Because of you, I’m proud to say my hamster has 11+ inches of bedding to burrow in. Seeing my hamster burrow for the first time ever brought so much joy to me. He seemed so happy.
I've always thought my hamster didn't burrow until about two weeks ago. Turns out, he did burrow, but the entrance was in his house! Every time I thought he was quietly sleeping in his house, he was actually in his burrow!
My Donna lived on wood pellets for about 6 months before I got her, so she never had a chance to burrow. When I got her she didn’t start burrowing until I've had her for about 2 months, not once did I think about lessening her bedding depth. I was so so happy when I saw her first burrow and once she started she didn’t stop. She was such a active little dwarf girl, still hard to believe that it's been 5 days since I had to have her be put to sleep, but I'm glad I was able to give her the life she deserved. ❤ This is also first time for me to be totally hamsterless since October 2019, everything just feels off. I haven't even emptied the enclosure yet, but I'm definitely going to rescue my next hamster as well, seeing a hamster thrive in proper care, after living in bad care, is so rewarding.
I hate when people say they don't have money to buy a proper enclosure/enrichment/bedding etc. If you don't have the money to buy all the necessities, you simple cannot buy the pet. Simple as that.
@@mm2.auroravfxthen budget out enough money to still provide the proper care for an animal. it’s 100% possible to get a hamster on a budget. If you still don’t have enough money to provide it with the minimum for a good life, then don’t get the animal!!
I'm so happy that Victoria Rachel is in youtube because my hampster would be in a walmart so said 3 level cage but now my cage is as big as yours and my dad built it by your instructions so thank you soooooo much
Hi Victoria! I am a soon to be second-time hamster owner and I wanted to thank you for everything. Without you, I would be using a Tiny cage , bad wheel, and only pellets so I just wanted to say Ty and can I use a kind of big candle burner for a hideout?
This video is very informative!! I mix my paper bedding with hay and aspen bedding and have 14 inches of bedding throughout my whole enclosure. Miso absolutely loves burrowing, sometimes she sleeps in her multi chamber or she makes a burrow in a different chamber in the multi chamber to burrow in! ❤
I just wanted to share some video ideas I have for you Victoria! (apologies if you've already made one of these, I haven't seen every single one of your older videos) -Compare/contrasting different care requirements for different hamster breeds -a video about the process of adopting from a breeder/timeline of preparing for a new hamster -More hamster treat DIY recipes -hamster meme competition with your subscribers (we make the memes, you judge the funniest. maybe with another pet youtuber as a collab?) -what hamsters do at night with petcam footage -Thrifting video for hamsters! I love going to thrift shops to find water dishes, terra cotta wine coolers and/or plant pots for hides, baskets, and other decor. -I feel like you could do a whole video about different safe textures you can add for enrichment and how to implement them in dig boxes and/or jars and/or sections of the enclosure.
Really glad you provide infos about hampter care for such a wide audience, because I've noticed that when I look up english instead of German resources for hamster infos, it is very difficult to get proper infos outside of your channel. I've noticed that a lot of things that are considered common knowledge in German hamster forums (like how much bedding to use or wheel sizes) are not reiterated on english speaking websites. Maybe I just look at the wrong ones though tbf lol. My current ham was a rescue. Dude presumably came from a pet store, got put into a hamster jail by his first owner, who then got bored of him a few months later and dumped him on relatives who just wanted to get rid of him. And gave him cheap guinea pig food lol. It's almost a miracle that the little dude (a hybrid dwarf) passed all his health tests, even the diabetes one, and he turned out perfectly healthy. He most likely lacks the socialisation that baby hams need (like, they learn how to bathe in sand and how to make a food storage from their mom, which are both things that my boi doesn't properly do) and never had any bedding to burrow in. Heck, he most likely never had a proper wheel, because his previous owner didn't provide one and he was initially scared of the one I gave him (now he really loves it though xD). Especially because I have the direct comparison with a dwarf ham that had proper ham care from his first to last day (my previous ham), you definitely notice the behavioural issues and trauma the rescue ham has. He's incredibly afraid of getting picked up and freezes and shivers in fear after pinching me (like when I give him a treat and he, like dwarf hams just often do, wants to check if my fingers are a treat too). Don't even wanna know what previous owners did to him for him to act that way, though I can unfortunately guess. He's slowly warming up now and fine with getting touched. Really hope he's gonna take a while until he needs his first scent gland cleaning though xD Anyway, to return to the topic of bedding, seeing him be super excited about being able to burrow once he got to move into the big tank after his quarantine box was the most heartwarming thing ever. You could really see how he couldn't believe this was real when he first stepped into there lol. Things like this just make me question even more why some people still refuse to do the research and stick to at least the miminum, because seeing these little critters so happy instead of miserable and bored in a plastic jail is the most adorable thing ever.
