Blue Cross & PDSA cage size info updated

[RainbowBrite]

I thought this may be of interest to you all. The PDSA have written a new guide to hamster care. I was made aware of this after watching a video on you tube.

Hamsters as pets

Get expert advice from PDSA vets on hamster cages, diet, and health. Learn how to create a stimulating environment, and ensure your hamster lives a long, happy life.

www.pdsa.org.uk

 

[Maz]

That's excellent. Funnily enough I came across mention they had increased their minimum cage size recently. Only thing on that page is it says a clean out every two weeks and 40cm of bedding!

 

[RainbowBrite]

I am very surprised by the suggestion of cleaning the cage out every two weeks. It is not needed if you have a cage the size they recommend.

 

[Maz]

Well they're getting there! I don't know many published vet hamster guides that get everything right! It does say a full clean out every 14 days (although then mentions putting half the bedding back). I think that's too much, when they mention spot cleaning as well. So part welfare advice on cages and part vet views on cleaning! 40cm of substrate is a bit excessive too! I mean some people might do that but it shouldn't be essential - I wonder if that's a typo!

 

[Daisy]

It would be very expensive to clean out the cage in the photo every 2 weeks! Even if keeping half the bedding back.

It's great to see such up-to-date advice though. I think the recommendation of 40cm of bedding might actually be excessive but it's good to see change in the right direction.

 

[Maz]

It is good. And yes it would cost a fortune in bedding to replace half every 14 days if it was 40cm deep (and not necessary either, with spot cleaning). I think those two bits don't quite work together! It would be nice if the RSPCA and Blue Cross would do the same.

 

[Member ID2]

I heard today that Blue Cross now recommends 100cm x 50cm for all species of hamsters on their website.

 

[Maz]

Oh great - maybe that's where I saw it then - not the PDSA site!

 

[Maz]

You're right - they say "at least" 100 x 50. And 20cm bedding - and a bit more realistic about cleaning!

Hamster care

Hamster care | Blue Cross https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/hamster/wellbeing-and-care/hamster-care

www.bluecross.org.uk

So just Wood Green and RSPCA to update theirs then. Last time I looked Wood Green still said 80 x 50

 

[Maz]

Cage manufacturers will have to take note!

 

[Frida]

Does that mean HH isn't big enough for dwarfs anymore?

I only spot clean Albert once a week. Wheel once or twice a week. I've never done a full clean. I only take out hands full of dirty substrate and mix in fresh substrate. I've never took out all the substrate to clean the base because there isn't any pee down there.

I'm worried now that I'm not cleaning enough.

Advice please.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Does that mean HH isn't big enough for dwarfs anymore?

I only spot clean Albert once a week. Wheel once or twice a week. I've never done a full clean. I only take out hands full of dirty substrate and mix in fresh substrate. I've never took out all the substrate to clean the base because there isn't any pee down there.

I'm worried now that I'm not cleaning enough.

Advice please.

Please do not worry. You are doing the perfect amount of cleaning. Let your nose guide you. If you replace the bedding as much as the article says then Albert would be very stressed. You can only remove wet bedding when it is wet after all. Poop is fine.

 

[RainbowBrite]

It seems they may have taken the 40cm of bedding from the study that was done into Syrian hamsters to show optimum bedding depth. Of course, no body would have a cage tall enough for it.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016815910500393X

 

[Daisy]

Does that mean HH isn't big enough for dwarfs anymore?

I only spot clean Albert once a week. Wheel once or twice a week. I've never done a full clean. I only take out hands full of dirty substrate and mix in fresh substrate. I've never took out all the substrate to clean the base because there isn't any pee down there.

I'm worried now that I'm not cleaning enough.

Advice please.

Some people haven't considered the HH big enough for a while but opinions will always vary and others (like myself) think it's a good cage for many dwarfs.

Cleaning frequency depends entirely on the hamster. If the cage smells fine and there are no obvious damp patches, I wouldn't really worry about it. It's much easier to overclean than to underclean as if you underclean, your nose will probably know about it!

I never cleaned my dwarfs out fully either. Once every few months I would remove all of the bedding to check it and to empty out the dust that tends to accumulate at the bottom of cages, but the clean, dry bedding (which was the majority) went back in the cage.

 

[Maz]

A lot of these changes have come about because many of us have been saying for years that - the more bedding you have, the less often you need to clean out, and spot cleaning mostly is absolutely fine. Or partial cleans. Cleaning hamsters out too much causes them a lot of stress. I think the PDSA got that info wrong - but as an animal hospital they're probably used to prioritising hygiene - it's essential for vets and surgery and illness - but for healthy hamsters (who are very clean little things!) with enough substrate - the partial cleans are fine. It's a balance. It was only really when people only had about 3" of substrate, that cages needed cleaning out more, because the base would get pee soaked. But with the base full of substrate and spot cleaning (and a litter tray!) you can go really quite a long time and then do a half clean as and when necessary.

Now animal welfare sites are recommending an ideal size of 100 x 50 or larger for all species - that is a really positive thing. Happy Hamsters still say 80 x 50 minimum for a dwarf hamster and these things take time to adjust to and filter through and guidance gradually be updated in other places. It would help if there were more 100cm cages with narrow bar spacing.

It will be interesting to see if the RSPCA follow suit! I suspect they will stick with the vague "as large as possible".

 

[Frida]

Please do not worry. You are doing the perfect amount of cleaning. Let your nose guide you. If you replace the bedding as much as the article says then Albert would be very stressed. You can only remove wet bedding when it is wet after all. Poop is fine.

Thank you. I just want the best for Albert. My hubby and son say I worry too much.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Thank you. I just want the best for Albert. My hubby and son say I worry too much.

I am the same as you and I am always worrying about Orko. I think it is more of a worry having a hamster for the first time. It is hard to know what is okay or not. At first I thought Orko had mites as he was always scratching and then I found out that is normal behaviour. You are not alone.

 

[Frida]

Some people haven't considered the HH big enough for a while but opinions will always vary and others (like myself) think it's a good cage for many dwarfs.

Cleaning frequency depends entirely on the hamster. If the cage smells fine and there are no obvious damp patches, I wouldn't really worry about it. It's much easier to overclean than to underclean as if you underclean, your nose will probably know about it!

I never cleaned my dwarfs out fully either. Once every few months I would remove all of the bedding to check it and to empty out the dust that tends to accumulate at the bottom of cages, but the clean, dry bedding (which was the majority) went back in the cage.

Thank you

 

[Maz]

The PDSA definitely haven't got this bit right

"A deep enough solid base to accommodate 40cm (16inches) of suitable bedding"

That is basically saying a cage has to have a base deep enough to hold 40cm of bedding, which would rule out all barred cages! The hamster Plaza, even with bedding panels, is 50cm tall, so there would be no room for anything else ha ha! I think the German standard was 30cm ideally but I think they need to reword that. I do think there should be a minumum bedding depth though. I don't currently have that in my cages - I have about 20cm max in Raffy's cage. Pip has about 25cm.

 

[Frida]

I am the same as you and I am always worrying about Orko. I think it is more of a worry having a hamster for the first time. It is hard to know what is okay or not. At first I thought Orko had mites as he was always scratching and then I found out that is normal behaviour. You are not alone.

There is so much info on the web and YouTube that it's hard to know what's right or wrong. That's one of the reasons I joined this forum to talk to other hamster owners.