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Old 03-10-2008, 11:39
SJ_Mental
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My hamster Chuckles passed away 2 years ago
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Old 03-10-2008, 14:30
Taboo
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I was little when I got my first hamster, my mum thought I'd lose interest, but I never did. She used to come out for hours and was so friendly (she even came to school once). Now many years later I'm still hooked and now my mum is too.

I think it's best for parents to either get a hamster that's well tamed from a breeder or accept the responsibility of taming them and do some research for themselves. There are bound to be some mistakes as it's part of the learning process, but thankfully there is a lot more information out there compared to ten years ago.

I'm still horrified at some of the cages and other items on sale for them in shops, wired levels, really small and that cotton wool type bedding.
Yes every pet shop ive been to sells that cotton wool stuff....lethal
I'd like some advice. My son's hamster sleeps in his room but is always waking him up. The hamster has a habit of putting food in his wheel and running around and it make an almighty noise. What can we do,other than leaving him with no food overnight,which I obviously dont want to do. Thanks
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Old 03-10-2008, 17:55
williams96
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Our last hamster did that a few times, not too sure what to suggest. We moved her wheel from place to place as well as moving the food off the wheel several times and she seemed to get the message. Then when she had a normal open wheel it was problem solved as the food would just bounce out after awhile.
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Old 03-10-2008, 18:17
Taboo
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Our last hamster did that a few times, not too sure what to suggest. We moved her wheel from place to place as well as moving the food off the wheel several times and she seemed to get the message. Then when she had a normal open wheel it was problem solved as the food would just bounce out after awhile.
Unfortunately we cant move the wheel as its a rotastak cage.
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Old 04-10-2008, 14:17
rzappa
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Our hamster is from a great shop in Edinburgh called Paws Here, they are breeders & also run a rescue service. All of the pets they supply are used to being handled. The lady who runs the place is very friendly & happy to answer questions. We go back for food, woods shavings, etc so we can update them on his progress too.

Sam is a cinnamon Syrian whose only fault is that he think 10:30 at night is an acceptable time to start his day. Despite all of the advise we've had nothing will persuade him to start earlier.
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Old 05-10-2008, 11:18
Doll Feet
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Yes every pet shop ive been to sells that cotton wool stuff....lethal
I'd like some advice. My son's hamster sleeps in his room but is always waking him up. The hamster has a habit of putting food in his wheel and running around and it make an almighty noise. What can we do,other than leaving him with no food overnight,which I obviously dont want to do. Thanks
They like having something to store food in other than the food bowl. Try giving him a variety of receptacles, jars and such, and leave in the one he chooses.
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Old 06-10-2008, 00:35
looneybop
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I have had a few hamsters in the past. The last two I had were called Bacardi and erm Breezer

One of my hamsters fell off his wheel and broke his leg I called my mom home from work to take him to the vets. He had to have antibiatics, which I made my dad administer. As a result the hamster took a disliking to my dad and used to throw poo out the bars of his cage at my dad. Seriously!
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Old 06-10-2008, 01:09
VickiGri
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I've had a few hammies....I had a little russian one we named Dr Sloane (yes, after Dick Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder!) but he came from someone at work who couldnt look after pets anymore in the place she was going to live. She claimed he was around 8 months old but he died within a couple of months of us having him, I think he was older.
Our next one was a golden syrian called Peppercorn. Never ever have I known a hamster like this. I got her from a baby and she became so tame she was a darling. She used to come when you called her name, would feed from your hand and used to sit and sleep on my shoulder. She used to sit on the end of my hubby's keyboard too and watch him type! Used to go crazy for locust bean treats...she'd run all over her home with them in her mouth and then stop at the front of the cage sticking her nose out wanting more!
She was an old lady when she passed away - almost 3 years old - she fell asleep in her little house one day and never woke up again. She's buried in our backgarden.
My next was a black and white boy called Hammy Ramirez. He was a wildcard and didnt really ever want to be too tame but it wasnt for the want of me trying. He was a nipper but would feed from my hand when he felt like it - he used to like having his belly rubbed!! He escaped in his first week of us having him - we lured him back with honey coated sugar puffs!!
Hamsters rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 06-10-2008, 06:47
Taboo
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I have had a few hamsters in the past. The last two I had were called Bacardi and erm Breezer

