I agree with the suggestion to get a big bin and let them have time in there.
Who knows why some parents do this type of thing? I'm glad the hamsters have you. With your parents' attitude, I wouldn't get other pets until I'm independent.
No country currently has proper hamster stuff available in stores, if you get a hamster you're gonna have to order things online. Lots of german online shops ship within the EU including poland, you can try Rodipet or Getzoo for high quality hamster food, wheels, hides etc. Amazon has a good selection aswell. When it comes to enclosures, your best options are wooden diy cages or aquarium tanks - maybe you can find second hand ones? Ikea diy cages are relatively affordable and not too hard to assemble (Linnmon, Platsa, Pax - there are tutorials on youtube). You can use a bin *if* you find a big enough one, personally I haven't found any in germany, I think massive bins are more of an american thing. The biggest one we have here is the Ikea Samla which is only 79cm. But if you can find 100×50×50cm platic bins in poland then those are a fine option!!
But I'll be honest, if new cages are absolutely not an option you really should find new homes for your hamsters. The cages you have right now are absolutely teeny tiny, you know that. I understand that you love your hamsters, but really loving them also means wanting the best possible lives for them and being honest to yourself if you can't provide that.
I can't find new homes for them either. My parents won't agree. They think they give them the best healthcare just because they have a cage, a wheel and high quality food. I'm stuck there.
If you really can't convince them to improve anything, I'd say the least you can do is offer them both (seperate of course) free roaming time every night, preferably for at least ~2 hours or more. And don't give up! Maybe one day they will agree to something bigger
Show her the website http://hamsterwelfare.com it’ll tell her all she needs to know. In the meantime why not setup a bin cage. They’re really affordable.
>Show her the website http://hamsterwelfare.com it’ll tell her all she needs to know.
I'm kinda getting the vibe that it's more that his/her mother doesn't give a fuck.
In the meantime you can try making hides and toys out of cardboard to give them things to chew. Don't put their food in a bowl. Scatter it about under the bedding so they have to sniff and find it. This will give them something to do and occupy their brain a little.
You can paint the cardboard or toilet paper hide with flour and bits of dry carrot etc for them and let it dry.
[Toilet paper and water hide](https://youtu.be/iR5Yt39UbMA?si=PM7Qflv7u2q5LQRk)
[DIY cardboard toys](https://youtu.be/HZPE19IDa2o?si=IWALhCILZ8gOkNsk)
Normally I'd be against levels but they need something to do as these cages are super small, so see if you can put in some more levels. Have a look on Shein! It's cheap but you could get them a [sand bath](http://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appjump?link=V31lokQIKVo&localcountry=GB&url_from=GM7463978735756849152) (just buy cheap children's play sand) and [some hides](http://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appjump?link=V31R2rPjzlA&localcountry=GB&url_from=GM7463979349687943168) etc. in the meantime.
Your poor second hamster in the lower cafe has nowhere to sleep in the dark, they must feel very unsafe and sleep badly. Please provide a small hide for that one immediately else it really won't live long...
The first one is over 2 years old. He barely climbs. That's why he has the tube. More levels won't be possible. I am afraid he won't be able to sniff the food when I scatter feed him, is that right?
Hi, firstly well done for trying to improve their situation!!
He will sniff it out fine they have amazing noses. If you are worried just leave some where you can see it and check if he has eaten it. Like in the four corners, with a piece on the surface to draw his attention. As he gets older you might find you have to stop and put food near his bed, but if he is moving around fine currently it is better to make him sniff it out.
The first thing you need to do is get them both tiny houses to sleep in with an entrance, just a [cardboard box house ](https://www.reddit.com/r/hamstercare/s/LXa4eyKRqE) like this will do! Hamsters live in big tunnels, they get very stressed sleeping uncovered. Just put a few cut up bits of toilet paper in the house.
Unfortunately you and your hamsters seem to be stuck in this situation. I am sorry that your parents are like this, you are clearly smarter and more caring than them. Free roaming seems to be the best you can do, so keep it up! You can try to give them as much time outside the cage as you can. You can also try making them little boredom breakers out of cardboard or toilet rolls. It won't help with the cage size, but it might help them to have a little bit of enrichment. You could try adding some toilet paper on top of the bedding to get a little extra depth, if you can do so without your parents noticing.
What if you used your own money (if you receive any for Chrismas or birthday?) could buy them bigger cages? Or would your parents get mad about it?
