Monday, May 24, 2010

Is this normal for hamsters?

well i bought him some foodmix for hamsters at the pet store that the manager suggested i get, but he is only eating the seeds! i was wondering if its ok that he is only eating the seeds and nothing else. also i have been giving him little pieces of lettuce and carrots. he is a male syrain.
Answers:
it is fine!! He is just a little picky...To rid this habit don't give him more food till he eats the rest of his food too. If he is hungry he will, trust me. Don't want to waste good money too!
I have two hamsters who get the foodmix type of hamster food. They each have their favorite things they eat out of it and leave the things they don't at the bottom of the bowl. You might want to try different brands of mix and see if he prefers those. Also, continue giving him bits of fresh vegetables and fruit. My hamsters love seedless grapes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, and strawberries. Petstores also sell special treats such as yogurt drops.
My hamsters do it, too. They don't always like the other stuff. My hams, they pick%26#92;choose there favorite things. One will take ONLY seeds, the other will take seeds, and maybe these little red 'cereal' looking things. All the rest, is history. Soon I'm going to switch them to just organic pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds at my local health-food store. And carrots,letuce, and apples. They can live longer without the other stuff, anyways. And it's cheaper!
I had gerbils, and they did the same thing. It's not too unhealthy, but a diet of only seeds might be pretty fattening. But hamsters. can be picky, so as long as he gets excercise, he should be fine.
Please don't give the hamster any Iceberg lettuce, it's bad for them and may cause diarrhea. The carrots are fine to give. We started feeding our hamsters and other small animals the hoard their food every couple of days to get them to eat all their food. The pellets are alfalfa and they need this for digestion and to trim their teeth on. He has stored food in the cage and needs to eat this before you give more. We use small bowls and fill them partly full, like I said, every couple of days. We still throw out a good bit of food at cage cleaning time even with doing this.
LOL! He is as picky about his hamster mix as my male syrian!
Yes, hamsters are naughty when it comes to being selective with their hamster mix. Mine turns his nose up at the brown pellets, and dives straight in for the nuts and seeds. This will not affect your hamsters health at all. Give him a varied selection of small pieces of fresh fruit and veg, and hang a cereal chew bar in his cage.
IMy male syrian is 14 months old now, and im sure you will agree they are the most wonderful pets, Very laid back and chilled!

Is this normal for a hamster ??

Whenever sum1 comes into the room my hamy is in he runs and hides and wil not *** back out until you offer him food or if you leave.i have had him for more than a month and he lets me hold him, but the only way he will go onto my hand is if theres food on it.is this normal for a hamster?
Answers:
hi, why yes when i got my new hamster for to months he was like that he would't even come for food . so every day put you hand in the cage for 5 mins and he will sniff you and get use to you . oh yea when you put your hand in dont put any food in you hands .
yes. it is. your hamster is probably just scared of people, so you should get a new one.
Hamsters are meant to be fed to their superiors like reptiles. They shouldn't be allowed to live without fear.
yes, mine never let me hold her when he gets older he might get more confident
Yes it is normal for your hamster to be doing that. But you should get another hamster and keep them separate. I also suggest that you get a young hamster and introduce it to people at an early stage.
Of course it's normal. He's just a little guy terrified of giants coming in and out of places. I think it should be allowed to panic every now and then.
yes it is espically if its a male cause the males really don't want to be bothers and they jsut want to eat eat eat u jsut have to get it more use to u
yes it is especially if you got him from a mainstream pet store because they dont have the time to hold all the future pets in there store thats why its best to go to a small pet store like a local pet store.
they are very smart my hamsters do to

Is this normal behavior for my dwarf?

My hamster just had babies and she bites the cage bars and climbs all the way to the top and drops off!! What is her problem?? The babies are a few weeks old, by the way.
Also, I was wondering if my hamster babies will bite me if I try to hold them.
WHO EVER ANSWERS BOTH OF THESE QUESTIONS FIRST ANDS MAKES THE LEAST BIT OF SENSE WILL GET BEST ANSWER!!!!
Answers:
well if you dont have wood in the cage she is just trying to ware down her teeth and if you do have wood she migt just not like it andddddd she is prolly just stressed out.
the babie may try to bite you but if they do it probably wont hurt because there teeth are not bit at all. you might want to wait another week before you try to handle them so that they can sort of understand what is going on. when you pick them up, have there mom also.
they wont bite.and umm...hmmm..i guess shez happy or depressed cuz she just had babies
She is trying to get some alone time from the babies. I would give her something little to climb up on for alone time. It is okay for you to start picking the babies up. Just remember to wash your hands first so they don't smell funny to the mom after wards. Be extra careful that you don't drop them they are quite fidgety.
dont touch the babies until they are three weeks old and leave the mom alone so she wont get stressed its normal
If the babies are beyond two weeks (preferably three) and are eating solids on their own, try taking momma hamster out for a little while (10-15 minutes at most) to get some 'alone' time. She might just be stressed out or claustrophobic, or even just bored. Some quiet time in a running ball away from her kids should help, especially since she's been cooped up in her cage for the last couple weeks with nothing to do but nurse.
Also, once the babies hit four weeks, you should seperate and sex them to keep them from fighting or mating together, especially if the mom's already getting antsy from being around them so much. You don't want them to get too crowded.
The babies shouldn't bite (and if they try, I doubt it would hurt), but be careful when handling, as they do try to jump from your hand from time to time. Only handle them if they're past the two week mark (at least) and have fur and open eyes, because by that point the chances of momma rejecting them are less.
I had a dwarf to it is normal for her to chew on the cage and jump, umm the babies shouldnt bite just dot take them away from mom for long
its ok it just her hormones probably in a while she will stop
my hamster bits the cage bars 2 but she only does that to trim her teeth

Is this marketable?

I am sitting at my computer and my gerbil climbed up my trousers, onto my lap, then up my belly and my chest, onto my shoulders, up my neck and sat on my head where she began to groom my hair. She's a legend! I've been thinking of setting up a massage parlour where gerbils come in and groom people. Would you pay for that?
Answers:
I would I love gerbils and I would bring my gerbils in everyday I have 6 gerbils.
is it for sale
no! sorry x
Good luck.
i would mr orange ...If you can guarantee to me that the gerbil wouldnt be leaving a small brown rice like object or two on my scalp..
Umm..are you serious? Do you really think people will pay for that?
that would tickle.. youll have to have a damn good insurance on this idea . they can bite!
I wouldnt pay for it, got goose bumps just thinking about it
lol i kno i wouldn't they might leave little presents in your hair, if u know what i mean! lol
yeah, that would be awsome... but not gerbils... rats
Our rats do that! One of them also trims my hangnails for me, very gently %26 expertly.
As long as they don't pee in my hair! My daugher's bunny did that to me. Yuck!
I used to have a kitten that massaged the back of my neck as I dropped off to sleep. Of course, she also suckled on the back of my nightshirt, but the massage was just so nice.
Rats are better

Is this hurting my hamster? How to help him?

I saw about a month ago, that it looked like my hamster had some stuff in his cheek, but i thought he was going to spit it out, and I kept seeing his cheek full of stuff.
last night I felt his cheeck, and I think he had some seeds stuck in his cheek pouch. Is it hurting him? How do I get them out?
Should I take him to the vet? I don`t want my lil` baby to suffer- Pleeze help :)
Answers:
As you've seen from the other answers they do stuff things in their pouches. If its jsut seeds then no, they can always get the seeds out. If it was something else like crackers then yes it would be stuck. the hamster knows what is safe to stuff in their cheek pouches. you can rest easy.
Hamsters do store food in their cheeks, that's perfectly normal behaviour :)
well idk were u read that crap cfrom but its a normal thing..he will also spit it out and save it for later...its just something they do...its not hurting him at all...u will probably hurt him if you try getting it out
hi,yep they do that and its normal.BUT if it doesnt take it out and stash it somewhere then it could be stuck.if so the best bet is a trip to the vets,that way they get bit and not you.if it stays in too long it can get infected.
if it lets you do it you can try to gently push it out,dont go fishing around inside as you can do more harm than good.or if you feed it something like bits of apple,this could bring it out with the apple.
it might be an infection already,and can still be touched by you and it not bother it.they are quite hardy,i had one that broke its leg and its foot stuck out sideways.i took it to the vets he said do nothing and it will be ok.it looked wierd but still got around on its stump no probs.good luck
no because that's how they eat when they are in their house and don't want to get up so they eat
I don't think u should b that worried. Hammies always store food in their cheeks and it rarely if ever gets stuck.
if you are that worried about it head for your vet right away. even if the trip wasn't necessary at least it made you feel better and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Is this healthy for my hamster?

well i noticed that my hamster when he poos sometimes, he has sausaged linked poos. His poos are linked, like its one poo, then another poo starts. They look normal and healthy, but is it okay that he does that?
Answers:
It is perfectly fine! It is very normal for them to be "linked", and that is just how it comesout for them. Im thinking its because they have smaller bladders. :p If your still worried though, you can always contact a vet. But, this is a common thing among all rodents, especially mice, gerbils and hamsters. Good luck!
haha. Yea, its okay
Maybe he swallowed like a string or something that is connecting them. Just kidding. He should be fine.
Your hamster is fine! BTW, don't use cedar in the cage as that will cause nosebleeds.
Yeah that completly okey, wut u should worried about when they pooh is watery, that means they have diareah. anyway your little fellow should be okey :>
gross, he makse links! should be fine give it some apple slice or carrots once in awhile.

