Small Animal Community / Critters Community / Hamsters

New Syrian hamster I don't know what to do!

Veronica101 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:42:45 GMT

I was given a Syrian hamster for my birthday. I didn't know anything about them, so I did some research. They sound aggressive and they don't like to be handled. I don't know what to do and I'm terrified of being bitten. I don't want to sell her, but I also don't want an aggressive pet. I'm used to docile mice and have never been bitten. Please help. I'd hate to get rid of her, but I feel helpless. If anyone knows what to do I'd appreciate it!

Veronica

Another deceased hamster

Lepr3chuan — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:16:11 GMT

So this is the second time I've had this happen to my hamster- I'm going to assume it's from the same issue since both died the same way: They both had a bloody nose and were curled up like a dead hamster usually is, exept this time mine looked like he was sleeping, so I nudged him and he just fell over and twitched. Then later he was completely unconscious and what not. Anyone know what this means? I have the feeling it may have somthing to do with my CritterTrail Burrowing Habitat that I have connected to the cage by tubing. I'm positive that a human or cat did not harm him, as I keep both cats and small humans locked away from the cage (ahahaha...) What keeps happening to my babies?

Hamsters Vs. Rabbits

mackgold — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:55:46 GMT

i like them both

Really Horrible Problem!

abbywolf — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:39:42 GMT

My hamster runs around like a wild nut as soon as I take her out of the cage, jumping and running. She won't sit still for a second. It seems like she is trying to reach 90 miles an hour! See, I get her in my hands, she jumps, and she runs all around the room at speeds I can't even describe for a hamster, and it takes me 15 minutes to catch her, and then she runs and jumps again. But when she's in my hands, I try to hold her still and talk to her and tell her everything's all right. What can I do to tame her?

cage

hamsterbunny — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:59:00 GMT

which cage do you have?

human food thats safe for hamsters

Bridgette41 — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:14:09 GMT

Are celery and broccoli safe for hampsters and can they have allergies???

thank you for helping me

Three legged hamster

exoticlover3 — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:49:20 GMT

So about a year and a half ago i breed my 2 Syrians (which are no longer living) the birth was successful and it was great as my first time breeding. Anyway after a couple weeks i noticed there was 2 hamsters with 3 legs! We gave all the normal hamsters to the pet store (didn't want to but had to) but I kept the three legged ones a male and a female and they are now living happily. So my question is do you think the mother (being it her first time) bit the leg off when she was carrying them back to the nest on accident or did she eat the legs on purpose?

hamster problems!!!!! help

mackgold — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:49:17 GMT

my hamster somtimes just doesn't move his eyes ears and nose he seems to shut down and i get scared hes dead whats happening to him???????????

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

2 hamsters

frankydoodle — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:02:40 GMT

I got 2 dwarf hamsters Im not sure of the sex anymore, they were supposed to be 2 girls. I'm not sure whats with their attitudes. When we got them over a month ago they were fine together, then suddenly, one got fatter so it seamed, and she was being very territorial. She started attacking the other hamster, cornering it, making it squeak, biting it. I seperated them becuase I thought she was pregnant, and I thought the other one is actually a male. The bullying one has also been storing food, eating about a bowl a day,I suspect shes hiding the food. Im scared to clean her cage, I noticed she moved out of her Igloo and into the middle of the cage. Also, she never attacked me before but now shes attacking me, can you help me? Whats up with her strange behaviour? Help me please

My hamster looks like she has a tumor, HELP!

SweetBasil — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 03:12:29 GMT

She looks like shes pregnant but I know shes not, I think she has a tumor and i'm not sure what to do. There are no vets around me that help small animals so I can't get her looked at. I hate to see her in pain, I've given her a very comfortable place to sleep but thats all I feel like I can do. Shes still very lively and still tries to eat and drink.
One of our hamsters crossed the rainbow bridge like this too, she was in a lot of pain before she died but I couldn't figure out a way to put her down humanely myself. What do you suggest I do?

Which rodent is your favorite?

hamsterzrox123 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:25:00 GMT

Once more, don't choose a rodent you already have! By the way, my hamster is Chili, so please come and vote for her! She'd appreciate it!

Hamsters and fur loss

BlancDeHotot — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:06:51 GMT

Hamsters can lose fur for many different reasons. Normally when a hamster is old, their fur starts thinning. Prior to this, fur loss can be due to mites/mange, but the hamster tends to scratch a lot. This can easily be treated by your vet. They use a drug called Ivermec, a drop of which is applied to the hamsters neck, and this is repeated a few weeks later. This normally helps stop the problem.

Another reason for fur loss is hormonal - hormonal fur loss is a bit more difficult to treat - but I have recently discovered that a drop of the oral ivermec seems to do the trick.

Hamsters have scent glands which are situated on their hips - there is one each side. Some hamsters go really bald around these and if this is the case for your hamster... Are these bald patches symmetrical? Is there a dark spot in the center of the patch? Sometimes hamsters clean these scent glands so much that they create a bald spot, and this is perfectly normal. With other hamsters, you hardly notice they have these scent glands.