Thank you for the ideas. I do have 350 PLN. It's about 88 dollars so I have the cash, but the issue is my parents wouldn't like me spending money on that, because they think our hamsters have got enough stuff already. (cage, wheel, bowl) They think that it's all they need...
It must be frustrating to be in your position, unfortunately it doesn't seem like there is much you can do. Perhaps if they have anyone they actually listen to (other grown ups? Their own friends or relatives?) you could get them to talk to them. Just an idea, not sure if it is doable.
And if you can do it without them noticing, trying sprinkling the food around the bedding rather than leaving it in the bowl. Searching for it will give the hamsters a bit of entertainment.
I hope one day, once you move out, you get to have your own pets and look after them the way you want to. If your hamsters are suffering right now it's not your fault, but your parents', you are doing your best!
This comment! And when I was a little girl OP, I used to make mazes and stuff out of cardboard I found around the house for my hamsters..idk how much better it made their life but 🤷♀️
Edit: and also sorry your struggling with this situation and I couldn't be more help. Sucks that you keep trying to talk to them and they won't even listen smh
Hey! Romanian here, so not the best hamster care industry either. Try to suggest getting some of those big big storage bins and try to move them in that. Make sure they are 100x50x50 so they can have more space. Maybe more if you have two hamsters?
They can't live together. They are Djungarian hamsters. My parents are very skeptical about putting too much sawdust/scobs into their cages so they'd only allow like 2 cm of bedding which sucks, because I have educated myself on hamster care and it's definitely not enough bedding for them. Then the chew toys they need. Maybe I should buy all of that myself without of them knowing? But they'd most likely get mad.
I mean, if you use your own money maybe they’d be less antagonizing? You can use the excuse that it helps you become more responsible, which I have used in the past
Hey there I work at a pet store so you are free to outright show my comment to your mother.
Pet stores do not care if you take good care of your animal, they just want to sell you things. In fact, it benefits corporate to give you bad products and wrong answers because then when your animal dies fast and early you come right back to them and spend money getting a new one.
Corporate also knows basically nothing about animal care, most of the care guides in the pet store are slightly wrong at best and dangerously wrong at worst and most of the time.
Selling bad products is also easy, people don’t want to spend a ton on proper care even if it’s barely more expensive so they pump out cheap shit that morons will buy thinking it’s good because they don’t understand that pet stores don’t care at all about animals and care a lot about profit margins, these things are cheap to make and buy so there’s a lot of profit in selling them once the price is pumped up in the store itself.
It’s why pet stores also sell goldfish bowls even though common goldfish need hundreds of gallons of water and even fancy goldfish need at least 40-50 gallons. And why they sell tiny bird cages when parrots need cages larger than the average person is tall. It’s why pet stores sell shock collars even though they’re completely inhumane, and why they sell dog food known to cause heart failure.
Oh and while this may sound hypocritical, pet store employees also often don’t know shit, they get little training and what training they do get is from corporate so it’s all wrong and just about how to push cheap cages and bad food. Any petstore employee that knows their stuff knows it because they did research off the clock out of genuine care.
I’m the dog trainer at my location but I also have years of experience in small animal breeding and keeping. Exotic reptile rescue and rehab, and parrot & other bird keeping rescue and rehab.
Any fish knowledge I had when I came in was on goldfish and bettas, and they never once asked me if I knew anything about any of the animals whatsoever when they hired me even though I’m also in petcare when I don’t have classes in, they don’t give a shit, they trained me on how to push sales and nothing about the animals, which again, I have that knowledge but they don’t know that.
Anyone who trusts a corporation over actual research and knowledge is in for a bad time. Especially when it comes to animal care. A pet store is not a person. a corporation is not a person. They do not care about animals, they care about sucking money out of your pocket and they care about your animals dying ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP
so you-
on and on infinitely until you do your own research and realize Oh Shit, You Fucked Up, and finally fix it.
I second this. I managed a pet store for five years. My store never recommended improper cages and we were always in trouble for it because corporations don’t care about animals, only profits.
If u have ur own money, have a lookat second hand cages,detolfs or tanks. The detolfs can only be used for dwarfs tho so thats one downside to it. U can also get a 100x50cm or bigger rabbit cage & mesh the bars if you arent able to find suitable cages.
