hello! meet vermi

[Elsa]

hello everyone im getting a syrian short tailed hamster i was confused about the name at first but then i decided for the name vermithor its inspired from HOTD soo im really excited and still a new soon to be parent to a hamster like i have searching for many diys and im making a cage by myself plus im confused about many things tbh like can i feed my hamster veges instead of that expensive seed mix?

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome . It sounds very exciting getting your hammy and it’s great you’re doing research and getting all organised first. Do you mean short haired rather than short tailed?

In terms of diet, they do need a good muesli mix daily, that contains the correct protein levels. Protein is very important in the first year and a Syrian needs between 18% and 20% protein. It sets up their health for the rest of their life and they need it to build healthy muscles and fur condition. In addition to a good balance of other nutrients. It doesn’t have to be too expensive though. There are some good commercial mixes and the ones that are a bit low on protein you can supplement with fresh food like chopped hard boiled egg, nuts, freeze dried chicken bites and other things.

They do really love fresh veg and it’s healthy as well but they only need a really tiny amount daily. They actually eat very little each day. A piece no bigger than their ear is the usual guidance. Eg cucumber, broccoli, carrot or peas. Although there are plenty of others depending what you have in.

There’s article about safe and unsafe foods and veg on the home page but I’ll link it below as well.

Are you in the U.K. or elsewhere? To know which hamster mixes to recommend.

Which diy cage were you thinking of?

Article 'Safe and unsafe food list for Hamsters'

What is a safe diet for Hamsters? Hamsters can eat many veggies, fruits, nuts and human foods, but some are not safe for them. Here is a researched and referenced list of safe and unsafe foods for Hamsters. Providing hamsters have a good hamster mix, with the correct nutrients and protein...

• Maz
• Jul 24, 2023
• 20 min read
• 5.00 star(s) 2 ratings
• Reaction score: 6
• Comments: 26
• Reviews: 2
• Category: Hamster Care

 

[Elsa]

ya verni is short haired and tail both like i dont have that level of knowledge but still. so it means the seed mix is important ill have to skip the veg then as a daily food the thing is im already really low on budget but still ill try to get the product ya and im not in uk i live in pakistan but like if a hamster need 18% to 20% i can give him certain types of veg daily like a mix of it?

 

[Steve]

Hi Elsa, welcome to the forum. It's great you have joined the forum to build up knowledge before your lovely little hamster arrives.
Maz and others here are incredibly knowledgeable so you have come to the right place.
I just wanted to mention that if money is quite tight please be aware owning a hamster is generally much more expensive that people expect. Even to prove the essentials such as a suitable enclosure, bedding, food and other enrichment is often more than you would expect. I think there is a thread on the forum somewhere where members have discussed the costs of a new set up, and offered great advice on how to try amd keep the costs down.
It's great you have joined to build up your knowledge, and I wouldn't want to put you off owning a hamster as they are lovely little things, but I wouldn't want anyone to take on the responsibility of ownership without knowing what they are in for.

 

[Socks' Mum]

I looked up Vermithor and he is a dragon featuring in a series called The House of the Dragon. Interesting, we learn something every day! I looked dragons as my Chinese zodiac is a wood dragon, not a very fierce kind of dragon as dragons go In the wild hamsters eat grains and insects, and after a problem sometimes in fields of maize, which they generally enjoy. My hamster tastes change all the time, and he soon gets tired of one food, so I give him a mixture of fresh food and commercial hamster muesli as well as half a teaspoon of cheddar cheese, or a bit of egg or some tofu. He gets about two tablespoons of hamster food a day so that he can eat some and pouch some to hide in his nest. Hamsters love to dig tunnels in bedding and need about six inches of something like Kaytee Clean and Cosy or Care fresh to dig in and nest in. Without this, he will not be a very happy hamster. Their needs are quite specialised as they were wild animals until fairly recently. It's great that you are on the forum and are carrying about your pet. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Elsa]

Hi Elsa, welcome to the forum. It's great you have joined the forum to build up knowledge before your lovely little hamster arrives.
Maz and others here are incredibly knowledgeable so you have come to the right place.
I just wanted to mention that if money is quite tight please be aware owning a hamster is generally much more expensive that people expect. Even to prove the essentials such as a suitable enclosure, bedding, food and other enrichment is often more than you would expect. I think there is a thread on the forum somewhere where members have discussed the costs of a new set up, and offered great advice on how to try amd keep the costs down.
It's great you have joined to build up your knowledge, and I wouldn't want to put you off owning a hamster as they are lovely little things, but I wouldn't want anyone to take on the responsibility of ownership without knowing what they are in for.