Is this hamster cage healthy... read on please?

ok I bought my hamster pregnant (without knowing) she had babies 5 weeks ago, males in one females in the other. They have all been homed except for one.
I have been waiting for my friend to give me her old cage which I picked up, but its huge, the second level has a ladder with other three steps which a hamster cant even reach, the base is plastic and cracked at the bottom so u can feel sharp plastic. the white bars are all rusty and the sides of the plastic base are all snapped and cracked.
is that healthy for a hamster?? im a bit over protetive giving them away and so far so good, just this cage is a bit... I dunno am I being silly?
oh and it has no wheel and the bottle drips. so im going to tell her to buy them which I know she wont, she will use her old bottle and wont bother with a wheel.. is this wrong?
Answers:
I bought a feemale hampster last year and she was also pregnant,she had seven babies.I know exactly what you mean,I too was very fussy when it came to the hampsters. As regards the cage, Ipersonally think that a brand new cage is always best.You see there are a lot of people who would just put sawdust in and thats it,a lot of illness can be passed on by using dirty cages,one of the worst is Wet Tail.Unfortunately,I lost some of my own to wet tail,and the main cause is stress.It is very highly contagious therefore,using secondhand cages,when you dont know the history of the previous animal,is not advised Hope this helps you.
yes dont let her have it if it bothers you that much
ermm
it does sound a little bit cruel yes. hamsters love their wheel! and im guessing that it will need a proper water bottle. it could chew the plastic that is broken and cut its cheek pouches which could lead to an infection...
please have a word with her..
not being nasty but...
that doesnt sound good at all a hamster needs a wheel.. and doesnt wanna get soaked under his bottle... and the cage being rusty doesnt help as it can harm the hamster if it decides to chew the cage
yes!
just go to petsmart and get a ONE LEVEL cage.
my hamster can never get down from the second level and the end up falling off.
make sure you buy soft bedding to put at the bottom.and you reallllly need a wheel and a new bottle. and maybe a little plastic house that it can sleep in.
if it bothers you have alittle word and if she really won't budge don't give her the hamster!
Evie
xx
No you're not being silly. That sounds like a disgusting cage. lol.
I would get a tank for your hamsters because they are escape-proof for hamsters, especially babies.
This is not a proper house for hamsters. She also needs to know that you can only house one hamster to a cage or else they will breed and fight. There is no way a hamster will be safe in a cracked and rusted cage. If she is going to care for the hamsters she has to do it right. If she has one cage, that means she gets one hamster. Tell her that the cage doesn't look safe and you don't feel comfortable with them living in that type of situation. Tell her she needs to buy another cage from the pet store and then we will see. She also needs a wheel for proper exercise and a bottle that doesn't drip. You should also put an add in the paper for baby hamsters for sale or free. PetSmart or something like that can take them. Ask around in your family and other friends.
do not use this cage it is very un safe for a hamster and please don't give the babies away for free they will be neglected. ask you friend for some money and suggest that she buys a new cage as this cage harbours disease and could cause injury it sounds like this cage isn't actually a hamster cage more like a rat cage.
i wouldn't let my hamster go in a cage like that Mr.P!nKy (my hamster) wouldn't be too pleased
dont let her have them the cage is no good
It sounds like the cage is a breeding ground for bacteria. I'm like you, everything has to be perfect for my pets so I wouldn't use a cage like that. Go with your instincts on this because it may just be a hamster but it's a living creature which deserves a decent quality of life, and it doesn't sound like it will get it in that cage.
Personally I would throw away that cage and tell her that if she's serious about wanting the hamster she needs to go and buy a new cage. If she can't be relied upon to provide the basic equipment (i.e a bottle that doesn't leak and a wheel) then you really shouldn't allow her to have one of the hamsters your giving away.
As much as you need to get new homes for them you also have to make sure that the people you're giving the babies to are gonna be responsible owners and will look after them properly. It sounds to me that your friend can't be trusted to do this and that poor hamster is gonna be neglected.

Is this enjoyable for my hamster?

Is this enjoyable for my hamster so far, it has some untreated wood i give it to chew, the cage=tunnels(like 3-4)+wheel+2 floors+2 decks between them, paper towel role and ball to role in.
Answers:
He's probably having the time of his life!
Hamsters love courses like that! You sound like you are doing a great job!
why wouldn't he, hes got like a pimped out house?
good
i think he would love it! my hamster does his cage doese not have 2 floors ...though
ok
Yes I am sure your hamster is very You have a nice sized cage and lots of stuff in it! Your hamster is a having fun!
ya! that sounds like fun for hamsters! they love stuff like that
That's really up to the hamster... if he plays in them frequently then yes, you would think he's happy.
yes it's fine, also petsmart sells edible huts for them

Is this diet and cage okay for Guinea Pigs?

Hello!
I will be getting a Skinny Pig next month and will be feeding it timothy hay, occasional fruits and veggies(Which ones are safe?), and Guinea Pig Pellets. I am wondering about the Vitamin C...where do I buy the supplement? How much should I give per day? Can I buy it at a pharmacy? Can I just buy the timothy hay at wal-mart? There is a farm where I can buy timothy hay but it's an hour away.
I will be making their cage out of storage cubes, can skinny pigs fit through the grids? I know normal Guinea Pigs can't but where Skinny Pigs...well are skinny pigs.
I've already asked this question..but I didn't get a straight answer. Can Skinny/Guinea Pigs bond to you? Can you pet them? Can you let them run around a supervised area?
Also, skinny pigs need something to trim their teeth, right? Can I use those wooden Hamster carrots? Or what about sticks?
Can I use normal Pine bedding?
Sorry for such a long question!!
Thanks!!
Answers:
You are able to give them almost any kind of fruit or vegetable. We always give our guinea pigs lettuce, and always have. Vitamin C is very good for them, but they don't HAVE to have it given to them, as long as you give your little piggie lots of fruit treats (not dried). It will say on the bottle how much to give. You probobly can't buy it at a pharmacy, a pet shop will have it though. You don't have to give your piggie timothy hay. We only sometimes do (and it's not even timothy hay-it's just hay!). You can let you piggy outside to eat grass all day if it's in an enclosure where it has lots of room to run around and has shelters (we just give our's their houses). Our's are out all day (they are out right now!). The storage cube is great! That's what we started out using! We also put paper bags on the bottom underneath the shavings to soak up the pee (any kind of paper shopping bag will do; they love digging it up and chewing on it). To the answers on the third papagraph, yes, yes, yes. They are just like noraml g-pigs. If you give your piggy a wooden house, it will take care of its teeth needs by itself. We never got wooden toys for ours. Normal pine bedding is what we use. I think it's great!
If you have ANY more questions, please ask me! I love helping people with guinea pigs!
1. Timothy hay is all the same, anywhere you can find it- Walmart, Petsmart, a farm... it's all okay.
2. Hard veggies and fruits are the safest. As in no bananas, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Carrots, broccoli, apples, are all good choices. Watery fruits/veggies will give them diarrhea.
3. Vitamin C for rodents is available in liquid drops that you mix in with their water. You need to buy the kind made especially for rodents/guinea pigs- do NOT use human Vitamin C! Make sure you follow the directions to know how much to add.
4. Do NOT 'make' a cage! Unless you are a carpenter with endless resources, this is a bad idea. You never know if they could ingest whatever you make the cage out of and choke or be poisoned. You need to BUY a real cage that was made for guinea pigs. End of story. Otherwise you risk hurting or killing your pets. You need a wire cage with a solid plastic bottom, as large as you can find- I think they usually make them about 3 feet long by 18 inches wide.
5. Guinea pigs will bond to you to a certain extent, but they are not dogs. They won't come running when you call, they won't follow you around. They will let you hold and pet them, but usually only for a little while at a time before they get bored.
6. DO NOT let them run around on the floor! It only takes one swift bite to bite into an electric cord and shock themselves to death. It's way too dangerous. What you can do is get a playpen designed for dogs, it should be a long bendable wire fence that you can make into a circle and lock. You can let them run around inside that.
7. You can give them any chew toy designed for rodents. Do not pick up sticks or wood from outside, there can be bacteria, bugs, and fungus on those that can kill your piggy.
8. Don't use pine or cedar, stick with aspen bedding or shredded paper bedding. Pine and cedar have oils that smell too strong for guinea pigs.
9. You should really buy a book and make sure you know exactly how to take care of them- go to any bookstore and find a good thick book on guinea pig care. Better safe than sorry!
10. You DO know that 'skinny pigs' aren't actually skinny, right? They're hairless. You asked about them fitting through stuff, but skinny pigs are the exact same size as guinea pigs- they ARE guinea pigs actually, they are just hairless guinea pigs. Make sure you know what you're getting!
http://z.about.com/d/exoticpets/1/0/z/a/...
Skinny Pigs are the same as Guinea Pigs except that they are bald so if a guinea pig can't get out of the cage that you made then I wouldn't worry about the skinny pig getting out. As for the hay, you should be able to get it at any store that has a pet section (like at a grocery store). I wouldn't worry about getting the vitamin C supplement as their food pellets contain vitamin C. I've had 5 guinea pigs and have never used a vitamin supplement. Fruits and vegetables that are safe are carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, oranges, apples, melons, kiwi, bananas. I would recommend that you do not feed it lettice as it is toxic to them. (Not very many people know that).
There are many books on guinea pigs that you can find at a local pet store or library, and you can talk to a vet that specializes in small animals (also known as exotics). Any pet shop sich as PetSmart carries Vitamin C supplemenments. I use Oasis Vita Drops for guinea pigs (be careful, because they make them for all types of pets and you don't want the wrong one). Timothy hay can also be found in a pet store, although I'm not sure Wal Mart would have it. To be safe, buy the hay specifically for pets (I use Kaytee). You can buy it in all sizes. I have never heard of making a cage from storage cubes, maybe talk to a vet about that. Yes, skinny and guinea pigs can and will (if you treat them right) bond with you! My guinea pig was very shy and scared at first, but after she gained my trust (with a lot of love and attention) she loves me and responds to me and even knows exactly when it is a good time to feed her. I do everything for her, and as a result our relationship is much stronger than the average pet owner's. And yes, you can and should pet them! It shows your love for them and helps you bond. (However, the first few days, or even weeks, animals are shy and may not interact much, so be patient! Always be patient, no matter how long you have had the animal!) You can let them run around a VERY supervised area, but do NOT let them outside, even supervised, I almost lost my piggy that way. I have never used wooden sticks for my pig teeth, she chews on a timothy hay cube and the bars of her cage. However, her teeth recently grew so much she stopped eating, so always make sure the teeth aren't too long by checking in with a vet regularyly, especially if the pig does not have many opportunities to chew things. I recommend aspen bedding. NEVER use cedar, it can be toxic, NEVER use any with dyes (no matter what they say, no animals have dye in their natural habitats) and I'm not sure pine is good, I have heard it can be bad from a few people as well. I recommend aspen. It is clean (if changed regularly, about every three days) and safe and soft. Also, if you have multiple animals in the same cage, you will need to change it more often. Good luck! I know this may seem overwhelming, but if you do it right from the start, you and your pet(s) will be very happy together, trust me!
I think several people have said lots of good things. I have two guinea pigs (they're not Skinnys, but...well, they're guinea pigs), so here is my two cents.
1. How old will the pig be? Any guinea pig younger than a year old should be given alfalfa hay - it's higher in necessary nutrients for growing (and nursing) piggies. If your pig is older that a year, Timothy hay is perfect. I buy mine at Petsmart - I'm sure Wal-Mart has it too, and that should be fine. You can also check out Oxbow hay (I'll post their link below). Your pig should always have lots of hay readily accessible. It should be clean (any hay that's been peed and pooed on should be cleaned out). I do the same for my pigs' pellets, though there's probably some different opinions on this - mine always have pellets (again, look at the ingredients on the back of the bag - the first ingredient should either be alfalfa meal if they're under a year or timothy meal if they're older).
2. If you feed your pigs healthy food and feed them often, you won't need to buy any Vitamin C supplement. Check out Guinealynx.com for nutrient charts and such, but I can tell you that my boys get a handful of green leafy lettuces (NO ICEBERG...go with dark greens like romain, spinach, raddichio, etc), a sliver of red pepper (chopped up into bites), 1/4 on an orange, and a few baby carrots in the morning, and then a handful of more lettuce at night. I have yet to slip supplements into their diet. (My pigs are 4 and 5 years old and weigh around 3 pounds each. Yes, they're heffers...they're spoiled rotten and they love it)
3. That's great you want to build your own cage! We built our own too! It's cheaper to build your own (rather than buying one in a pet store). The bottom of the cage should be made of a solid material (some people use coroplast, we used a plank of wood and lined it with linoleum). The cube grids are great as the sides of the cage. Be sure to get zip ties - they hold the walls together perfectly. I'd think your pig would be perfectly fine with the grids. Definitely check out guineapigcages.com for ideas.
4. My pigs love their independence, but they also love attention. They've got incredible personalities, and they're a ball to watch. They have moments when they want to be held and cuddled, and other moments when they want to explore and run around. We let ours run around in a boxed-off area in our living room every now and then (Piggy time, we call it...heh heh). Absolutely let them run around (supervised, of course)! Our pigs have absolutely bonded to us - mine will come to me when I put my hands down in front of them. One of them even gives me little kisses/piggy licks on my face.
5. Rodents' teeth are always growing, and thus they should have access to various things to chew on. Hay, pellets, sticks, wooden items, toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, etc. are great for this.
6. As bedding, I use a combination of Aspen and Carefresh. Because you're getting a Skinny, I'd recommend going with Carefresh, as it's much softer and less dusty than wooden bedding. However, it's also more expensive. If you have access to a washer and dryer, consider buying lots of fleece blankets and using those as bedding - you'll have to change them every few days, but you won't spend money on bags of bedding.
You can find anything and everything you'd ever need to know on having guinea pigs at guinealynx.com. It's the best, most informative site out there. Definitely check it out.
Good luck!
http://www.guineapigcages.com/ This is a great website to answer all your questions and more. They are a bit snooty but know what they are talking about... Skinny pigs need a bit more care (no drafts etc...) but are just like regular pigs... treat them the same way.
Congratulations on the new pets! I would really suggest getting a pair of guinea pigs, they're really really social and need a companion when you're not there. Also, it would be worth it to get natural hay. Most feed stores sell the hay in large bundles, so you would really only need to buy it like once a month at a minimum. It would probably last longer than that, though. Do not use Vitamin C drops, they can make the water that you use taste weird and make them stop drinking it, causing dehydration. Most veggies will work, just make sure that nothing you feed them contains seeds. Just try different stuff out, you'll figure out what they don't like. Mine like kale, collard greens, peppers, tomatoes, outer watermelon rhine pieces, corn husks, ect. Please continue making the C%26C cage like you mentioned, the pigs will adore it. I would suggest either using Carefresh bedding or fleece to line the cage. As for teeth mantinance, always, I mean ALWAYS, provide timothy hay for them. It will keep them short. Also put in carboard toilet paper rolls, and my piggie's favorites, carboard ice cream containers.
Good luck with everything!

