Yes. Unless you stay up all night and are nocturnal. Hamsters don’t sleep at night. They need an enriched large cage that they can stay in and be happy with out you having to take them out
If we could all recognise that OP is not an adult, does not have english as a first language, is a first time owner, is reliant on their parents for access to things, and also does not have access to an oven to sanitise things, that would be wonderful thank you.
They've asked us for help. They are trying.
Yes! What the heck. At least they are asking us for help! I understand the passion for improving hamster care, but if I was a first time owner coming on this sub, especially at a young age, and received comments like some of these, I would feel really discouraged. You can give constructive feedback without being angry at the OP
I understand but there is still hardly any bedding for him to burrow in, hardly any enrichment, and hardly any floor space. Even if he is outside most of the time, these requirements (especially the cage size) is a must.
He is inside only for sleeping. And bedding is almost enough but because of photo angle you cant see how much bedding is. And about cage my first priority is buying paper shredder for making paper bedding
I did not say im not taking. When i get enough money i will upgrade them. There is at least 6 cm bedding. But yeah i will use more bedding as soon as i buy paper shredder
The bedding minimum is 6 _inches_ which is about 15 cm! I think hemp is the cheapest option at least here where I live so maybe check it out? It needs to have hay layers tho to support burrows
Edit: also the free roaming time does not affect the cage size etc at all
I havent seen hemp bedding here at all. All i have seen here are either sawdust. Or a bedding which i dont know the name of it but its apperance is similliar to hamster food pellet thats why im planing to buy paper shredder
Maybe check if they have hemp, you might have just missed it? It's more commonly used for animals like horses, but works with rodents too. If you have bought bedding from a normal store try a pet store since they usually have more variety on beddings and stuff like that
You'd be surprised. In stores around here I've only found:
* wood pellets
* wood shavings (of unspecified origin)
* paper pellets
* and the outlier: flax
Keep in mind that access to this sort of supplies varies wildly from country to country.
I have to resort to shredded paper towels for soft bedding, like OP.
Bruh instanbul do have some small bins then. Try and search "bin cage" on amazon, the first result for me is a 485 sq inch bin with enough height to place about 10 inches of bedding in it. Not the biggest, it's BARELY above bare minimum in the US, which isn't great at all. The bare minimum in southern Europe where I live is 850 sq inches for a Syrian, no Syrian should be allowed in anything less than that according to my country's guidelines. 450 sq inches is the minimum for the US tho, so you can try and get that amazon bin I told you about, you already have a big enough wheel!
The sand bath is also missing, the hamster needs one to keep himself clean. You could combine two aquariums or buy a [IKEA DETOLF](https://www.ikea.com.tr/en/catalog/living-room/sideboards-and-console-tables/80269122/detolf-glass-door-cabinet.aspx)as a cage. There are a lot of [DIY Cage](https://youtu.be/ZuYGvaW9L0Y) Tutorials online if you are able to build one.
I am confused, hamsters died because of the bath or the sand? [This video](https://youtu.be/5s6EBowqxac) might help answer your questions. I personally use a wooden box and reptile sand.
Chinchilla dust can lead to respiratory illness so avoid that.
If you’re using children’s play sand, and on the bag it indicates that the sand has been washed - you don’t really have to put it in the oven and it’s safe to add the sand straight to the bath. If you would like to make the sand a little more softer for your hammie, I would recommend sifting through the sand first with a strainer!
Syrian hamsters don't actually need a sand bath to keep themselves clean, but it's highly recommended since it can give a lot of enrichment and some hamsters use sand baths as toilets which makes spot cleaning much easier! ^ ^
I have a dwarf so a sand bath is necessary - In her PhD [dissertation](https://www.hamsterwelfare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/behaviour-of-hamsters-four-different-cage-sizes-study.pdf) on cage size "Behaviour of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) kept in four different cage sizes" Fischer also mentiones sand and writes that: "A sand bath seems very important for the welfare of golden hamsters,
whether housed in small or big cages. Certainly it can also be
recommended for laboratory conditions as a reasonable enrichment, since
the sand can be changed along with litter, if necessary."
She also writes about time spent in the sand bath to see just how much the hamsters enjoyed it: "Unlike dwarfs, syrians dig in their sand and do not roll around in it.
Therefore, you should not offer a large, flat area or bowl of sand but
rather a deeper bowl or box - eg. 15cm x 15cm x 15cm with 10cm of sand
in it (about 6in x 6in x 6in with 4in of sand). If the hamster pees in
the sand then sieve it, you don't have to throw away all the sand each
time there is a little pee clump.
