AboutHeather S Expertise ***PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BEFORE ASKING, IT WILL SAVE US BOTH TIME AND FRUSTRATION***
NO DWARF OR GERBIL QUESTIONS I REPEAT NO DWARF OR GERBIL QUESTIONS!I CAN'T answer them, even if I'm the only expert available. I specialize in SYRIAN HAMSTERS ONLY like black bears, goldens, teddies, and more. I'm an experienced breeder and raised hamsters for the past 10 years. I can help with how to buy your first, how to house and care for your hamster, nutrition, showing, and other general questions. I can help with most behavioral problems too. I am the longest running hamster expert on this page, since 2001. ***I WILL NOT answer questions regarding:
Gerbils
Dwarf hamsters(Robo and Russian are dwarfs!!)
Taming
Illness, Cause Of Death, or "My hamster is dying please help me"
I can't fix your hamster. If your hamster has a broken leg PLEASE TAKE IT TO A VET don't bother asking a question to anyone because we obviously can't repair it, we don't like the animals to suffer. If you can't take the time to read this then I don't take the time to read your question and may write you a rude response because your too impatient to read!***
Experience I have worked with hamsters all my life.
Question My mom is finally letting me get a hamster. I've had one before but that was when I was six. My mom did most of the work. Can you please give me some tips on good ways to care for one? Also, my brother might be getting one two but he doesn't want to care for it. I don't want it to die so I offered to take care of it. I've read some of your answers but I'm still not sure if two regular hamsters you get at PetSmart can live together. Thank you if you get the time to answer me. =D.
Answer If by "regular hamster" you mean a large Syrian hamster (goes by names like teddy bear) they CAN NOT live together. Even though at most pet stores they are in one tank, it's because they are young. This is very misleading, because as the hamsters age, they become very territorial and will fight each other for tank space, usually leading to the weaker of the 2 being killed. If you must have 2 hamsters, they have to have separate tanks and never be introduced for "play time" like so many ignorant owners do.
Keep them in an aquarium with a lid, minimum 10 gallon for under 6 months old, 20 gallon long if they are full grown. That way you can customize the tank with whatever YOU want to put in it. Buying pre made plastic homes allows for no personalization, not to mention the hamster usually chews it up and it becomes fragile, and plastic tanks are hard to clean. Put down a layer of aspen wood bedding and change it once a week. Make sure you have at least one hiding place large enough for the hamster like a plastic igloo. As long as they have food and water access 24 hours a day, there isn't much to keeping a hamster, keeping it's living space clean seems to be the only thing owners have trouble with.