Is this cage too small?

So, i just got my gerbil set up for my 2 gerbils that I will purchase tomorrow. I got a 10 gal. aquarium, which is what the pet websites think is good for 2 gerbils. It has a medium wheel, a igloo, and a ceramic dish. Is this not enough room for them? I mean, i will let them run in their ball and i will handle them lots, so what do you think?
Answers:
I generally don't recommend tanks, but after raising 5 gerbils, I'm beginning to change my mind on that. A 10 gallon tank with a secure mesh top is fine for them. Keep them in a cooler area away from direct sunlight, a room with no or little sun is perfect for them. Our gerbils have chewed up 2 plastic wheels and the bottoms of plastic bottom/wire top cages by Super Pet to where none are any good and had to be thrown out. I have given them all kinds of things to chew on, but they still chewed the plastic. The wheels looked like Swiss cheese when one was done. If they continue doing this, I too am putting the worst chewers in 10 gallon tanks. You could get a 20 gallon tank if you think that one will be too small. I would suggest getting a mesh wire wheel and not a plastic one. Of the 5 gerbils we have, 4 have the mesh wire wheels. Below is an example of the one I'm talking about and the size, this one is sold at cheappetstore.com. I would not buy the plastic igloo either for the chewing reason, instead get a wooden one like the one in the next listed site, sold at the same store. Now both these items are available at most pet stores.
I really think if you want them to be happy, you should ge thtem a bigger cage.
Its big enough. But it can get warm in an aquarium
i think its perfect i have a hamster and a ten gallon fish but the hamster is not in i seems perfect for 2 gerbils and if the igloo is big and takes up half the cage u should get a smaller on so the have more room to hang out a night
I think you should have gotten them a bigger cage with more room. More ventilation. Tanks are not good for gerbils or hamsters because they tend to chew on the silicone and die. That is why they make gerbil and hamster cages.
The life span of them is also about 2 years. So be forwarned that they don't live very long.
Good luck!
a 10 gal. fish tank will be big enough for 2 but make sure you don't get one of each sex or you will need more cages,. The Male will often eat the babes and once they get 4 - 5 weeks old you need to seperate the babes by sex so you don't end up with a baby explosion.
No, they will need to have their seperate tanks. Once you add the wheel, food and water dishes and igloo, the 10 gallon tank will feel more like a 2 gallon tank to them. Also you need to get a screen for your tanks. They can and will get out if you have all of that in there. They will pick it up with their mouths and pile them up. They are smart creatures. How do I know. I raise them and bred them.
Ten gallon is fine. Make sure the lid stays on good.
One other toy they like is some wire rolled up anything to play on.
These when they are with another get very bonded and if male and female they both raise the babies. Very uncommon for them to hurt there young!
Keep cage clean in there aquariums, if the water bottle leaks get a new one. No where for there water or the urine to go. DO NOT buy cedar shavings for these caged critters, it can and will kill them. The natural chemical in the cedar..
These make great pets!!
At first they might act like they are boxing with you, this is there defense! When they are scared they will do this.
Good luck with them :0)
well... technicaly it would be good enough but ive had a hamster before, which is practicaly about the same thing as a gerbil, i kept him in a tank about that size with the things you have as well and he lived a pretty happy 3 years but since that was his "home" i bought another cage with tubes and everything, he loved climbing through the tubes and exploring. so i think it was fun for him to have something like that as well.
id say its big enough but aquariums are suppose to have probs with ventillation cuz there so deep but gerbils do like digging and need loads to keep them entertained.

Is this cage to small for a rat?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...
It is a picture of a rat inside, but it just looks to small for them to run around in.
For this one you have to click the x.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...
maybe this one if make the floor solid?
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/na...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...
Which one of these cages are better for two rats?
Thanks for your answers.
Answers:
The rule of thumb for two rats is 2 square feet of FLOOR space per rat.
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/...
First cage, no way, too small.
Second cage, Ferret Playpen, Perfecto! I would recommend one like this, or bigger.
Ferret cages make excellent cages for rats
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=fe...
They have both the floor space and the tallness that allows for the climbing that rats love.
Third cage, right size but only for adult males. Adult female rats would be able to squeeze through those bar spacings. For female rats the bar spacing needs to be 3/4 inch or smaller.
Fourth cage, I have one of those for my male rats and I/they love it. I took out the floor grate and this makes a solid bottom for the rats, and I added a homemade second floor to add floor space.
Fifth cage, love it, but check that bar spacing for female rats.
Martin's cages are highly recommended by many expert rat-keepers, but these cages are expensive. Go for it if you can afford it. The Ferret Playpen is a Martin's-style cage, but cheaper.
http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag...
All rat cages should have solid floors. This is easily remedied by using peel and stick tiles on the shelves.
BTW, I'm enjoying answering your questions for you because you are one of the few pet-keepers I have met who is doing all of their research *before* obtaining your first rats. Kudos to you. Too many people are buying their rats "spur of the moment" and then running into problems.
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
umm i would get the last one... (expenxive) but they will be very happy and they wont fight if u have a small cage theyll get on eachthers nerves and fight so alls the last one needs is a wheel
I would actually go to http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag...
and look at the Rat Tower, or the Rat Skyscraper. Get the powder coated. I have had up to 12 rats at a time, and they are both a great size and have plenty of levels for them to run and play. The Tower would be for up to 3 large males or 5 females, and the Skyscraper would be 5 males or 7 females. If you cannot order online, I'd get the biggest ferret cage you can afford, and hang lots of hammocks, toys and hidey places in there.
I actually have my 2 big males in the Tower and I'd probably not put any more in there. My 4 little girls are in the Skyscraper and there's probably only room for 2 or 3 more comfortably.
Good LUCK
Well the first one is good because my friend has that cage.But the second one is better for two, the other ones are toooo big for a rat. the big ones are for rabbits and guinea pigs.
they are all ok if u let the rat(rats) out for about 30 min. to play every day.
With rats, they do grow and need space. Get the biggest one that you can afford.
I got the Rat Retreat from martins Cages (link to store and picture of cage below) My rat loves to climb up and down the ramp, having 2 full floors to sleep and run on. We got her a wheel (a large one made from plastic with no spaces her tail could get caught one and put it on the very bottom level, and on the second full level I put a little hidey-house for her to sleep in.
(food and water bottles on the bottom level.)
(7 cages down on Martin's Cages)
We started out with the first cage but our girls outgrew it within 6 months. Here is a picture of what we have now and they LOVE it. They really enjoy climbing up and down the wire sides. Make sure that levels have a solid floor so the don't get bumble foot.
http://www.petco.com/product/15487/super...
I would go with the biggest one you can find that has wire spacing of less than one inch. Usually chinchilla and rabbit cages have their wires spaced further apart because they can't squeeze through the bars. But beware b/c rats can. I use a bird cage for my rats and they love it. I have bird perches and shelves for them to climb on. I also have hanging bird beds (i.e. happy hut) that they love to sleep in.

