Old Thread Chubby Hamsters V8

WELCOME to the new thread, Chubby Hamsters V9!


A hamster is a rodent belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. There are 5 types of hamsters, mainly the Syrian, Winter white dwarf, Russian campbell dwarf, Chinese hamsters and Roborovski hamsters.



SPECIES:

Syrians (Mesocricetus auratus)
They are the best known species in the pet industry. Syrians are also known as Golden Hamsters because the first domestic hamster was a wild agouti colour, which is called Golden. They have also been called Teddy Bears because does have the fuzziness and roundness of a teddy bear. Syrians are known as fancy hamsters of all the hamster species since they come in many colour varieties and also coat varieties... some can have long fur and some short fur, which we normally call Long Hairs and Short Hairs... also there are fur types like Rex and Satin.

The most important rule about Syrians is that they are SOLITARY... never house 2 together. If breeding, there is a way where you must put the female into the male's cage only when the female is on heat. It is very risky and dangerous to house 2 syrians together at any time since they are very well known to fight till death. So if you treasure the life of your hamster, never put 2 syrians together.

Syrians are large and comfortable to hold. They make suitable hamsters for the beginner keeper. Syrians that are handled properly would rarely or never bite, and can be tame to respond well to touch and voice.

Campbell's Hamster (Phodopus campbelli)
Campbells are probably the most popular of all dwarf hamsters since they come in many colour varieties that makes them attractive. The look similar to Winter White hamsters but they are actually different subspecies. So never mixbreed them.

Campbells are dwarfs... well, small hamsters. Please do not be fooled by petshops telling you they are mini hamsters and giving you a weird price and denying that they are Campbells. Anyway, they come in different colour and patterns but to breed, one must understand that hamsters that have any white spots or markings must never be bred together coz it can produce eyeless or teethless hamsters that die later... so if you were to breed, please read up.

These dwarfs may not be suitable for young children due to some dwarfs are bitey... and because of their small size, it would be harder for children to handle. Campbells are not aggressive biters, it is just that sometimes they will bite when you make them angry or startle them from their sleep.

Campbells are good in a pair or a small colony but always make sure your cage or tank has the space and enough hides and wheels to house a colony. These social hamsters are territorial and would fight off intruders that do not belong to their colony. Campbells are ok when they are introduced at a young age but letting an older hamster be kept with a younger one, most likely a fight would start.

Winter White Hamster (Phodopus sungorus)
WW are hamsters that can change their coat colour when we minimise their daylight. Their coats will change from their normal colours to a white coat but with their dorsal stripe and side arches visible. WW come in 3 colours, which are Agouti, Sapphire and Pearl. The Pearl do not change their coat colour at all, they remain in their white coat colour for life.

WW are different from Campbells, their eyes are bigger, fur is thicker, body is more bullet shape and their ears are less conspicious. It is easy to see the difference if a Campbell and WW were side by side.

WWs are nicer to handle for they have better temperments than Campbells. WW rarely change into their winter coats in captivity, so do not force your hamster to starve and stay in a cold room... this depends on the hamster whether it wants to change or not.

WW are almost similar with Campbells when it comes to pairs and colonies. Always remember, it doesn't necessary mean we should keep them in breeding pairs or male and female colonies. A single sex group is good enough for dwarf hamsters.

WW are known to fight among themselves out of the blue. Many do not understand that WW are territorial dwarfs, they can tolerate siblings or with other WW when introduced at a young age but there would always be a day where they would start fighting. Have spare cages at hand to separate fighting hamsters if you have a pair or a small colony. The best is keeping one. Do not worry, hamsters do not die from loneliness.

Roborovski Hamster (Phodopus roborovskii)
Robos are the smallest species of hamster. Adult Robos are only 2 inches in lenght. Unlike the other dwarfs, Robos do not have a dorsal stripe and they have slightly longer legs. Easy to identify from the size and also its sandy colour and white belly.

Yes, the smallest and also the fastest, this species is very well known for being very fast and active. So they are not very handle friendly since they are likely to jump or run off your palm. Many are really attracted by the facial markings, they appear to have "eyebrows".

