Hamster, newbie questions, please help

dustinjames

would this be useable on a dwarf hamster?
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=742&pf_id=8600

Miiri

No! Definately not... Harness's for such a small creature are cruel - I wish they'd ban these things

dustinjames

why are they cruel?
are they not cruel for dogs?
its the same thing as holding a childs hand isnt it? horse has similar thing when horse riding.

bethie

this would be better.


http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=446&pf_id=55293

pyrorus

dustinjames wrote: »

im almost ready now! got the cage and all the bits and bobs.
thanks to everyone here for the help....once i have bought the dwarf, im sure ill be back here
reading again and asking some more q's.

anyone have any experience of using pets at home adoption service?
would a hamster from this be a previously sick/ill one or an older one?

Firstly I get all my pets stuff from Pets at home and never had any problems. As for the animals I have had rabbits, hamsters allsorts from there and never had a problem, My last hamster from Pets at home lived to the ripe old age of 8 years old.

As for the adoptions at Pets at home, Read why the animal is up for adoption, some and another poster said are timid or have issues and need a more trained owner, however, some are just the last one in the shop, if a cage at pets at home gets down to just one hamster they will usually move it to the adoption so they can put new stock into the display cages, (as they cannot mix new and old as they will fight) in this case there would be no difference to buying one from the display cages.

As for how old they are depends on why its up for adoption. if someone can no longer handle the animal then it could be a lot older, but as I already said some are just left over stock from the shops.

I noticed you said your looking at dwarf hamsters, A couple of things spring to mind.

1/ your cages are second hand - are they suitable for dwarf hamsters, dwarf hamsters and mice can fit through the bars of some cages, you need to have the close together bars or plastic tanks.

2/ As its your first pet stay away from roborovski hamsters, they are small and cute but also faster than bullets. If you put in roborovski hamster in to youtube you will see videos of what I mean.

One last bit of advice, from my experience male hamsters tend to be more friendly than females (but both will nip if in the right mood lol)

pyrorus

bethie wrote: »

this would be better.


http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=446&pf_id=55293

The dragster car ones are good as they have a track so you can leave your doors open on hot days without worrying about them running off down the street lol.

dustinjames

thanks pyrorus, and others.

yes i had a second hand cage but discovered later it was only suitable for bigger hamsters.
now ive got a dwarf specific cage with narrow wiring, i will take it to pet shop to confirm if its suitable also, before buying
the dwarf hamster.

yes i think ill leave the adoption, i havnt seen it at my local pets at home anyway.

would wearing leather gloves or rubber washing up gloves be ok when holding/handling the hamster?

THere only seems to be winter whites in pet shops ive been too.
One pet shop said this is better for me anyway as cambells are more
agressive.

shall i get the youngest possible hamster? how old? 12 weeks or younger?

pets at home told me one dwarf hamster is best option, rather than two.
ok?

i have softwood shavings & Wood shavings.... i will try them both, one after the other...for the bedding.

i also have intershred comfibed natural fibres "bedding and nesting", it says place a handful in cage.....
so i would place woodshavings and then a handful of this nesting stuff in corner? or in the little hut/house?

and i have linkpet original hamster food.... and wagg hamster munch....food.
both packs say "complimentary food".....so this means what exactly? that it shouldnt be fed to hamster daily? only sometimes????
Would this food be suitable for a dwarf hamster?

or do i need to buy specialist dwarf hamster food???

Am i ready to buy hamster?

please tell me if im missing anything.

i have cage, wheel, food bowl, bedding, toy, water bottle.

thankyou

Person_one

dustinjames wrote: »

Am i ready to buy hamster?

No..................

mj132

pets at home adoption service usually has animals who people no longer want. They are generally older but you have to think there might be a reason why someone no longer wants this animal!

Person_one

mj132 wrote: »

pets at home adoption service usually has animals who people no longer want. They are generally older but you have to think there might be a reason why someone no longer wants this animal!

The fault is usually with the human to be honest, we're lazy and we don't keep the commitments we make to our animals.