Hi folks. Here is Kage - with a K.

[Kage]

Hi folks I thought it time to introduce my hamster to you His name is Kage. I usually introduce him as Kage with a K. Apart from the avatar I have no other photos of him yet. He was born 23 July 2025 and I collected him from the breeder last Friday - 5 September. He is absolutely adorable, with beautiful markings around his face. I sadly had to have my beloved cat, Chhaya put to sleep on 6 August, 2 days after her 11th birthday. Naturally I was devastated, but I quickly realised I needed to have company, not to replace her, but to take over from her. I am a single man, happily retired and Kage fits the bill perfectly. You see his set-up as it is now. The cage is a Ferplast Multipla Hamster Large. I wasn't aware at the time of the minimum recommendations for cage size when I bought it. I thought it was big enough. Long enough - 104cm yes, but 34cm wide falls short of the 50cm. I quickly bought two extensions, one of which you can see added. When the second extension is added, the floor space will be 5,800+. I want the best for Kage, the best I can offer. I'm not rushing him. I'm trying to take things slowly. He is taking treats from me through the wires, and soon I hope to be able to put my hand inside his home and stroke him, get closer to him, get him more confident with me. Up to now, he only comes out for about an hour each night, usually between the hours of 11pm and 2am. He seems to enjoy his home, exploring when he's out, burrowing in the bedding which is 7inch in depth. I have red light bulbs in all the lights specially for him. I hope the little chap is settling down, and enjoying his new home as much as I love having him here with me, and I do hope I am doing right by him. Any, all, constructive comments and advice will be greatly appreciated

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome Exciting having a new baby hamster - how is he settling in? He has lots of nice things to do in there and plenty to do. Yes the Multipla cages are a clever design and seem well-made, but they got the dimensions wrong! It is still a great set up for him, plenty of length, and you've added the extension as well Male Syrians can be quite amenable, so I'm sure you'll be fine. I like the way you have the wheel in the extension as it makes a lot more space everywhere else

Looking forward to seeing photos of Kage I guess he's a bit shy at the moment, being so new and young maybe? It can be hard at first when we just want to handle and stroke them, but give him a couple of weeks settling in time and you might find he's out and about more, and more adventurous. Meanwhile you could talk to him through the cage so he gets familiar with your voice, scent and presence, which helps, and offer him the odd treat through the bars if you see him.

Does he have a bit of fresh veg daily? They love that - it's their main reason to get up I find - smelling the fresh veg. With a shy hamster, I sometimes put the veg on a separate dish (eg a jar lid or just on a tile or shelf) at the end of the cage opposite to where they are sleeping. That gets them in the habit of being brave enough to cross the cage at feeding time and because they have to go the length of the cage, it can also be an opportunity to offer them a tube to walk into on the way back - eg for out of cage time/taming/handling (in a secure area). I'd give it a couple of weeks though.

Another thing you can do is maybe keep to a regular feeding time - maybe 8pm - they soon get in the habit of waking/coming out at feeding time, when the smell the veg and hear the odd bit of cage noise (it helps to make a slight bit of cage noise while doing it). Cucumber and broccoli are favourites here, and the occasional blueberry. Just a tiny piece about the size of his ear - so they eat it rather than hoard it.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Lovely to have lots of new owners and their hamsters joining the form ❤ I am very sorry to hear that you lost your lovely cat It's great that Kage is taking treats from you and is happy and healthy

 

[Kage]

Hello and welcome Exciting having a new baby hamster - how is he settling in? He has lots of nice things to do in there and plenty to do. Yes the Multipla cages are a clever design and seem well-made, but they got the dimensions wrong! It is still a great set up for him, plenty of length, and you've added the extension as well Male Syrians can be quite amenable, so I'm sure you'll be fine. I like the way you have the wheel in the extension as it makes a lot more space everywhere else

Looking forward to seeing photos of Kage I guess he's a bit shy at the moment, being so new and young maybe? It can be hard at first when we just want to handle and stroke them, but give him a couple of weeks settling in time and you might find he's out and about more, and more adventurous. Meanwhile you could talk to him through the cage so he gets familiar with your voice, scent and presence, which helps, and offer him the odd treat through the bars if you see him.

Does he have a bit of fresh veg daily? They love that - it's their main reason to get up I find - smelling the fresh veg. With a shy hamster, I sometimes put the veg on a separate dish (eg a jar lid or just on a tile or shelf) at the end of the cage opposite to where they are sleeping. That gets them in the habit of being brave enough to cross the cage at feeding time and because they have to go the length of the cage, it can also be an opportunity to offer them a tube to walk into on the way back - eg for out of cage time/taming/handling (in a secure area). I'd give it a couple of weeks though.

