Hamsters: advice required
- Thread starter pinkbunny
- Start date
Hi Pink Bunny, I used to have 2 winter whites too. You can just buy the normal type of pine wood shavings (not sawdust) or the Japanese brand ones (if you're feeling rich!). Some pet shops use compressed pine/paper chips which are more expensive. You can ask about them too. But I used pine wood shavings.
For food, my hamsters loved the Japanese brand with the cartoon hamster picture (sorry can't recall the brand). It has pieces of freeze-dried fruit, vege and sun flower seeds. Hamsters can eat fresh fruit like apples and fresh lettuce/carrot too (make sure you rinse with water 1st) but dun feed them cabbage. Just visit a pet shop and you should be able to find more products and advice.
PS: If your hamsters are female, make sure you separate them when they grow older cos they may fight. Females are more aggressive.
For food, my hamsters loved the Japanese brand with the cartoon hamster picture (sorry can't recall the brand). It has pieces of freeze-dried fruit, vege and sun flower seeds. Hamsters can eat fresh fruit like apples and fresh lettuce/carrot too (make sure you rinse with water 1st) but dun feed them cabbage. Just visit a pet shop and you should be able to find more products and advice.
PS: If your hamsters are female, make sure you separate them when they grow older cos they may fight. Females are more aggressive.
goooogal
thanks for the advice
i'm wondering if i should get 2 males (but i hear they'll be terrirotial) or 2 females, or one each (then they'll mate like crazy and i'll have to open a zoo!)
i used to have 2 small hammies too. i think they were dwarf. always sitting down and eating kueh chee. sooooo cute!
thanks for the advice
i used to have 2 small hammies too. i think they were dwarf. always sitting down and eating kueh chee. sooooo cute!
chillipadi25
New Member
hi ladies, i am also a hamster lover and had been keeping mice for quite a while. Currently, i owned one winter white and simply adore him (planning to have another one soon)....esp when he is eating or sleeping
Pinkbunny - hammies are advisable to keep 1 per cage. They are territorial creaturs and are ok to live alone. Of cos as a responsible owner, you can also interact with ur pet from young so that it can get accustome to you and they will not feel so lonely.
Edna - Believe ur species is Robo? Had owned a few robos in the past and had stopped keeping them as they tend to shed their fur when they get old...they will keep shedding til they lost all and die...which i get so upset about. Initially tot they are suffering from mites attack, so went to disinfect cage and buy sprays and so on. But well, get to know a few of my friends who are owning Robo got through the same misery... sigh
Pinkbunny - hammies are advisable to keep 1 per cage. They are territorial creaturs and are ok to live alone. Of cos as a responsible owner, you can also interact with ur pet from young so that it can get accustome to you and they will not feel so lonely.
Edna - Believe ur species is Robo? Had owned a few robos in the past and had stopped keeping them as they tend to shed their fur when they get old...they will keep shedding til they lost all and die...which i get so upset about. Initially tot they are suffering from mites attack, so went to disinfect cage and buy sprays and so on. But well, get to know a few of my friends who are owning Robo got through the same misery... sigh
hi jingles,
seems like you're the hammie advisor now! keke. wah one per cage? cannot afford to have 2 cages leh. unles they have like semi detached house kind? i bought the closed up kind. when i housed my old dwarfs in the normal metal kind, they felt cold even though the aircon was not on. towards the end they were always shivering. so poor thing
yup, better to have them from young i think. so that they feel comfy with you too.
so cute the way you talk about hammies "i owned one winter white and simply adore him ... planning to have another one soon". sounds like you're talking about babies! keke
seems like you're the hammie advisor now! keke. wah one per cage? cannot afford to have 2 cages leh. unles they have like semi detached house kind? i bought the closed up kind. when i housed my old dwarfs in the normal metal kind, they felt cold even though the aircon was not on. towards the end they were always shivering. so poor thing
yup, better to have them from young i think. so that they feel comfy with you too.