That's interesting! I've found the last couple of years most english hamster websites all have similar info, granted some give out poor info but the majority all say similar things. I love seeing a hamster who had nothing get everything they deserve, it's so wholesome watching their reactions!
Instead of those pre-made tunnels, I find other things that give stability more helpful. If you talk to people from the gerbil owner community, they typically have all sorts of roots and branches in their bedding (and mixed with hay). A very cheap thing to use is the IKEA Hutten wine rack. You can either build it if your bedding it very deep or use its parts and layer them in with the bedding and hay. This gives structure and stability while the hamster is able to burrow through it practically everywhere, unlike with pre-made tunnels that have very few openings. A tunnel can be a good starter, but I wouldn't use these whole structures. Especially not if they're closed on the bottom. When the hamster decides one of those tunnels is his pee chamber, that thing will go moldy pretty quickly. If you use tunnels, use ones that are open on the underside so any pee can "dissapear" into lots of bedding below.
my hamster has about 30cm bedding and still doesn't burrow, i feel like he just doesn't like, but he likes to climb so i give him as many objects to climb and step on and is very curious. I tried starting a burrow system or using tunnels to give them an entrance sort of thing and he just covers everything 🥲🤡 i tried changing bedding, making sandwich, but yeah he covers every attempted burrow. He prefers just to stay under the wheel platform and its fine, he still has his 30cm bedding just in case if he decides to burrow. :) ps: i have a linmon enclosure
My hamster didn’t have enough bedding to burrow for the first 6 months ish of his life. When he came to me it was the first time he had deep bedding and I did a “starter” hole for him and now he loves his burrows. They’re everywhere! He pops up in so many places I wish I could see what it’s like down there!
My hamster Horus loves to burrow. It's getting him to come out of his burrow that's tricky. Instead of layering orchard grass hay, I mix it with his paper based bedding before compacting it. As always, love the video!
My previous hamster I adopted from the shelter had clearly never burrowed before. For the first few days I had him he just sat on his wheel and put some bedding over himself (he had properly deep bedding, with the exception of only 5-6 inches around his wheel). Within a month he had tunnels all throughout his house, he learned so quick! He was still obsessed with his wheel (that was his favorite thing before I got him and then the shelter didn’t even give him a wheel :’( ) so much so that my current hamster has 2 wheels because I thought she wasn’t using it enough at first lol
I use the habitrail tubing as burrow starters on the edge of the deep bedding half... I leave most of the space for her own burrowing, but that way when I do have to clean the deep bedding half, some of her "burrow" will always be the same to reduce stress
Victoria, I love your videos so much! They are so helpful show everyone how to properly care for a hamster. Even though this video was about burrowing, I still think it is very helpful! I just subscribed to you, Thank you so much!
My ham had multiple burrows. I used paper bedding. I noticed when he got older he didn’t want to as much. I got him a large extendable accordion like tunnel and stuffed it with paper bedding and he loved it and slept in it.
Thanks for yet another perfectly informative video. One of your previous videos where you mentioned that the bedding needs to be compressed was the eye opener for me and really helped! I've tried to put some cardboard boxes with the side removed to see our hammy while in burrow, but he's shy and he's building his burrows exclusively on the wall side to keep his privacy and darkness ;) And I am using mixture of paper bedding with wood shavings (fine +coarse) and some shredded paper napkins to keep it effective and cheaper than exclusively paper bedding (that is quite expensive in our country).
Hi Victoria! I'm a bit late but just wanted to tell you that my first ever hamster was in a bin cage, never put in a critter trail or any other small cage thanks to you! My first cage for my hamster was a bin cage just a little under the minimum, which of course, wasn't enough. After watching your channel, he now has two hides (one multi chamber, the other is a smaller multi chamber), a 11 inch wheel (he's a dwarf!), a sand bath (he had one before, but not as big), sprays, herbs, a healthy food mix, etc. Plus a bin cage that is past the minimum (I forgot the exact measurements) and lots of enrichment! Thank you!!
Igave my hamster away to someone who had proper time for a hamster with a larger cage and ended up getting a dog.. So Zoe has a better life now (my mom's friends brother) and I have a great life with charlie. I'm happy I did that because I'm more of a dog person. But when i had Zoe I was obsessed with ur channel!! Still am ❤❤
@@4uHoneyonly Hamsters are strictly solitary so both my hamsters live in two separate enclosures🐹. The enclosures aren’t attached but I have them next to each other. I hope this answered your question🥰❤️!!
I never ever give comments… but i am so impressed with you!! What an amazing human you are! //Katarina from Sweden-just adopted a syrian woman hamster ;)
Victoria, I want to say thank you so much. Me and my sister were going to get a hamster, and at first my sister showed me a tiny tales cage and said “you think we are going to get this?” And I said yes because I didn’t know, and she said “ we aren’t let me show you the actual cage we are getting.” And she showed me a bin. Honestly, I didn’t believe her. But then she said that you showed her tony tales cages are bad and bin cages are good and showed me your channel and now I’m obsessed. My hamster had passed away now, but if it wasn’t for you, he would have passed away earlier and sadder.