Another thing you can do is maybe keep to a regular feeding time - maybe 8pm - they soon get in the habit of waking/coming out at feeding time, when the smell the veg and hear the odd bit of cage noise (it helps to make a slight bit of cage noise while doing it). Cucumber and broccoli are favourites here, and the occasional blueberry. Just a tiny piece about the size of his ear - so they eat it rather than hoard it.

Thank you for the advice, Maz I do talk to him whether I can see him or not. I told him part of my life story the other night/morning. Not sure he appreciated it though. Didn't know hamsters could snore

 

[Kage]

Lovely to have lots of new owners and their hamsters joining the form ❤ I am very sorry to hear that you lost your lovely cat It's great that Kage is taking treats from you and is happy and healthy

Thank you, Socks' Mum. Yes, it broke my heart losing Chhaya ,but Kage has definitely lifted my spirits again

 

[Maz]

Oh they are very good listeners! And I swear they understand some of it They seem sensitive to nuances in voices. Like any other pet really - even if they don't understand the words, they understand the tone and feeling behind the words. They can actually learn some words actually - like No!

 

[Kage]

Oh they are very good listeners! And I swear they understand some of it They seem sensitive to nuances in voices. Like any other pet really - even if they don't understand the words, they understand the tone and feeling behind the words. They can actually learn some words actually - like No!

Maz, a thought occurred to me - there's talking to them, being there... He's been with me for a week now and I've been up with him until 4, 5, 6am each night/morning. Might he appreciate a bit of "me time" to get used to his new home on his own, in his own time? Like I say, it's just a thought.

 

[Rescued One]

Oh they are very good listeners! And I swear they understand some of it They seem sensitive to nuances in voices. Like any other pet really - even if they don't understand the words, they understand the tone and feeling behind the words. They can actually learn some words actually - like No!

Indeed, I sing little songs to my hammies - each has their own song and they seem to recognize their songs. I sing their songs all the way home when I first get them and anytime I go near their habitats. They learn to associate the song with interaction. of course, I change the words to be all about them (audience appropriate)

 

[Maz]

Maz, a thought occurred to me - there's talking to them, being there... He's been with me for a week now and I've been up with him until 4, 5, 6am each night/morning. Might he appreciate a bit of "me time" to get used to his new home on his own, in his own time? Like I say, it's just a thought.

Yes I'm sure he'll need some me time and settling in time as well so if you're up with him in the early hours it might be better to do the talking maybe 10pm to midnight the night before and let him do his hamstery things at night Although 6am might be ok as that's the end of his night/day ish.

They also like listening to music Certain things can be relaxing or calming or they can sit looking interested and listening. I think it moves them. They are sensitive little things with much more intelligence than they are sometimes credited with. Mind you they can do daft things as well! But that's age rather than species! Like young people do daft things before they get older and wiser.

Singing songs to them sounds lovely too @Rescued One

 

[Yorkie]

Kage is soooo adorable,welcome to the forum.

 

[Kage]

Kage is soooo adorable,welcome to the forum.

Thank you. You are sooo right. He looks even more so in the fur

 

[Kage]

The correct temperature, I know, is important to hamsters I see the temperature needs to be in the 18-24 degrees Centigrade, but it can be tolerated short term down to 15, up to 28 degrees Centigrade. At the moment, I keep my living room at 20-21 degrees. Just how critical are these temperatures? Any comments will be appreciated

 

[Maz]

It’s best not to let the temperature go below 16 degrees in the room. Keeping it at 20 degrees is ideal for hansters - or even a bit more.

It can be difficult at night in winter and you may have to have heating come on for an hour at night. I have an oil filled radiator on a timer overnight.

 

[Kage]

It’s best not to let the temperature go below 16 degrees in the room. Keeping it at 20 degrees is ideal for hansters - or even a bit more.

It can be difficult at night in winter and you may have to have heating come on for an hour at night. I have an oil filled radiator on a timer overnight.

I keep a close eye on the thermometer. When I go to bed I leave a heater on to keep the temperature steady. I had to leave Kage to his own devices at 2am last night. I hadn't had an afternoon nap for a couple of days - I was shattered! I'm still working out my schedule so I can watch out for him throughout the night. Fortunately I'm retired so there's no strict routine for me to keep up with. It's just after half past midnight where we live here in the UK, and I haven't seen him yet, but I've heard him. I think he's at the very bottom of his home.

I'm looking at different ways to heat the room for him At the moment, I'm using an electric heater. I have a solid fuel fire that heats my radiators when I need heat throughout the day, but at night that burns out eventually. I'll work it out.