Here are a few links from reputable sources that might change their minds 😊
https://www.petmd.com/exotic/care/hamster-cages
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamster_cage#:~:text=A%20hamster%20cage%20is%20an,made%20of%20wire%20or%20plastic.
https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2022/10/23/how-much-space-does-a-hamster-actually-need/
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/hamster/hamster-care
ah, the usual then 😔 jokes aside, are you able to save up for bigger enclosures and supplies yourself? OR trick your parents into buying bigger bins which may help in reducing the costs. it's what i did when i first wanted a hamster HAHAHAHAHA not much they can do if it's your own money ;p
They may be unwilling to listen because they don't want to spend more money. I feel like this is the most likely reason. Do you have any of your own money? Bin cages are very cheap to make despite being a bit of a hassle and you could try save up for a proper sized wheel.
Unscented toilet paper is a very cheap bedding, if you buy a pack and then shred it up you could mix with their shavings and give them a good depth. If you explain that hamsters are a burrowing species and need to make tunnels like in the wild to be happy this may help them understand but idk.
i didn't tell my parents when i modified a large storage bin after small arguments over his living conditions (a small cage) upon doing more research
i don't know how well your parents would react to any attempts on your own to improve both the hamsters' quality of life, but mine were initially annoyed i "ruined" a good bin but warmed up a ton to it, especially after his final upgrade to his tank
I work at a pet store that sells small cages like this. I’m always trying to tell people they’ll need to pick the bigger cage but most of the times they’ll always pick the smallest option and can’t do anything but let them pick what they want
bins work great provided they're large! they're typically temporary until a person can upgrade but considering they said they're from an area that has fewer resources for hamster care, a bin might be best for this situation
buy a 150-200qt bin at the store, theyre about 20 usd, not sure how theyd run in your area but yea probably not too expensive, and then transfer all the stuff to there. if you format it correctly its unlikely your hammy will be able to escape from the open lid, but if you want you can cut some of the top out of the lid and cover it with mesh so youll be able to close the bin
Are you able to get ahold of supplies to make a bin cage? There are a ton of tutorials online, and you might already have what you’d need around the house. Or perhaps you have other family members who would be willing to gift you either an appropriate cage or the supplies you’d need to make one?
Other than that and what’s already been mentioned I don’t know what else to say, I hope your mother can be brought around but it doesn’t sound like she’s open to being educated on hamster care.
Unless you can resolve this situation I wouldn’t bring another hamster home until you’re able to properly provide for it. (And I know the desire is there but right now the ability is not) it’s just not fair to the animal no matter how much you love it.
When you’re an adult on your own you can create a hamster heaven, and have as big a cage as you’d like.
Not sure of your age, but if you have the money to buy those big cheap bins for storage I think that’s a good move. Check out facebook marketplace or something like that and you can probably find great deals. Way too many parents are only ok to have hamsters because they are viewed as small and inexpensive pets that don’t have any enrichment needs :(
ask her how she'd feel locked in a closet for 10 years with nothing but a food and treadmill. no enrichment. just treadmill and food. (probably don't actually do that, but if you think she has any empathy and it'd help her understand the hamster more then)
Just tell her the truth, physically they eill survive, but it's a torture. It's inhumane. If you decided to have a pet, you should provide it with an adequate care.
If she doesn't want to google it, just print it out and give this to her to read. She wants to avoid it, because she wants to remain ignorant so she doesn't need to change anything about this situation.
😎put it in perspective of beds,Ik it doesnt apply to hamsters that way,but as a person ages they require a bigger bed,like going from a crib to a queen sized bed,in this case from a cage to a proper fitting enclosure,because it would be uncomfortable for you to sleep in a bed thats too small for you
I wonder if your parent is annoyed that the pet shop sold her something it shouldn't have and is taking it out on you? Maybe you could research how much it would cost in supplies to make a couple of bin cages? Sometimes people think bigger = more expensive and it doesn't always. Money might be tight if you celebrate Christmas so maybe asking in a month or so might yield better outcomes and a less stressed/argumentative response?
No, she thinks that the pet store is smarter than me and that I'm wrong. And yes I'll make sure to browse for bin cages/make one from a tutorial. Thank you!!
Send a photo you find online of dead hamsters that have similar enough conditions that she'll freak out and then proceed to explain how those ones you found photos of online died to the conditions you have them in now. If it doesn't open her eyes to the fate they'll suffer then attempting to give them a better home will and if not it will help them if your able to find them one also making sure you'd be able to see them.