Hey Victoria! I’m early! Also thank you so much for helping all the hamster community! Also I have a video suggestion, can u do another reacting to hamster TikTok’s sent to you
@@picnicblanket6428 Essentially, by making woodem cube frame that matches the length and width of the tank, and then whatever height you want. Then you can either use 1/4" mesh, or in my case, local hardware store had 8"x48" leftover cuts of acrylic that I cut into panels on the closed sides. You can get even more fancy, but that's the gist of it.
My late hamster never burrowed 😢 She was from a pet store, and I'm gonna be honest, before I found this channel her cage was way too small, and she didn't have nearly enough bedding *at all*. However, after I found this channel, I tried my best to give her a big enough cage with a lot of bedding. I never really saw her burrow, but when she died, I had to search through the entire cage and all bedding, but I couldn't because I was crying a lot, so my brother took over. He found her under the bedding, so I think she burrowed only in her final days... :,(
I love watching your videos I feel like I have learned so much and have my hamster such a better life since I started watching your videos thank you!❤️
Thanks for sharing those information. We are going to get a Syrian hamster soon and your videos are very helpful considering everything to provide a wonderful life for our little friend.
I’m so happy! Your my fav TH-camr and your tips and tricks inspired me to get a hamster! In fact I just got a him today! His name is mocha and I love him! Thanks Victoria!!!!! ❤❤
Hello, my Syrian hamster had 12-14 inches of bedding for a year or more of his life (glass tank about 1200SQ) and he wouldn’t burrow at all, I gave him tunnels, caves, and a big home that he could’ve dug down through (no base, on top of the bedding) I tried different/ a mixture substrate, Kaytee paper bedding, hay, hemp, soil, sand, aspen, carefresh paper bedding (all unscented and no colour) and it was not fluffed up, he’s quite social and likes to come out whenever he hears voices, but he doesn’t have much interest in his toys either, wicker tunnels, cardboard digging box, bamboo, banana leafs, vine, soft woods, apple twigs, dandelion root, etc, I’ve tried a number of different things with him over the year but he really doesn’t chew much yet his teeth are healthy (took him to the vet for a checkup, everything was ok) he kinda just spends life sleeping (he will literally sleep anywhere) and running on his wheel, is he okay or is he just special? I only recently in the past month cut down on his bedding because he just wasn’t using it. (He has 6-10 inches now.)
when I first got my current hamster he burrowed all the time, but now he only does it when I take him to the vet or is otherwise scared (depth of bedding has not changed). he has 10 inches of bedding but still chooses to sleep on top of it
How to build a good enclosure. Stack 2 tubs together, drill two holes on the inside for tubing. First, for the top floor scatter sawdust, install wheel/hiding/feeding. Then, lower floor for burrowing in plain kitchen roll (buy a paper shredder). Next, link both tubs with tubes on either end. One long, one short (diagonally place either end). After that, you can even have the short tube link to a smaller container with a sand area on the lower floor (use zip ties to secure it). Longer tube links straight to the bottom burrow. Finally, cut a rectangular hole on the lid, add wire mesh and add zip ties around to fix it in place for air. Make sure the zip ties are out of range of the hamster. And you're done. No messing around. Cleaning is easy, just lift the lids! It takes my 10 mins to clean everything. I used mine for almost 2 years, my hamster doesn't like leaving the cage at all. I certainly wouldn't think of buying a cage from Niteangel, what an absolute rip-off. 😒
I recently found grain mites in my hamsters cage, the mites came from the new brand of food I was feeding them. So both hamster enclosures are on 'mite watch', and I feel really bad because I only have a few inches of bedding in each cage right now :') but I want to make sure the mites are entirely gone before I refill their enclosures with their usual 8 inches of bedding
Last night was our 2nd night with our new young hamster. He has borrowed already. I found him sleeping at the bottom at the edge where I can just see him. Thank you for your videos. I ran around my small town trying to find the biggest clear bin I could find. It’s not as big as I want but it will have to do for now.
You have inspired me so much! My teacher is getting a class pet, and he was going to get one of those critter trails. With no enrichment 😢.He was also going to get 2 Syrian hamsters 😢. But I have been watching since I was 9 ( I am 12 now )so I told him that will not work because I have been watching you😊. Then I thought him everything that you thought me about hamsters❤. And now he is getting a bin cage with deep bedding an a sand bath also a proper sized wheel I also gave him some of my sprays and now we took some of the seeds from the sprays and now we are growing them as a class❤. So thank you for teaching me about hamsters.❤❤❤
In my hamster’s enclosure there is a foot of well packed, paper based bedding and that covers pretty much the whole enclosure (800+ squared inches) but he just won’t burrow. He did once but he never uses it, but when he did he slept right by the glass, and we have had the enclosure for almost a year.