IS this cage OK?

please look at this link first otherwise u won't be able to answer the question
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/produ...
ok. i am gonna ask my parents soon if i can have two guinea pigs. i found this one and like it since it is attractive and seems ok. is it big enough? and does it look like a good choice?
sensible comments welcome
Answers:
The problem here is that even the "extra large" cage with dimensions of 52"x23" is the bare minimum for ONE pig. And it costs $200 plus shipping! Holy cow!
See this site for minimum space requirements: http://www.guineapigcages.com/
You will never find an adequate cage in a petstore or online. The very best thing to do for your piggies is to build them a C%26C cage (see website above for info %26 instructions). These cages are inexpensive (about $50) and can be put together in about 20 minutes once you have the cubes, Coroplast %26 some nylon zip ties.
Good luck!
Looks perfect to me, good luck with your piggies.
I think its a tiny bit too small for two guinea pigs. If you get one it should be fine though.
If you get the larger one it should be fine.
Make sure they have enough room for at least 2 or 3 hops across the cage.
You should try ebay, you will get bigger/nicer cages cheaper :)
Good Luck with your little piggies.
I got an indoor hutch with a run attached underneath which is brilliant
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4ft-sp-double-deck...
is similar to the one i got
It is big enough for more but two is good.
the extra large one is enough for 1 and a half pig...make a C%26C cage..its much cheaper and u can choose the size.make it as big as possible(of course not gigantic..bt big enough ) and ur pigs will be very happy(=

IS this cage OK?

please look at this link first otherwise u won't be able to answer the question
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/produ...
ok. i am gonna ask my parents soon if i can have two guinea pigs. i found this cage and like it since it is attractive and seems ok. is it big enough? and does it look like a good choice?
sensible comments welcome
Answers:
I answered your other post under the same title as well, but I'll add to it a little here.
Even though the "jumbo" has roughly 8 sq.ft., it appears that the bottom of the pan angles inward on the sides so that the pan the pigs would sit in is not the same size as the cage itself (the bottom of the pan is smaller than the sides of the pan). Thus its not actually 22 inches in width--its less. Look at the picture again carefully.
You could get by with this cage, but once you put the pigs, their food dishes, %26 their two pigloos in there, there's no room left for running %26 popcorning! Not only that, but because the pan is not that deep, you'll have Carefresh or shavings all over your floor in no time. You need at least six inches of height on all four sides to keep bedding *inside* the cage. Trust me on this one.
Save yourself about $100 %26 make a C%26C cage. Your piggies will be so happy you did! http://www.guineapigcages.com/
Good luck!
the dr foster one is perfect for two guinnea pigs. i like that one alot :D good luck on your new pets
NOW THAT IS A DARN GOOD CHOICE. I love fosterandsmith and I shop there and buy dried papaya and cooking diets for my birds. I would get the foster and smith one. Remember,this is just a tip, guinea pigs need LOTS of vitamin C or they will die. Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Papaya, Strawberries are great. Provide a salt wheel and Alfalfa and Timothy hay along with your pig's pellet foods.
That looks great!
I wish my guinea pig had that nice of a cage...
Just make sure to get two females.
Two males will fight...
And I think you already know what will happen if you put a male and a female together. =]
The medium or large one is the perfect size. It allows your guinea's enough room to run around etc.PERFECT!
The Dr.Foster medium or large would be perfect for two pigs.
If you get two babies of the same sex and they are kept together from birth they should be fine together.
I own a pet store and care sheets are free on my site.
http://www.artsaquaticsandanimals.co.uk...
I think that the one on the Dr. Foster's one is ok. Remember that the bigger the cage the better for the animal. Have you tried Martinscages?
http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag...
Here is a link to all of the G.Pig cages. But remember that you should not let your pig walk on wire bottom cages. Also, G.Pigs need more side to side room and ramps, than height.
I have rats, and will only buy their cages. Great quality, and hold up well too!
Oh, yea... have you checked out this website?
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
there's some info on making your own cage there.
the large or jumbo of the cages on the website should be okay for now just make sure the bottom of the cage is flat no wire mesh that could hurt their little feet! But as they grow older they might need a larger cage.
I'd say they are too small. For 2 piggies, you need 10.5 sq feet, you could get by with 7.5 sq feet (for docile females). http://guineapigcages.com/ will give you all you need to know to make a great, large cages for very, very cheap! I love building them b/c I can design them to look anyway I want!
i'd say the small or medium
not the jumbo
jumbo is too big
That cage seems and looks perfect

Is this cage ok for one dwarf hamster??

is the crittertrail dazzle ok for a dwarf hamster?? i heard that sometimes they can't move the wheel. My choices were between this and crittertrail two. Please only answer if you have experience with one of these cages
Answers:
I worked at Petsmart for a year. My experience is that for one dwarf hamster the crittertrail dazzle or the crittertrail two is an ok size. However, I strongle advise against getting a Crittertrail cage. These cages will not last long and you will have to continuely replace pieces of the cage. This is because the dwarf hamster willl chew on the plastic. And they will chew on anything. Another down side to the crittertrails is the lack of ventilation. The dwarf hamsters feces can build up ammonia gas inside the cage. Which means you will have to clean up twice as much. The clean up in these cages are difficult as well. Because of all the little hiding places these cages offer that means that you will have to completely take apart the cage everytime you want to clean it. Another down side is the wheel. The Crittertrail dazzle has the gigantic hideout on the top. Again this is difficult to clean out and these parts often are the first that need to be replaced. In the crittertrail two the gigantic wheel that they have placed in the cage looks awesome. But in a very short amount of time the wheel will begin to squeak and eventually will stop turning. These cages to me are a big hassle and can be harmful actually to your animals. The dwarf hamsters can chew through the cage and you could lose your animal forever. I would suggest to get a wire cage. These cages are easier clean up and they will NEVER chew through the metal. If they do you have a super animal. If it is all the tubes and things and toys that are provided in the critter trail that has your interest, know that you can still give your animal the same opportunity to play. In fact, I often tell customers that the critter trail should be considered more like a playground for your animal and should not be used for a habitat. You can provide tubes and such in a wire cage and they will love it just as much. And you will too, because you'll have less worry. And just an F.Y.I. dwarf hamsters normally do better when there is more than just one. They interact with each other and when you have only one dwarf hamster you will not be able to view some of their interesting characteristics. I hope this helps you and you do consider it.
I dont know how a critter trail dazzle looks but as long as it is a critter trail cage it is the perfect cage for a dwarf hamster. They can live in almost any size cage. Even a critter trail mini just get cage extintions and another cage or somthing just so it has room to play in. Vote me best answer.:]

Is this cage good for 2 guinea piggy's?

i think this will be great but i dont wanna order a cage from of those other site witha the huge cages
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...
ty
Answers:
looks big enough
Looks pretty good if you can get something pretty big with multi level floors that would be awsome. That cage looks just as well though.
If the "piggy's" get out of the cage for some exercise that cage should be fine. If they are going to be in the cage all the time... I would go with the next size bigger.
This is a response to "horseysdream",,, Guinea pigs have no depth perception. Meaning that they would walk right off one of the "multi-level floors" and break their little necks!
This cage is 36" x 12" x 12" and is big enough for two babies but too small for two adults.
36" x 24" x 12" would be a lot better for two adult pigs.
I own a pet store
care sheets are free on there
http://www.artsaquaticsandanimals.co.uk...
No, it's not big enough. I am a guinea pig mom AND a Petsmart employee, and I'll tell you quite frankly that cages sold in pet stores generally are not big enough for guinea pigs. It's sad, but true. I'd recommend checking out guinea pig cages.com for ideas on how to build your own cage for twice the space at half the price of pet store cages. Guinea pig cages.com can help you find places that have the supplies, but they also have a link to where you can purchase kits with all the supplies.
The recommended space for two happy, healthy guinea pigs is a minimum of 7.5 square feet (preferably 10.5 sq. ft) of 30" x50". This Petsmart cage is only 36".
ya it is good
That's really too small for two guinea pigs, pet shop cages normally are. Take a look at www.guineapigcages.com - you don't order a cage from them, you build it yourself :)
That is the cage I have, it is as big as it looks (BIGGER), but yes Maddie and Amy (My Guineas) love it!
listen to El and acanoffleas, and me on your other question

Is this cage big enough?

a 16X12X18 big enough for one adult male rat
Answers:
This cage is much too small. Rats may be small, and you can make up for floor space with height, but you need 24x24 if you don't plan to give it floor time!
Also, keep in mind that rats are highly social creatures and very well get depressed when housed alone. Think about getting another male rat for a companion to yours.
Sounds pretty small. I'd go with 20x20 floorspace at least, and give the rat plenty of out-of-cage exersize. The rat will be over 9" full grown so imagine it having less than 3" of space in front of it when it's sitting with its back to one wall.
I'd go for minimum 24 x 18 x 24..