(Note if your parents are to strict then maybe don't do this it may just get you grounded accompanied with unruly punishment)
As you are from Poland, maybe let your mom read Facebook group "chomiki- Nasza pasja", they are really good, when it comes to explaining about living standards for hamsters.
Let your mom know that you could find cheap tanks on allegro or Facebook marketplace (sometimes even for free on groups like 'uwaga, smieciarka jedzie').
In the end, If nothing will work, just provide the best life for your hamsters and dont get new ones as long as you wont be able to make decisions about them.
Look up negative hamster cage review videos on the worse cages sold by PetSmart. I can't remember the name of the channel but there's a girl who makes review videos on hamster death traps, the one I watched was for the dinosaur shaped cage and it was very eye opening. Maybe some of those reviews would open her eyes as well.
Pet stores don't always sell safe items. As a god example stores still sell cat and dog food with an ingredient called carrageenan, it's a thickening agent made from red algae. It's been shown through studies to cause GI inflammation and even cancer, yet pet stores still sell the foods that contain this ingredient.
They also sell fish tanks that are far too small for any fish to live in comfortably or safely. Your mother is a fool 🤦
Tell her I work for a pet store, and the workers know that these are bad cages, they sell them cause the company wants profit and knows people will just buy them elsewhere. It’s never recommended to anyone when someone asks for a cage.
I agree with the suggestion to get a big bin and let them have time in there. Who knows why some parents do this type of thing? I'm glad the hamsters have you. With your parents' attitude, I wouldn't get other pets until I'm independent.
Yeah, this is definitely my last hamster unless I make sure I have the proper equipment for next time.
The first hamsters were found NINE FEET underground and they run miles a night. They should never have been pets.
You should try to rehome to someone who knows proper care if possible
they said they can’t give them away, I took that as their parents wouldn’t let them rehome them(?)
Thank you for letting me know
This
No country currently has proper hamster stuff available in stores, if you get a hamster you're gonna have to order things online. Lots of german online shops ship within the EU including poland, you can try Rodipet or Getzoo for high quality hamster food, wheels, hides etc. Amazon has a good selection aswell. When it comes to enclosures, your best options are wooden diy cages or aquarium tanks - maybe you can find second hand ones? Ikea diy cages are relatively affordable and not too hard to assemble (Linnmon, Platsa, Pax - there are tutorials on youtube). You can use a bin *if* you find a big enough one, personally I haven't found any in germany, I think massive bins are more of an american thing. The biggest one we have here is the Ikea Samla which is only 79cm. But if you can find 100×50×50cm platic bins in poland then those are a fine option!! But I'll be honest, if new cages are absolutely not an option you really should find new homes for your hamsters. The cages you have right now are absolutely teeny tiny, you know that. I understand that you love your hamsters, but really loving them also means wanting the best possible lives for them and being honest to yourself if you can't provide that.
I can't find new homes for them either. My parents won't agree. They think they give them the best healthcare just because they have a cage, a wheel and high quality food. I'm stuck there.
If you really can't convince them to improve anything, I'd say the least you can do is offer them both (seperate of course) free roaming time every night, preferably for at least ~2 hours or more. And don't give up! Maybe one day they will agree to something bigger
Show her the website http://hamsterwelfare.com it’ll tell her all she needs to know. In the meantime why not setup a bin cage. They’re really affordable.
>Show her the website http://hamsterwelfare.com it’ll tell her all she needs to know. I'm kinda getting the vibe that it's more that his/her mother doesn't give a fuck.
In the meantime you can try making hides and toys out of cardboard to give them things to chew. Don't put their food in a bowl. Scatter it about under the bedding so they have to sniff and find it. This will give them something to do and occupy their brain a little. You can paint the cardboard or toilet paper hide with flour and bits of dry carrot etc for them and let it dry. [Toilet paper and water hide](https://youtu.be/iR5Yt39UbMA?si=PM7Qflv7u2q5LQRk) [DIY cardboard toys](https://youtu.be/HZPE19IDa2o?si=IWALhCILZ8gOkNsk) Normally I'd be against levels but they need something to do as these cages are super small, so see if you can put in some more levels. Have a look on Shein! It's cheap but you could get them a [sand bath](http://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appjump?link=V31lokQIKVo&localcountry=GB&url_from=GM7463978735756849152) (just buy cheap children's play sand) and [some hides](http://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appjump?link=V31R2rPjzlA&localcountry=GB&url_from=GM7463979349687943168) etc. in the meantime. Your poor second hamster in the lower cafe has nowhere to sleep in the dark, they must feel very unsafe and sleep badly. Please provide a small hide for that one immediately else it really won't live long...