My Roborovski grew up in a Rody Duo for the first month of her life but she loves digging in her new cage, guess she was still young enough to have kept that instinct despite living in a small pet store cage with her family when she was a baby
I have 5 hamsters & all of them burrow. I know the prevue 528 only has 6” but they use it (I have a robo in 1 & a Russian in another) My Chinese hamster burrows the most & he has about 10-12” My other dwarf loves to burrow so I upgraded him to a 200 qt bin & now he goes under his wheel 😅😂 My Syrian is in a Pawhut & burrows a little.
I have had many hamsters, including decades ago when a few inches was considered acceptable, I have seen different reactions of hamsters being given deep bedding. Some never burrow and just used the provided hides, most dig a nest out, then dig a new one a week or two later. I usually end up throwing out the materials in the old nest because of pee and poops. A few have dug extensive systems, but over the period of several weeks, which means being very selective on weekly spot cleanings to not disturb tunnels that are not soiled/smelly. My current dwarf hamster Kashi has an entrance under a small hide connected by tunnel to nest under her multi-chamber located on the opposite side of the enclosure.
Another amazing and educational video from Victoria! Love all of the helpful tips in this video ❤ My hamster Archer is also not much of a burrower! I’ve tried so many things, but he just doesn’t want to! 😅 Glad to hear that this is completely normal :)
Hi Victoria, I really like your videos. I've always wanted a hamster, and I have been watching your videos to make sure it will be safe and happy. I have a question, is spruce and fir tree bedding safe? Lots of love xx
I have over 30cm of bedding, my only issue is that she tends to click mountains and mountains of bedding onto the surface every night which leads to her sand bath, dog box and wheel being covered and unusable.
Just thought i would share with you guys. Got a hamster few days ago and pets at home have now started working put floor space of cage before you get the hamster 😃 (adopted a hamster) it is also now essential to take a care leaflet
I have 3 Syrian hamsters, they all have really deep-packed bedding, but 2 do not burrow just dig holes to hide food, and one has the best burrows, so she has a full cage worth of extra bedding. She loves it. My others love their multi-chamber and hide outs more than burrows
Hii Victoria! I have some hamster name suggestions for when you get 2 more hamsters! Some names are Wendy (from gravity falls), Hope, Candel, Pretzel, and fern or fernie! Do you like those names?
Thank you for all you do! Your videos have helped me a LOT! My syrian hamster Violet turned 2 this past August. I know that is basically elderly for hamsters however she has not been acting herself lately. When she comes out of her burrow (which is rarely) she walks very slowly and shakes while doing it. Forums online suggest that she may have had a stroke but I have no idea how to tell. She still eats and occasionally gets water but other than that she stays hidden. Has this happened to you? Any suggestions?
I have a Syrian hamster from marketplace since February and he was around 8/9 months at the time but still nothing with him. Not even digging. He’s not really scared but acts different.. I think he might be traumatised. He acts really slow and doesn’t like anything. He doesn’t eat much, doesn’t like any sprays or herbs dried flowers etc. He just walks in his wheel a bit and that’s it. Gave him a nice enclosure but took a few things out since he wasn’t moving around much because he seemed overwhelmed. So less is more with him. Hopefully he still likes it here asinine I saved him from a tiny bar cage jail.
I watched your videos since before I adopted my hamster. We provided our hamster with over 1000 sq inches with 15 inches of bedding and we loved to see her burrow ( we liked to joke she was always renovating) She is now about 2 years old and I started seeing signs of her aging,. Would you make a video on the different stages of life/aging in hamsters, please?
I have a dwarf from facebook marketplace and when I got him he had a little space of bedding and the rest of his 40gal tank was just half an inch of sand😭 he has 12 inches of bedding in the low spot and 18 in the high spot and doesn’t totally know how to use it yet
I recently got my first dwarf. To be exact, i got him 3 days ago. I haven't interacted with him much because I want to make sure he is comfortable. He has been sleeping ALOT (including at night), which is worrying me, as I've never had a hamster do this. He has access to a 750 square inch cage and 8 inches of bedding, as well as cork logs, lots of hides, toys, etc. Is there a reason he might be sleeping as much?? (Not only sleeping a lot, but sleeping on the surface)
Hi Victoria. I ordered the niteangel bigger world MDF terrarium and it didn't come with the tape to fill the cracks. What do you use to fill it, and would it be safe to use green paper tape?
My longhaired Syrian didn´t burrow for months after I adopted him. Than one day he randomly started to burrow. A few days later he closed all the tunnels and moved back into his mulitchaimber hideout. Recently he started burrowing again... I have no idea why he is like that, I never changed anything in his enclosure or the bedding. But I leave him be. So give your hamster time and the opportunity to burrow and do other hamster stuff. Maybe he will use it, mabe he won´t, you never know.