so cute the way you talk about hammies "i owned one winter white and simply adore him ... planning to have another one soon". sounds like you're talking about babies! keke
chillipadi25
New Member
yeah lor pink bunny!!!! they are really my babies aka sons leh....they have very emperor treatment from me...hehehe till my friends/family members think i am mad! but when u see them - ur heart will melt. Hey u wanna see them? give me your email and i will send to you
my suggestion is to buy them those kind of pink shredded scented paper and u can put some inside the cage so that they can huddle if it is cold. Yes, it is best 1 per cage, if not fight lar, mate lar...etc etc...lots of headache.
my suggestion is to buy them those kind of pink shredded scented paper and u can put some inside the cage so that they can huddle if it is cold. Yes, it is best 1 per cage, if not fight lar, mate lar...etc etc...lots of headache.
Hi Jingles,
i dunno if it's a robo, becos he was abandoned. he was running around the lift lobby at my blk when i found him. couldnt bear to leave him on his own, so i adopted him.
but what u described was exactly what happened to my the other hamster (also abandoned).
now i'm seeing the same thg happening to this one. heart pain...
can tell he's aging, cos he isnt as active, seems to be losing his sight too.
i dunno if it's a robo, becos he was abandoned. he was running around the lift lobby at my blk when i found him. couldnt bear to leave him on his own, so i adopted him.
but what u described was exactly what happened to my the other hamster (also abandoned).
now i'm seeing the same thg happening to this one. heart pain...
can tell he's aging, cos he isnt as active, seems to be losing his sight too.
jingles - yes please i want to see! [email protected]
wah if put one per cage then i will puo chan (go broke) very fast. basket, hammies also want bungalow. that's singapore for you!!
edna
so poor thing... abandoned hammie?
girls
thought this might be the best place to share this. last night a colleague told me that she was worried something was wrong with her hammie cos below the stomach was very swollen and it happened every night so she brought him to the vet. vet laughed and said 'nothing wrong with your hamster, it's just horny!' hahaha. laugh until peng!
wah if put one per cage then i will puo chan (go broke) very fast. basket, hammies also want bungalow. that's singapore for you!!
edna
so poor thing... abandoned hammie?
girls
thought this might be the best place to share this. last night a colleague told me that she was worried something was wrong with her hammie cos below the stomach was very swollen and it happened every night so she brought him to the vet. vet laughed and said 'nothing wrong with your hamster, it's just horny!' hahaha. laugh until peng!
hi Pink Bunny
hehe i used 2 haf hammies..both winters n dwarves..but dat was a few years back
i started wif 2..1 male 1 female...n they were soooo cute leh..we actually put them in a fish tank when they were young..but all along the female is the more agressive n more so when she became an adult then finally she got preggie n i oso din noe..but i saw her very bz 1 day carrying all the shavings into the playhouse until so full then realise she was gonna gif birth..wah i waited n kept looking into the tank a few hours leh..n can feel she very uncomfy oso..but she still walked ard alot..then finally she pop pop pop..1 by 1 the 6 babies machiam liu lian dropping everywhere lol the mummy was sweet..picked up all of them 1 by 1 into the house n rest very near them 4 the next few days n the daddy machiam guarding the house kekeke
who noes 1 day hor less than 1 mth..i hear tiny squeals coming outta tank n took a peep inside the playhouse...wahh got 4 babies!!! hahaha got a shock leh!..10 babies in 1 mth........! then i separated the daddy from every1 coz he kept wanting 2 jugu jugu the mummy hahaha
hehe i used 2 haf hammies..both winters n dwarves..but dat was a few years back
i started wif 2..1 male 1 female...n they were soooo cute leh..we actually put them in a fish tank when they were young..but all along the female is the more agressive n more so when she became an adult then finally she got preggie n i oso din noe..but i saw her very bz 1 day carrying all the shavings into the playhouse until so full then realise she was gonna gif birth..wah i waited n kept looking into the tank a few hours leh..n can feel she very uncomfy oso..but she still walked ard alot..then finally she pop pop pop..1 by 1 the 6 babies machiam liu lian dropping everywhere lol the mummy was sweet..picked up all of them 1 by 1 into the house n rest very near them 4 the next few days n the daddy machiam guarding the house kekeke
who noes 1 day hor less than 1 mth..i hear tiny squeals coming outta tank n took a peep inside the playhouse...wahh got 4 babies!!! hahaha got a shock leh!..10 babies in 1 mth........! then i separated the daddy from every1 coz he kept wanting 2 jugu jugu the mummy hahaha
chillipadi25
New Member
hey dotty - i agree lar they are very "active" creatures...so if u are not ready to receive newborns freq, best is not to put them together. Infact once my hubby owned a couple, the female look so tired - as after giving birth, the male didnt give it a rest and want "it" again.....causing her to give birth without adequate rest. Hence after that, we seperate these couple lor (by way dotty - think we spoke before in some punggol thread right
)
pink bunny - u got mail!