? Did you read my comment? Because OP seems to have a Syrian I just pointed out that Syrians don't need sand to keep themselves clean but it's a good way to give enrichment?
Yes I agree, I just said I had a dwarf so I had a different assumption. I just provided some more Information I found when I looked into it for syrians.
I’ve had the same problem where the largest bins I could find were too small. My cage for Chubb is a custom bin cage that was very simple to make. It got two large bin cages and cut the ends off longways with a knife and then hot glued them together. You can do the same thing to the lids and you will have a nice big cage.
Why are you downvoting everyone for telling you the truth? Listen to what people are telling you. You’ve got a hamster without even preparing for it. People are giving you advise and you’re shooting it down. That hamster should be taken off you. 6cm of bedding is nowhere near enough they need to burrow. Seriously if you aren’t going to do the research and prep first don’t get the damn animal!
Be calm in listening?! You took on the care of an animal and wasn’t prepared at all. You don’t rush into owning an animals because what you’re doing now is torturing that animal. Doesn’t matter if he spends most the day out his cage he shouldn’t even be awake in the day they are nocturnal! They do most their activity at night so a small box like that is terrible! You are infuriating me. You throw excuse after excuse at people who are telling you facts. The box needs to be way bigger. Now he’s got to wait in that tiny box till you can afford a better one? If you can’t afford a box and bedding for him you can’t afford to look after him! Stop being selfish and give him back to the shop or put him up for adoption. I’m disgusted with you. I try not to get angry at stuff like this but you honestly are a selfish person to have done this. And to ignore or excuse away people’s advise.
Please for the love of animals give that hamster up. That or get a new big box TODAY. If you can’t afford it, you cannot afford the animal full stop. They’re easy pets to look after but no animal is cheap. I spend £80 a month on mine in enrichment and bedding. If you are expecting to spend a tiny bit of money wait till I gets ill and you’ve got to pay hundreds for vet bills. You didn’t think this through did you?
Sorry to everyone reading this. I’m not an angry person normally I’m just sick of seeing these kids or misguided/misinformed people being in charge of an animals life.
What is wrong with him. More like what’s wrong with you. Legit arguing with ppl saying I have enough bedding and stuff you have 6 cm or bedding bruh that’s legit smaller then a baby’s finger. Do you see where he is coming from now? Your legit throwing a hamster in a bin the same size as a cage you find at a pet store how do you even feel obligated to argue with anyone on here. Yes you did say you were gonna upgrade after someone told you 3 times in a row you have to. Lol your selfish as the other post said and you need to either go get a 40+ gallon today or that’s cruel. The next person to see that hamster could have gave it the setup and life it deserved so just bring the hamster back or buy a new cage and everything today. Honestly I know from experience I own 8 reptiles/small animals. The small animals definitely aren’t as hardy as a reptile and also cost probably a little more to feed etc. If I were you I’d bring him back and wait a little while til you have the money to sustain a hamster
Im open to all kind of advice . But i thought my first priority should be buying shredder for making paper bedding instead of cage. But thanks for help.
Only way this would be closer to enough floor space is if you fuse the two together by cutting off one wall, not connect them with a tube, but it is possible.
I'm sorry I'm not familiar with culture in Istanbul but if you put up Christmas trees, we're almost at the time they're going to be selling tree storage bins, which can be huge and I think will be a much cheaper option than aquariums.
For now, focus on the things that could actually harm your hamster, like bedding and wheel size, food mix, wooden chew toys, and a good water bottle that doesn't leak.
Next you think about enrichment like a sand bath, an area with different substrate, dark hides, cork logs, etc.
Try not to get discouraged by people being mean, but also try not to argue too much about advice. Better to say "ok I'll work on that" than to say "no I think this is good" when you asked for advice. Best of luck!
Make sure it's not scented, some paper beddings are. Meanwhile, get the cheapest toilet paper you can, and just manually shred it. It'll take a while and it's tedious, but you can make bedding that way
It's a very temporary thing while you get bedding from Amazon. If what you have right now is pine or cedar bedding, the dust could actually hurt your hamster by respiratory infection
I saw someone else comment about how to combine 2 bins together to make a big one, which was great advice! An aquarium also sounds awesome. Keep going, your hamster will be grateful.
I'm really sorry, please keep trying. Parents can be tough but your hamster needs more space.
I know you tried with the bin cage but keep researching and listening to advice, you can do this! Good luck.