Paper bedding also seems to be my hamster's favourite. I have a question though! I tried the aspen with hay layering before but I never did it again after I kept getting stings from nettle leaves inside of the bag of "high quality" orchard hay. I was scared that those nettles could sting my hamster as well and maybe even cause infections. Is this indeed a risk or are hamsters somehow magically nettleneedle-proof?
Hmm I’ve never had an issue with that. What type of hay were you using? I always use a soft hay like orchard grass so my hammy doesn’t get poked by it. And if it is poky, I wouldn’t use it.
@@cloudyskyz2237 In that case I think mine was just bad somehow (it really had many of those pieces). Maybe I'll try another brand in the future then! Thanks for the reply, now I know that not all hays have them :) Totally forgot which brand it was though, I'm pretty sure it was orchard hay. I threw away the bag after all the fuss!
Victoria x Thank you so much for your videos!! Please can I request for you to make a video with mistakes hamsters owners from your community have made and you yourself, so that other hamster owners don't make the same mistakes😭Some of our mistakes cost our hamsters' their lives. My accident was having a water bowl that was too big and deep. She had no problems with it, till she was an old hamster. So sad😭😭
I was wondering, what do you do with your hamster around the time people like to set off fireworks, I personally don't but a lot of people around different celebrations, love to fire off fireworks, do you have to take them to a quieter space with no windows and cover them with a soundproof blanket? Or do I have to do something else, once I get my hamster?
In april i rescued two dwarf hamsters, they lived in a cage which only had the size of 20x30 cm with basically no bedding. They now live in a 120x100x60 and the other one in a 120x60x60 tank they i gave them both 25 to 30 cm bedding, they only really started burrowing a few weeks ago and now they love it. I‘m so glad they finally can enjoy burrowing in a nice enclosure. They are just the cutest babies i named them dobby and hedwig🥹
At first i was worried that they didn‘t know how to burrow but they slowly started to learn at first it was only a little burrow underneath a platform or a hideout but slowly they started to make real burrows :)
The only problem with the orchard hay is sorting the hay for sharp needle like stalks that could harm the hamster when he/she is burrowing. A hug pain in the posterior!!! Maybe some think this is not needed but I would feel responsible if my hamster was hurt and I really do not see any other possibility with any grade of Timothy Hay sold on the market, even the bag with the soft orchard hay label.
I totally agree with this, when I first got my hamsters, I had a tiny cage for 2 Roborovskis but soon after I found this video and put them in separate cages. My cages are way bigger than the ones in store but still can only fit six inches of bedding. at first, neither hamster burrowed but slowly Luna started to dig under the surface. Her burrows aren't super deep though and are probably only 2-3 centimetres from the surface. Laura, on the other hand, likes to make small air pockets in the bedding but never really properly burrows. I'm not sure whether this is just what she prefers or if it is a problem that I should deal with. Does anyone have any experience on this behaviour?
Hi! LOVE your videos! I just passed my first 1 year mark with my oldest hamster… I would love to see a video focused on elderly & the geriatric stages of hamster care. Like when do they consider them elder? I have heard of people saying they make a “retirement” setup for older hamsters, could you do a video diving into that? If you’ve already done i apologize, but I haven’t seen one on your list about it ❤️❤️ thank you!!! ❤️❤️
@@VictoriaRaechel oh thank you so much!! That would be awesome! ❤️❤️ but in the meantime imma do a deep dive and see if I can find your first one as well! ☺️ And again thank you for such great content & information 🥰
I'm getting a hamster in around a week any suggestions or could you maybe make a video of good amazon cages, bedding and food? Or just reply, I've been looking at the small Niteangel Vista Cage. Is that good?
I would definitely go for at least the medium. A small is only 562 square inches and Victoria, and I too, recommend something at least 800 sq inches. I have the medium which is 923 square inches and unfortunately, my hamster still wasn’t satisfied so I had to upgrade to a DIY 2 x 4 cage.
I have left over critter trail plastic tunnels, could I theoretically compact those into the paper bedding to help my dwarf hamsters burrow? Edit: I don't use critter trail cages anymore. I just have the tunnels.
mine recently stopped burrowing.. were hoping its just him adjusting to the new apartment, his enclosure has the same setup, same bedding depth, same type of bedding (kaytee clean&cozy), he seems uninjured and is behaving about the same as before other than not burrowing. he has made some little nests but not burrowed. :( im concerned for him, i really hope its just him needing to get more settled in the new place.
Hello! My names Emery, and you have helped me a lot!! :) over a month ago, I had a hamster that had a small tiny tiny tales cage, unfortunately my hamster suger plum has died from most likely stress ;(.. now I’m setting up my new hamster cage with 1,543 square feet, and 8 inches of bedding! I’m getting a Syrian hamster, I have provided a 9 inch wheel! I can’t wait for him to arrive!