Robos enjoy sand baths and a wheel. Due to their small size, one would need to purchase a glass/plastic tank to house them or purchase cages with small bars like the Habitrail Mini...

Robos do very well in little groups. They are the most sociable of all dwarf species and it is very entertaining to watch a small group of robos playing and eating in a tank.

Robos are not a hamster that is suitable for the beginner keeper as it could either be frustrating to have hamsters that run very fast or just unable to handle properly.

Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus griseus)
The Chinese hamster is known for their mousy looks. Yes, they were discovered in China long ago. Many people would say Chinese hamsters are hard to breed in captivity and are difficult to raise. Fighting problems occur so it is best to house them seperately. The Chinese hamster is also referred to as a "mouse-like" hamster because of its short nose, thin body, stocky legs and longer tail.

They do make great pets if they are bred by a proper breeder and have been handled often when young.

This species of hamster in Malaysia is very rare. The last known shop to have sold them were Pets Wonderland at Mid Valley years ago.

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VERY IMPORTANT!!!!

- Most hamsters do very well alone. Roborovski hamsters can be kept in small groups and best if single sexed but Syrians, Campbells, Winter Whites and Chinese hamsters are best kept on their own. They are always happier that way.

- Never breed hamsters if you do not have the space. Hamsters can reproduce every 20 days or so.

- Hamster fights are never fun to watch.

- Always remember to have food and water available. Never give too much fresh foods as it can give diarrhea to some hamsters, especially pet shop hamsters that have never eaten any veggie before.

- The bigger the cage or tank, the more comfortable for the hamster.

- Syrians need wheels that are about 8 inches in diameter. Wodent Wheels, Sanko Wheels or Silent Spinners have 8 inch wheels.

- NEVER keep different species in 1 cage or tank together... BIG big trouble there, may have some injuries, deaths... and possibility of mixbreeding Campbells with WW... bad idea.

- Hamsters do not have human emotion, they do not feel Love or have emotional feelings like humans. So there really is no reason to breed or keep them in a male and female pair unless you have a purpose as a true hamster breeder.

- Hamsters should have a small portion of fresh food everyday. Limit to a teaspoon a day for a Syrian, half a teaspoon of fresh food to dwarfs. Give more leafy veggies.

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Diet

Hamsters should have a good quality staple diet that is available for them throughout the day. Grains are important for hamsters to gain protein, minerals and vitamins as well as the good fat that the body needs to stay healthy. The carbohydrates and natural sugars from grains helps in maintaining your hamster's energy and alertness throughout the day. Wrong or unhealthy diets could cause hamsters to gain weight, show no interest in using it's running wheel and does little throughout the day. Here is a guide on how to feed your hamster healthily.

Try not to go for cheap foods that you see available in the market. Habitrail, Delikate, LM Farms.... all these have little nutritional value because they are loaded with sunflower seeds and dried corn. High in fat and phosphorus. Delikate and Habitrail staple food includes alot of alfalfa pellets (the greenish brown pieces) which hamsters do not like to eat at all and you may end up throwing it away. Choose high quality brands like:

Harry Hamster - it has quite alot of coloured pellets but quite nutritious and my hamsters eat everything.


Prestige Hamster Nature - Loaded with top quality grains, pellets and dried fruits and herbs. Superb and nutritious for every hamster.


Vitakraft Hamster Menu - Well rounded hamster diet, it has some dried veggies like carrots and peas. Better than Habitrail Staple diet.


Kaytee Forti Diet Hamster - the ingredient list on grains and protein level is ok but one thing worrying is the preservative called Ethoxyquin, which is not good. Do not use this food in long term.


I will update with more brands later.

Fresh food

Hamsters need a small amount of fresh fruits and veggies daily. Never give more than a teaspoon of fresh food to a hamster in a day as sometimes it can cause diarrhea. Dwarf hamsters, expecially Campbells should not be given too much fruits as Campbells are prone to get diabetes from sugary fruits.

Fruits: (Make sure all the seeds that are not edible are removed, grape seeds too)
Apple, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Dragon Fruit, Grapes, Honey Dew, Kiwi, Mango, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Plum, Rambutan, Star Fruit, Sun Melon, Strawberries, Watermelon.

