I am going to do a search on where to buy linseeds and hemp seeds. I understand your routine with feed so I will do that also. Also the Syrain seems to be the only one who hordes the others I cant find their hordes if they even have one and I clean their cages top to bottom every week. Thank you for the advise and are you located in the UK or the USA or some other country?
Okay confused here. I found this food and it says pellets yet when you look at the contents is seed mix not pellets? I went back and the store that had Hazel Hamster is out of it but as I said I found this and not sure it is what you all think I should give once I finish what they have on handOk he's a russian dwarf hamsterNot a chinese - so doesn't need to climb. Unfortunately Russian Dwarf hamsters can have a bit of a reputation for being bitey. It varies, and yes your daughter is doing a great job of taming him. If he still bites then she could wear gloves (something like suede or gardening gloves) and hopefully when he is more used to it the biting will stop. @Doodleham on here does that.
The Hazel Hamster you linked is fine. However it is better for Syrians than dwarf hamsters. It has some large-ish pieces which are good for Syrians. You can technically give it to dwarf hamsters as well, but ideally a dwarf specific mix is better for dwarf hamsters. But there aren't any commercial dwarf specific mixes in the US without sending off for some from Germany I believe. The Higgins Vita Garden would have smaller pieces so would be better for dwarf hamsters, and also suitable for Syrians, but if it's easier to get the Hazel Hamster then they could all have it. And what you could do for the dwarf hamsters, is give them some extras - they like small seeds - so you could get some linseeds and hemp seeds and mix them and put a pinch of those out daily on a separate dish. They are also healthy seeds for immunity and fur condition. They are fine for Syrians as well. I tend to give the linseeds and hemp seeds to older syrians or ones with health conditions, but your Syrian could have them as well just for general health, but not essential.
Socks Mum is right that string is bad for hamsters to chew, but it looks like the nice hanging chew/boredom breaker you have is sisal string, and that is ok. So I wouldn't remove it just yet. Is it a kind of rough hairy string?
Of the other items you linked.
The first one - no. Those hamster toys have chains and aren't very safe or anything a hamster would actually use
Second one - the platforms - as with all wood hamster items you need to know what would it is. I think it just says "hamster safe wood" - that isn't good enough as "wood" could be anything. It needs to say pine wood or birch wood or whatever. They might be ok but I wouldn't rely on it. Also with platforms you need to check the leg length - that's the tricky bit, finding one the right height. To answer the question, platforms are perfectly safe - as long as they are not too high. No more than 2" above the substrate level. Even an inch above substrate level is ok because there is still a gap for them to burrow under or you could lower the bedding a bit under the platform
Third one - bendy stick bridges. These can be useful as ramps but can have little gaps in where hamsters feet can get trapped so people stuff moss or tissue paper in any gaps. So that is a possibility, but there are some smooth ones that are safer and don't have gaps. Linked below - most of the Niteangel items are safe.
This is a nice one for dwarf hamsters - its both a ramp and a hide - but it's too small for Syrians
This is also a useful little ramp for either dwarf or syrian hamsters and some people use it for access in and out of a sand bath as it's steeper on one side and longer and shallower on the other. By the way do they have sand baths? Hamsters do benefit from a sand bath in the cage all the time, and also sometimes use it as a toilet and then you can just use a small sieve and sift out the wet patch!
This is the smooth bendy stick bridge without gaps.
However Niteangel stuff can get quite expensive to buy - not all of these are essential.
A page of Niteangel hamster safe items
The sprays are fine. I would probably go with the Bucatstate selection as it has flax in and dwarf hammies seem to love nibbling the flax!
Forget about the climbing
They can all have the Higgins Vita Garden if you get that
But just noticed you said you clean their cages out every week. That isn't necessary and a full cage clean can really cause some stress and behavioural issues. Partial cleans are better - as in don't clean everything at the same time. I've added our cage cleaning tips article below It may be the dwarf hamsters will start hoarding once they have settled in. They might still be a bit disorientated, depending on how long you've had them.
www.thehamsterforum.com
Oh not every week okay. I will go read your link now.They can all have the Higgins Vita Garden if you get that
Hamster cage cleaning
Tips on how to clean your hamster cage and avoid causing stress to your hamster. It's best to have plenty of depth of substrate and mainly spot clean your hamster cage. Avoid disturbing your hamster's nest and hoard.
Oh your not in the US sorry. Seems the UK has more stuff for hamsters then the USA does. I will go look at amazon for both seeds. Now if I find them do I get both and give both each night as treats or a couple of times a week? The flax seeds should they be out of their shells (milled) or in their shells?
Oh waffles is so darn cute! He looks like Mr. Po Po the nippy brat! I will have my daughter try the gloves perhaps garden gloves as we live in Florida so no snow here lol. Thank you and is he a dwarf? I was wondering if you can tell what Mr. Po Po is?