hey steve ya i know everyone here is so knowledgeable its soo great to see ya im tight on money but the cage i have built is above the bare minimum its like pretty good plus i was not sure about the bedding but then i thought about cutting tissues, paper and cardboard into pieces and wet them then dry them and put it in the enclosure and about the enrichment i dont think its gonna be expensive ill put wood sticks plus grass as a different substrate and ill be putting dried flowers and herb and moreover ill make cardboard multi chamber and many other toys out of cardboard like all of this is free i have made a diy wheel it works pretty well its also free i have taken water and food pots tooo and im making tunels and other things that i can put in the enclosure ya and im using my home jars as a hideout im like decorating everything right now i have put led lights outside the enclosure and ALL OF THIS IN FREE so thats all but still i need to buy sand bath no worries

 

[Socks' Mum]

That's great, you are lucky to be creative! The other thing I forgot to say is hamster teeth can over grow if they don't eat enough uncooked grain. They need to wear down their teeth all the time as the teeth grow all the time. Toys are great, but they need to eat the grains found in hamster food. If their teeth grow unevenly, they can damage their cheeks and stop them from eating normally.

 

[Elsa]

That's great, you are lucky to be creative! The other thing I forgot to say is hamster teeth can over grow if they don't eat enough uncooked grain. They need to wear down their teeth all the time as the teeth grow all the time. Toys are great, but they need to eat the grains found in hamster food. If their teeth grow unevenly, they can damage their cheeks and stop them from eating normally.

hey um can u tell me more about it like i did alot of research but didnt see anything accordingly what kind of toys are u talking about like and what uncooked grain im a bit confused

 

[Elsa]

im just so confused about the food i want a list of ingredients yk which fulfil the nutrietion

 

[Maz]

You can make a sand bath too . Old ice cream tub works well.

It’s not just grains - they need a hard hamster mix - their bottom teeth keep growing constantly and are only kept worn down by chewing hard things and eating hard food. If they get too long they can actually grown through the roof of the mouth and damage the eyes ( and the hamster can’t open their mouth).

It really is best to use a commercial mix - it’s difficult though if some aren’t available in your country. Harry Hamster is available in most countries and contains everything needed. It’s not that expensive usually and likely to cost less than making your own mix. It’s extremely difficult to work out the correct nutritional balance without a commercial mix. It will also contains hard grains and hard biscuits etc

Let me know if you can get Harry Hamster or what other mixes are available in your country. A bag lasts quite a long time as they eat very little - you just need to give a rounded tablespoon each day. Any fresh extras are a bonus.

 

[Elsa]

thank you ill try to find it the harry hanster but not quite sure if its available in my country

 

[Socks' Mum]

Yes, Maz has described it well. I think Hazel Hamster is an alternative name for Harry Hamster, but there are a number of brands of hamster food and you can feed more than one brand at the same time, perhaps half a tablespoon of one and half of another.

 

[Maz]

Can you link which hamster mixes are available to you?

 

[Maz]

Harry Hamster seems to be available online here, but I’m not sure how helpful that is as it’s India rather than Pakistan - and isn’t that cheap at the equivalent of about £27

Buy Supreme Harry Hamster Tasty Mix - 700g at Ubuy Bangladesh

Choose the best hamster food for your pet! Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Harry Hamster Tasty Mix is the recommended food by the National Hamster Council. With top quality ingredients and balanced nutrition for healthy hamsters. Shop at Ubuy Bangladesh

www.ubuy.com.bd

 

[Elsa]

its really expensive tbh i cannot afford but my cage has been made its 953 inch square

 

[Maz]

Wow that was quick. Yes £27 is a lot for a bag of hamster food.

Can you get things delivered online from places like Amazon? I believe Getzoo in Germany also ship to various countries.

 

[Rescued One]

hello everyone im getting a syrian short tailed hamster i was confused about the name at first but then i decided for the name vermithor its inspired from HOTD soo im really excited and still a new soon to be parent to a hamster like i have searching for many diys and im making a cage by myself plus im confused about many things tbh like can i feed my hamster veges instead of that expensive seed mix?

Hi Elsa,
Good luck with Vermi! The pellet food really needs to be the diet mainstay for a caged hamster; its easy for them to get vitamin/mineral deficiencies otherwise. We will look forward to seeing pictures of your happy hamster soon

 

[Elsa]

Hi Elsa,
Good luck with Vermi! The pellet food really needs to be the diet mainstay for a caged hamster; its easy for them to get vitamin/mineral deficiencies otherwise. We will look forward to seeing pictures of your happy hamster soon

yaaa he will be coming soon and his cage is about 953 inch square and ill check up on the pellet food thank u