Humane Hamster Care - Not as Common as You Think

This past week, my Syrian hamster - named Caramel, passed away, at nearly two years old. I noticed the signs of old age, but I was hoping she would make it to her birthday. Sadly, it didn't happen. I can't help but wonder if I messed up somewhere, but I would like to think it was just her time to go.

This journey has taught me so much, so I wanted to write a post to share the ups, and downs, and hopefully educate others on humane hamster care.

Caramel looking for treats

Hamster Enclosures & Accessories

Did you know that 99% of the hamster cages sold at pet stores are not appropriate for hamsters? Nope, not even for dwarf hamsters. The recommended size varies per-country, but in general, the absolute minimum is 450 square inches of unbroken floor space. Most cages you can find in pet stores are between 150-250 square inches.

So, Caramel started off in a Habitrail Cristal, and I noticed these issues:

• Compulsive bar biting - a sign of stress

• At adult size, she couldn't use the wheel anymore, she barely fit in it!

• She constantly hid in her tunnels, which she used as a toilet.

• The worst : because she hid in those soiled tunnels, she ended up with a UTI.

So, worried, I did some research. That's when I realized that she needed more space as well as a sand bath. I ended up splurging on the biggest cage I could find, the Savic Hamster Heaven Metro cage. I removed the tubes because of Caramel's bad habits and transitioned her into it. I also gave her access to a container filled with Reptisand (no calcium!). With a Wyze Cam, I monitored her behavior and noticed incredible improvement. She was more energetic and happily used the sand bath for grooming. However, the bar biting continued and she still did not use her wheel.

More research later, I found out that Caramel needed a bigger wheel (11-12 inches), and a larger volume of bedding (at least 6 inches deep) to help spark her burrowing instincts. Thankfully, I already knew to avoid using cedar and pine: those woods are irritants to sensitive respiratory systems. I ended up using a mix of scent-less paper, aspen, and some soft hay.

Caramel with 6 inches of bedding and an 11 inch bucket wheel

Hamster Diet

I realize that I sound like a conspiracy theorist, but much of the food in the stores is not nutritionally appropriate for hamsters. Each hobbyist has their own preference, but I went for a mix of Mazuri Rat & Mouse Lab Blocks and Sunburst Gourmet Blend. I was about to switch to lab blocks with lower protein for Caramel's old age...but...I obviously delayed too long.

I supplemented this with a variety of treats. I strayed away from the yogurt drops and focused on Gerber baby puffs, fresh greens (broccoli, kale, etc) and some fruit (rarely).

Handling & Taming

Caramel was a pretty shy hamster. I'm not sure if it was a natural trait, or a response to previous rough handling. Regardless, it took a long time to get Caramel comfortable - she used to hide the second I approached.

Caramel trying to stuff an entire walnut in her face

Over time, this changed. If I was around when she was awake, she would come by and beg for some treats. Much like my dog training post, with space, patience, and a lot of tasty snacks, I won her trust! So much that, after a few months, she was totally cool being handled by pretty much anyone.

Conclusion

To be frank, I never thought I would enjoy owning a hamster, particularly since I've had to deal with mice infestations in the past. Originally, I was just keeping her for a week, but COVID hit, and after many adventures (including that UTI...), I ended up keeping her. Over time, she really grew on me. Amazingly, she also helped me work on my dog's intense prey drive and we were able to reduce it to manageable levels (still working on cats though).

Regrettably, all good things must come to an end. But seriously, I learned so much more than expected from a tiny rodent.

If you're looking to get your own hamster, I highly recommend the following resources. They really helped me along the way:

• Ontario Hamster Club

• Strong Brew Hamstery

• Victoria Raechel

• Erin's Animals

And finally, I'd like to give a shoutout to Christine - whose hamster, Peach, also (sadly) recently passed away. It's great to find others who share the same passion! Just look at how amazing her custom IKEA Detolf cage is!

Peach and her custom IKEA Detolf enclosure.

PS: One thing you'll quickly learn through my animal-related posts : don't trust pet stores! I have horror stories for each of the species I keep. Do your research independently and make sure you don't buy pets on an impulse.