how to pick up a nibbly hamster?

[Coderedfield47]

I've completed one half of the next step. Next I have to let the plasphere machine suck my life force out so they pay me and on the 2nd donation I get enough to go get the 40 gallon breeder. I've stressed myself over just the table part today and really want to decompress.

I set the water bottles and wheel as best as I could in his space and will let them relax. I gave him some seed and corn snacks I had in the bag of leftover rodent food as a treat for putting up with my intrusion and now I can ease off while I play WoW or something.

I'm also gonna put 50 aside every month for vet care emergencies. I'm trying. I wish I could fit some 75 gallon equivalent on that table. Its not even a question of cost but space. The table is 39 inches long by 17.5 width- just that size for a 40 gallon breeder.

 

[Maz]

A 40 gallon breeder is a great improvement for your hamster By the way, I love that he has a cosy deep bedding end at the moment.

 

[Coderedfield47]

A 40 gallon breeder is a great improvement for your hamster By the way, I love that he has a cosy deep bedding end at the moment.

He seems to like to go at the back left corner where its deepest and darkest. Its his mountain

 

[RainbowBrite]

They are great changes. It is so lovely you care so much for your hamster.

 

[Coderedfield47]

Its like tetris except the anxiety is a living thing :/

 

[RainbowBrite]

Its like tetris except the anxiety is a living thing :/

It can be very anxiety inducing to have your first hamster as you just want everything to be perfect. You will get there and once you can get the tank I think your anxiety will improve.

 

[ilguy]

If you're in the states and looking for an affordable option for an enclosure, Home Depot tends to have large storage bins at good prices. I got my massive one for $35 on a sale. Here's one that's 50 gallons for $40: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite-50-Gal-Stacker-Box-14794K03/308820153

You can get the mesh for it at Home Depot too, it goes by the term "hardware cloth". That's usually around $10-15. You can get a thing of zip ties for a couple bucks and you've got a nice bin just under your budget!

Those bins often go on sale, if you ever have the space for a big one sometimes you can nab a 95 gallon for the same price.

Here's my setup, bins are fantastic options:

Henry's Bin

Henry's big bin, almost as big as the couch it sits next to. I forget the dimensions, I think it's a 144 gallon bin? He has from 16 to 8 inches of bedding and good floor space. I also use a red light which clips on so I can see without bothering him, since hamsters have horrible color vision and...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Maz]

That storage bin looks like a good cheaper option. Annoyingly U.K. IP addresses get blocked by home depot but I googled it and it’s 39 3/4 inches by 21 and a half inches - those are maximum dimensions as it slopes in a bit so the base would easily fit on your table. It would need a meshed lid making though.

 

[Maz]

On the other hand, a glass tank also needs a lid buying which adds to the cost.

 

[ilguy]

Also, DIY toys and objects are fantastic for hamsters. My little Henry's favorite thing is a treat ball made of out toilet roll rings: Treat Ball Assault

You can do small wonders with popsicle sticks and kids glue too. Ones from the Dollar Tree are hamster safe, and it's honestly kind of fun to build stuff for them. And kids play sand is good for sand baths too, you can get a 25 lb bag at hardware stores for $4. You're loaded for life on fresh sand for your hammie.

 

[Maz]

I think a bin cage lid is something you could make yourself You can get the mesh cut to the size you want at the hardware store. Cutting the lid can be tricky - any tips anyone? I think you could get away with just using a pair of scissors. Some people use a hot knife. Then you just punch holes for the cable ties to hold the mesh on (the mesh edges go on the outside). I believe some people just use strong duct tape on the outside rather than cable ties which would be easier.

 

[ilguy]

I think a bin cage lid is something you could make yourself You can vet the mesh cut to the size you want at the hardware store. Cutting the lid can be tricky - any tips anyone? I think you could get away with just using a pair of scissors. Some people use a hot knife. Then you just punch holes for the cable ties to hold the mesh on (the mesh edges go on the outside). I believe some people just use strong duct tape on the outside rather than cable ties which would be easier.

A box cutter works great on the lid, which you can get for $2.50 at Home Depot too. Scissors will do for that & the mesh, it will just take some elbow grease to get your initial hole in the lid if you're using scissors.

You can use duct tape Maz, but I would recommend zip ties first to keep the mesh from curling up initially (it comes in a roll). It can be gently bent to whatever shape you need, but has a tendency to try to curl the first couple of days. Duct tape over where the mesh meets the plastic would be good, I had a hot glue gun at my disposal.

I should have been more in-depth with the construction, sorry for all the posts. But bins are so great, even with a huge budget I will always go with them. They have upsides over tanks, don't have to worry about any shattering when moving them. And they're easy to modify.

Box Cutter

 

[Coderedfield47]

Did someone say this set had a dangerous item? which is it so I can throw it away

 

[RainbowBrite]

It could be the bendy bridges. They often have gaps which is dangerous. You can glue bedding in the gaps to make them safe. Elmers glue is a safe glue to use.

 

[Maz]

It could be the bendy stick bridges - they are safe but often have gaps a foot can get caught in but the gaps can be stuffed with bedding as mentioned above. The log with holes in may be a risk if the holes aren’t big enough - they need to be about 5cm diameter. 4cm absolute minimum. If they are smaller then it might only be suitable for a Roborovski hamster.

 

[Coderedfield47]

It could be the bendy bridges. They often have gaps which is dangerous. You can glue bedding in the gaps to make them safe. Elmers glue is a safe glue to use.

I threw the dangerous log away. he has the wood chew toys and carrot chew tho which he likes.

Today he seems to got over his pooping anxiety as I just cleaned out a lot of it after not seeing any for a while.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I threw the dangerous log away. he has the wood chew toys and carrot chew tho which he likes.

Today he seems to got over his pooping anxiety as I just cleaned out a lot of it after not seeing any for a while.

Sounds like he is settling in well.