Try not to offer too much sourish fruits like kiwi or strawberries, the high acid content can cause diarrhea if taken too much.

Veggies:
Alfalfa Sprouts, Asparagus, Broccoli, Bak Choy, Bean Sprouts, Capsicum(Bell Pepper), Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn, Coriander, Frozen peas, French Bean, Kangkong, Long Bean, Lady Fingers, Mustard Green(Sawi/Choy sum), Parsley, Peas, Pumpkin, Spinach, Water Chestnut, Water Cress.

Cabbage and cucumber can be offered but in very very small amounts.

Always remember, everything in moderation is good.

Supplement food:



Both products can be found at Pet Shack or just PM Nezumitaro.


This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 28 2008, 12:45 AM

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!

- Most hamsters do very well alone. Roborovski hamsters can be kept in small groups and best if single sexed but Campbells, Winter Whites and Chinese hamsters are best kept on their own. They can sometimes fight on and off, so if housing in groups or a pair, make sure single sexed pairs and always make the that the enclosure is big and spacious. When fights happen, separate. To reduce the stress and trouble, keep Campbells, WW and Chinese hamsters alone. Syrians are 100% solitary animals.

- Never breed hamsters if you do not have the space. Hamsters can reproduce every 20 days or so.

- Hamster fights are never fun to watch.

- Always remember to have food and water available. Never give too much fresh foods.

- The bigger the cage or tank, the more comfortable for the hamster.

- Syrians need wheels that are about 8 inches in diameter.

- NEVER keep different species in 1 cage or tank together... BIG big trouble there, may have some injuries, deaths... and possibility of mixbreeding Campbells with WW... bad idea.

- Hamsters do not have human emotion, they do not feel Love or have emotional feelings like humans. So there really is no reason to breed them unless you have a purpose as a true hamster breeder.

- Hamsters can get sick easily if given too much fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.

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A Basic Guide

* Hamsters are very active creatures so they do need their excercise. Naturally energetic, hamster love to run so it is best to provide a good solid wheel for them. Makre sure it is a solid wheel and not those mesh wheels since those gaps can cause injuries. Syrians should have 8 inch diameter wheels while dwarfs can have smaller ones.

* Hamsters are nocturnal, meaning they are mostly active at night. During the day, they would need some peace and quiet to sleep so it is highly recommended to place the cage or tank away from direct sunlight and provide them with a hide such as a clay flower pot or aroma burner or any solid looking hamster houses available at petshops.

* Hamsters need a layer of quality bedding in their tanks. You can always get the wood shaving variety but you would need to change the bedding often. Recommended brands would be Chipsi Classic, Chipsi Super, Delikate and Kaytee. Avoid using other brands for pine and cedar wood can cause breathing problems later in life due to the phenol oils produced by the wood. One can also use corncob bedding, wood pellets like Woody Pet or Careline wood cat litter or recycled paper bedding/litter like CareFresh or Breeder's Select/Celect.

* Hamsters love to nibble on hay and also build nest in their hide box for comfort. So providing a bit of hay is good. Any hay is suitable, as long it is fresh looking(greenish). Avoid stale hay(brownish).

* Hamsters should have a good amount of food in their food bowls. You do not need to worry about hamsters not finishing their food for they will hoard away old food to eat later. Make sure fresh foods are cleaned out of the cage or tank after 24 hours.
- Good source of fiber would be broccoli, spinach, sawi(choy sum), kangkung and water cress. Do feed fresh foods in moderation since too much can cause wet tail sickness and indigestion. A small piece of vegie or fruit is enough for 1 day.
- Sweet potato and normal potato can be given but only give cooked potatos.
- Sweet fruits and carrots can be given in small quantities every few days.
- Hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, cooked chicken and cooked fish can be fed.

* Have a good quality bottle for water at hand. Cheap bottles tend to leak.

* Wash the hamster cage or tank once in a week. Just wash with some mild soapy water. Clean cages and tanks prevents the risk of getting infections.

* Hamsters do not need to bath with water and soap like humans. Hamsters can clean themselves very well and they enjoy having sand baths (Chincilla or hamster sandbath) more than getting wet. A wet hamster can fall sick easily.