Mine burrows at random places and sleeps there. There are at least 4 spots, one for bathroom and three for sleeping 😅 its cute but every morning i see a new burrow and i never know where he is asleep 😊 He has 20cm of bedding and seems to be enough for him. The first few days i had him he didnt and preferred to sleep on the outside. He still does that sometimes so i'm guessing he trusts me
Do you think the uber bedding or the small pet select has less dust? i have heard some people put it in a mesh bag and shake some outside first to try and get any leftover dust out. I am in between the uber and small pet select bedding.
I feel terribly sorry for the hamsters that lose their ability to burrow when they have been kept in these horrible “cages” in pet stores. 😞
Me too it is so sad 😢
Me to when ever I see a small cage I dont call it a cage I call it a jail😭
Its just cruel, my hamster is 2yo and he just started burrowing
I know
Same :(
Because of you, I’m proud to say my hamster has 11+ inches of bedding to burrow in. Seeing my hamster burrow for the first time ever brought so much joy to me. He seemed so happy.
I've always thought my hamster didn't burrow until about two weeks ago. Turns out, he did burrow, but the entrance was in his house! Every time I thought he was quietly sleeping in his house, he was actually in his burrow!
That is adorable! ❤
Yes!! Many hamster's start their burrows from their hideout!
Mine does that too!
😂 a secret passage
My Donna lived on wood pellets for about 6 months before I got her, so she never had a chance to burrow. When I got her she didn’t start burrowing until I've had her for about 2 months, not once did I think about lessening her bedding depth. I was so so happy when I saw her first burrow and once she started she didn’t stop. She was such a active little dwarf girl, still hard to believe that it's been 5 days since I had to have her be put to sleep, but I'm glad I was able to give her the life she deserved. ❤
This is also first time for me to be totally hamsterless since October 2019, everything just feels off. I haven't even emptied the enclosure yet, but I'm definitely going to rescue my next hamster as well, seeing a hamster thrive in proper care, after living in bad care, is so rewarding.
Aw poor girl! I'm sure she was so happy to live the rest of her life with you!
I hate when people say they don't have money to buy a proper enclosure/enrichment/bedding etc. If you don't have the money to buy all the necessities, you simple cannot buy the pet. Simple as that.
True but you can always be on a budget?❤
@@mm2.auroravfxthen budget out enough money to still provide the proper care for an animal. it’s 100% possible to get a hamster on a budget. If you still don’t have enough money to provide it with the minimum for a good life, then don’t get the animal!!
I'm so happy that Victoria Rachel is in youtube because my hampster would be in a walmart so said 3 level cage but now my cage is as big as yours and my dad built it by your instructions so thank you soooooo much
That's great to hear!
Thanks for responding and I have a question where do you get your hampsters from?
Once again, we received a very useful study! Thank you Victoria!
How is this 23hrs ago I this was posted 1hr ago?
There a member so they see the videos before the people who aren’t a member
Hi Victoria! I am a soon to be second-time hamster owner and I wanted to thank you for everything. Without you, I would be using a Tiny cage , bad wheel, and only pellets so I just wanted to say Ty and can I use a kind of big candle burner for a hideout?
This video is very informative!! I mix my paper bedding with hay and aspen bedding and have 14 inches of bedding throughout my whole enclosure. Miso absolutely loves burrowing, sometimes she sleeps in her multi chamber or she makes a burrow in a different chamber in the multi chamber to burrow in! ❤
I just wanted to share some video ideas I have for you Victoria! (apologies if you've already made one of these, I haven't seen every single one of your older videos)
-Compare/contrasting different care requirements for different hamster breeds
-a video about the process of adopting from a breeder/timeline of preparing for a new hamster
-More hamster treat DIY recipes
-hamster meme competition with your subscribers (we make the memes, you judge the funniest. maybe with another pet youtuber as a collab?)
-what hamsters do at night with petcam footage
-Thrifting video for hamsters! I love going to thrift shops to find water dishes, terra cotta wine coolers and/or plant pots for hides, baskets, and other decor.
-I feel like you could do a whole video about different safe textures you can add for enrichment and how to implement them in dig boxes and/or jars and/or sections of the enclosure.
Really glad you provide infos about hampter care for such a wide audience, because I've noticed that when I look up english instead of German resources for hamster infos, it is very difficult to get proper infos outside of your channel. I've noticed that a lot of things that are considered common knowledge in German hamster forums (like how much bedding to use or wheel sizes) are not reiterated on english speaking websites. Maybe I just look at the wrong ones though tbf lol.