The most common signs of hamster's fur problems are: loss of fur, sores, dry, itchy skin, and reddened skin. These problems may be caused by tiny skin parasites, allergies, hormonal imbalance or improper diet. Mother hamsters shed fur around their teats when they are nursing their young baby hamsters. Old hamsters have less fur due to a drop in certain hormone levels as the hamster gets older.

Hamster having an allergy can be one of the most common reasons for fur loss. Cedar and pine shavings can cause allergic reactions. Softwood shavings are preferable to cedar but paper based shavings are the best. A hamster can become allergic to certain foods. It is important to consider if anything was changed to the hamster's diet, location, or routine which could have caused the hamster the allergic reaction.

Feeding the hamster a plain diet for a few days may establish if the hamster is suffering from a food allergy. When you establish what is the source of allergy that is making the hamster losing fur, the source should be removed immediately.

what cage

sk8ter chick — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:12:54 GMT

hey yall im back and once again im looking for a new cage for beanz she has a 10 gal tank now but its getting borin...so i want a new critter trail cage (but not the extreme challange) tried that 1. she is a fully grown sneaky brown sryain hamster so i need one that has enough room

thanks every1

HELP NOW- HAMSTER WHEEL ELECTRICITY

ilovefluffy789 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:56:42 GMT

HELLO EVERYONE THIS IS SHAKIRAS MOM AND I NEED HELP WITH MY SCIENCE PROJECT

I NEED RESOURCES TO MY SCIENCE PROJECT

HELP PLZ

Life span of Winter White hamster

OliversMom — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:13:28 GMT

My Winter White hamster recently passed away. It was a shock, because he seemed perfectly fine until I found him dead. He lived for 1 year and 8 months.

I'm wondering if this is typical. If you've had a Winter White hamster, can you post its current age or how long it lived? Thanks.

Smile for th Camera!

Yukari_Angel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:03:37 GMT

Lets see everyones hamster(s)! \^o^/ Show off some 'hamtures' of your little one(s).

Here is my girl, Bella! She is my very first hamster. She is a long haired golden syrian, and possibly a satin. I am not sure how old she is because she was abandoned at the pet store I work for. But she is an absolute sweat heart! <3

nom nom foot nom nom nom

A happy chubby Bella <3

Hi there!

:3

new cage!

sk8ter chick — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:44:05 GMT

we went to petsupermarket looking for a new cage for razzy (mini lop) dident find anything and ended up buying a crittertrail cage 4 beanz! the first day i was parinoid cuz i thought it would get stuck. turns out he likes slepping in the tubes!! if any of ya had any experience with a crittertrail cage plz share.

i have a question are you suppose to clip hamsters nails???????????

mackgold — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:34:38 GMT

my hamsters nail are long like super dee duper long im not sure if your suppose to clip them but i don't want to hurt my hamster in the prosses!!!!!

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

dose my hamster have wet tail?? help asap!

sk8ter chick — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:15:13 GMT

i got a new hamster last friday and he seems normal for the most part he sleeps pretty much all day and is really active during the nighthe drinks his water,eats alot,runs on his wheel ,and is playful with me.on sunday i bought him dri tail to put in his water and carefresh bedding to change bedding.but today i noticed he is SMELLY but his butt is not wet at all just has alittle of dry poop on his butt. i cant afford to take him to the vet so is there anything i can do plz help! i dont want to lose him its my first hamster oh and the all the poop that he's done and ive seen are normal he is eating right now and the poop ON HIS BUTT is really really dried up. itsjust the smell that concernes me the amount of poop on his butt hasent gotten bigger or anything like that

Winter Whites

Lulu — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:56:08 GMT

I have a winter named Pong, because he has a twin named Ping who lives with my friend. Do you have, want or like Winter Whites?

plz help i got a new hamster i do not know what to do

chynna — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:31:47 GMT

help plz

help!

BusterCherry — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:14:10 GMT

my hampsters real tired all the time and gaining some weight. i dont know whats wrong. she's still eating the same food as usual and she's drinkin water regularly and using the bathroom as usual. the only difference we've made to her cage is we switched her bedding to kaytees soft sorbent lavender to help control the odor. what could be the problem with her?? someone please give me advice!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST COMMIN BREED OF HAMSTER??

mackgold — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:21:20 GMT

i will list my answer on my channel my animals names are golddust, golddusts fan page, oreo in loving memory, rex in loving memory, cuddles in loving memory, frisky, cocoa and spot in loving memory.