One of my hamsters fell off his wheel and broke his leg I called my mom home from work to take him to the vets. He had to have antibiatics, which I made my dad administer. As a result the hamster took a disliking to my dad and used to throw poo out the bars of his cage at my dad. Seriously!
PMSL!!!!
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Old 06-10-2008, 06:48
Taboo
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They like having something to store food in other than the food bowl. Try giving him a variety of receptacles, jars and such, and leave in the one he chooses.
Thank you...will give that a go
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Old 06-10-2008, 07:20
dollymarie
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I have had a few hamsters in the past. The last two I had were called Bacardi and erm Breezer

One of my hamsters fell off his wheel and broke his leg I called my mom home from work to take him to the vets. He had to have antibiatics, which I made my dad administer. As a result the hamster took a disliking to my dad and used to throw poo out the bars of his cage at my dad. Seriously!
Did you have a wheel with gaps between the steps they push round to run on, cos they are really dangerous to hamsters. You should only ever have a solid wheel, this avoids broken legs.
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Old 06-10-2008, 12:29
cj1234
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I bought a hamster a week ago from Harrods. The guy selling them was very knowledgeable and warned us about the cotton wool bedding. He also never smiled and I thought he was going to weep when he handed him over. He looked as if he didnt want any of them sold because the owners wouldnt know how to look after them!
Ours is really cute - I know some kids lose interest and a week isnt a long time at all but I get my 7 year old to share in the cleaning and checking on him. He likes to play in his wooden castle and has a place under one of the turrets where he sleeps.
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Old 07-10-2008, 21:21
looneybop
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Did you have a wheel with gaps between the steps they push round to run on, cos they are really dangerous to hamsters. You should only ever have a solid wheel, this avoids broken legs.
No the wheel didn't have gaps in it. The hamster just fell off it. It was horrible! Poor hammy!
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Old 08-10-2008, 08:29
scoot70
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We got a Syrian for our son 2 or 3 months ago after he'd gerbil sat for 1 of his friends. He wanted a gerbil but we felt the hamster is more fun being able to handle her.

Noticed a few folk mention the cotton wool style bedding though, thats what he have used since we got her but it seems a few folk dont like it. Whats wrong with it and what should be used instead?
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Old 09-10-2008, 11:10
williams96
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Noticed a few folk mention the cotton wool style bedding though, thats what he have used since we got her but it seems a few folk dont like it. Whats wrong with it and what should be used instead?
There are two main problems with it, firstly hamsters may eat it and cause themselves harm or the fibres may get trapped around a limb causing an injury.

The other benefit of not using it is that it costs so much! A lot of people use plain value toilet roll or an equivalent, I use Tesco value and it saves a bundle while being safe and I can use the toilet rolls for toys!
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Old 09-10-2008, 11:15
crazychris12
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I bought a hamster a week ago from Harrods. The guy selling them was very knowledgeable and warned us about the cotton wool bedding. He also never smiled and I thought he was going to weep when he handed him over. He looked as if he didnt want any of them sold because the owners wouldnt know how to look after them!
Ours is really cute - I know some kids lose interest and a week isnt a long time at all but I get my 7 year old to share in the cleaning and checking on him. He likes to play in his wooden castle and has a place under one of the turrets where he sleeps.

Harrods sell hamsters, never knew that! Wonder if they've any left as we want one but don't want to go to Pets At Home as lots of people we know got one their and they died in weeks. Got ours from a pet shop and she died in August so we want another.
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Old 09-10-2008, 11:33
LadyFluff
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the cotton wool bedding is dangerous for hammies because it can be chewed by them, but not digested so they'll end up with a tummyfull of wool. they can also catch their little limbs in it and end up having them amputated Plain white unscented toilet paper is much better for them. scatter mine around the cage and they make their own beds up with it!

In other news, I lost my sweet little Pumpkin to a stroke yesterday Telling the vet my decision was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but it was the right one. She couldn't eat or drink and she was in so much pain, I couldn't see her suffer any more. She's in a better place now. She was my first hamster and I'll always love her. At least I still have Clover for fluffy company...
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Old 09-10-2008, 12:16
williams96
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In other news, I lost my sweet little Pumpkin to a stroke yesterday Telling the vet my decision was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but it was the right one. She couldn't eat or drink and she was in so much pain, I couldn't see her suffer any more. She's in a better place now. She was my first hamster and I'll always love her. At least I still have Clover for fluffy company...
Aww, I'm sure she was very thankful that you helped her at a time when she most needed it, even though it was such a hard thing to do. I appreciate how hard it is, as I had my girl put to sleep just under two months ago.