My current ham was a rescue. Dude presumably came from a pet store, got put into a hamster jail by his first owner, who then got bored of him a few months later and dumped him on relatives who just wanted to get rid of him. And gave him cheap guinea pig food lol. It's almost a miracle that the little dude (a hybrid dwarf) passed all his health tests, even the diabetes one, and he turned out perfectly healthy. He most likely lacks the socialisation that baby hams need (like, they learn how to bathe in sand and how to make a food storage from their mom, which are both things that my boi doesn't properly do) and never had any bedding to burrow in. Heck, he most likely never had a proper wheel, because his previous owner didn't provide one and he was initially scared of the one I gave him (now he really loves it though xD). Especially because I have the direct comparison with a dwarf ham that had proper ham care from his first to last day (my previous ham), you definitely notice the behavioural issues and trauma the rescue ham has. He's incredibly afraid of getting picked up and freezes and shivers in fear after pinching me (like when I give him a treat and he, like dwarf hams just often do, wants to check if my fingers are a treat too). Don't even wanna know what previous owners did to him for him to act that way, though I can unfortunately guess. He's slowly warming up now and fine with getting touched. Really hope he's gonna take a while until he needs his first scent gland cleaning though xD
Anyway, to return to the topic of bedding, seeing him be super excited about being able to burrow once he got to move into the big tank after his quarantine box was the most heartwarming thing ever. You could really see how he couldn't believe this was real when he first stepped into there lol. Things like this just make me question even more why some people still refuse to do the research and stick to at least the miminum, because seeing these little critters so happy instead of miserable and bored in a plastic jail is the most adorable thing ever.
That's interesting! I've found the last couple of years most english hamster websites all have similar info, granted some give out poor info but the majority all say similar things.
I love seeing a hamster who had nothing get everything they deserve, it's so wholesome watching their reactions!
Instead of those pre-made tunnels, I find other things that give stability more helpful. If you talk to people from the gerbil owner community, they typically have all sorts of roots and branches in their bedding (and mixed with hay).
A very cheap thing to use is the IKEA Hutten wine rack. You can either build it if your bedding it very deep or use its parts and layer them in with the bedding and hay. This gives structure and stability while the hamster is able to burrow through it practically everywhere, unlike with pre-made tunnels that have very few openings.
A tunnel can be a good starter, but I wouldn't use these whole structures. Especially not if they're closed on the bottom. When the hamster decides one of those tunnels is his pee chamber, that thing will go moldy pretty quickly. If you use tunnels, use ones that are open on the underside so any pee can "dissapear" into lots of bedding below.
Wow thank you! I love the wine rack idea because it could also allow for a structure on top of it
my hamster has about 30cm bedding and still doesn't burrow, i feel like he just doesn't like, but he likes to climb so i give him as many objects to climb and step on and is very curious. I tried starting a burrow system or using tunnels to give them an entrance sort of thing and he just covers everything 🥲🤡 i tried changing bedding, making sandwich, but yeah he covers every attempted burrow. He prefers just to stay under the wheel platform and its fine, he still has his 30cm bedding just in case if he decides to burrow. :) ps: i have a linmon enclosure
New video!! Yay, my Saturday has started with another 5 hour Victoria Raechel binge
My hamster didn’t have enough bedding to burrow for the first 6 months ish of his life. When he came to me it was the first time he had deep bedding and I did a “starter” hole for him and now he loves his burrows. They’re everywhere! He pops up in so many places I wish I could see what it’s like down there!
Aw! I wish we could send a tiny camera down through their tunnels haha
My hamster Horus loves to burrow. It's getting him to come out of his burrow that's tricky. Instead of layering orchard grass hay, I mix it with his paper based bedding before compacting it. As always, love the video!
Awww!
Great video, I put over 10 inches of bedding in my hamster's enclosure and he has a lot of tunnels❤
I
Hi victoria! I clicked the notification as soon as I saw it haha 😂I really enjoyed this video! It was really helpful!
❤ We love Victoria! ❤
Im happy you are getting new hams!
It is sad but we also wouldn't have some of the studies we have now :(
My previous hamster I adopted from the shelter had clearly never burrowed before. For the first few days I had him he just sat on his wheel and put some bedding over himself (he had properly deep bedding, with the exception of only 5-6 inches around his wheel). Within a month he had tunnels all throughout his house, he learned so quick! He was still obsessed with his wheel (that was his favorite thing before I got him and then the shelter didn’t even give him a wheel :’( ) so much so that my current hamster has 2 wheels because I thought she wasn’t using it enough at first lol
hi!
I use the habitrail tubing as burrow starters on the edge of the deep bedding half... I leave most of the space for her own burrowing, but that way when I do have to clean the deep bedding half, some of her "burrow" will always be the same to reduce stress
Victoria, I love your videos so much! They are so helpful show everyone how to properly care for a hamster. Even though this video was about burrowing, I still think it is very helpful! I just subscribed to you, Thank you so much!
My ham had multiple burrows. I used paper bedding. I noticed when he got older he didn’t want to as much. I got him a large extendable accordion like tunnel and stuffed it with paper bedding and he loved it and slept in it.
