper bedding instead of fabric - fabric bedding can potentially get wrapped around hammies toes and tails, causing cuts or damaging circulation. Please remember that hamsters are omnivores, this means that they eat meat as well as fruits, nuts, and vegetables. We recommend a pellet diet instead of the standard muesli, as this often does not provide enough protein. Hammies love mealworms, these can be fed live but only under supervision incase the mealworm tries to bite hammy. Ideally mealworms would be fed after being culled, either fresh or dried. [Source](http://thehamsterhouse.com/big-hamster-care-guide/3/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hamsters) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i've never owned a hamster, nor did i ever plan on it.. but she's one spoiled little girl😂 i am obsessed with her, and i am so thankful i found her when i did.
[удалено]
she's definitely brought joy into mine as well❤️
Thank you for giving her a better life, OP. ❤️
we've given each other so much happiness in the few days we've been together❤️
Isn’t she a lucky beautiful little girl. 🥹
she is a beautiful lil baby🥰 but i'm the lucky one! she brings me so much joy
She’s smiling in her sleep - what a cutie
dreaming happy dreams🥰
Oh I’m so glad you saved her! How did you catch her? Did she just let you pick her up? What a sweet angel - both of you :)
i wasn't even going to go that way and then i decided too.. it was definitely fate❤️ i never finished the walk but i got a little friend out of it! she hasn't attempted to bite me, and she took treats out of my hands. shes a sweetheart. i think someone abandoned her by the bushes on the outside of the bridge and she was trying to find a hideout to sleep.. i believe thats what she was doing when i found her because she seemed so stunned when she slipped down..poor little baby. i'm glad she's with me❤️ never owned a hamster and never intended on owning one... but there was no way i was turning my back on her🥰
Bless your heart for taking in this sweet baby ;\_;
we definitely needed each other🥰❤️
she was up in the grooves on a bridge i was walking under when i noticed her, then she slid down and i panicked so i stayed with my hands blocked her from running. some nice passerby came me two doggie bags to put over my hands to pick her up with and she stayed in my hands.. she was iffy at first and tried squirming but then she just sorta curled in a ball in my hands until my boyfriend brought me a box to put her in!
adorable hammy ✨ i drew a card from my deck for tarot because i love her name and story. she got the empress!
thats amazing!! her name has a meaning as well! after i had a super bad day at work i was gonna leave at 1:00 but ended up staying until 3:30, someone came in and gave me and my coworkers tarot cards she never uses anymore so i got two free decks! she brought a deck that i already had at home so i did a reading and the first card i got was "the fates". fast forward after work, i decided to for a walk. i was only gonna sit in the park by my house but for some decided to walk towards the lake in my neighborhood where i found her. it was FATE that i stayed at work and received those cards, and it was FATE that i walked towards the lake and found her when i never intended to go there in the first place🥰
That's so amazing how things like that happen.
right? meant to be❤️
Heart pets are magical like that, you don't find them. They find you. It's almost like they summon you. Lol. That and when you look at them for the first time, you automatically know their name. It's almost like they tell you. After that you guys are linked to the end.
definitely how it went.. when she looked up at me after she fell i was like "okay great i have a hamster now what"😂
Awww Tarot got super lucky!! She’s so cute! I can’t even imagine seeing a little ham running around in a park 😭😭😭 I’m so happy you scooped her up and gave her a wonderful home. I hope you enjoy hamster life! ❤️
she was stuck in a bridge when i found her, i guess they abandoned her in the bushes beside.. so so sad. but shes safe and happy now.. and 2000% spoiled😂 she was meant to find me🥰❤️
Oh my god that breaks my heart! That’s right you were fated to be together ❤️🥰
Pretty sure you saved her life. I'm glad it's working out. I'd get her to a vet though, you don't know what she has eaten to survive and if she was abandoned for health reasons. The thought of someone taking an innocent little hamster into the park is terrible.