Dogs vs. cats vs. rabbits

votefortobionapril9thforcotd — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:43:03 GMT

this is a tricky one! eh??

rabbit help plz

mackgold — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 08:01:24 GMT

my rabbit has a big lump on his back and im not sure what it is???????????????? help help help help

Hamster care and cage cleaning

Jody — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:23:41 GMT

Hi, I was wondering how often other people clean out their hamster cages and their nest boxes in particular. I try to clean out the whole cage once a week, but I notice her main sleep area also doubles as a major bathroom area. I want to clean this out more than once a week but I've read so often that you shouldn't disturb their sleeping area too much. This is also the spot where she hoards her food, so I'm hesitant to empty this area out too often, but I want it to be clean too. Can I sneakily toss the bedding, food and poop, and then replace some food in there or let her completely start over on her own? She has 3 other sleeping areas that she uses quite often, but this one seems to be her favorite, so I don't think she is feeling confined to do everything in this spot. She just seems to like it that way. Please let me know your throughts and what you do. Thanks!

Multiple types of pets

Ferrets Moderator — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:43:44 GMT

Have you owned several types of small animal pets? If so, which one turned out to be the best pet for you? Why?

Bigger cage?

bunnyhammy26 — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:26:31 GMT

I adopted my hamster from an animal shelter. He came with a cage, apparantly the one that he has always lived in. I was thinking of getting him a new, bigger cage. I might not have room and I don't know the best kind. What do you suggest?

Wire Chewing

hamsterzrox123 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:56:31 GMT

Chili keeps chewing on her cage bars. I have read it is bad for hamsters to do that. Is it or is that just a weird habbit?

I don't like to be man handeled!!

chubbycheeks — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:51:56 GMT

My lil hamster doesn't like us holding it with our fingers around it.He will try to bite and i don't know what to do cuz i'm a dog expert, not a hamster expert!!! He's only bit me once and i started pushing him around cuz i was mad.

Please help cuz he's only 6 months old and i want him to be a good hamster!

Shadow

animalgirl — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:13:52 GMT

I had to return Patches to the pet shop yesterday, I think he had a parasite. I got a black bear hamster. Her name is Shadow because she's all black with a white stripe on her stomach and blue eyes. My mom is scared of Shadow because when she was in the cardboard box on the way home from the pet shop, she was screaming, growling, and shredding the box. When I opened the box to see what Shadow was doing, my mom said "Don't! It'll jump at my throat!" lol hamsters aren't vampires they're just nocturnal.

Periods in Hamsters?

Rodentsrus — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:32:32 GMT

I have a question we have a dwarf hamster that bleed from her virgina about ever 2 months or so...Do hamster get there periods? It bleeds for about 2 days then stops...

Hamster foot help, please!!

WildArabian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:33:26 GMT

My hamster, Pebbles, has a swollen like foot, and we think it may have gotten caught in her wire wheel. We put Neosporin on it and bought her a new plastic wheel. I don't know if it really did get caught though, does anyone know what this could be?
It has been swollen for about two weeks.
I tried to take a picture of it, but she wouldn't hold still =]
I want to take her to the vet, but my parents won't let me since hamsters don't live for very long.
She is an albino, which I'm thinking is a mutation, could that have anything to do with it?

Bleeding

Hamsterluver$ — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:59:02 GMT

My hamster, Cookie,(a Syrian Female) is having a little problem down there...
She has been bleeding out of her rear for a couple of weeks now. She eats a lot, pees and poops regularly, and drinks a lot of water, and the bleeding doesn't seem to affect her health. Please Help! I dont know if this is serious or not, and my mom refuses to take me to the vet with her, so i really need help.

"wet tail"

BabyBunny — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:58:56 GMT

my hamster has wet tail or diarrhea and i have been giving her drops of medicene. i just got her 4 days ago,and i don't want to give her up. ...but if she's going to die,i'll have too. ...what should i do? Princess needs help really fast,and i can't afford a vet. ...my little girl is not looking too good.

EDITED: for spelling...

What breed of hamster do you have?

Harry&Simon — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:10:59 GMT

I have two Roborovskiis named Harry and Simon. And these are some hamsters that I have had before: a Golden named Hammy, a Satin/Teddy Bear/Long Haired mix named Panda, a Russian named Stripe, an Albino named Marshmallow, and two Russians that the pet store said were both males, but turned out to be a male and female, and they bred, but I forgot their names.

Which Hamster

Gforce4life — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:28:49 GMT

I want to get a hamster when I graduate into sixth grade. I have been to my Petco branch for a long time and decided to be responsible enough when I turn eleven. Please take the poll and decide my hamster choice is up to you!

...

animalgirl — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:23:55 GMT

ummm... this might be a stupid question... but is it bad if a hamster fell 2 feet to the floor, landed on its back, and lay still for a minute then was twitching like it was dying, but then got up and started running around?

Which is bigger?

bunnyhammy26 — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:22:22 GMT

I was thinking of getting a play pen for my hamster. It said it was ok for rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, and other non-jumping critters. Most said it was perfect for two gerbils. I thought that if it was ok for a gerbil, it was ok for a hamster. After all, weren't hamsters bigger than gerbils? But now I am not so sure. Which is bigger?

dwarfs which is the best

Campells — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:47:14 GMT

what is the best