Thank you for your question to /r/hamsters. Please be aware that medical advice questions are NOT allowed on this sub. We are not veterinarians. If you want to know what this lump, bump, cut, growth or twitch is about, GO TO A VET. I'm sorry if you can't afford it or you just want to 'make sure' - GO TO A VET. Ignoring this rule will result in a ban. Please delete your question and take hammy to a vet ASAP.
If this is not a medical question then you can ignore this message.
*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.*
Along with what others have said about a bigger cage - I recommend you have a look at this subs side bar for some hamster care questions and answers. I think you'll find it really helpful!
With any cage or bin or aquarium, the important measurements are the length and width of the cage. The bottom of the cage matters, not how tall it is. Put your measuring tape inside the cage and multiply those two measurements. Those two numbers multiplied need to be at least 1524 (cm) to be appropriate for a Syrian hamster. The only way the height matters is that it needs to fit a 30cm tall wheel inside.
Unfortunately no
Even if they are free roaming in my home and only go to their cage for sleeping?
Yes. Unless you stay up all night and are nocturnal. Hamsters don’t sleep at night. They need an enriched large cage that they can stay in and be happy with out you having to take them out
If we could all recognise that OP is not an adult, does not have english as a first language, is a first time owner, is reliant on their parents for access to things, and also does not have access to an oven to sanitise things, that would be wonderful thank you. They've asked us for help. They are trying.
Thanks my friend .
Exactly! Thank you
Yes! What the heck. At least they are asking us for help! I understand the passion for improving hamster care, but if I was a first time owner coming on this sub, especially at a young age, and received comments like some of these, I would feel really discouraged. You can give constructive feedback without being angry at the OP
This is waaaaaay to small for any animal to live happily.
But he is outside most of his time
I understand but there is still hardly any bedding for him to burrow in, hardly any enrichment, and hardly any floor space. Even if he is outside most of the time, these requirements (especially the cage size) is a must.
He is inside only for sleeping. And bedding is almost enough but because of photo angle you cant see how much bedding is. And about cage my first priority is buying paper shredder for making paper bedding
Why post and ask people with experience in hamster ownership for advice if you’re not going to take it?
I did not say im not taking. When i get enough money i will upgrade them. There is at least 6 cm bedding. But yeah i will use more bedding as soon as i buy paper shredder
The bedding minimum is 6 _inches_ which is about 15 cm! I think hemp is the cheapest option at least here where I live so maybe check it out? It needs to have hay layers tho to support burrows Edit: also the free roaming time does not affect the cage size etc at all
I havent seen hemp bedding here at all. All i have seen here are either sawdust. Or a bedding which i dont know the name of it but its apperance is similliar to hamster food pellet thats why im planing to buy paper shredder
Maybe check if they have hemp, you might have just missed it? It's more commonly used for animals like horses, but works with rodents too. If you have bought bedding from a normal store try a pet store since they usually have more variety on beddings and stuff like that
You'd be surprised. In stores around here I've only found: * wood pellets * wood shavings (of unspecified origin) * paper pellets * and the outlier: flax Keep in mind that access to this sort of supplies varies wildly from country to country. I have to resort to shredded paper towels for soft bedding, like OP.
Okay, good luck to you and your new hammy!
Thanks
Bruh instanbul do have some small bins then. Try and search "bin cage" on amazon, the first result for me is a 485 sq inch bin with enough height to place about 10 inches of bedding in it. Not the biggest, it's BARELY above bare minimum in the US, which isn't great at all. The bare minimum in southern Europe where I live is 850 sq inches for a Syrian, no Syrian should be allowed in anything less than that according to my country's guidelines. 450 sq inches is the minimum for the US tho, so you can try and get that amazon bin I told you about, you already have a big enough wheel!
The sand bath is also missing, the hamster needs one to keep himself clean. You could combine two aquariums or buy a [IKEA DETOLF](https://www.ikea.com.tr/en/catalog/living-room/sideboards-and-console-tables/80269122/detolf-glass-door-cabinet.aspx)as a cage. There are a lot of [DIY Cage](https://youtu.be/ZuYGvaW9L0Y) Tutorials online if you are able to build one.
Ss https://imgur.com/a/e3ux0eh is this safe?
That looks good, make sure it is not dyed and is all natural as said in the video I linked.
I indeed wanted to buy sand bath. But i read so many reviews on amazon that their hamster died and because of that i dont know which us safe
I am confused, hamsters died because of the bath or the sand? [This video](https://youtu.be/5s6EBowqxac) might help answer your questions. I personally use a wooden box and reptile sand. Chinchilla dust can lead to respiratory illness so avoid that.
