New hamster help with set up!

[Peaches]

Hey everyone,

We recently got a syrian hamster and I've since realised the advice my husband got from pets at home wasn't the best. Our cage is far too small so I've just got the savic plaza which has just come yesterday.

But now I'm down a 'hamster' hole on the different beddings, substrates etc that I feel completely lost on what to get.
We currently only have the standard pets at home wood shaving which I know isn't really suitable. We didn't get told to get any paper style bedding so I've been giving her some ripped up toilet paper in the meantime.

Please can I have recommendations on what to put down in her cage. I've also just ordered some coco soil I think its called and beech chips for some digging boxes for her, we've just got some sand too.

Also once I re set up her cage, is it best to leave her alone again for a few days?
She is still quite skittish, although will take food from our hands and be stroked 95% of the time, but will not be held or anything yet. I feel she is quite stressed as shes bar climbing and eating plastic platform which I've now removed and added more chewing toys for her.

I never wanted the hamster as its for our 6 year old and thought there was better options as they are nocturnal etc but now I'm 100% invested and so knee deep into this little hammy that she's my new obsession and deserves to live her best hamster life.
Any advice for a newbie owner is also appreciated please

 

[Socks' Mum]

Welcome to the forum ❤ The Plaza is a good cage and will last her all of her life. Deep bedding with Fitch or Katy Clean and Cost is the best. About six to ten inches is great so that she can dig nice tunnels and a nest or two. You can be guided by the hammy. If she is out and taking food and pets it's fine to interact with her. She sounds quite a confident girl. You can keep an eye on her food intake and that she is healthy. When I first had Socks, I put up cardboard to stop him bar biting. You can also get Viking Laser perspex panels which are quite nice. I put them on the front of the cage as that where he was chewing the most. Play pen time is also a great way to help them burn energy, as well as a 11" to 12" wheel.

 

[Maz]

Hello and welcome - it sounds like you’re on the right track with everything . I was similar - our first hamster was for our 6 year old even though I knew I’d be responsible. Initially I saw it as another job but I quickly fell in love with the hamster! And realised he needed me to get things right!

Wouldn’t worry too much about the shavings temporarily. What you could do is get some Kaytee clean and cozy or fitch paper bedding and just add that as well. Gradually, as you spot clean, you’ll end up with more paper and less shavings over time. Changing all the bedding at once can stress them as their bedding and cage contents have their scent. They scent mark everything. It helps them feel secure and at home.

Fire away if you have any questions and if you want some suggestions on the catenary up, maybe add a photo of what you have now.

I get the impression you h as vent moved her into the plaza yet so there are some tips to avoid the move being stressful for them as well. I like to give them a “transition “ by letting them have a play in the new cage the day before moving - with some bedding s as nd a few new items in. She’ll explore it a bit. Even if she loves it and seems happy I think it’s still good to put them back in the old cage overnight and move things over the next day.

So when you move things over - just pop her in a pet carrier in another room and move over the bedding and any other items you’re keeping, to the new cage. It’s important to keep all the old bedding and spread it on top of the new bedding in the new cage, so ut has her scent. Also try and save any nest and hoard she has and move those over and put them in a similar place (or inside a house).

Avoid the temptation to want clean things when you move her over. It’s best not to clean anything. It’ll be fine for a couple of weeks.

Then when everything is set up in the new cage, take the old one out of the room and maybe have a bit of a clean up in that area. If they can still smell their old cage they can get upset and not settle into the new one as well.

With keeping the old bedding and not cleaning anything and trying to have x similar set up (eg house and wheel in similar layout to before) they can settle in really quickly - maybe a day or three. If it’s cold turkey they can be stressed for a couple of weeks and that can be upsetting.

But yes you’d need to leave her alone for a couple of days again after moving and then maybe start offering the odd treat through the bars and keep talking to her

After a couple of weeks you can move to some out of cage taming time unless she shows keen on coming out before then but they really need a good couple of weeks to adjust to a new cage even if they’re a bit settled after the first two or three.

During that two weeks it’s best not to change anything round, remove anything or do any cleaning. If you smell any ore you can spot clean the pee after a week or so but if you can’t smell it, don’t worry!