Having Kage here with me is wonderful, and of course I wouldn't swap him, but he's making me think how best to look after him. This is one whole new adventure I didn't see coming a few weeks ago, and I'm loving it

 

[Maz]

Hamsters are wonderful little companions Maybe you could get a hamstercam Some of us have those. It's just a small indoor security camera/baby monitor type thing. They cost between £30 and £50. I have a Eufy one and it's really good. You put a micro sd card in it and it records constantly. It connects to wifi so you can view live on your phone wherever you are. I used to like to go to bed and watch what the hamsters were up to on my phone. Sometimes they don't really go into their night phase until the lights are out and we've gone to bed and it's quiet. It's usually a routine of foraging, wheeling, snacking, a nap and then more wheeling and foraging

Or you can watch the recording the next day and see what they've been doing during the night. Mine only records movement so you can see on the recording, which bits to watch and which bits to skip (ie the movement sections are a different colour). I found this really helpful when I had a roborovski hamster as he hid away lot for the first few weeks, so at least I could watch the recording and see what he'd been up to!

It can also be reassuring - so you can spot if something needs sorting in the cage (eg a wheel jammed up with bedding) which might not get noticed for days otherwise.

 

[Kage]

Kage and I have so much to learn about each other's life. I have thought about a camera but not I won't be getting one for a while at least. It's almost 3am and he hasn't come out yet, but I do hear him, I think deep down in his bedding. I put red bulbs in all of the lights thinking that would help him instead of using ordinary bulbs.

Up until the last couple of days if I listened to the radio, or put the TV on, I'd use headphones. I've been as quiet as possible for him. But for the last couple of days I haven't used headphones. The sound is always low, never loud. I have my daily routine as well. Kage needs to get used to the usual sounds in a day. I can't tip-toe round all the time.

If he chooses to stay out of the way until "the coast is clear", how do I get him used to me? He needs to come out of his home at times such as for deep cleaning, and for socialisation. I need to be able to handle him. I think you said about ways to transport him from cage to play pen, but if he doesn't show, I doubt I can make him, unless I can find certain treats with smells that attract him.

My waking hours and sleeping hours have changed a lot since he arrived, and I believe they will continue to change until we find hours to suit both him and me.

I thought the other night he was really coming out of his shell, but apparently not just yet. This relationship is going to be a very interesting one. I've read some owners have very social hamsters, while others don't. I wonder how Kage will turn out? I know it's going to take patience and more understanding, and hopefully Kage and I will find common ground and form a relationship built on trust and love

 

[Socks' Mum]

It can be tricky catching up with some male Syrians. I don't think background noises such as TV will worry him. Socks comes out at 7pm to pouch his fresh veggies, but goes back to bed until much later. I think if they get into the habit of visiting the play pen or free roaming they will get up earlier to do that. But as you say, he seems to like getting up much later, leaving you longing to see him. One or two visits to the play pen should start the habit. Perhaps offer veggies at 10pm when he is starting to be more alert and see if you can get him into a taxi (tube or mug) to transport him to the playpen. Maz has some tips as well for getting male Syrians to make an appearance

 

[Socks' Mum]

I clean Socks' tunnels and nest once a week, as near to dinner time as possible, and have to dig him up to do this. He is over two years old though and sleeps much more than a young ham. His pee area is underground and I think his kidneys are getting weaker, so the bedding is usually quite damp, as is his sand based litter tray on the surface. He goes back to sleep in a carrier while I clean, nodding off straight away. But when he was young, he was up practically all night gnawing the bars and climbing up to the roof He still likes to visit the playpen and runs on his wheel while I sit and watch him.

 

[Kage]

It can be tricky catching up with some male Syrians. I don't think background noises such as TV will worry him. Socks comes out at 7pm to pouch his fresh veggies, but goes back to bed until much later. I think if they get into the habit of visiting the play pen or free roaming they will get up earlier to do that. But as you say, he seems to like getting up much later, leaving you longing to see him. One or two visits to the play pen should start the habit. Perhaps offer veggies at 10pm when he is starting to be more alert and see if you can get him into a taxi (tube or mug) to transport him to the playpen. Maz has some tips as well for getting male Syrians to make an appearance

It wasn't until 3.40am he made his first appearance, though I had heard him underground before then. I'd had my afternoon/early evening nap so I was ready for the long haul . I feed him around 9pm each night and put some veggies out for him aswell. He took a piece of walnut from me through the bars. Taking treats from me doesn't seem to be a problem for him.