Almost certainly a hybrid russian dwarf. There are two species of Russian Dwarf - winter whites and campbells, but virtually all the ones from rescues and pet shops will be hybrids of the two species, as they were interbred over many decades. There is only one breeder of pedigree winter whites in the US and I believe no pedigree Campbells breeders either. There are hardly any Campbells breeders in the Uk either. So he will have aspects of both species The main difference is eye shape and ear shape so the one that looks chinese to you probably has Campbells shaped eyes which are more almond shaped, and the winter white eyes are rounded.Okay I think I may have confused you up sorry. Mr. Po Po is in the previous pictures I posted. The one I thought was a Chinese (Ki Master) due to the person giving me him said it was Chinese is this one now. I was asking you before if Mr. Po Po was also a Russian? This is Ki Master and my daughter said with his red eyes he's an albino. Is he a Russian like Mr. Po Po? Do I have 2 Russians who dont look alike? Thank youYes Mr PoPo is a Russian dwarf hamster
The size of the dorsal stripe is thinner on a campbells and thicker/wider on a winter white. So a hybrid russian could have Campbells eyes, a winter white dorsal stripe and either campbells or winter white ears and nose shape
They can be prone to diabetes from the Campbells genes, but not all of them will be prone to it, and there's no way of telling, so that's why it's advised to give a sugar free diet, to help prevent any potential onset. Giving them a small parsley leaf once a week helps prevent diabetes as well.
Red eyes is a normal genetic thing depending on which colour the dwarf hamster is, so the hamster isn't albino Thanks for clearing that up. I will go and buy parsley leaves tomorrow to start giving them each week. The Syrian I take it doesn't need one right? Also I am ordering the Higgins Vita Garden since you all recommend it in here and said it doesn't contain sugar so I will feed it to all 3 hamsters when they finish their current mix. I am also careful not to give fruit due to sugar content I hope they wont miss the watermelon they used to get once a week. I am trying to be careful on their bag treats but its kind of hard when some don't mention sugar so I wont buy them after they finish what I already have here. I think once I get all the do's and don't down and apply them it should get easier but for now I am so worried I've been doing it wrong for a while. Ignorance is so bliss then you get hit with reality and man its hard. ThanksThey are both russian dwarf hamsters
Some Syrian hamsters have red eyes as well depending on the genetics. Cinnamon colour Syrians all have red eyes. Cream Syrian hamsters can have either red or black eyes. It's all about dominant and recessive genes
Ki Master looks like he might be Apricot and they do have red eyes
An albino hamster would be white with pink ears, pink nose and red eyes. But red eyes in other colourways is a normal genetic thing. Whereas red eyes in albinos is lack of pigmentation.
Not sure about even the amazon ones say hay. The ones I see here in the USA are bagged as
I will go back and search for Hazel Hamster food then. Oh do you have Chewy in the UK it's a online store for animal supplies. Chewy.com The spray I found that you liked on Amazon from Visit the BUCATSTATE Store I will be getting then it has 60 pieces of 【Rich Natural Ingredients for Safety and Fun】Crafted with over 10 natural ingredients—including reeds, wheat, rice stalks, rabbit tail grass, wild oats, purple forget-me-nots, glutinous millet, red sorghum, Gypsophila, Small Reed，and millet—this blend contains no additives or artificial fragrances. It offers a safe and chewable material for small pets, while diverse shapes and textures stimulate their natural instincts to explore and play. no flax so I will keep looking for flax ones.Hmm - I am wondering if they have changed it then. It didn't used to have hay in the ingredients. Also sorry I didn't realise that was a uk link I added. If you haven't already bought it, I would go with the Hazel Hamster then. They can all have it. And if they have sprays as well then you maybe don't need to give extra small seeds. It's not that the pieces are too big in Harry/Hazel Hamster for dwarf hammies - they aren't - they will eat it fine - its just specific dwarf mixes have a lot of small seeds which they enjoy. However with sprays (millet and flax) to forage on as well, I think it'll be fine. They particularly love flax sprays
I was wondering what you thought of this brand and the block (Sun Seed Vita Prima Dwarf Hamster Food) or Sun Seed Vita Prima Hamster & Gerbil Food and their block Sunseed Vita Prima Critter Cubes Rat, Mouse, Gerbil & Hamster Food. My daughter's fan feeds his hamsters it and he has Syrians and Dwarfs. His has lived till 5 yrs old in the past on it.Hmm - I am wondering if they have changed it then. It didn't used to have hay in the ingredients. Also sorry I didn't realise that was a uk link I added. If you haven't already bought it, I would go with the Hazel Hamster then. They can all have it. And if they have sprays as well then you maybe don't need to give extra small seeds. It's not that the pieces are too big in Harry/Hazel Hamster for dwarf hammies - they aren't - they will eat it fine - its just specific dwarf mixes have a lot of small seeds which they enjoy. However with sprays (millet and flax) to forage on as well, I think it'll be fine. They particularly love flax sprays
Yes Waffles is a Russian dwarf (probably a dwarf hybrid). She's totally wild, but such a character. Mr po po is adorable. As Maz said yes he's a Russian dwarf too.
Have you heard of Robin's Gourmet Food? A fan of my daughter's channel said he's been feeding his dwarfs and Syrians this food so extra things like blocks are not needed. https://robinsgourmetfood.com/produ...dwarf-hamster-food-mix?variant=51074389344424