* Handle your hamster daily. Build a relationship with your hamster. You can hold them, talk to them and pat them. These little gestures will keep your hamster tame and friendly and of course, happy.

* Never wake up sleeping hamsters since they can startle easily and give a nasty bite to protect themselves. This is an instinct reaction so do not blame a hamster for being aggressive... they bite when there is a reason to bite.

* Always wash your hands after handling hamsters for they are still from the rodent family. Keep your self healthy for your hamster


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Handling and Holding hamsters

One way to hold a hamster if it bites or to look at it's genital area clearly. Never do this for long since it is a bit uncomfortable for the hamster. Only for a short period.


This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 29 2008, 01:10 AM

Useful links (credit to Acey)

• Hamsterific: http://www.hamsterific.com/hamsters.html
• My Free Hamster: http://www.myfreehamster.com
• Future Pets: http://futurepet.com/cgi-bin/search.exe?BP=1&RCAT=600.
• Hamster Hideout: http://www.hamsterhideout.com/
• Wodent Wheels: http://www.transoniq.com/
• Kare's Hamster Info: http://www.karelma.com/english/animals/hamsters.html
• Pet Education: www.peteducation.com

The Hamster Name Generator (thanks to Gazard7)

(credit to suicidalxbliss)


Lowyat.net Siggy (free to use, a big thank you to Hao ):


This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 29 2008, 01:12 AM

More new updated info later

More new updated info later

flower pot is actually ok. I use the Rm2.90 flower pot for my syrians... they do like sleeping in it.

Sigh, I'm getting very tired of this and I am not in a good mood today. ? Have you ever considered the fact that my connection was bad for the past week that it was impossible to load pictures? The last thread moved too fast, that is why I never bother to put thumbnail in the last thread... And I am using my brains and my own words to update the 1st page info .... So, relax and DO NOT ASK AGAIN!

Pine.

Everything gone up in price. All due to petrol hike loh.

Rm35.... hmmm.... all normal colours rite? Buy at Pet Family better.

Your Roche must be hinting to you that she wants to become a chef LOL.

Firstly why must I tell about thumbnails? It is up to the thread starter when he or she wants to put or not mah..... I don't want to argue with this matter but I am just saying that this thread is only 1 day old, do not expect me to magically come up with everything in a day and you must also remember I moderate this subforum, means I got alot of work to do and I already mention in the 1st page that everything is gonna be updated with new info. Case close, do not repeat or ask me to chill coz as I said before, today is not a good day for me.

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Added on June 27, 2008, 11:58 pmI also wonder is it compulsory for me to PM everyone or announce in the forum that my connection is bad? LOL... give me a break man.

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 27 2008, 11:58 PM

Alex Farm..... I have seen before. The brand is so so only.... same quality with Habitrail. LM Farms is much better.

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Added on June 29, 2008, 12:48 amYes, anyone can be a breeder but not everyone can be a quality and dedicated breeder. A proper breeder would have the proper knowledge at the back of his or her hand. He or she would have read about the info on the internet, studied the nutrition, housing, done some experimental keeping and also done researched breeding.

Anyone can be a breeder. I can ask my cousin who is 6 years old to keep 1 male and 1 female, and if they got babies, I can call him breeder as well..... alot of people make this mistake of trusting LYN sellers.... many are doing it for business, not a hobby. Only a few I see do it as a hobby and they give the best to their hamsters.

That guy? Famous?

He is not a proper hamster breeder. Compare him to Reanne, Nezumitaro, Jayniel or me... I would say his knowledge is the same with pet shop.... I wouldn't say he is famous coz what I have heard about his sales of sugar gliders.... I would never trust him.

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 29 2008, 12:48 AM

Yah, sometimes the info from the Net can be a bit off.... so that is why we gotta do some experimental keeping. Like in most caresheets, they would say cages are the best because of the ventilation. I would say the best is having a tank coz that would stop the hamster from chewing the metal bars.... about fresh food, in books and on some caresheets, they mention not to feed everyday because it would lead to wet tail. But from Nezu's own research and experimental feedings, it is better to give fresh food everyday.