Use this as a guide: http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.sht...
Yes it says yours is big enough.. but everywhere I've seen recommends more room more males. My male was in a cage that size..
I just got a cage that's 30 x 18 x 29 for my 1 male, got 1 inch bar spacing which is fine.. not many shelfs yet, just stock + a hammock.. will add more stuff slowly. He seems happy in it. :D Much happier than in the smaller one.
Cage I got ( http://www.amazon.com/super-pet-deluxe-f... )
Hope this helps.
I would get a bigger cage! Its a little bit too small.
Far too small.
Something like this makes a much better rat cage
http://www.petco.com/product/3294/super-...
yes

Is this cage big enough?

is a habitrail safari with a maze big enough for two dwarf hamsters? please only respond if you've had experience with these
Answers:
There are no pictures..

but any cage that is at least a foot and a half or longer should be sufficient as long as you play w/ your hamster everyday.
Sorry, but, do you think you could post pictures? It would really help! Thanks,
~ Future Vet
Edit: Ok, I looked at the pictures! A dwarf hamster can't live in that. Even if you added tubes and then a cage, a dwarf hamster can easily fall through the tubes, and hurt it's self! It best that you get an aquarium to house your dwarf hamsters in! Thanks, and good luck,
~ Future Vet
You are better off with a wire cage. The habitrails are more for people than pets. IMO and experience they are dangerous(with tubes). I had a cousin(years back) whose hamster suffocated in the tubes. I purchased one and it was broken in about a week.
Best cages I ever purchased were from http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag... if you do purchase from here, buy the coated cage, the galvanized ones smell after awhile. Spending a little extra is worth it. I have had my two Martins cages for almost 10 years.
No. The habitrail cage is too small for one dwarf, let alone two, and the website you provided says the maze isn't meant to be attached to the cage.
You could buy another habitrail (two more would be best), but because of money I don't think thats the best choice.
You could get an 10 gallon minimum aquarium and buy a lid that will allow you to attach the habitrail, these are for sale. Or just forget about the habitrail.
You could also buy a jumbo plastic storage bin for your hamster, these are my favorite cages. You can even make a second story out of cardboard, a dishrack, and a little latter. The bin will need ventilation, so drill holes in the side with a power drill, or cut out a large portion of the lid and cover it with wire mesh. You could put your habitrail inside the bin along with the maze.
i think soo =]
Prodigy556 is right. I bought a habitrail cage, and they fall apart easily, and ARE NOT easy to clean. ur better off with just getting a rat cage, ya know a plain wire one, and then add little toys and fun stuff for you hammy.
no thats sooo small i have a dwarf and it 5X that size
I wouldn't get that for a dwarf hamster... my dwarf lives in this:
http://www.petco.com/product/100111/sam-...
and sometimes I think even that is too small! haha
Of course she is spoiled...
Regardless, the reason I wouldn't get that cage is because the wire bars go all the way around. I definitely would get a wire cage, but if your dwarf is anything like mine, she will LOVE to climb up the wire bars... and if she somehow manages to go all the way up, and up-side down, she will fall and get very hurt. You should find a cage where they can always climb back down... (even though it will take them a long time to learn how ;) )
DO NOT use an aquarium for any small animal be it rodent or cavy. They are not well ventilated and the amonia from the urine builds up and causes respiratory infections. That also applies to pine and cedar beddings. They have phenols in them that cause damage to the lungs.
Get a wire cage that is at leat two levels with a ramp and solid floor and shelve(s). If it has a wire floor cover it with something that is solid and sturdy that you can change or wash when it gets peed on.
Honey that thing is bgger than my room. Wow that's a palace.
I would think it is big enough for two hamsters.

Is this bedding okay for my gerbils?

Okay, so I have had my two boy gerbils for over a year. I have always used the same bedding. It is AlfaPet The #1 Pine Shavings. I have heard that pine and cedar shavings can cause respiratory problems(that's breathing, right?). Is that true. Sometimes, I put my gerbils nose up to my ear and their breathing sounds like they are trying to sniff something out, they are like quick, fast, every 2 seconds. Are they okay? Should I use a different bedding? If so, what should I use. The first person to answer this with a good answer and a source, will get 10 points. THANKS!
Answers:
Pine and Cedar bedding are said not to be good for your hamsters/gerbils/or ANY other kinds of small pets. Yes it can cause respiratory/breathing problems and these wood shavings can even develop allergies for hamsters!
I would bring your gerbils to a vet just in case. Small pets can go downhill fast if they are sick.
Yes, you should use a different bedding. You should use CareFresh. It is my favorite bedding so far, and the same for many others. I hear that aspen bedding is okay and I think it is true. You should read links about Pine and Cedar and their dangers.
If you have used that bedding for a while and havent had any problems then it should be fine. There is a paper bedding that is good for any sort of rodent. ( Carefresh I think it is )
Some wood shavings in a poorly ventilated cage will allow fumes to collect and that can hurt your pets.
I've heard that pine and cedar aren't right for gerbils. I have a gerbil. When we got him they recomened using Aspen chips (that's another type of wood)...
the kind we have now is "AlpfaPet" Aspen Bedding
the advantages of aspen bedding are
-no wood oils
-high absorbency
-odorless
-non toxic
and
-fluffy for easy tunneling
you might want to take your gerbils to the vet to see if anything is wrong
i hope everything turns out ok
NO it is not okay because cedar and pine shavings have chemicals in them that can affect gerbils respirtory system
Go to this site it tells you about it http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapig...
P.S. If I were you i would use Carefresh Pet Bedding Colors (thats what i use for my rat and gerbils).
Hope it helps :)
it should be okay the best person who would no would be is the pet store person i use pine shavings and mine are 3 years old
I think I use a similar bedding. Cedar is not okay for hamsters. It can really do a lot of damage to their respitory systems. Pine is o.k., as long as it doesn't seem to be bothering them. If you ever notice them having an allergic reaction to the bedding, switch to new bedding immediately. Your gerbils seem to be ok with the pine bedding. The best shavings to use is aspen.
Well from experience i would suggest that you change beddings to Care fresh or Kaytee bedding but thats just my idea the link below is great too.
DEFINATLY! NEVER USE PINE OR CEDAR!!! use carefresh or aspen. those are the best beddings. and they are mostly recommended by experts.

Is this bedding good and safe?

http://www.kaytee.com/products/search/?p...
i have a hamster
Answers:
it says its only wood chips so it should be fine, and it wont hurt him/her if (when) they decide to eat or chew on some of it.
yeh' it looks pretty plush and soft. it should be pretty safe.
It looks like it should be safe, the only way of really knowing is to just buy it--sometimes it depends on the hamster because some have allergies to different material more than others. Although I recommend a brand called Care fresh (I think that's what its called), very good brand, dust free, and comfy for your pet.
definately safe. Carefresh is another safe bedding but a bit more costly. Aspen is okay too. The only ones to really stay away from are cedar and pine shavings
As long it is not cedar or pine shavings you'll be good
I dont know what kaytee is, but if its cedar, dont use it. Cedar smells good, but hamsters dont like it. It will kill them because the scent of the cedar gets into their lungs, and they cant take it.
My best tip is to stay away from cedar and use critter care or carefresh. That stuff is the best pedding for them. They like it, and you can have a long living hamster.
yes, kaytee has very good quality bedding I have used it before, it is very very good. i totally recommend it :)
Good lUck :)
Sabby
As long as it is not pine and cedar, then it should be ok. But CareFresh is the best bedding I think there is. Aspen is ok too.
Hi I have 3 guinea pigs 2 rabbits and a hedgehog I had a Hamster but he pasted. I found that the only concern with soft and fluffy type bedding was it sometime gets stuck on their nail so I would just watch for that Whit my Hamster I used care fresh bedding and he seemed to like it
Anything without cedar and pine is fine
Yes it would be fine for your hamster!
I don't see why not...

Is this bad?

I have two guinea pigs. Both of them had white flakes...one of my guinea pigs does not have it anymore, but my other one has it, and it has gotten worse-it has white and grey flakes. I always feed them alfalfa, fruits, veggies, and hay. They also scratch a lot. What's wrong with my guinea pig?
Answers:
its just dandruff, let them play in some chinchilla sand once or twice a week, it will help a little.
no
They have dandruff. This is ok. If they lick themselves, they usually get white flakes. It just means they are keeping themselves clean but not quite. I would buy a special pet shampoo at petsmart or petco and wash your guinea pigs. If you allready do this, keep it up. There is really nothing wrong with them. :) Hope I helped you!
i'm not sure but u need to take him to a vet quick and d't listen to that second person
OH yes, I had that same problem with my pet rabbit. When we took him to the vet, she said he was infested with mites from the bagged wood chips we used at the bottom of his cage. The cedar kind was too strong but she said, the pet chips do contain mites and if they lay in it they can get it.
It was stressing him out and all he did was scratch. She treated him with a shot that when it got into the bloodstream would kill the mites as they fed off him. Bathed and combed him. We liked to never get rid of them.
Are they scratching? Do you see any scabs or patches of skin where hair used to be? If you don't see any of these things, then you're probably safe from mites, mange, and lice. If you start seeing these signs, though, take them to the vet, pronto.
Generally, flakes mean dandruff, which happens in every species with hair. How old are your piggies? Pigs older than a year should be fed timothy hay instead of alfalfa, as well as timothy hay-based pellets. What kind of veggies do they get? It could be a kind of vitamin deficiency which is causing their skin to dry out. What kind of bedding are you using? It's possible they're having an allergic reaction to the bedding as well. Stay away from anything that's dusty, like sawdust, and anything with high odors, like Cedar (BIG no-no). I use a combination Aspen and Carefresh bedding.
Check out Guinea Lynx's nutrition page for ideas of where to start. They also have great info on parasites like mites, lice, and mange. Good luck!
Take em to the vet.
Its probably just dandruff %26 scratching due to dry skin. I had two pigs that had dandruff during the winter due to the heater running in the house, thus drying out their skin.
This dry skin can be remedied by shampooing your piggies with specialized shampoo. There is a company in the UK that sells these types of shampoos. Visit http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/... to view their products.
However, I want to urge you to to re-look at the flakes. Part the fur %26 look VERY closely at the flakes. If any of them appear to be moving, those flakes could actually be lice. If this is the case, then your piggies should be seen by a vet for lice treatment. Both piggies would need to be seen for parasite treatment, even if one is no longer showing symptoms. Parasites are very contagious.
If your piggies are scratching and have any areas of hair loss, scabs, or open sores, this could be mites %26 they would need treatment with Ivermectin. Mites cannot be seen with the naked eye and are painful for piggies.
Sorry, I don't mean to scare you half to death because its probably just dandruff, but I want you to cover all your bases to make sure its not something else since I can't physically *see* your piggies.
Best of luck!

