Asked on the Rodent Forum by chamsrcool on 12/10/02, 4:57 pm
Q: Can a hamstir live ina 10 gallon??
I am thinking about getting a hampstir and housing it in a 10 gallon aquaruim.....is that too small?? Oh and i know the problems with serten beddings just i dont really know what to get i heard aspen and pine beddings are bad???
I was wondering since i own rabbits could i feed it rabbit pellets or stick with hampstir food???
Answered by Ruby_Rodents on 12/10/02, 5:58 pm
A: Yes, but wire's better :)
Actually, aspen is all right. It's cedar and pine you should stay away from. Paper-based beddings are good too.
A 10-gallon glass aquarium is fine for 1 Syrian hamster (they must be kept alone at all times). If you plan on going with dwarfs, it's more than enough room for a same-sex pair of those guys, but for either one, a wire cage with plastic tray bottom is even better. It provides better ventilation, is easier to clean (if you don't go with one of those annoying CritterTrail type cages that is :), and it allows the hamster(s) to climb for exercise.
Sorry, I can't help you with the rabbit question (don't know much about them), but I would imagine rabbits need a diet specifically made for their needs, not for hamsters. If you haven't already, there's a rabbit forum http://www.practical-pet-care.com/rabbit_forum.php, where you can get more accurate help about rabbit nutriton over there. :)
Answered by Holly on 12/10/02, 6:37 pm
A: Can a hamstir live ina 10 gallon??
Sticking with hamster food is your best bet, and even that really isn't the best foods for them. You could mix your own food along with the hamster mix. I have found some Hammies to be very picky and will usually only eat the seeds in their foods and hardly anything else. This provides for a very poor diet! You can add grains like oatmeal (uncooked), pasta(uncooked), low sugared cereals. They will most likely eat some of the healthier foods over the seeds. Also some veggies would be appreciated every now and then... Rabbit food is for Rabbits! It does not provide the nutrients a small hamster will need. Though they do sell hamster pellets...
Ten gallon tanks are fine for a hamster, Though they will need to be cleaned more often then a wire cage. There is very little air circulating through a glass tank, and the smells and fumes from the urine could actually make a hamster sick... Wire is better!!!
Also Aspen bedding is fine, like Ruby said, it is cedar and pine that are bad!!!
Also please do avoid some of the bedding that they sell for hamsters. They sell a cottony material that is kind of shredded up, and looks almost like a ball of string.. This is an awful product and can kill your hamster!!! It can get stuck in the pouches, in the teeth, in the throat, intestines, stomach and so on... I haven't a clue as to why they sell this stuff.. So avoid it at all costs, even if some pet store worker tells you it is just fine....
HOpe this has helped a bit,
Holly
I am thinking about getting a hampstir and housing it in a
> 10 gallon aquaruim.....is that too small?? Oh and i know
> the problems with serten beddings just i dont really know
> what to get i heard aspen and pine beddings are bad???
>
> I was wondering since i own rabbits could i feed it rabbit
> pellets or stick with hampstir food???
>
Answered by Tviokh on 12/10/02, 6:41 pm
A: Well...
Aspen bedding is fine.
It's cedar and pine that are bad.
Hamster food is also not very good for hamsters most of the time either.
From my Rodent FAQ:
First and foremost, the seed mixes sold as "hamster food" in pet stores should generally not be fed as a staple diet.
As I learned from my birds, seeds are high in fat, low in nutrition. The hamster will eventually start to pick out just his favorite seeds...usually sunflower;)...and will eat only what he likes and leave the rest.
Even mixes with pellets or other bitsin them don't do much good, because...well...why have lima beans(the good stuff) when you can have chocolate cake(the nice, fattening, good tasting seeds)? :)
My current hamster, who is now coming up on 3 years, is on a diet that consists of:
1) Teklab rodent chow (it's a lab block like Kaytee, only without the dangerous preservatives that Kaytee uses)
2) Raw(as in uncooked) whole wheat pastas. No bleached flour here; that's not even good for people.
3) Nutro dog biscuits (as treats, the 'extra crunchy' make good chew toys, are good for him, and last about 2 months per biscuit)
4) Nutro natural choice lite dog food in small amounts
5) Seed as a treat once per week or so.
6) Nuts as a treat now and again; in shell if easily cracked, shelled if too hard to crack.
7) Fresh, hard, not too watery, vegetables...like carrots, radish, beet, beans, diakon, small amounts of green leafy things(but NOT ice berg lettuce! too watery!), sprouts, etc...NOOOOO GARLIC for hamsters!
For chewing things that are also edible I give:
The nutro hard crunchers biscuits; they last for-freakin'-ever.
Nylabone EDIBLES...the ones for very small dogs; they're made of vegetable starch, and are harmless if ingested. They're also very hard, last a long time(if not soiled) and are great for the teeth.
Occasionally I indulge the fuzzball with a packed together seed stick, but not too often as those are high in sugar and fattening.
For treats:
1) YOGIES..very occasionally, but he loves them.