Hahaha... girls.... maybe coz guys more into other things? Maybe coz too much reading hahah... dunno lah. I'm the only one who likes hamsters among my siblings. I got 2 brothers mah.

Best is to get to know a breeder who has knowledge from experience and also from reading. I'm doing that for sugar gliders, so that is why I have a blog on glider keeping. Suitable keeping for Malaysians heheheh....

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Added on June 29, 2008, 1:02 amJamien mention she saw the big pack for RM25....

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 29 2008, 01:02 AM

Robo with RC? Not possible. Why? Coz both are different species of hamsters. Even if they mated, they cannot produce babies coz the genetics are so different. Is like human breed with a monkey, cannot have babies at all. Different DNA as well. Only WW and RC can interbreed coz they share the same genetic make up.

Wah, at last his balls are out LOL. My Hak Cai (black banded) has bit pink balls with black velvety fur on it. LOL. Funny to see. Even his tail is pink with velvety black fur.

Robo and RC confirm 100% cannot breed coz different species of hamster. Genetic make up cannot fit together. So that guy is just lying.

1. Syrians are the biggest. Chubbiest is depending on what you feed to it. Every species of hamster can be chubby and cute but if you feed cheap crappy food, then your hamster can be underweight, while feeding high in fat food like kuaci would give you an obese and unhealthy hamster.

2. Pet Shop tank has like 30 Syrians inside. They have no choice, no territory to fight, no place to really call their home. They tolerate each other but do you know that everyday, 1 or 2 hamsters die or get injured from fighting? Also, the Syrians are young at petshops. They rarely sell adults because really aggressive territorial fightings start when they reach 3 to 4 months old.

3. RC lives up to 1.5 to 2 years, WW lives up to 2 to 2.5 years, Robos can live 3 to 4 years, Syrians about 2 years.

4. Hamsters get bored if you do not give them a wheel. Robos need to be in groups or pairs because they naturally live and survive in colonies. WW and RC survive in colonies in the wild but in captivity when we provide small cages for them, they rather be alone. Syrians are COMPLETELY 100% SOLITARY. They never get bored alone, they will get bored if you do got give them a wheel or things to do.

Corn Cob is ok. Just noisy when a hamster digs stuff. Yesterday's News? Do we have it here? I normally use Breeder Celect or Healthy Pet.

Hamsters are picky if they are given a choice of grains. So do not worry, she will eat eventually.

The best thing is a wheel. In the wild, hamsters run for miles...

My hamsters like to eat fresh bell peppers, yellow or red or green.

In the midst of planning a small animal BBQ gathering, most probably it will be around September or October. We did a 2006 small animal BBQ before, it went super well.

Wheel, normal for them to pee..... Hedgehog worst.... pee and poo.... then they get poopy feet coz step on the pee and poo.

Hahaha... gathering still planning. Discussing with Reanne about this. For sure very fun. Last time we had kebabs, chocolate fondue, hotdogs and burgers, grilled corn.... even marshmallows hahaha... and we get to sit around and chat about our pets. The last gathering had ferret, hamsters, geckos, gerbils, rats, hermit crabs and gliders.

Any small animal, as long the small animal is not too wild to supervise. Just no dogs or cats loh. All animals must be in carriers since this is ppl's home.

We still planning.... I just agak September or October only. August too soon coz we gonna be doing a sugar glider gathering during that time.

Apple skin is actually high in calcium..... but you make sure you wash the apple properly.

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Added on July 1, 2008, 10:15 pmSeminar at night? BBQ normally at night coz cooling.

Anyway, still planning.

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jul 1 2008, 10:15 PM

No ah... I have to deliver GliderSLURP or Joan would send army of customers to ransack my house LOL..... Nah, don't think I can do hamster hunting so soon.

Ok, we have to get back talking bout hamster stuff.