edna - i fully understand how u feel....the remorse and pain i feel when my hammies lost fur. Not everyone can feel it too...i feel so sad and even sadder when they lost all and died...aiyah now typing this also feel so sad..anyway retribution to those who abandon pets! They should know tat such small animals cant survive on their own...
pink bunny - u got mail!
edna - i fully understand how u feel....the remorse and pain i feel when my hammies lost fur. Not everyone can feel it too...i feel so sad and even sadder when they lost all and died...aiyah now typing this also feel so sad..anyway retribution to those who abandon pets! They should know tat such small animals cant survive on their own...
jingles- thanks dear. got your mail but cannot see in office. IT very strict :S will view at home!
serene - they're SOOOOOOOOO cute! so funny the way you describe the birth process! eeek my hubby said 'if you want to buy 1 male and 1 female, then we also buy a snake ok?'. tao yan!!!!
girls - scientifically proven that pets help lower blood pressure leh!
serene - they're SOOOOOOOOO cute! so funny the way you describe the birth process! eeek my hubby said 'if you want to buy 1 male and 1 female, then we also buy a snake ok?'. tao yan!!!!
girls - scientifically proven that pets help lower blood pressure leh!
chillipadi25
New Member
chillipadi25
New Member
pinkbunny - heheeh i had specifically attach one out here so u can view
the rest u can slowly enjoy seeing at home. Yes, i had also read somewhere that by rearing pets that u can touch and feel (eg. not fish) it will reduce ur stress level hence blood pressure
chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - so far.... i had many hamsters lor...but mainly they have cantonese names (due to my dialect group
) but the one u see here is call Lok Lok is in LeLe (in chinese) - previously there is 2 mice i called har gow and siew mai (dim sums) kekeke ....A word of caution though...careful when u adopt cos u may never know if they are sick lar, pregnant lar...etc etc...
chillipadi25
New Member
dotty - hehehe so far for me...i dont keep mice with red eyes as they look a bit weird to me...My this LokLok is quite sweet and tame other than not disturbing it when it is sleeping or eating...he is quite sweet
Had quit keeping females for a long time as found them to be more temperamental than males..plus they tend to give me surprises (few weeks later, they will pop out kids liao..must have conceive while in the pet shop)
Had quit keeping females for a long time as found them to be more temperamental than males..plus they tend to give me surprises (few weeks later, they will pop out kids liao..must have conceive while in the pet shop)
Hi jingles, your hammie is v cute. I had a sapphire winter white and a pearl one. I loved my pearl one more cos she's more tame and friendly. The sapphire one was quite aggressive and fierce. I eventually had to house them separately when they were older cos they would fight for food and even the toilet till they bled and shed fur!
Unfortunately my hammies both died about 2 yrs ago. Both lived for about 3 yrs. I decided I'll not keep pets that have such short lifespans. It's really sad when they die...
I buried them in a grass patch downstairs.
Anyway, Pink Bunny, I can sell you a cage cheaply if you need to house one of your hammies separately. I have 2 different types of cages, one is like a plastic tank (blue, single story), while the other is a pink double story "metal wire" cage. Both come with running wheels and toilet. the plastic one is more ex lah...I still have wood shavings too I think, which you can have for free.
Unfortunately my hammies both died about 2 yrs ago. Both lived for about 3 yrs. I decided I'll not keep pets that have such short lifespans. It's really sad when they die...