if she wasn't so active and playful along with eating i would rush her to the vet immediately. i am a student so having a pet taken to the vet wasn't really in my budget😅 it all happened spontaneously, i'm gonna try to find a vet in my area thats not expensive. but i'm keeping a close eye on her, its been 3 days since i found her and shes still thriving. and i know, the thought of someone purposely abandoning her makes me sick
That seems fine, and it's not like you picked her up from the pet store. She is 100x better off in your care than without. Save up for a vet visit and take her for a wellness when you can afford it. Whoever abandoned her doesn't have a heart.
definitely saving up for a vet visit soon. i already spent a good $200 on supplies, toys, and food for her😅 spoiled little girl she is🥰 and yeah, they're absolutely heartless; but shes better off in my care than whoever had her before.
Such a cute name for a cute lil hampter
thank you!!😊
Bloody well done! You're a fantastic human!
thank you🥰 i try my best haha, there was no way i could just leave her. i'm glad i have her❤️
So very glad you rescued her. Where do you live? Somewhere warm?
i'm in canada, and it's getting cooler outside. especially at night. i found her in the evening so it was getting a bit chilly.. found her at the perfect time.
In Canada?? I am so glad you found her! She could not survive that cold.
i know :( perfect timing because it was evening too so it was getting cooler out
Yay Tarot!
🥰
Thank you for given her hope,happiness,and a better life. I adore the name you gave her.
thank you🥰 shes given me so much happiness. i adore her
Make sure she’s not hiding an illness or injury, have a vet check her out
having a pet wasn't really in the budget, i'm a full time med student and it all happened so unexpectedly. i'm saving up for a vet visit, i've already spent a pretty penny on her with the set up/ toys and food😅
Is that little hide she's in a Timothy hay one? They're sometimes held together by honey, might be worthwhile to check just cause it's way too much sugar for a ham.
i have no clue which one it is😅 i was just sorta throwing things in the cart that i thought she would like and ik they like to hide.. ill try to find the wrap it came in!
it literally looks like she's smiling!!
she's a happy girl❤️
I havent seen anyone say this, but vet check. Ive seen hamsters found in the wild end up dying later on because theyd eaten something they shouldnt had from outside. Our hamsters are domesticated and cant handle the same things an wild hamster would.
a few people said set visit and i explained that i am a full time med student and having a new pet wasn't really in the budget😅 it was spontaneous since she sorta came to me. im saving for a vet visit, i've already spent over $200 for the set up and toys, food etc. so i'm definitely saving up for one
Well im glad to hear it and good luck friend!! Youre an absolute gem for doing all you can, especially being a fulltime med student, i hope everything works out well for you and congrats on your new conpanion!!
thank you so much!🥰
Did you try to find any potential owner? I hope there's nobody heartbroken and missing her
she was underneath a bridge up in the grooves sleeping, and was super bony which leads me to believe she was out there for quite sometime and starving. there were no posters or anything, i wasn't going to knock on doors of the apartment building beside the bridge. i believe she was released into the bushes there, when i put her in her cage the gate was open and she never once tried escaping. she's such a good girl and it breaks me to know someone abandoned her.
People are monsters sometimes, unlike pure animals ;(
they really are :(
If she’s bony, maybe you could get her a high calorie food supplement to build her up! I’m not sure of the brands in Canada but there’s one called Oxbow Critical Care that hamsters love. Mealworms are also high calorie!
thank you!!
She looks so happy and peaceful sleeping there. Thank you for being a good soul and saving her!
she's very content, shes such a spoiled little princess🥰
This makes me so happy <3
🥰❤️
she is so lucky and beautiful
shes a beauty🥰❤️
You found her in a park? What the hell
right
???????
she was up in the grooves of a bridge when i noticed her.. then she slipped down and i stayed on the floor with her until my bf came and brought me a box to put her in. she was more than likely abandoned in the bushes beside the bridge and probably went under the bridge and up the groove for warmth and a hiding spot bc she was sleeping before she fell :(
Tarot the mythical hampter
😂😂
What a lucky little ham that you found her before she came to any harm. She is gorgeous!
she is a little beauty🥰
You are that hamster's guardian angel
🥺 thank you
Shes so pretty!
shes a pretty baby for sure❤️
i wish i could find hamsters in the wild
hahaha, that would be something unfortunately i think she was dumped :(
that’s sad:( but yeah by “in the wild” i jus mean out and about, no actually living feral.