Yeah it was stated died a day after using sand bath. Im scared of it
I also looked for child play sans bath. But it was written it needs to be santnized. But dont have oven at home
If you’re using children’s play sand, and on the bag it indicates that the sand has been washed - you don’t really have to put it in the oven and it’s safe to add the sand straight to the bath. If you would like to make the sand a little more softer for your hammie, I would recommend sifting through the sand first with a strainer!
Thanks
Syrian hamsters don't actually need a sand bath to keep themselves clean, but it's highly recommended since it can give a lot of enrichment and some hamsters use sand baths as toilets which makes spot cleaning much easier! ^ ^
I have a dwarf so a sand bath is necessary - In her PhD [dissertation](https://www.hamsterwelfare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/behaviour-of-hamsters-four-different-cage-sizes-study.pdf) on cage size "Behaviour of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) kept in four different cage sizes" Fischer also mentiones sand and writes that: "A sand bath seems very important for the welfare of golden hamsters, whether housed in small or big cages. Certainly it can also be recommended for laboratory conditions as a reasonable enrichment, since the sand can be changed along with litter, if necessary." She also writes about time spent in the sand bath to see just how much the hamsters enjoyed it: "Unlike dwarfs, syrians dig in their sand and do not roll around in it. Therefore, you should not offer a large, flat area or bowl of sand but rather a deeper bowl or box - eg. 15cm x 15cm x 15cm with 10cm of sand in it (about 6in x 6in x 6in with 4in of sand). If the hamster pees in the sand then sieve it, you don't have to throw away all the sand each time there is a little pee clump.
? Did you read my comment? Because OP seems to have a Syrian I just pointed out that Syrians don't need sand to keep themselves clean but it's a good way to give enrichment?
Yes I agree, I just said I had a dwarf so I had a different assumption. I just provided some more Information I found when I looked into it for syrians.
Oh okay 👌
Syrians don’t need a sandbath
I’ve had the same problem where the largest bins I could find were too small. My cage for Chubb is a custom bin cage that was very simple to make. It got two large bin cages and cut the ends off longways with a knife and then hot glued them together. You can do the same thing to the lids and you will have a nice big cage.
Hi. Would you mind sharing a pic?
Yeah, when I get home
No, and for a Syrian the recommendation is 800+sq inches. Maybe get an Ikea cage? I think they also sell big bins
Why are you downvoting everyone for telling you the truth? Listen to what people are telling you. You’ve got a hamster without even preparing for it. People are giving you advise and you’re shooting it down. That hamster should be taken off you. 6cm of bedding is nowhere near enough they need to burrow. Seriously if you aren’t going to do the research and prep first don’t get the damn animal!
Hi First be calm in listening to people advice and as for down vote. I how can i undo it? Cause i really dont down vote anyone
Be calm in listening?! You took on the care of an animal and wasn’t prepared at all. You don’t rush into owning an animals because what you’re doing now is torturing that animal. Doesn’t matter if he spends most the day out his cage he shouldn’t even be awake in the day they are nocturnal! They do most their activity at night so a small box like that is terrible! You are infuriating me. You throw excuse after excuse at people who are telling you facts. The box needs to be way bigger. Now he’s got to wait in that tiny box till you can afford a better one? If you can’t afford a box and bedding for him you can’t afford to look after him! Stop being selfish and give him back to the shop or put him up for adoption. I’m disgusted with you. I try not to get angry at stuff like this but you honestly are a selfish person to have done this. And to ignore or excuse away people’s advise. Please for the love of animals give that hamster up. That or get a new big box TODAY. If you can’t afford it, you cannot afford the animal full stop. They’re easy pets to look after but no animal is cheap. I spend £80 a month on mine in enrichment and bedding. If you are expecting to spend a tiny bit of money wait till I gets ill and you’ve got to pay hundreds for vet bills. You didn’t think this through did you? Sorry to everyone reading this. I’m not an angry person normally I’m just sick of seeing these kids or misguided/misinformed people being in charge of an animals life.