Anyway, Pink Bunny, I can sell you a cage cheaply if you need to house one of your hammies separately. I have 2 different types of cages, one is like a plastic tank (blue, single story), while the other is a pink double story "metal wire" cage. Both come with running wheels and toilet. the plastic one is more ex lah...I still have wood shavings too I think, which you can have for free.
Edna, I read that dwarf breed hammies (robo, winter whites and the chinese species) tend to develop tumours (cancer) when they age. One of my hammies died from this cause. It's nothing we can do to help
It's in their genes. My fren's sis tried to bring her hammie to the vet to cure the tumour but the vet said it's not worth to do so > . < The treatment cost more than the hammie!!! Argh... I think a life is a life esp if it's your pet. Heartless vet. Anyway, I think all hammie owners should be mentally prepared for the inevitable when their hammies pass the 2-yr mark...
chillipadi25
New Member
goooogal - thanks thanks! he is my pride and joy
(ermmm think some ple over here may be thinking i am overboard) this morning before i left for work he is still sleeping upside down and munching nuts... so sweet. Unfortunately, when they die, i cant handle it well too, though i did not shed any tears, but i feel really miserable and sad
however, after consulting sessions with hubby, what he say is quite true. Ultimately, they will go to heaven too...for all u know they have a pasture reserved only for hammies..kekeke also i tend to think, all these small creatures had short life span, and if during these years, if they fall under good hands, it is also some kind of fu qi for them. Rather than landing under some small kids' hands, and they will mistreat and torture them. So with this mindset, i wanna continue keeping them, to help these small creatures out, giving them the best i could, so they could enjoy life!
chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - yah lor...i always give creative names to my pets...hey beside pets, do you ladies keep anything else?
No prob Pink Bunny!
Jingles, I used to have 2 chickens (1 rooster & 1 hen) but the hen was caught by the neighbourhood cat and the rooster given away
. That was when I was a kid. I also had hamsters, goldfish and 2 rabbits throughout my childhood. After my winterwhite hammies died, I adopted a fat and adorable cat!
Jingles, I used to have 2 chickens (1 rooster & 1 hen) but the hen was caught by the neighbourhood cat and the rooster given away
. That was when I was a kid. I also had hamsters, goldfish and 2 rabbits throughout my childhood. After my winterwhite hammies died, I adopted a fat and adorable cat! jingles - yes i keep a husband also hahahahaha!!!!
i had 2 tortoises/turtles as a kid. then they died one after another and we flushed them down the toilet
then my younger siblings also had tortoises/turtles. 4 in total i think. 2 jumped down from our house (different houses, both 10th floor), 1 became blind, and the last one finally got released into the wild.
i think no more tortoises for my family is a good idea!
i had 2 tortoises/turtles as a kid. then they died one after another and we flushed them down the toilet
then my younger siblings also had tortoises/turtles. 4 in total i think. 2 jumped down from our house (different houses, both 10th floor), 1 became blind, and the last one finally got released into the wild.
i think no more tortoises for my family is a good idea!
oh a funny story about a friend - he used to keep a pet chicken as a kid. then one day he came home and there was a chicken dish and he said 'eh ah ma, why this chicken so skinny one?' and then he realised it was his PET that she cooked.... she didn't know he was keeping it as a pet. thought he was fattening it up for a meal
Hi Pink Bunny, that's so sad... I cried when my grandma gave the rooster to a friend. She was really going to cook it. Cos the rooster became depressed after the hen was snatched so it crowed everyday for long periods. I think the neighbours complained so had to give it up.
Edna, your hammie is not the drawf breed then, could be Syrian. Show us a picture?