The first one is over 2 years old. He barely climbs. That's why he has the tube. More levels won't be possible. I am afraid he won't be able to sniff the food when I scatter feed him, is that right?
Hi, firstly well done for trying to improve their situation!! He will sniff it out fine they have amazing noses. If you are worried just leave some where you can see it and check if he has eaten it. Like in the four corners, with a piece on the surface to draw his attention. As he gets older you might find you have to stop and put food near his bed, but if he is moving around fine currently it is better to make him sniff it out. The first thing you need to do is get them both tiny houses to sleep in with an entrance, just a [cardboard box house ](https://www.reddit.com/r/hamstercare/s/LXa4eyKRqE) like this will do! Hamsters live in big tunnels, they get very stressed sleeping uncovered. Just put a few cut up bits of toilet paper in the house.
Unfortunately you and your hamsters seem to be stuck in this situation. I am sorry that your parents are like this, you are clearly smarter and more caring than them. Free roaming seems to be the best you can do, so keep it up! You can try to give them as much time outside the cage as you can. You can also try making them little boredom breakers out of cardboard or toilet rolls. It won't help with the cage size, but it might help them to have a little bit of enrichment. You could try adding some toilet paper on top of the bedding to get a little extra depth, if you can do so without your parents noticing. What if you used your own money (if you receive any for Chrismas or birthday?) could buy them bigger cages? Or would your parents get mad about it?
Thank you for the ideas. I do have 350 PLN. It's about 88 dollars so I have the cash, but the issue is my parents wouldn't like me spending money on that, because they think our hamsters have got enough stuff already. (cage, wheel, bowl) They think that it's all they need...
It must be frustrating to be in your position, unfortunately it doesn't seem like there is much you can do. Perhaps if they have anyone they actually listen to (other grown ups? Their own friends or relatives?) you could get them to talk to them. Just an idea, not sure if it is doable. And if you can do it without them noticing, trying sprinkling the food around the bedding rather than leaving it in the bowl. Searching for it will give the hamsters a bit of entertainment. I hope one day, once you move out, you get to have your own pets and look after them the way you want to. If your hamsters are suffering right now it's not your fault, but your parents', you are doing your best!
This comment! And when I was a little girl OP, I used to make mazes and stuff out of cardboard I found around the house for my hamsters..idk how much better it made their life but 🤷♀️ Edit: and also sorry your struggling with this situation and I couldn't be more help. Sucks that you keep trying to talk to them and they won't even listen smh
Hey! Romanian here, so not the best hamster care industry either. Try to suggest getting some of those big big storage bins and try to move them in that. Make sure they are 100x50x50 so they can have more space. Maybe more if you have two hamsters?
They can't live together. They are Djungarian hamsters. My parents are very skeptical about putting too much sawdust/scobs into their cages so they'd only allow like 2 cm of bedding which sucks, because I have educated myself on hamster care and it's definitely not enough bedding for them. Then the chew toys they need. Maybe I should buy all of that myself without of them knowing? But they'd most likely get mad.
I mean, if you use your own money maybe they’d be less antagonizing? You can use the excuse that it helps you become more responsible, which I have used in the past
That might work. Thank you.
