Snowy Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Ok, I am a sucker for a sob story and I just couldn't resist this one! On my freecycle list yesterday was a lady who needed to rehome her hamster as she was moving and needed the room. I did feel a bit sorry that she had to resort to freecycle and I actually didn't think she would pick me. But lo and behold (to my poor husband's disgust) I had a call to go and collect him today And he's a real poppet, meet Bandit: He's 2 years old, so not sure how much longer he's got, but he's very friendly and happy to be held. Big question now - please tell me what you know about hamsters! It must be over 30 years since I last had one of my own! He looks a bit lonely, are they solitary or do they like company? What do they like to eat? All I have is a bag of the dry hamster food. And what are the best 'toys' t get them? He just has an empty cage with a wheel - poor little thing looks a bit bored! (And I know I can google all this, but I much prefer the omlet anecdotes for some reason! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladylucan Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Ahhhh bless he looks lovely, unfortunately i dont have hamsters, i have two rats who are easy to look after. , ( besides the chickens, xx) But i love his coat, he looks fluffy like he has just had a bath and been by a hair dryer. x xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 (edited) hmmmm i have never had a hamster, but you can get little tubes for them to hide in at pet stores or you could upgrade him to a bigger cage. You can give them berries e.g blackberries or special treats from pet stores good luck ith your new pet he's lovely! xx Edited August 5, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel19 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Anything vegetable or fruit related is usually appreciated - we always gave ours one small piece of fresh food a day which they loved. Also peanuts in the shell are fun for them ite through. The cardboard tubes in toliet rolls are a fun free toy too Also if you could get a little plastic house for him he'd probably love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 5, 2007 Author Share Posted August 5, 2007 Thanks for that Rachel. I seem to remember my childhood hamster having a little plastic house to sleep in. Bandit has a huge cage with 3 mezzanine floors and a wheel, but it does look a bit sp"Ooops, word censored!"! I'll give him some toilet roll inners as well! (The kids can't wait to get to petsmart - at the moment they are trying to get him to play with Roley the steamroller ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocobo Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Mine have a little plastic house, a wheel.. they have pets grade sawdust which they love to bury in... Mine really like harry hampster food which has corn, peanuts and stuff! though they hate the black bits... you could get them treats as well... ine had a honey seed treat which they really loved, and a straw house which they loved for christmas (though they later ate the house) their house looks a bit like this; But you could also get them a snazzy one like this!; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 What a cutie Snowy... I had loads when I was little, they like their dried food, some hay to munch on, a bit of chopped up fruit and greens (no lettuce though). They need a little house to sleep in and a jar or similar on its side to use as a litter tray. Have fun with him.. I bet the boys love him to bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Isn't he cute? YOu can get alsorts of things for hamsters nowadays. I remember buying mine wooden knaw sticks for them to chew on and a sort of calcium block. They do carrot shaped wooden chew sticks now! Tunnels, they love tunnels. You can get treat station toys - where the hamster has to play and step on little bar things to get their treats. I don't like those clear football things you can put your hamsters in - cruel I think! Just things to climb on and run through will be fine for him. You can give them hamster sandwiches which are like a seed / fruit block covered in ice cream wafer things. they love them. They even do hamster choccy drops which they like to be hand fed! He really is lovely & fluffy! Bless him Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 He looks delightful Snowy - glad you could give him a good home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 How cute. Your boys will love him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocobo Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 hamsters are usually solitary because otherwise they fight, Syrian hamsters can't be kept with other hamsters and russian hamsters can be kept in pairs occasionally if they were reared together- though they still sometimes fight or have to be split up.. hope that's of any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 We have a Hamster - the amazing Maisie - & she loves the following treats. Toast crusts, hard boiled egg, carrot,lettuce, any green stuff really, strawberries .........just what you would expect,really. I saw some great edible huts for Hamstars in Pets At Home last week - very cool! Maisie is a real pain as she chomps on her water bottle all night & empties it all over her bedding, & it seems that there is nothing we can do to stop her doing this annoying & noisy thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Snowy what a wonderful hamster mummy you will be, the free-cycler chose a brilliant person to have him! I used to have a hamster called Buttons (Jenson if you knew him really well) - he was sooooo cool! He had a racing car and a track and everything Unfortunately he died a few weeks before we moved to this house and i was reluctant to bury him as it seemed unfair to leave him, so.......................................................................................................i popped him in a small sandwich box in some bedding and put him in the freezer - he is still there 18 months later! When we get the garden sorted i will buy a lovely plant and bury him under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Oh my goodness Emma, you gave me a start. I just read that you put him in a small sandwich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Oh Emma - that's priceless! (must admit, I just saw the sandwich bit first). Hope you get your garden sorted soon! When we got him he had no house, just a heap of shavings that he buried himself in Today found a little cardboard box, so cut a doorway in it and filled it with shredded kitchen roll (in the absence of any proper bedding until we go shopping tomorrow!). Anyway, he's gone into it and hasn't been seen since! Think he's enjoying the peace and quiet. Thanks for all your information - looking at him, he is a syrian hamster so would not appreciate a little friend. Never mind - as long as he's happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladylucan Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I had a hamster once many years ago who died, my dear darling hubby told me he had taken care of the burial.. which i thought at the time was sooooooo sweet and caring. HUH!!!!!, later on that evening we heard loads of noises coming from the kitchen, on further investigation, the hamster was found to have chewed her way out of the rubbish bin and was scurrying around the kitchen looking for a way out. GUESS WHO TAKES CARE OF THE BURIALS NOW............ ( mind you the next time she 'died' i put her in the airing cupboard but once she started to smell i gathered that she had really died and buried her properly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I had to read that out loud to LSH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Your hamster stories are soooo funny we had a lovely little hammy called mo! the others were never quite like him But now we are about to get another my 21 year old son has decided he wants one! I will let you know about it, but thanks for the tips, you do forget what to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