2) Small pieces of apple or pear
I'm sure someone here will disagree, but my last hamster made it to over 3 years of age, so something in that diet must've worked.
From my Rodent FAQ:
Cedar is toxic to small animals, as is pine.
Neither bedding should be used.
Here are some links that will provide some proof that pine and cedar are deadly.
http://www.halcyon.com/integra/warning.html
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2a.htm
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2.htm
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2b.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html
http://www.trifl.org/cedar.html
http://exoticpets.about.com/library/weekly/aa011501a.htm?once=true&
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/1999/Cook/Cook.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/cedar.html
PLEASE do not use pine or cedar in your small animal's cage!
From my Rodent FAQ:
First of all, if you'd like a good book on hamster care, I'd suggest a book called The Essential Hamster.
Disregard what the book says about pine bedding though. Pine bedding is dangerous.
For caging there are two options which I use:
1) Aquariums. If you go this route, your aquarium should be no smaller than 10 gallons. Preferrably it should be more like 15-25 gallons. I prefer wire cages over aquariums though, because wire cages provide better ventilation.
2) Wire cages. If you do these, make sure the bar spacing is narrow enough so the hamster can't get his head through it.
Avoid multi levelled cages, since hamsters have poor eyesight and almost no depth perception, and can become injured in a fall from any of the levels. http://www.martinscages.com makes great cages that would suit hamsters.
There is a third option, but I don't care for it:
Plastic cages. Some brand names: Crittertrail, Habitrail, S.A.M.
Why don't I like plastic cages?
First of all, imany come with wire grating on the floor; this can pose a potential for injury as little hamster feet can become caught. If you cage has a wire floor, remove it if possible.
Second reason: They tend to absorb the smell of the hamster's urine over time, leading to a perpetually stinky cage.
Third reason: Poor ventilation.
Fourth reason: Hamsters can easily chew through the plastic if they can get a grip on it anywhere. This poses the risk of escape, and even the risk of death if plastic is ingested.
Along those lines, safe bedding comes in to play.
Pine and Cedar are NOT safe bedding choices.
Both are toxic to small animals and should not be used. Here're a few links on that:
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2a.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
http://www.halcyon.com/integra/warning.html
http://www.cavycages.com/pine.htm
Safe bedding choices include:
Ecofresh
Carefresh
Yesterday's News
Pelleted pine/aspen
Shredded aspen
Aspen chips
Sani-chips(they're made of aspen)
Any paper based bedding
Okay, next, FOOD:
A hamster seed mix is not enough. Hamsters can pick and choose their favorites, and usually will pick out larger seeds and nuts. This does not provide anything close to complete nutrition.
My hamster gets:
Alternating days of Teklab Rodent Chow or Nutro Natural Choice Lite dog food.
Seed mix without vitamin pellets twice per week.
Fresh vegetables at least once per week.
Let's go on to handling:
Never pick a hamster up by the scruff of his neck; it's not comfortable for the hamster.
The best way to pick him up is to scoop both hands around him and lift him up in cupped hands.
Picking him up this way helps him to feel a bit safer.
Hamsters are also noctournal, so don't be surprised if he sleeps most of the day.
If you wake the hamster up during the day (I don't recommend it, I wait until late evening to play with mine), be sure to do it in a way that wont' startle him. If you startle him he may bite...very hard.
Do not allow your hamster to play on tables or counters unless you've got them blocked so he can't fall off.
Hamsters have poor eyesight and not much in the line of depth perception and will walk right off the edge of a counter or table. A fall to the floor can seriously injure or even kill a hamster, so be careful.
Syrian hamsters (golden, fancy, teddy bear, black bear, etc.. are just fancy names for "syrian") are solitary animals and do not desire, want, or need another hamster companion.
In fact, they will kill any other hamsters in their cage or play area.
The only friend a syrian wants is you, so please don't go out and get a friend if you think you aren't spending enough time with him; he won't appreciate the friend and you'll have two hamsters that you don't feel you spend enough time with. :)
I mention this because a lot of people get this idea that their hamster is 'lonely' and end up with seriously injured or dead hamsters.
Baths:
NEVER! Hamsters can easily catch a chill.
A healthy hamster is an empecible groomer, and will keep himself clean on his own.
The only reason a hamster should ever need to be bathed would be if he got into something that would be toxic for him to lick off of his fur.
If this happens and you need to bathe him, make SURE he's kept out of ANY drafts and kept warm until he's 100%% dry.
If your hamster is not grooming himself, you need to take him to the vet to find out what's wrong.
Wheels:
Wire wheels are dangerous!
Hamsters can break a leg, injure their foot, and get sprains from little feet being caught in the wire wheel.
Plastic wheels are a better option, but some hamsters will chew them to bits; if your hamster chews a plastic wheel to bits, it does run the risk of death if it ingests any of the plastic.
Wodent Wheels are possibly the safest wheel for rodents out there, so I would encourage you to check it out.
http://www.transoniq.com/
Try:
http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters.htm
For more information.