Actually, the best type of housing for EVERY species of hamster is a tank. We not talking about glass tanks.... just light weight plastic ones that are nice to look at and easy to clean. Critter Trail, Habitrail, Sanko WILD cages.... what ever fancy cages, all is just for us to admire and buy coz cute and nice. But it doesn't really provide a good home. Worst is the washing! You will get headache washing Critter Trail coz the cage connectors are not as easy to snap back like Habitrail, very prone to breaking. I used both Critter Trail and WILD before, connectors all snap. Also, the pee and poo in the tubes, the cage bar chewing..... stressful.

Pet Shack gives proper advice, if comparing with other petshops. Pet Shack at Sunway, Pet Epicure at Taman Melawati.... these pet shops are ethical and have done their research to educate their customers.

Oh yah, a tank is easier to hand tame your hamster. A cage can cause pet shop hamsters to become defensive.

Firstly, wire ones can become rusty. They do provide good ventilation but hamster pee is corrosive, and can cause the cage bars to become rusty. Also, the cage bars would cause a hamster to chew on it, this will become a bad habit coz the metal when it reacts with saliva, it taste salty, and hamsters like to chew on salty metal. Then the rust is bad for health when ingested, it can cause poisoning.

For taming, a tank is bigger for you to use your hands to interact with your hamster and pick it up properly. A cage only has a little door, and if you put your hand into the cage, the hamster would feel afraid and become defensive. Also with tubes to hide in, taming is a hassle.

I already mention the cleaning part too.... A tank is so easy to clean.

We got say glass tanks? We all use either plastic storage box or plastic fish tanks. Go to Pet Shack to get one. Pet Safari won't have it and their staff would just recommend you to buy expensive cages which in the end may not be a practical cage and a waste of money.

Whatever they recommend.... they not recommending coz they wanna push expensive stuff to you. They are letting you know what is the best and most practical to get. So listen to them loh. Wodent Wheel is one of the best.... expensive but best wheel for hamsters and sugar gliders.

Provide more food bowls. This is normal. Hierarchy.... you can either separate him or keep him inside but put more bowls and more things for them to hide in. No blood kinda fights rite?

Letting your hamster eat such snacks is nothing cute and funny to laugh about. Crackers, biscuits, cereal... alot have high salt, sugar and fat content.... you may just be giving him liver problem later on.

That kinda snacks? Repackaged by the shop owner..... all those are cereal and the large pellet type is mainly for mynah birds but even mynah bird keepers rarely feed to their pets..... I got mynah bird and never use that kinda food coz it caused death to my earlier mynah bird.

Habitrail logo on the snacks?

Alot of people in small pet businesses try to pull customers in different ways. Some would repackage low quality food and introduce it to new customers as something high quality.

Well, we always learn, everyday we get to learn about new things. Honestly, when I was 10, I did a lot of stupid things to my Syrians like housing in a pair, feeding crappy food, using bad bedding..... but today, we got the Internet to help us.

Yups, all male hamsters have scent glands. It's the yellow staining.

Satin.... looks like cream but hard to tell from pictures. The cage is horrible.

The green ball is crap.... mainly made from wheat and corn only. Green is colouring. The brown ball is cheap quality dogfood. Both of these green and brown pellets are not healthy. Cheap food.

Kauci is high in fat. Your hamster may be chubby coz you are just feeding fattening food, nothing healthy for it.

Also, typical old style pet shops would advice you this and that but sometimes, the info or recommendations they give are all rubbish.

No money loh. It does look like Satin.... but the price and the cage..... cage cacat lah.

The cage horrible looking LOL. Too small for a Syrian.

Ah, that sterile thing happens to Pure Ruby eyes.... I mentioned before about my mistake.... the Syrians that we see have "ruby" eyes.... are actually classified as red eyes. So Ferro is actually Red Eye, but his red eye shade is garnet. My satin also is garnet eyes. So far I think it is very rare to come across a pure Ruby Eye coz they are sterile by the time they are 10 weeks old.

Next time just say something loh..... I will do that hahahah.

Disturbing thread.... you guys should see what terrysoh in Garage Sales wrote in his sales thread....

Tsk tsk.... His excuses and explanation all cacat wan.

I just hope nobody buys his hamsters, so that it would teach him a lesson and he won't breed again.

Pets Wonderland used to import hamsters from Holland.... they had really good and big sized Syrians.... but then I wasn't keen on Syrians that time. The Holland stock died down as I think nobody really breed them. Now we get all local stock, all small syrians.