I chatted to him, and watched him until he disappeared again, then camped out on my chair, a recliner, next to his home. It's quite cosy. I turned off the radio and the lights, and as Maz had said, he came out and had some time on his wheel, but I didn't watch him, I didn't want to disturb his "me time." I thought red bulbs in the lights wouldn't bother him, but he obviously knows there is some light on. I think I get why they come out when it is dark and quiet, the same as in the wild where there is less chance of facing preda

 

[Maz]

It’s a bit more than coming out when there’s less chance of predators . They have very unusual eyes - it’s quite scientific - Syrian hamsters have an abundance of rods and only one cone in their eyes - as such they see better in the dark and their eyes are genetically wired to cope with low light. I will have to look up the research and link it on here as it’s very interesting. They also have certain biorhythms that can affect their general health - and make them super active at night.

So they need to be awake in the dark and asleep during the day. However, as pets, they can adjust to getting up earlier in the evening especially when they want out of cage time.

It’s why it’s usually recommended to have the lights go out around the same time every night. However I don’t think that’s a hard and fast rule because they do adjust to our routines.

I had one super active male Syrisn who would come out to free roam at about 11pm at night and would happily be up for hours , even with the lights on - he often kept me up until 3am! Although it was dim lighting. That is not common for male Syrians though - they tend to be more shy/lazy.

But he will be coming out less at night because you’re there

So once he’s been with you about two weeks, you could offer him a tube to walk into with a smelly treat at the far end (eg cucumber) when he gets up for his veg. Maybe 11pm? Or you can get them getting up earlier by having feeding time say 9pm at night. They get in a routine of getting up for food when they hear the noises - cage door opening, rustling noises and the smell of the veg.

And that’s the time you can offer a tube/taxi to take them to a playpen or the dry bathtub for some taming and socialising time

Once they get in the habit of that they usually want to come out and will always walk into a tube - you kind of train them to always walk into a tube.

Then you can have out of cage time with him maybe between 9pm and 11pm and then you have a night’s sleep and him have his wild night time wheel running session - then you can see him early in the morning for breakfast . Some hamsters are still awake at 7am and most at 6am and might even want to come out again then or you can enjoy a bit of breakfast and give him some

Having said that there is nothing wrong with what you’re doing now - except you’ll maybe end up seeing him less in the long run - either way they do well with a routine - that is kind of training them as well.

He is still very young and building in confidence . It’s sometimes not until they are a few months old that they get more active or boisterous, but they also all have their individual personalities as well - which is really nice.

There has been much debate over red lights. Hamsters can’t see the colour red. However they can still see light! They know when it’s not dark. They are virtually colour blind but apparently can see blue and green a bit.

The reason their scent marking is so important (they scent mark everything in their cage) is because they don’t see well - so they find their way around by following scent trails. And it’s why they don’t like things being moved around or changed much. Because they can’t follow their scent trails. Ideally they like everything to remain in exactly the same place. That isn’t always possible and as they get older they do accept the odd thing having to be replaced but it’s best avoided. They don’t like change in their environment.

Likewise we do need to spot clean their pee (if they don’t use a toilet) which bothers them but it can also help them get into better peeing habits (eg peeing in a litter tray!). And with spot cleaning you can go a long time without having to do a bigger clean. The key is not to clean everything at the same time. Maybe the wheel one week and anything else a different week.

Hamsters are actually very clean little things - and quite fussy. The only unhygienic thing is their pee. Some hamsters will actually chuck out a pile of soiled bedding and leave it by the cage door for you to take away! It’s a bit like - I don’t like you messing with my cage so here you are I’ve done it for you

I think you’re doing great - he is taking treats from you and even coming out and running in his wheel while you’re there. And it’s very early days.

It’s so hard when we want to interact with them and have to be patient. I think he is already getting to know you. It’s partly familiarisation and partly trust. The trust builds once you start having out of cage time and some handling.

As regards noises - they soon get used to various noises around the house so don’t worry about that - not only do they get used to them but it helps them know when you’re around. They also adjust to the tv being on (there are photos on here of hamsters watching tv . Or at least sitting looking at it.

As regards light - they are ok with dim lighting - eg lamps - they don’t like very bright lighting - you can almost see them cringe from it. Likewise photos without flash are best.

But they do need some part of each day in the dark - it’s why they sleep in the darkest place possible and come out after dark. For their biorhythms.

It’s time and patience - and one day he’ll be sitting next to you on the sofa or falling asleep on your lap. Or - if he’s a more maverick personality, he will at least sit for a stroke for 10 seconds and interact with you in different ways (looking for your approval etc).

Sometimes the shy ones are the ones that end up being the most affectionate.