Is this bad for my hamster?

My hamster has this cage:
http://www.petsr4u.com/prodimages/superp...
and the part where i tube is supposed to connect with the upper level it doesnt [connect]. So my mom and i put some of that lint roller tape on the bottom of it so he wouldnt get his foot stuck in the gap because it was a big gap...so i left for mission trip Sunday (which is when we put the tape down) and i came back last night and realized that he had been chewing the tape.is this bad for him?? Anything else i can use since i cant take the cage back?
Answers:
Chewing on masking tape?
If he ate a lot of it he might have intestinal problems. Keep an eye on him, make sure he keeps eating and pooping like normal.
You might want to check out a hardware store in the plumbing section. They might have some small plastic pipe that the two section can fit into then tape the outside of it so he can't eat at the tape again. Take the cage with you when you go so you can get the right size pipe
I dont think he will have swalloed the tape, I dont think it will do him any harm, The tube will go on if you just push it and click it in, And if you still cant, What about a bit of metal or somthing? Cant you buy tubes seprate? you can in my pet shop, and there is like and end bit/blocked? What about one of those?
Can you take the cage back to where you bought it and see if they can get the tube to fit ? If it ws bought new all the parts should fit.
You may be able to get a pvc pipe flange from the hardware store that would fit the tube .
Cute cage i use to have one like it but milti colored any way i think tape might be bad for your hammyso instead cut a peace of carbord a little wider than the gap like shown
==============================...
______________________________...
##############################...
##############################...
______________________________...
==============================...
sorry its so bad but ###### is the gap ___________ is the cardboard and
==== is the tape not: the hammy WILL probably chew throu the card baord so
make sure you have plenty of cardboad or you can spead something on the card board that your hammy hates but make sure he can eat it not that he would want to if he hates it
I had this same problem ( i had a similar cage), and i taped cardbored over the hole, unfortunately the hamster chewed thru the cardbored, escaped, and was killed by my dog.
If i were you, the safest thing to do would just be to get a new cage, and besides this cage is a little to small for a full grown hamster anyways. I would get a cage that was at least 2 storys
I have a cage like that, and they won't get their feet stuck. Take the masking tape off NOW. That cage is safe for all hamsters, it says so on box. READ LABELS!
should ask the pet store to help you put in the tube
i'm not absolutely sure but i would say don't worry about it. my hamsters chew those big clear tapes. i tape their houses and they bite on it but so far its been two weeks and they are perfectly active and healthy. best of luck!
i have that cage for my mouse
same color and all!
make sure the little wire things on the side adtop is on right.
then just snap it closed with the little levers.
mine has a small gap its no biggie.
go to the store and get a replacement tube so it will fit, they sell them or you can order online, from superpets usa.com

Is this a typical reaction for Teddy Bear Hamsters?

So I just go my Teddy Bear Hamster today. I know you should not touch your Hamster for at least 24hrs the pet store told me 5 days/
Well my hamster managed to get out of its cage as soon as I left it alone (I had not attached a piece properly, fixed now, checked the cage for any other issues).
So imagine my surprise when I come out of the kitchen and it is sitting on its cage. I gently cupped my hands around him/her (I really do not know) but she freaked out, I almost dropped her, but didn't.
I expected her to bit me but instead she peed on me, is this a good or a bad sign?
Answers:
Actually, I'd say good. All my baby hamsters have peed and pooed on me a bit for a while.. usually until they're 10 - 12 weeks old.. I think it's a baby hamster thing, maybe they haven't quite got full control.
Anyway, the good is because a scared hamster would have bitten, or squeaked a lot.
I'd say now leave her until tomorrow, and start handling then.
5 days is a long time for a hamster.. the older they get, the harder to handle. I've always held mine to put them into the cage, and started picking thme up for a short time the very next day. All were OK with this.
Congrats on your new baby :D
Your hamster probably peed on you because it was nervous. However, I know of many hamsters that have peed while being handled even when they are not stressed. They just don't seem to think it's inappropriate. Don't worry about waiting to handle your hamster. You should try to get to know her right away. Don't harass her, but let her know you're safe to be around. You may try letting her out in a secure area and let her walk around.
Pet her gently.
Just means that your syrian hamster was scared. Leave it until tomorow. In the evening just slowly place a bit of food in your hand and lay your hand flat on the bottom of your cage when your hamster is awake. This will help him/her to be less scared. All animals react diferently when they join a new family.
Hoped this helped :)
It simply means that she was frightened.
It's common for hamsters to be a bit on the nervous side when you first handle them. Lots of handling, patience, and approaching her quietly will rid her of this habit. Don't worry too much.
I think she peed because she got a little scared. Leave her alone for just a day or two and come back to it. When you first touch the teddy, put a pinky out and then, if it lets you, pet with the pinky, then one finger at a time as you pull the tiny creature into your hand. Just be as gently as possible, I think this will work.
If it doesn't, then ask the pet store people or the vet, if you can. I hope this helps. :)
Hamster's pee when they are nervous. probably she/he is not used to your smell yet. Put some food in your hand and extend your hand in the cage and the hamster should come to your hand he should eat from there. It migh take a while,
your hamster was most likly frightened!
so i wouldnt worry.

Is this a safe idea for my hamster?

I was thinking about putting wax paper on the bottom of the cage and then put the bedding, so It'll be easier to clean.
Is the wax paper safe or will it harm my hamster in any way?
(I haven't tried it yet, I'm just asking to see if It is safe)
Answers:
I wouldnt do it. They will eat it and since its not a rat with a cast-iron-gut I think it would harm it. Wax would be stored in the brain and could cause a whole lot of side effect or kill it. But there is some bedding that is out there that is safe for pets. Its like paper without the glue and chemicals. I used it for my hamster. Its called Care Fresh Pet Bedding. It works great! They love digging in it and its not to expensive. Hope this helps.
I don't think it is a good idea cause if the hamster eats or licks it.
I wouldn't.at best he will just dig it up %26 shred it for his nest - at worst he could eat it %26 it might cause an impaction %26 kill him
No, I wouldn't use wax paper. But you can use newspaper. Believe it or not, the ink used on newspapers is totally non-toxic. So go ahead and put down a sheet of newspaper to cover with bedding. Hope this helps!
Wax Paper is not a threat but a better idea would be newspaper and if your worrin about the pee soaking through double up and simply wipe watever is left with paper towels.
I put news paper,in the cage.It work's great.
debbie_mnt
I don't know but just incase at your gocery store they usally sell special cloth to go under your hamsters cage it works very well and they smell good too!
unless u want to clean up a bigger mess (meaning your hamster) i suggest u shouldnt do that
I don't think you should do it. It would be easier to clean, but if the hamster eats it, it could really plug it up and be really bad for it. It stinks since now you have to do it the hard way, but it's better to be safe.
yes it will work perfect . I do it all the time
You'll still have a puddle, but it will be on wax paper instead of the plastic. At least newspaper is absorbent.
I do that to and it doesn't hert my hamster.
um well usually hamsters like to dig up bedding to make a nest... and when he hits the paper, he might think it is bedding and put it in his mouth, but then he cant get it out and he will choak... so i think that you SHOULDN'T use wax paper
I really wouldn't do that! You should use Carefresh bedding because Pine shavings and Cedar can kill your hamster!
No Please Dont.
Cut Stripps Of Paper In They're. Its Fun For Them Since They Can Dig %26 Easy To Clean. Please Change Paper Every Week. Hope I helped
Nope. Wax paper is neither digestible nor water soluble, and if they hamster eats it it could be deadly to him.
The cage is easy to clean if you clean it at least once a week. The worst case scenario should be if your hamster likes to urinate in the same part of the cage alot, there may be some damp bedding and a damp spot on the cage. When you clean the cage, take out the hamster, take out all his dishes and toys, dump all of the litter, wipe the base of the cage out with a damp paper towel, and dry it with a dry paper towel. Then put fresh bedding in, clean his dishes and toys if possible, and put him back in.
If you want, you could clean the corner he urinates in every day by using a plastic spoon to scoop out the soiled litter, and replace it with some fresh litter. There really isn't a need to line your hamster's cage, and since they are diggers, they'll dig down to whatever you line it with. The suggesting to line with newspaper is not a bad one, but the ink could stain your hamster's feet or fur. It is non-toxic, however, if it is a new newspaper that has not been left outside.
It depends if your hamster tends to ingest stuff. If not, then it would be ok. But to be safe, you might want to cut up linoleum and put it on the bottom, along with newspaper. Then you can lift up the newspape and bedding, and the linoleum is very easy to wipe up quickly.
Dont use wax paper, use news paper instead...news paper wont hurt him.
erm .. try something else like news paper
I shouldn't think it would harm your hamster in any way BUT I think to be on the safe side I would use newspaper.
try newspapers, it is healthier and cheaper.
I dun think it's safe, better dun becos it might lick or chew and eat the paper.
I wouldn't suggest it in case hammie eats it and gets sick, just dump out the old bedding once a week.,

Is this a mouse? http://www.2and2.net/files/46bf426b9955c.jpg?