 

[Socks' Mum]

There is also Care Fresh which you can buy on Pets @ Home

 

[Maz]

Carefresh is an option too. Kaytee seems the most popular - it’s a nicer texture and some people find Carefresh dusty. I like fitch personally. You can get a 70litre bag that lasts for ages. It’s recycled food grade paper. The bag isn’t too big to store. If filling a savic plaza from scratch it would use a lot of the bag anyway so then it wouldn’t be a big bag to store! Even if only half filling the plaza from it it’s still not a large size to store and will last for a long time

 

[Peaches]

Thanks for the advice, I will get the bedding ordered now.

I haven't moved her yet as wanted to get everything first before moving her, I've ordered some Cork logs, more hideouts, some sprays to chew etc so wanted to get it all set up for her and then move her. I wasn't sure if to move her then do it but I think that would stress her out, that's a good idea about letting her have a little play in the new cage. I will do that.

I haven't managed to actually pick her up by hand yet, we put some food in a mug and lift her out by the mug when we've tried to have some play time with her. I feel I do alot of it when my daughter is actually in bed to try get her used to human interaction, although my daughter listens she's a typical 6 year old and gets abit excited and loud at times which I think makes the hamster a little nervous.

Her cage at the moment has her wheel, a sand bath, a hard thing to chew on - not sure what it's called, it's pretty solid and rough texture. Some other chew toys, she has a tunnel and a seasaw tunnel, a cardboard hideout with the dried carrot ontop and then a mug for another hideout which she seems to love taking the paper I've put in for her to and sleeping in that past couple days.

It's crazy how invested I am in this hamster now she's like my 3rd child!

 

[Peaches]

Sorry double post, is this the bedding?

1 x 20L Fitch Paper Pet Bedding(Out of the bag 60L)

Fitch Paper Pet Bedding 20L x 1 Bales size are 420mmx260mmx180mm Fitch Paper Pet Bedding It is very absorbent, may vary in softness and colour, our bedding is warm and is ideal for dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and many other animals. The paper is shredded into small pieces of...

www.fitchfirst.com

Do I need some type of wood also with it once all the old shavings has gone?

 

[Maz]

20 litres won't go far at all. It's only really economical if you get the 70 litre bag really. Which is this one It's about £38 with postage on top but it does last a long time.

1 x 70LTR Fitch Paper Pet Bedding

Fitch 70L Paper Pet Bedding Bales size are 500mmx440mmx330mm Fitch Pet Bedding. It is very absorbent,may vary in softness and colour, our bedding is warm and is ideal for dogs,cats,rabbits,hamsters,guinea pigs and many other animals. The paper is shredded into small pieces of about 15-20mm...

www.fitchfirst.com

Or you can get it from Amazon for about the same price (I assume delivery is only free if you have Amazon Prime).

Fitch from Amazon - affiliate link

Kaytee clean and cosy is similar. Some people prefer it as it comes compressed (ie a smaller bag) and you then fluff it all out. It doesn't go quite as far as Fitch for the same volume quoted but can be easier for storage. Amazon haven't had it in stock much recently - they do at the moment, but only 2 x 50 litre bags which seems expensive. Usually people get an 85 litre bag for about £26.

Kaytee clean and cozy - affiliate link

Porton aquapet usually sell it but they don't seem to have it either - it seems Kaytee clean and cozy is harder to get these days! It's been a while now - maybe a shipping issue (it comes from the US). Another reason I like Fitch - it's made in the Uk

So the Fitch might be the better, most economical option If you do find the Kaytee somewhere, just check it's not a scented version - there are various versions and scented things are bad for hamsters.

The smaller bales of fitch work out more expensive - they don't seem to go as far (compressed) and two smaller ones costs more than the 70 litre one.

No it doesn't need wood bedding mixed with it, it's fine on its own and holds tunnels well. But if you're moving her old bedding across anyway you could spread that on top so she has her scent. With spot cleaning, the top layer just gets spot cleaned out anyway eventually

I know exactly what you mean about her being another child She's a new baby And they need us. I think it all sounds to be going really well. It's amazing she'll even be out of the cage at all yet. How long have you had her?

There is very likely going to be a slight setback with that after a cage change, but in a couple of weeks she'll be confident, leaping around and wanting to be out most likely - once she feels at home in the new cage. I think she's going to love it.