Yer.... your friend cannot advice him meh?

Anyway, I no more cream bandeds lah LOL.

Hehehe.... Ocha grew into a handsome boy. Poco also cute.

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Today I found again White Face Robos at Petaling Street. Got 3 but I only bought 2 coz one has a bad eye infection. So far pretty good looking, active. So it means now got 4 WF robos.... hopefully all can breed soon.

My black banded boy likes to sit inside his toilet and just day dream. Cute. Now he got longish fur around his bum, like a skirt.

Anyway, I was looking at Garage Sales.... kinda mad with people saying Syrians can be kept in pairs or group. The latest reply was plain wrong....



Don't you guys think this kinda advice is wrong?

Put 5 Syrians in 1 small cage of course they don't fight much coz no territory but they dislike living together. Is like making them suffer.... They do fight, just people dunno coz hamsters are active when we are asleep most of the time......

You would just be making newbies buy to experiment with this sort of Syrian keeping style. Did I say hide? I said the Garage sale... people already know who open the thread. You want me to type out your username is BIG LETTERS and bold it?

Never see any injure.... take a look closely as in split the fur, sure can see bite marks. If never handle and look carefully, sure cannot see. But then they cannot even fight coz got no territory. Another thing is the Syrians would be more miserable. In the WILD, they are solitary, if in captivity we make them live in groups, don't you think it is torture? If Syrians do not fight in groups, then why all books, breeders, international hamster clubs all put advice saying syrians are solitary? Facts are facts, experience can be different depending on situations. If "SOME" Syrians can live in pairs or groups... then why those hamster clubs, breeders and books never say? Is it coz they do not experience it?

Also, using human emotions and relating to animal emotions is just wrong. We can think, negotiate, understand.... but animals mainly go by instinct.

Why petshop hamsters are all in 1 tank with 50 inside? Why never fight? Coz there is just no space to fight about and being miserable, they couldn't be bothered with arguing over space to live in.

I have kept hamsters for the past 12 years.... every pet species of hamster except Chinese Dwarf.

If it is a wound, you shouldn't apple listerine lah. Never apply any minty medicine on a wound, it hurts like hell! No wonder she scream..... you really hurt her loh.

If it is bleeding, just take a cotton bud dipped in warm water and clean. Then take iodine as an antiseptic. Never listerine.

Wound is not caused by mites. Mites don't bite till got blood.

No, won't warn. You are just saying the right things, just a bit heated up that's all.

But I agree with what you said.

I have a Habitrail Mini as well and the wheel is so useless. I threw the wheel and bought a Safari wheel. It can fit in the mini and is suitable for Robos so don't worry.

Thank goodness.... I really was blur with all the husband and wife stuff....

Agree Agree.


Is not flame. People are trying to correct you coz your statement is going against the facts. You may think you have done something right with your statement but then you are just gonna make people buy 2 or 3 coz "wanna see luck loh".... If Flame..... is worst that this ok. You are just sensitive but then you didn't use correct words. All of us use brains to read. If we got no brains, we cannot read or even log into this forum. By giving people example of whatever lucky experience you have had, you are just gonna make more people do the wrong thing over and over again. We write with our hearts? NOOOOO...... We are writing base on facts, reading using our brains to go over the facts.

Also, we already mention in this forum to support good breeders, Ethical ones. That guy overthere is not an ethical breeder, mainly breeding coz he got a few pairs, mainly getting cash and he feeds low quality food. If people support him, he would just increase his breeding. I don't think he even knows that he is not suppose to breed a Syrian more than 3 times..... over breeding, makes the hamster stressful.

Come on lah, we are all hamster keepers, animal lovers. We all want hamsters to live a full healthy life. Such short lifespan.... so don't go and put such statements next time. You think you are not supporting him but then with your statement, you really are.

2 WW? Hope you get 2 tanks.... who knows one day they will fight.

Yes, noises are normally small fights occurring. Is good that you separated them. In the wild, they are good in groups but in captivity, when space is limited, fights do happen.

Chicken wire is poisonous.... Galvanised metal....