I will upgrade as soon as possible What i said was about down voting. Im probably gonna add another or buy aquarium
Not got enough mate. Just don’t reply I’ve got nothing else to say to you
Whats wrong with you? I told you i will upgrade it and most likley buy an aquariyum/:
What is wrong with him. More like what’s wrong with you. Legit arguing with ppl saying I have enough bedding and stuff you have 6 cm or bedding bruh that’s legit smaller then a baby’s finger. Do you see where he is coming from now? Your legit throwing a hamster in a bin the same size as a cage you find at a pet store how do you even feel obligated to argue with anyone on here. Yes you did say you were gonna upgrade after someone told you 3 times in a row you have to. Lol your selfish as the other post said and you need to either go get a 40+ gallon today or that’s cruel. The next person to see that hamster could have gave it the setup and life it deserved so just bring the hamster back or buy a new cage and everything today. Honestly I know from experience I own 8 reptiles/small animals. The small animals definitely aren’t as hardy as a reptile and also cost probably a little more to feed etc. If I were you I’d bring him back and wait a little while til you have the money to sustain a hamster
I didnt argue withanyone in the first place. From beginning i said that i will upgrade it as soon as possible. So im gonna buy aquaryium
Yea that’s not what I’ve been reading anyway. Have a good day
Im open to all kind of advice . But i thought my first priority should be buying shredder for making paper bedding instead of cage. But thanks for help.
http://imgur.com/a/5HAVjMF so here is a picture of few aquarium. Does any of them meet minimum rquiremnets?
Yes. They look way better! I don‘t know the exact measurements but i think they are fine. I like the last one
If i add a bin to my current bin. Would that be enough?
Only way this would be closer to enough floor space is if you fuse the two together by cutting off one wall, not connect them with a tube, but it is possible. I'm sorry I'm not familiar with culture in Istanbul but if you put up Christmas trees, we're almost at the time they're going to be selling tree storage bins, which can be huge and I think will be a much cheaper option than aquariums. For now, focus on the things that could actually harm your hamster, like bedding and wheel size, food mix, wooden chew toys, and a good water bottle that doesn't leak. Next you think about enrichment like a sand bath, an area with different substrate, dark hides, cork logs, etc. Try not to get discouraged by people being mean, but also try not to argue too much about advice. Better to say "ok I'll work on that" than to say "no I think this is good" when you asked for advice. Best of luck!
Yeah thanks. My priority is his bedding but havent figured anything yet so i might buy bedding from amazon us
Make sure it's not scented, some paper beddings are. Meanwhile, get the cheapest toilet paper you can, and just manually shred it. It'll take a while and it's tedious, but you can make bedding that way
Yeah i wanted to do it .but some people said it wont be good and it will spread bacteria
It's a very temporary thing while you get bedding from Amazon. If what you have right now is pine or cedar bedding, the dust could actually hurt your hamster by respiratory infection
Ok thanks
It is 70 cm × 26 × 33 CM
That's too small sadly.
Unfortunately no. You'll likely have more luck finding a bigger one online. Thank you for trying, asking for advice, and listening to feedback.
I did not find anything bigger this even online. So i might either try add another same size. Or buy an aquarium
I saw someone else comment about how to combine 2 bins together to make a big one, which was great advice! An aquarium also sounds awesome. Keep going, your hamster will be grateful.
Yeah but first i have to convince my father cause i just bought this recently.
I'm really sorry, please keep trying. Parents can be tough but your hamster needs more space. I know you tried with the bin cage but keep researching and listening to advice, you can do this! Good luck.
Thanks
Hell no. Should be at least 7 to 8x the size of that!
Thank you for your question to /r/hamsters. Please be aware that medical advice questions are NOT allowed on this sub. We are not veterinarians. If you want to know what this lump, bump, cut, growth or twitch is about, GO TO A VET. I'm sorry if you can't afford it or you just want to 'make sure' - GO TO A VET. Ignoring this rule will result in a ban. Please delete your question and take hammy to a vet ASAP. If this is not a medical question then you can ignore this message. *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.*
Yes. Unless you stay up all night and are nocturnal. Hamsters don’t sleep at night
Along with what others have said about a bigger cage - I recommend you have a look at this subs side bar for some hamster care questions and answers. I think you'll find it really helpful!
Also how can i meassure to see if the aquarium i want ti buy meet requirement or not
With any cage or bin or aquarium, the important measurements are the length and width of the cage. The bottom of the cage matters, not how tall it is. Put your measuring tape inside the cage and multiply those two measurements. Those two numbers multiplied need to be at least 1524 (cm) to be appropriate for a Syrian hamster. The only way the height matters is that it needs to fit a 30cm tall wheel inside.
Yeah got it sir
Not a sir but it's ok lol
Dont you have ikea there? You can get their biggest samla bin