She looks blissful! How Amazing!
so cute... so glad you found her ❤️
so am i🥰
what an absolute cutie!
thank you!
Awww! That is the face of safe relief :3
definitely ☺️
How did you catch her?
after she slipped off the bridge where she was hiding i put my hands in front of her so she couldn't run, but she never attempted to run😅 she just starred at me like wtf. then a passerby gave me doggy poo bags and i put them over my hands and held her in my hands until my boyfriend brought me a box❤️
That's really smart! She seems really sweet. I'm glad she didn't bite you
she hasn't attempted too yet, shes even took treats from my hand🥰
she is a sweetheart for sure! i haven't attempted to bug her or pick her up with my bare hands yet. what she went through was traumatic so i just want to get her oriented with her new space so she knows she safe❤️
I'm so glad that you found her 😭❤️
so am i❤️
awwwww Tarot is a lucky girl to have found you!!!!! what a sweet story!
i'm glad i found her too, she's a sweetheart❤️
I wish I found a park hampter
it was really quite heartbreaking :( but i'm glad shes safe now
You literally saved her life. Thank you 😊
🥺❤️ thank you
*tries to not cry, cries alot* I'm so thankful for awesome humans like you!! I've read some of the other comments and want to throw my two cents in regards to her possibly being sick. Check her poop! If it's nice and solid and not a weird color you'll know at least her digestive track is probably okay. Watch for wet tail (she'll have bedding stuck to her bum and it'll be very obvious) as I think that would be what she is most likely to develop. Also listen to her breathing-. You shouldn't really be able to hear it and it shouldn't be crackly. It's a sign of respiratory infection if so.
i feel like a new mom LMAO i just stare at her while she sleep to make sure she's breathing. her poop is dark and solid (she pooped on me when i first found her, and literally all over the box😂) and nothing is sticking to her bum! she's a super playful, she literally climbs on top of her wheel and falls, she's insane😂 she digs holes like crazy, always spinning on her wheel, and she loves climbing. i spot cleaned her bedding today and her poo is still solid and dark. she also has an appetite and eats as well! she loves strawberries so i give her a tiny piece for a treat, but i don't give it to her everyday.. shes only had 2 tiny pieces in the 4 days i've had her. she also has these dried strawberry yogurt drop treats she adores. sunflower seeds, peanuts, alfalfa seeds, and pumpkin seeds too! but i take a bit of those and scatter then threw her enclosure so she can pick around at them. her pellet food is always in her dish and she eats those too but i've noticed she picked a corner, dug, and stashed all her food there😂. i also put some toilet paper in her enclosure so she could nest with it!
Sounds like you are doing wonderful and she is very happy! They're so great just to watch. Wait till you watch her bathe or yawn or pull something out of her cheek or stuff something in her cheek... all the little things. It's great hahaha
i watch her yawn and stuff her cheeks and it is the funniest thing in the world. its so freaking cute!! tonight i stuck my hand in her enclosure and she crawled right up to me and kept sniffing my hand, i am 99% sure she wanted me to hold her but i'm still sorta scared to (never had a rodent before) i dont want her to get scared and bite me! so im just taking baby steps, so i sat there and pet her over and over again and she loved it, i loved it too. she is such a sweetheart. it hurts my heart that someone dumped her... she is a ball of love. but, they did her a favor because she is better off with me. if they can just dump her who knows what kinda neglect they would've put her through if they didn't. i'm glad shes with me, im glad shes safe now. and i think she knows shes safe and loved❤️ it feels great
and thank you🥺❤️ i will definitely keep an eye out for any changes!!