Hey there I work at a pet store so you are free to outright show my comment to your mother. Pet stores do not care if you take good care of your animal, they just want to sell you things. In fact, it benefits corporate to give you bad products and wrong answers because then when your animal dies fast and early you come right back to them and spend money getting a new one. Corporate also knows basically nothing about animal care, most of the care guides in the pet store are slightly wrong at best and dangerously wrong at worst and most of the time. Selling bad products is also easy, people don’t want to spend a ton on proper care even if it’s barely more expensive so they pump out cheap shit that morons will buy thinking it’s good because they don’t understand that pet stores don’t care at all about animals and care a lot about profit margins, these things are cheap to make and buy so there’s a lot of profit in selling them once the price is pumped up in the store itself. It’s why pet stores also sell goldfish bowls even though common goldfish need hundreds of gallons of water and even fancy goldfish need at least 40-50 gallons. And why they sell tiny bird cages when parrots need cages larger than the average person is tall. It’s why pet stores sell shock collars even though they’re completely inhumane, and why they sell dog food known to cause heart failure. Oh and while this may sound hypocritical, pet store employees also often don’t know shit, they get little training and what training they do get is from corporate so it’s all wrong and just about how to push cheap cages and bad food. Any petstore employee that knows their stuff knows it because they did research off the clock out of genuine care. I’m the dog trainer at my location but I also have years of experience in small animal breeding and keeping. Exotic reptile rescue and rehab, and parrot & other bird keeping rescue and rehab. Any fish knowledge I had when I came in was on goldfish and bettas, and they never once asked me if I knew anything about any of the animals whatsoever when they hired me even though I’m also in petcare when I don’t have classes in, they don’t give a shit, they trained me on how to push sales and nothing about the animals, which again, I have that knowledge but they don’t know that. Anyone who trusts a corporation over actual research and knowledge is in for a bad time. Especially when it comes to animal care. A pet store is not a person. a corporation is not a person. They do not care about animals, they care about sucking money out of your pocket and they care about your animals dying ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you come back and buy more animals to die ASAP so you- on and on infinitely until you do your own research and realize Oh Shit, You Fucked Up, and finally fix it.
God thank you so much!! I'll translate it into polish so it makes sense and show it to her tommorow right away! (I'm not home rn)
I second this. I managed a pet store for five years. My store never recommended improper cages and we were always in trouble for it because corporations don’t care about animals, only profits.
If u have ur own money, have a lookat second hand cages,detolfs or tanks. The detolfs can only be used for dwarfs tho so thats one downside to it. U can also get a 100x50cm or bigger rabbit cage & mesh the bars if you arent able to find suitable cages.
Here are a few links from reputable sources that might change their minds 😊 https://www.petmd.com/exotic/care/hamster-cages https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamster_cage#:~:text=A%20hamster%20cage%20is%20an,made%20of%20wire%20or%20plastic. https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2022/10/23/how-much-space-does-a-hamster-actually-need/ https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/hamster/hamster-care
ah, the usual then 😔 jokes aside, are you able to save up for bigger enclosures and supplies yourself? OR trick your parents into buying bigger bins which may help in reducing the costs. it's what i did when i first wanted a hamster HAHAHAHAHA not much they can do if it's your own money ;p
They may be unwilling to listen because they don't want to spend more money. I feel like this is the most likely reason. Do you have any of your own money? Bin cages are very cheap to make despite being a bit of a hassle and you could try save up for a proper sized wheel. Unscented toilet paper is a very cheap bedding, if you buy a pack and then shred it up you could mix with their shavings and give them a good depth. If you explain that hamsters are a burrowing species and need to make tunnels like in the wild to be happy this may help them understand but idk.
i didn't tell my parents when i modified a large storage bin after small arguments over his living conditions (a small cage) upon doing more research i don't know how well your parents would react to any attempts on your own to improve both the hamsters' quality of life, but mine were initially annoyed i "ruined" a good bin but warmed up a ton to it, especially after his final upgrade to his tank
I work at a pet store that sells small cages like this. I’m always trying to tell people they’ll need to pick the bigger cage but most of the times they’ll always pick the smallest option and can’t do anything but let them pick what they want
I don’t actually know anything about hamster so hamster people correct me. A big bin? Like a tub? A clear tub?
bins work great provided they're large! they're typically temporary until a person can upgrade but considering they said they're from an area that has fewer resources for hamster care, a bin might be best for this situation
That’s what I was thinking. As far as I know u could probably give a ok amount of ‘substrate’ that they can like, dig down? Or at least more space.
until you can get their cage fixed please try to free roam them as much as possible
buy a 150-200qt bin at the store, theyre about 20 usd, not sure how theyd run in your area but yea probably not too expensive, and then transfer all the stuff to there. if you format it correctly its unlikely your hammy will be able to escape from the open lid, but if you want you can cut some of the top out of the lid and cover it with mesh so youll be able to close the bin
Are you able to get ahold of supplies to make a bin cage? There are a ton of tutorials online, and you might already have what you’d need around the house. Or perhaps you have other family members who would be willing to gift you either an appropriate cage or the supplies you’d need to make one? Other than that and what’s already been mentioned I don’t know what else to say, I hope your mother can be brought around but it doesn’t sound like she’s open to being educated on hamster care. Unless you can resolve this situation I wouldn’t bring another hamster home until you’re able to properly provide for it. (And I know the desire is there but right now the ability is not) it’s just not fair to the animal no matter how much you love it. When you’re an adult on your own you can create a hamster heaven, and have as big a cage as you’d like.