Sending you my thoughts and hope Clover is able to provide some comfort for you.
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Old 09-10-2008, 12:20
jojo2008
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I let my hamster run around the living room on an evening. She gets into all kinds of mischief.
My old hamster used to climb the curtains and walls when we used to let her out bless her
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Old 12-10-2008, 16:45
Millie Muppet
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I found this post on a thread in GD. It breaks my heart that people find this amusing:

'Anyone seen that funny video, that does the rounds around this time, of the hamster tied to a rocket and fired into the sky? LOL '

Every time I buy a new hamster I can't help thinking that I'm saving the little mite from falling into hands that do such evil as this.
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Old 12-10-2008, 20:45
williams96
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It is rather twisted that people can watch the video and find it funny.
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Old 17-10-2008, 22:37
katyb0408
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my son and my daughter have a hamster each. although obviously they are my responsibility. they really are fantastic pets as with my supervision my son who is 12 and daughter who is 10 are learning about being responsible and taking proper care of another living thing. Lucy has a syrian called rex and jack has a russian dwarf called bert.
they are both lovely hamsters although bert was tame from day one so i am a bit fonder of him. it took my daughter 6 very long weeks to tempt rex into trusting her. he is fab now she has done a great job with him
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Old 18-10-2008, 13:39
Northern Teen
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After going two years without a Hamster, I bought a Syrian Hamster from a new Pets At Home store on Wednesday.
He's a male, according to the 'receipt' and along with the £6 fellow we bought a hell of a lot of stuff for him, I'd say well over £50 was spent, exc. the hamster.

A cage with tubes coming out, wheel, ball, house (with a chimney ), water bottle, food bowl, mineral stone, Pets @ Home food and finally some wood-shavings!

He was asleep when looking, so the man who sold it to my mum (on behalf of me!) tapped it to awake it, it crowled onto his hand and went into the box.
As soon as I got out of the shop I could tell he wasn't going to last long in their, fighting his way out - so I decided to put him in the cage and as I was sitting in Aldi waiting for my mum to finish her shopping, he'd chewed his way out of the boy and was wondering around!

First night home was incredibley noisey, so I've decided that he'll get some exercise in his ball and then on the wheel, but after 11:30pm the wheel get's take down so I can get some sleep.
Still get awakened at 3 in the morning with him nibbling on the cage...

The following day I decided that since he wasn't sleeping in his house (instead he was sleeping in the tube) I'd get him some wool (which is apparently safe to chew) to put in his house, but also ended up getting...
Cage cleaning dis-infectent, finger grooming comb to keep his coat top-notch, grooming wipes to get ride of his odours and something called 'Hamtrac' where I can put his wheel on and he can run-around crazed in circles - which should come in handing when cleaning the cage (Sunday's).
You're supposed to get Hamtrac designed balls or a car shaped runner but my ball I bought him when I bought him works fine. Maybe at a later date I'll get that.

Oh and the cotton wool I bought for his house, he now sleeps comfortably in their instead of the tubes.

I think this is my 3rd and the only one I understand how to take care of him properly, the last few ended up with my mum and since she was busy, never got out much.

(End of Post)
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Old 18-10-2008, 20:46
sistine
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I had a few hamsters - best one - Roxy - she was let out of her cage and she'd run up my body and sit on my shoulder for hours. She was the most friendly hamster I have ever known and she loved her kisses. She'd sit for hours on my shoulder and come off for carrots and apples.

Never had another hamster like her though.
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Old 18-10-2008, 23:59
Meljduk
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Our syrian hamster toffee died 3 days ago and yesterday we went to get a new hammy cos our girls ( aged 8 and 5 ) were gutted about the death of toffee, bless !
We got a syrian girlie and they've named her harriett.
Harriett the hammy... cute. She is so lively and hyper.
I'd forgotten how active they are when very small.
I love hamsters. They are so cute.
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