Edna, your hammie is not the drawf breed then, could be Syrian. Show us a picture?
chillipadi25
New Member
edna - yeah lar why not take a pic to share with us?
pink bunny - very sad leh...last time my MIL kept a pig.. and when she went to school her mum took it to slaughter house to cook....imagine how sad she was. Still shed tears when she relate this story to me...wah lao think i will go crazy if my mum took my pets to cook!!
pink bunny - very sad leh...last time my MIL kept a pig.. and when she went to school her mum took it to slaughter house to cook....imagine how sad she was. Still shed tears when she relate this story to me...wah lao think i will go crazy if my mum took my pets to cook!!
girls, i'm a mummy! we adopted a hammie today. he's a charcoal winter white (so strange hor?). he was so scared when they took him out of his cage at the petshp that he screeched. i was scared at that point in time. then we walked home with him in a cardboard box and he was so scared that he did his business in the box. i really felt sorry for him. but now AH HUAT seems to be right at home messing up his new living area. tried to snap photos of him to show you girls but he kept trying to hide from me. kuai lan, like his mum! keke
goooogal - i think i'll pass on the cage for now. one hammie seems to be quite enough for now!
goooogal - i think i'll pass on the cage for now. one hammie seems to be quite enough for now!
chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - hehehehe his name is called ah huat?? cute name.
by way just check with u - is this a mixed breed and his arms are slightly longer than other hamsters. Used to own one and always squeak when i picked him up too. And he used to drink alot of water too - for a pet of his size.. BUT he didnt live long too leh...wonder if he kanna any diabetes disease or not...cos compared to rest of my hamsters he had e shortest and most restless lifespan
hey ladies, do u know i fed my hammie butter cake 2 days ago..that is one of his fav food...the other one is oat bread..hehehe
hey ladies, do u know i fed my hammie butter cake 2 days ago..that is one of his fav food...the other one is oat bread..hehehe
hi jingles, bought ah huat (yes that's his name!) from pet lovers central in holland village. not sure if he's mixed. the pet shop claims he's a winter white. arms not sure, go home i'll check!
i haven't tried picking him up yet. slowly la. yesterday night he let me touch him, i happy already.
today will buy a little something for him to chew on since his cage is the plastic kind. husband says we should get him a bigger one (he's thinking MANSION) cos this one looks cramped. quite the loving daddy! keke.
wah you let your hammie eat butter cake? ho mia leh! keke. i'll let ah huat settle in first then start feeding him nonsense. last night he was making a big mess of his house. everything all over the place.
there's a little 'toy' that's a tv. it's damn funny when they crawl into it. now we have hammie channel at home too!
goooogal, i might have to take you up on the cage after all. can send me pic? i'd like a plastic one... don't like the metal ones. scared they get cold (that's what happen to my ex-hammies).
i haven't tried picking him up yet. slowly la. yesterday night he let me touch him, i happy already.
today will buy a little something for him to chew on since his cage is the plastic kind. husband says we should get him a bigger one (he's thinking MANSION) cos this one looks cramped. quite the loving daddy! keke.
wah you let your hammie eat butter cake? ho mia leh! keke. i'll let ah huat settle in first then start feeding him nonsense. last night he was making a big mess of his house. everything all over the place.
there's a little 'toy' that's a tv. it's damn funny when they crawl into it. now we have hammie channel at home too!
goooogal, i might have to take you up on the cage after all. can send me pic? i'd like a plastic one... don't like the metal ones. scared they get cold (that's what happen to my ex-hammies).
Hi Pink Bunny, sure no prob..I'll try to take the pic today. Can you give me your email add to send to?
Jingles, I dun think hammies have mix breed one leh... they just dun mate with other species except their own kind.. Maybe that one with longer arms could be born with a defect? If a hammie doesn't seem to behave like the rest (eg constantly jittery, shivering, etc), it could be sick.
Btw, my fren once told me that a vet said some hammies can do back flips. It may be very fun to watch but actually the hammie is suffering from some kind of nervous ailment. It will normally die after displaying this "symptom"...so sad
Jingles, I dun think hammies have mix breed one leh... they just dun mate with other species except their own kind.. Maybe that one with longer arms could be born with a defect? If a hammie doesn't seem to behave like the rest (eg constantly jittery, shivering, etc), it could be sick.
Btw, my fren once told me that a vet said some hammies can do back flips. It may be very fun to watch but actually the hammie is suffering from some kind of nervous ailment.