I live in germany, and out hiking I found this rodent. I thought it was dead, but then I poked it with a stick and it moved. I put on gloves and took it home with me, it barely moved the whole while. It's sunday and I can't get a hold of any vets or animal care places. I put it in an old cage with water and food (sunflower seeds, and a slice of apple) and it revived noticeably and started chowing down. Now I can see one of its hind legs is totally useless.
My main question though is, what the heck is this thing? A field mouse? I've never seen one that looks like this.
Answers:
It looks like a Dormouse. http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
It seems it's leg is broken. If you can, bring it to a vet. Continue to bring it back to health, it should heal up. Then you can release it. Careful though, that rodent can be a carrier of rabies and other unpleasent diseases, so continue to handle it with thick gloves and wash your hands after care.
Wow, what an interesting find. I don't think that is a mouse, at least it doesn't look like any mouse I've ever seen. It looks like a cross between a gerbil/mouse/little squirrel. Well, wait till Monday (tomorrow) and go to the vet as soon as possible. Even better, contact a wildlife facility that can help you out. In the mean time, replace the food when it;s empty, make sure it has fresh water, and make sure it's comfortable. Sounds like your doing a great job.
No. Mice have bald tails. Maybe its some kind of shrew. You could look online for a website that shows local mammals.
Nope, that is not a mouse. I have no idea what it is- but is so cute!
Good luck.
yea it looks like a mouse
It's soo cute, but it's not a mouse. I've never seen anything like it. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful. Anyway, keep up the good work!
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww its sooooo cute!! i dont think its a mouse but it looks rare ur soo lucky for fiding a cute . rodent sorry but i dont know wat it is
I honestly don't know what it is. It does remind me of a Sugar glider though. It might be a baby Sugar Glider.....
Sugar Glider- http://images.google.com/images?hl=en%26amp;q=...
Good luck with it!

Is this a good name?

Arby
for a male guinea pig
thanx!!
Answers:
Personally I love the name, but to answer your question is a tad hard. Arby in itself is a good name but does it suit the piggy? Does the piggy act like an Arby? Does the piggy eat, sleep and talk like an Arby? If yes then I think Arby is perfect. If no then you may want to have a bit of a think about naming your guinea pig something else. Some of the following sites might help:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/namelists...
http://www.jackiesguineapiggies.com/guin...
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources...
So like I said, personally I love the name. The question you need to ask yourself is does it suit your guinea pig?
Good Luck!!:P
sure
sounds good
yeah it is
I like it!
That's adorable!
LOL...that is super cute! I would have never thought about it.
yes
I think it's cute..
OMG!! CUUTEEEEEEEE! *squeals*
I like it
yea its cool but i like Garl
yeah arby's is my favorite fast food
sure
arby makes it famous from a fast food place
lol
:]
Yeah it is.
LOL i 鈾モ櫏鈾モ櫏 that name!!
its soo cute
dont listen to anybody else
that name is perfect
wish i would have thought of it
~Maddie
Well, that's not what I would name my guinea pig, but I still think it is a great name!
Hope I helped!
-Lil' Princess
Depends, does this guines pig look like and Arby? Act like one?
its cute :)
his girlfriend can be barbie(jk)
Sure why not! : )
it sounds like a girls name but i guess it works for males
yeah!
I like it! Sounds like a name for a pudgy guinea pig, lol.
I like it.
nooooo....max a millon
ya go for it i like it
thats such a cute name.
WOW that IS a good name and its cute!
Arby is a great name! I love it! it's so cute! I would name my Guinea pig Arby also!

Is this a good mix for feeding my rat?

I don't like the rodent foods out there (I used to use a mix of rabbit, hamster, and guinea pig food).
I started feeding about this recently:
25% Kellogs Wheat Bran Flakes
25% Kirkland Signature Dog Food
25% Oats and Barley
25% Dried blueberry, cranberry, raisins
I also give one piece of fresh vegetable a day (broccoli, carrot, etc.)
...Am I lacking anything? I'm basically using a grain-based diet with some protein and fruit. Is there any way I can give more vegetables without it spoiling? My rat drags it around in her bedding before eating it and it gets really disgusting so I only give her vegetables outside her cage.
Answers:
Good quality food and clean, fresh water should be available at all times for your pet mouse or rat. pelleted rodent rations which are processed as dry blocks or pellets are recommended. Typical maintenance diets should contain about 14% protein and 4 to 5% fat, while diets for growth and reproduction should contain 17 to 19% protein and 7 to 11% fat.
Most of this is fine in addition to the dry food mix sold in stores. The dried fruits however should not be given if they have added sugar, usually added before drying. They can't have all that sugar.
I have over 40 small animals and we feed all of them basically the same foods with certain foods removed depending on the breed. We only feed guinea pig and parrot food mixed together as their dry mix. They are very healthy and not overweight. Due to all the animals to feed we buy it in the large bags (8-10 pounds) about 6-8 bags at a time. We store all the food in 2- 5 gallon lidded buckets. This amount last us about 2 months depending on their appetite. Our rats eat the most along with all their other foods. For rats under 12 weeks old feed them dry puppy food, over 12 weeks feed regular adult dry food of good quality. Some good brands are Good News, Beneful, or any with veggies added make good choices.
I have a food list available for rats if you'd be interested in it. It had all the foods they can and can't have to eat. Just email me direct at wolfinator25840@yahoo.com Subject: rat food list. If you use petqna.com to email me, I can't sent the list due to not enough spaces allowed.
Thats a great diet. Only one thing. Cut down just a little on te dog food.
Its has oober amouts of protien, and too much is actually bad for you rat.
But other than that, he should be a happy healthy rat. Its great to make your own rodent mixes.
Im sure he [or she] loves you for it! :]
Kirkland dog food is not a good brand of food. Rats need a high quality dog food, with low protien. Nurto lite is a better choice. If you cannot afford to spend money on quality dog food which should make up half of the diet that just give lab blocks which would be healthier in this instance.
Also 25% fruit is too much, fruit should be fed in moderation.
One other question, how did you come up with this diet? There is a lot that goes into making a nutritionally complete diet for an animal. Please check out these links for some help:
http://www.rmca.org/articles/homemadedie...
http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html...
A proper homemade diet has to be carefully planned and should be checked by a vet. Most homemade diets have a large variety of seeds, nuts, grains, pastas, etc to make them nutritionally complete. When I used to make mine, it had at least 10 ingredients of different grains, seeds, etc.
Maybe a little cheese with the vegetables but other then that the type of food you give her is just fine. She should be ok %26%26 you can blend of chop up the vegetables for the rat and put like 10% of it with the cereal %26%26 sother foods.:]
Try jimmy Hoffa
sounds great for your rat. I prefer kitten chow though. As for the hamster... they tend to have more delicate digestive systems. Just keep an eye on his droppings and make sure they look normal if you do feed him that.
You feed a rat "information" and the "rat" squeals on the Hitman?
... the "rat" will be swimming with the fishes!
Kapeesh?
Hey? do yuze wanna job in the casino bakery?
yuze seem qualified!
at least for making bran muffins anyway! Ciao'
try googling the suebee diet
or the shumanite diet
depending where in the world you are
dried pasta spirals are a good addition as is dried couscous, red lentils, rice,
personally id cut down the fruit [too much sugar]and up the veg especially the broccoli and also add some other veg like spinach and kale, beans tinned in water or dried beans soakd and cooked according to the directions,
plus if shes a lone rat, which is what you seem to infer, id get her a same sex friend, shell thank you for it in the long run
i give my rats kaytee forti-fied lab blocks along with fresh fruits and veggies. it could be that the diet that you've made up is lacking somewhere, although i'm not sure. i rely on the link below, and have even called her for help!
good luck!

Is this a good food to be feeding my guinea pig?

http://www.petco.com/product/100589/kayt...

and we feed him a petco type hay that they have in stores and we use this as his bedding
http://www.petco.com/product/100588/kayt...