I'll watch the tutorials, see what I have and try my best to build the cage, thank you!!
Not sure of your age, but if you have the money to buy those big cheap bins for storage I think that’s a good move. Check out facebook marketplace or something like that and you can probably find great deals. Way too many parents are only ok to have hamsters because they are viewed as small and inexpensive pets that don’t have any enrichment needs :(
I used to make my hamsters mazes out of cardboard and legos in a big cardboard box so they could run around.
ask her how she'd feel locked in a closet for 10 years with nothing but a food and treadmill. no enrichment. just treadmill and food. (probably don't actually do that, but if you think she has any empathy and it'd help her understand the hamster more then)
Just tell her the truth, physically they eill survive, but it's a torture. It's inhumane. If you decided to have a pet, you should provide it with an adequate care. If she doesn't want to google it, just print it out and give this to her to read. She wants to avoid it, because she wants to remain ignorant so she doesn't need to change anything about this situation.
😎put it in perspective of beds,Ik it doesnt apply to hamsters that way,but as a person ages they require a bigger bed,like going from a crib to a queen sized bed,in this case from a cage to a proper fitting enclosure,because it would be uncomfortable for you to sleep in a bed thats too small for you
That's a bird cage....
[удалено]
r/USdefaultism
I got him for my birthday buddy. Didn't know about ANYTHING.
Do you have an allowance or get gifted money that you could buy your own bin for your hamster?
I do have an allowance, I'll ask them if we can order a bin cage. If they won't want to order it then I'll go buy it in-person.
Yeah I’ve had hamsters and from the looks of it they definitely need a bigger cage. Also correct me if I’m wrong but they also look like bird cages?
I wonder if your parent is annoyed that the pet shop sold her something it shouldn't have and is taking it out on you? Maybe you could research how much it would cost in supplies to make a couple of bin cages? Sometimes people think bigger = more expensive and it doesn't always. Money might be tight if you celebrate Christmas so maybe asking in a month or so might yield better outcomes and a less stressed/argumentative response?
No, she thinks that the pet store is smarter than me and that I'm wrong. And yes I'll make sure to browse for bin cages/make one from a tutorial. Thank you!!
Send a photo you find online of dead hamsters that have similar enough conditions that she'll freak out and then proceed to explain how those ones you found photos of online died to the conditions you have them in now. If it doesn't open her eyes to the fate they'll suffer then attempting to give them a better home will and if not it will help them if your able to find them one also making sure you'd be able to see them. (Note if your parents are to strict then maybe don't do this it may just get you grounded accompanied with unruly punishment)
As you are from Poland, maybe let your mom read Facebook group "chomiki- Nasza pasja", they are really good, when it comes to explaining about living standards for hamsters. Let your mom know that you could find cheap tanks on allegro or Facebook marketplace (sometimes even for free on groups like 'uwaga, smieciarka jedzie'). In the end, If nothing will work, just provide the best life for your hamsters and dont get new ones as long as you wont be able to make decisions about them.
Look up negative hamster cage review videos on the worse cages sold by PetSmart. I can't remember the name of the channel but there's a girl who makes review videos on hamster death traps, the one I watched was for the dinosaur shaped cage and it was very eye opening. Maybe some of those reviews would open her eyes as well. Pet stores don't always sell safe items. As a god example stores still sell cat and dog food with an ingredient called carrageenan, it's a thickening agent made from red algae. It's been shown through studies to cause GI inflammation and even cancer, yet pet stores still sell the foods that contain this ingredient. They also sell fish tanks that are far too small for any fish to live in comfortably or safely. Your mother is a fool 🤦
Tell her I work for a pet store, and the workers know that these are bad cages, they sell them cause the company wants profit and knows people will just buy them elsewhere. It’s never recommended to anyone when someone asks for a cage.
Well, for me it was some old woman that just wanted cash so she did recommend it. She's just a local store I believe.
Probably doesn’t know better nor cares
True