It will normally die after displaying this "symptom"...so sad
hi goooogal, send to [email protected] ok? thanks babe! btw yours is a plastic cage right?
thanks babe! btw yours is a plastic cage right?chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - let me know too if u wanna view my cage. Had a spare cage if u want to see it too - include wheel bottle sand box and etc..
gooogal - wah back flip?!?!?! acrobatic leh...first time i know hammies can do that - but i will pray that mine will never be able to do that since u say they will not live long after doing the flip.
gooogal - wah back flip?!?!?! acrobatic leh...first time i know hammies can do that - but i will pray that mine will never be able to do that since u say they will not live long after doing the flip.
chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - forget to let u know my hammies lie on cat litter. Pine kind...they are easier to maintain and healthier for the pets so claim the pet shops owners...
wah... suddenly all become cage sellers? keke. oh jingles, i also bought cat litter for my hammies! the pet shop also used that and i wanted ah huat to feel at home so i bought it.
girls, i noticed the pet shop put in some cotton wool lookalike thingie in the cages. so i gave ah huat some pieces of cotton wool too. he put all in one corner - i wonder if it's cos he's cold... but it's a full enclosed tank with ventilation from the top only leh...
i'm worried :S
girls, i noticed the pet shop put in some cotton wool lookalike thingie in the cages. so i gave ah huat some pieces of cotton wool too. he put all in one corner - i wonder if it's cos he's cold... but it's a full enclosed tank with ventilation from the top only leh...
i'm worried :S
Pink Bunny I think the woolly thing is for hammies to burrow in when they are cold. But actually hammies natural habitat is cold so they are more afraid of heat. Dun worry too much lah...
Enjoy playing with Ah Huat (funny name! )... my hammies used to enjoy running around outside the cage. I'd sometimes put them in the plastic exercise ball to run around also. This way they can't get lost somewhere where you can't reach them. If I can find the ball, I'll include with the cage lah..
)... my hammies used to enjoy running around outside the cage. I'd sometimes put them in the plastic exercise ball to run around also. This way they can't get lost somewhere where you can't reach them. If I can find the ball, I'll include with the cage lah..chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - no lar....cos my mum happened to clean up the cage last weekend...so actually intended to throw it away. But since it is all clean up i feel a bit sayang to throw away liao. Let me know.. For me, i bought those pink floss for my hammies to play with. Other than using it to rest on, they also enjoy playing with it as it rustles...Maybe u should buy for Ah Huat too
As wat goooogal mentioned, they are more afraid of heat than cold. During hot weather must ensure they have enuff water if not they will dehydrate very easily one.
eh girls, sorry leh, my hubby came home with a MAJOR MANSION for ah huat. so i can't buy your cages from you (maybe next time for ah hock or something? keke). i think ah lao got carried away...
ah huat sometimes curls up in a corner and makes me think he's cold. basket - bluff the ah bu!!
ok i just bought some cotton thingie from the petshopt for him too. i'm looking for a clear (non coloured) ball - goooogal you got? can i buy from you? i don't like the coloured ones cos i scared wait he giddy from the movement and the colour :S sometimes i think i think too much!!!
(he's knocking on the glass now, like calling for my attention).
girls you really should buy the TV set, it's sooooo cute!!
ah huat sometimes curls up in a corner and makes me think he's cold. basket - bluff the ah bu!!
ok i just bought some cotton thingie from the petshopt for him too. i'm looking for a clear (non coloured) ball - goooogal you got? can i buy from you? i don't like the coloured ones cos i scared wait he giddy from the movement and the colour :S sometimes i think i think too much!!!
(he's knocking on the glass now, like calling for my attention).
girls you really should buy the TV set, it's sooooo cute!!
chillipadi25
New Member
pink bunny - hey ur names really authentic leh...ah hock...hehehehe reminds me of fish..
by way name of my pet fish is call Xavier. He is a giant silver dollar. Eh pink bunny, if u really dont mind, i got one transparent one. But as it is not so new of cos it has scratches lor-let me know if u want it will pass it to u foc.
chillipadi25
New Member
ladies...now i got this vacant cage...very tempted to buy another hammie..but as what all my family members and hubby said - if u only had one, it will have the best and all ur attention. Now really in a dilema...girls please let me know if any of ur friend will want the cage
thanks.