should i change it because it is not rated good?
Answers:
Fiesta is one of the worst guinea pig foods, sorry. Anything with colored bits is crap, and if it contains seeds (choking hazard) that's even worse. You want a plain pellet.
Oxbow, Mazuri, Kaytee Fortidiet or Timothy Complete, or Kleenmama's Hayloft (available online) are MUCH better options.
I've used that bedding and found it to be a bit dusty. I'd go get a big bag of aspen or kiln-filtered pine shavings. Yoo could also try towels or fleece as bedding.
No salt wheels! as another poster recommended. Guinea pigs don't need extra salt in their diet any more than you do.
the food is bad the bedding is good but since its not aa very big bag it could get expensive. just get the biggest bag of bedding you can
dont feed it that food because mix is bad for guinea pigs. they can choke on the bits and develope lazy eating habits (it picks what it likes to eat and doesnt eat the rest) just feed it plain pellets and if you can get this brand
http://www.oxbowhay.com/shop/showproduct...
or just a reliable plain pellet. i have timothy complete guinea pig food. also make sure the food is based on timothy hay
This particular food isn't the best. It focuses more on being appealing to customers than on providing what your guinea pig needs. Guinea pigs should not eat seeds because they easily choke on them. You will want to find a plain timothy hay pellet based food that has vitamin c added to it. Oxbow is a trustworthy brand. The bedding is fine but somewhat expensive. I prefered Carefresh bedding when I had my guinea pig.
Switch foods. Guinea pigs should have a plain pellet with nothing mixed in. Oxbow brand is best.
Guinea pig's daily diet should include
Unlimited amounts of timothy hay
1 cup vitamin C rich veggies for every 1 pound of body weight (strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, collards, spinich, carrots, parsley, cucumber, ect.)
1/4 cup of plain pellet food
My sister's guinea pig eats regular rodent pellet food and he is very happy and healthy. He also loves to have a salt wheel to lick and his favorite treat is yogurt drops which they sell in all major pet stores.
Cute guinea pig by the way! :)
its all fine. you sound like you really care about your piggie.
that food is fine. that bedding is fine. your guinea sounds well cared for
enjoy him!
xxxCxxx
Plain pellets is usually better, along with unlimited hay and fresh veggies with the occasional fruit
The food is bad. You need a plain pellet. Oxbow and KM's Hayloft are best. However, if you must get something else, get Mazuri PLAIN pellets or Kaytee PLAIN pellets. No colorful crap or seeds.
That bedding is not the worst. I've used it and it's really dusty and stinks (in my opinion)
The food is BAD, the colourful bits and seeds can get caught between their teeth and the guinea pig can even choke on it. You should stop using it NOW, and switch to a PLAIN pellet, I would recommend oxbow for the pellets.
http://www.oxbowhay.com/shop/showproduct...
Your guinea pig needs Cavy Performance because he is under the age of 6 months, this is an alfalfa based pellet (from my understanding) and is great for the health of your guinea pig. You can order the pellets online although alternatively you can use the store locater:
http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=int...
As for the hay, timothy hay is wayy to strong for a guinea pig under the age of 6 months, you should be using alfalfa hay. I would recommend Kleenmamas Hayloft:
http://www.kmshayloft.com/
I have not used the bedding before, I now use fleece (which I would recommend), but just by looking at the comments and the details on this site and the other site it sounds like it is smelly and dusty. To solve both of these problems I would switch to fleece.
i give mine meadow sweet scented hay from wilkonsons also avalaible in pretty much any pet shop

Is this a good cage for two female rats?

it says it's for hamsters,but it look kind of big
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...
Answers:
Defiantly not . It is tall but rats need floor space. The longer and wider the better. My rats are in a rabbit cage now. The bars are wide but because they have grown so much they can not get out. You need your cage to have different levels which are flat, not wires or they can get bumble foot. Have a a hammock in the cage which they love to cuddle up in. It is approx 3ft by 2ft.
Definately not. Rats are a lot larger than hamsters. If a cage says it can be used to mice then you know it is too small for rats. Multiple levels is a great idea though.
Defiently Yes it is and the bigger the better!
How big are they I would say it would be good if they were from 3-5 inches.
Kinda tight but I guess it'll work for two. Rats are larger. and the wheel would be useless to the rats. I would get something else but if you like it alot it'll work.
No. that is toooooo small. And, it has wire ramps and balcony things. The house is to small, no rat would fit into it. The floor space is not enough for two or even one, to live comfortably.
I hope that you find a good cage for them.
It looks big because of the picture, but inreal life it isn't. That is too small for 2 female rats. As the first person to answer stated above, rats are way bigger than hamsters.
NO NO NO rats need a bigger cage than that!
Try asking your localpet store what sizeof cage you need!
WAY TO SMALL for one rat never mind two.
No! Thst cage would not be good for 2 female rats!
They can get pretty big!

Is this a good cage for a teddy bear hamster?

If so can the hamster live in it until it dies or will a larger cage have to built?
http://www.petco.com/product/15483/super...
Answers:
Critter Trails with all those tubes are hard to clean, and no matter what type of wheel it has, it will squeak within a week of two.
The reason they are hard to clean is all those tubes are hard to disconnect, especially that long one that goes up too the lookout area. It is also easy to break the little connectors.
I have had my Criter Trail for only a week and I already wish I had bought a wire cage, as soon as I can afford a wire one I am switching. I do not want to dip into my hamsters emergency fund, he has $150 set aside but that is for vet purposes only.
You are better off getting a wire cage with multiple levels. Just make sure each platform is solid and not wires, since wires will hurt their little feet.
Yea, thats a good cage, it has a lot of places to climb and stuff, but It could be a little bigger.
When in doubt, ask someone who works in the pet store.
My daughter has the same cage for her teddie bear hamster in pink! This is a great cage and has worked really well! It comes apart easily to clean!
this is a good cage .you may have to buy a bigger one if they get to fat to go through the tube. this should work for the rest of its life .
that should be suitable but it will be a bugger to clean other then that its big enough
Honestly, i wouldnt get that cage. I had a tedy bear hamster, and those guys get to be pretty fat and big. it may be kind of tight for your hamster. My brother got that cage for his dwarf hamster and it was fine for him. the only thing is the wheel at the top makes a squeaky noise when the hamster runs on it, and since hamsters are nocturnal, youll prlly be hearing that sound all night. Oh and that cage is REALLLLYYYY hard to clean. Its not worth it, trust me
I work at petco and wouldn't recommend this cage. It is costlier than most and the little tubes and wheel are difficult to clean. I would suggest a traditional wire cage that pops off the plastic bottom. Much easier to clean, better air circulation, and you can add whatever accesories you'd like. Also wire cages are usually cheaper.
yes, i have the same one , but it is better if, over tiem you add extensions like mine
No.if your going to get a hamster geta regular medal cage, because the plastic ones do not last long because the hamster will chew on the plastic until there is nothing left, even if you do put chew toys in the cage! Get a metal cage definantly!

Is this a good cage for a teddy bear hamster?

http://www.petco.com/product/100111/sam-...
Answers:
I had a lotta hamsters when I was younger.. There's a few problems with cages like that.
1) It's too small to add any additional hidey houses or accessories.
2) The water bottle is soooo small, youre gonna have to fill the thing at least twice a day.
3) It's a pain in the butt to clean. You can't just open the top and scoop all the dirty litter out. You have to squeeze your hand in some very small places.
4) Some hamsters actually chew through the plastic pieces and destroy it sooner or later.
5) There's sooo many openings in the thing, that it gonna be difficult to make sure they are all closed all the time. This helps out tiny little escape artists.
Truthfully, you are better off getting an aquarium with a wire lid and some cage clips to hold it on. It may not be as colorful and pretty, but you can add other colorful accesories like hidey homes, wheels, and larger water bottles. Aquariums are sooo easy to clean, your hamster will be happier with the extra room, and most importantly they cannot chew thru them. It's really up to you though. Do you want a happy healthier hamster or do you want the hamster just for room decoration?
yes, did you check ebay?
hey I'D like to live in that. it's pretty niiice.
im not sure how big a teddy bear hamster is but i have a dwarf hamster. that cage should work because the bars arent to big to climb through. one problem with the cage i would have is how hard it is to clean. i had a cage like that and i could never clean it. it would take me hours. i switched to the aquarium kinda and it takes all of 5 to 10 minutes.
it's way to over priced it'd be cheaper to get a regular cage and buy all the extras to put in it. plus if you got a regular cage and got metal wheels and such to put in it the hamster wouldn't chew and eat the plastic like most small animals do

i keep seeing people telling you to get an aquarium type cage i can't stress enough how much you shouldn't buy an aquarium type cage. they are horrible for any small pets besides fish. if you got one you'd have to clean it every day instead of one a week. if you didn't clean it everyday it's become torture for the little animal. trapped with the smell of it's own urine... which would make the animal very sick. honestly if i had to choose between the 2 people are saying i'd change my answer to getting the cage in question.
Yes it's a very good cage for a teddy bear hamster. personally I would have the same kind of cage but a little bigger...another thing that hamsters love are those balls that they go in and roll all over the floor with...it's fun to watch them and good excersize for them...you dont want your hamster to get fat.lol
I've had these and these cages start to become a pain in the butt to clean and if a piece breaks or can be popped out he'll find it. and the chew on all the plastic pieces I've found the best thing to use for any kind of hamster is like an aqarium type cage. The small ones are pretty simple to clean and they cab't get out and you can still add all the tubes. but trust me you'll end up taking them out. Oh they also have the nice cages that go ontop of the aqariums. Good Luck!!
Yep. very nice cage. :)
good luck with your hamster :)
I read the reviews from actual purchasers on the link that you had listed. It sounds like it is fine for smaller hamsters but maybe not full size ones. Read the reviews and then see what you think. I would vote, no after reading them.
Yes it would. I use the S.A.M. cages and their accessories for my hamsters with very good luck. I would try some other resources for a better price though.
i HATE plastic cages. trust me, its not worth buying and you'll regret it. they are a pain to clean! plus that wheel is very prone to having white urine stains. my dwarf hamster had one of those and bit through that tough plastic and ran loose. plus, odds are that your cage can be breakable.
i highly recommend a plastic bin. they cost about 10 dollars from stores like walmart. you add a food dish, wheel, water bottle, and hurray you have a complete cage. they come in huge sizes that your hamster will thank you for. if you want to add the lid on, poke holes through with an electric driller. plus you can poke a big hole in the side and fix in those hamster tubies to attach them to another place. like a playhouse. to find out more information, click www.hamsterific.com ! that site can tell you what cage is best for you, and the pros and cons.
aquariums are fine, but they can keep in humidity and are kind of heavy to clean. just add a screen lid.
barred ones are okay too, yet hamsters constantly chew on them. it can cause brain damage as your hamster gets older
That's too small for any hamster and the wheel is probably small for a Syrian (a teddy bear hamster is just a Syrian; please, don't use any these terms for Syrian hamsters, it's too confusing; the only right term is "Syrian hamster"). A cage for a hamster must be at least 30x12x12 inches big.
looks fine to me
That is a great cage.
It does not look like it would be hard to clean, and the wires allow for plenty of ventilation. It also has a fun look about it.
The only thing that is hard to tell from the picture is if the platforms are solid or just wires. Ensure they are solid as the wires can hurt your Hamsters little feet.
yes that's a great cage for a teddy bear. Also ebay and other websites have cages just like that but a lot less money.
yes, but a crittertail X or Dazzle is also a great cage. good luck