Rescued a Dwarf Hamster today

**nmb7895** · 03-26-2011, 08:15 PM

Kind of weird. My family was at the pet store to buy some millet for our birds. As we check out, I notice a sign over some cages "5 dollars for me and my home!"

One of these cages was a nice sized (about a 10 gal aquarium sized) hamster cage with this adorable little female hamster in it. Kid gets her for christmas and then, apparently, it had bitten the kid and the parents just left it on the counter of the store, cage and all. I imagine the kid went to pet her and she nipped at him, since that's just what hamsters do. She's been sitting there with another hamster in a crappy cage and a rat in a 50 gallon aquarium (couldn't get the 50 gal for 5 dollars, I tried though). I guess they've been here since the new year, although I've been in this store plenty of times before and never noticed them.

Why would you buy a 50 dollar cage and 15 dollar animal and just leave them on the counter? SO I took in an abandoned animal, cool. I never did that before.

So we bought her, and new bedding, and new toys and a ball and the works. Lucky little girl, she's got a good home now.

Already ran around in her ball for 2 hours, had a good meal and some water, now she's napping. Such an adorable little critter.

**Cascade** · 03-26-2011, 08:26 PM

Too fun... and good for you! I had dwarf hamsters as a kid, they were a lot of fun. I never had a problem with nippy hamsters, but I also handled them regularly. Have fun with her!

**nmb7895** · 03-26-2011, 08:29 PM

Yea, she's pretty nippy, but given her life so far, I can't really blame her. I'm thinking with some gentle handling and attention she'll warm up.

**nmb7895** · 03-27-2011, 12:35 AM

For the litter, we bought some regular old aspen wood chips. Now I know back when we had our rabbit (who lived 10 nice, happy years), we were told to never do wood chips because it gives mammals lung problems.

Since this purchase was kind of on a whim, we just picked up what was easy to find at the time.

Anyway, for the rabbit, we used to line her cage with timothy hay. For a hamster, should we continue with wood pieces, or should we switch to alfalfa hay? It seems that hamsters require the calcium that was bad for rabbits, which is why I think alfalfa would probably be better for timothy. It's geared for smaller animals, while timothy is more for rabbits/g pigs.

So, hay or wood pieces, which is better for hamsters?

We want the hamster to have a nice, long, healthy life. My mom is an ace at keeping mammals healthy, we just need the knowledge of the proper care. For the rabbit, we had a vet, for the hamster... not so much. No vets for hamsters exist in my area :(

**TypeYourTextHere** · 03-27-2011, 12:57 AM

I remember as a kid having a Teddy bear hamster. I remember the one time he did bite me and I was so upset. All i really remember about that day is seeing those teeth come out. I was scared to death since i was only 10 years old at the time. I did not just dump the hamster though. Those people who dumped that poor hamster were idiots IMO. who gets a rodent and expects them not to bite every once in a while. it's all a part of nature.

**nmb7895** · 03-27-2011, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by TypeYourTextHere

I remember as a kid having a Teddy bear hamster. I remember the one time he did bite me and I was so upset. All i really remember about that day is seeing those teeth come out. I was scared to death since i was only 10 years old at the time. I did not just dump the hamster though. Those people who dumped that poor hamster were idiots IMO. who gets a rodent and expects them not to bite every once in a while. it's all a part of nature.

I had budgies and rabbits growing up. This is the first hamster our family has ever had.

In a bizarre turn of events, our rabbit of 10 years died in February and now we have budgies again. It's almost like clockwork. Budgies, then rabbit, then budgies, then rabbit.

I'm 21 now, before I was born my mom had a rabbit (lived 5 years), when I was born, the rabbit died a few months later, then we got budgies (lived 9 years), then they died, we got a rabbit (lived 10 years), now she died last month, and we got budgies again a few weeks ago.

So having a hamster is kind of a nice change of pace. It's a shame they don't live very long, but we'll make the most out of her short life.

**VoidParadigm** · 03-27-2011, 03:29 AM

Can't imagine dumping a hamster just 'cause it bit you.

My syrian was the runt, but he grew into being the largest, longest lived, meanest hamster from the litter. Bit everyone in the family multiple times, though was fairly co-operative if you came towards the cage with his ball. Used to chase the dogs when he was in his ball, and the one night he ever escaped he scared off the cat (a female feline usually quite the huntress.)

He's been dead five years and I still have the scars from his teeth. Would've never crossed my mind at barely 11 when I got him to just give him back to the seller.

**nmb7895** · 03-27-2011, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by VoidParadigm

Can't imagine dumping a hamster just 'cause it bit you.

My syrian was the runt, but he grew into being the largest, longest lived, meanest hamster from the litter. Bit everyone in the family multiple times, though was fairly co-operative if you came towards the cage with his ball. Used to chase the dogs when he was in his ball, and the one night he ever escaped he scared off the cat (a female feline usually quite the huntress.)

He's been dead five years and I still have the scars from his teeth. Would've never crossed my mind at barely 11 when I got him to just give him back to the seller.

They weren't the seller

This PetCo doesn't sell females, and the cage had a PetSmart logo on it. The people literally just left it on the counter of a random pet store and ran out.

And Gwen (we named her :D) wasn't even the only animal with this treatment. They also had a rat (this guy had a nice cage, a 20 gal long aquarium), a hamster (terrible cage), 3 parrots (the store doesn't sell these), a betta (in the world's smallest bowl) and 2 rabbits (which the store also doesn't sell) that had been abandoned in the store.

Who the heck buys a 300 dollar bird and leaves it in the store!? And then 2 more!?

And whoever kept the parrots was obviously terrible at it. Their beaks were all worn (no calcium), the one didn't have a tail, and the other was super aggressive (nearly nipped my mom). If they weren't 200 dollars, we would have taken "no tail" home with us and got him the treatment he deserved. Poor birds :(

Man that betta was pretty. He shouldn't have a hard time finding an owner, at all. A nice yellowish white with a deep red tail. I just hope they don't keep him in that bowl they had him in.

**toddnbecka** · 03-27-2011, 07:57 PM

Hmm, nippy rodent... where's the potato cannon?

Seriously though, some hamsters just seem to have a less-than-sociable disposition about being handled, and the dwarfs in particular have a rep for being nippy. You may get it to tolerate handling, but I doubt it will ever become a "good pet" that you can trust not to bite.

**Ashley** · 03-27-2011, 08:12 PM

I just got a dwarf hamster a month ago, they are so awesome and cute! Mine is very socialable, and when I talk, she comes right over to where I am, she even loves my dog!! Congrats on the new hammie :)