Thanks for yet another perfectly informative video. One of your previous videos where you mentioned that the bedding needs to be compressed was the eye opener for me and really helped! I've tried to put some cardboard boxes with the side removed to see our hammy while in burrow, but he's shy and he's building his burrows exclusively on the wall side to keep his privacy and darkness ;)
And I am using mixture of paper bedding with wood shavings (fine +coarse) and some shredded paper napkins to keep it effective and cheaper than exclusively paper bedding (that is quite expensive in our country).
Hi Victoria! I'm a bit late but just wanted to tell you that my first ever hamster was in a bin cage, never put in a critter trail or any other small cage thanks to you! My first cage for my hamster was a bin cage just a little under the minimum, which of course, wasn't enough. After watching your channel, he now has two hides (one multi chamber, the other is a smaller multi chamber), a 11 inch wheel (he's a dwarf!), a sand bath (he had one before, but not as big), sprays, herbs, a healthy food mix, etc. Plus a bin cage that is past the minimum (I forgot the exact measurements) and lots of enrichment! Thank you!!
Plus 10 inches of bedding!
Thank you, Victoria! I'm a new hamster Mom and your videos are extremely helpful.
Igave my hamster away to someone who had proper time for a hamster with a larger cage and ended up getting a dog.. So Zoe has a better life now (my mom's friends brother) and I have a great life with charlie. I'm happy I did that because I'm more of a dog person. But when i had Zoe I was obsessed with ur channel!! Still am ❤❤
great video victoria
Victoria i freakin LOVE U! I can watch ur vids over and over again❤️🐹
Thank you!
@@VictoriaRaechel omg I didn’t realize I answered love u 💗
Both my hamsters have around 12 inches of bedding and one of them LOVES burrowing🥰! I love seeing him enjoy himself❤️
Hi I also have 3 hammies do you keep them separately or together if separately how do you place your tanks ?
@@4uHoneyonly Hamsters are strictly solitary so both my hamsters live in two separate enclosures🐹. The enclosures aren’t attached but I have them next to each other. I hope this answered your question🥰❤️!!
I never ever give comments… but i am so impressed with you!! What an amazing human you are!
//Katarina from Sweden-just adopted a syrian woman hamster ;)
Aw thank you!
Victoria thank you for making this video, you are SO RIGHT about burrowing. People listen to Victoria, she knows more than 90% of pet store employees.
Most pet store employess know nothing
❤
Victoria, I want to say thank you so much. Me and my sister were going to get a hamster, and at first my sister showed me a tiny tales cage and said “you think we are going to get this?” And I said yes because I didn’t know, and she said “ we aren’t let me show you the actual cage we are getting.” And she showed me a bin. Honestly, I didn’t believe her. But then she said that you showed her tony tales cages are bad and bin cages are good and showed me your channel and now I’m obsessed. My hamster had passed away now, but if it wasn’t for you, he would have passed away earlier and sadder.
My hamster now has a 690 SQ inc cage and 15 inc of bedding and a 20+ cm wheel and lots of enrichment because of victoria Tysm!!
That's lovely!
Hey Victoria! I’m early! Also thank you so much for helping all the hamster community! Also I have a video suggestion, can u do another reacting to hamster TikTok’s sent to you
Thank you so much Victoria for all your advice, mum apriciated 😀👌I've written down all uve said, and doing all your advice, thank you again. x
Happy to help!
Pro-tip. If you're using a tank, it's very easy to build a raised top. This can let you really fill the depth of the tank.
How ?
@@picnicblanket6428 Essentially, by making woodem cube frame that matches the length and width of the tank, and then whatever height you want. Then you can either use 1/4" mesh, or in my case, local hardware store had 8"x48" leftover cuts of acrylic that I cut into panels on the closed sides. You can get even more fancy, but that's the gist of it.
@@LTDLimiTeD1995 tysm
My late hamster never burrowed 😢 She was from a pet store, and I'm gonna be honest, before I found this channel her cage was way too small, and she didn't have nearly enough bedding *at all*. However, after I found this channel, I tried my best to give her a big enough cage with a lot of bedding. I never really saw her burrow, but when she died, I had to search through the entire cage and all bedding, but I couldn't because I was crying a lot, so my brother took over. He found her under the bedding, so I think she burrowed only in her final days... :,(
😭😭😭 Sorry for your loss.😭😭😭
I love watching your videos I feel like I have learned so much and have my hamster such a better life since I started watching your videos thank you!❤️
Thanks for sharing those information. We are going to get a Syrian hamster soon and your videos are very helpful considering everything to provide a wonderful life for our little friend.
This would not have occurred to me, great video. Henry enjoys a nice deep bedding now and he DOES start burrowing around right away. 👍
I’m so happy! Your my fav TH-camr and your tips and tricks inspired me to get a hamster! In fact I just got a him today! His name is mocha and I love him! Thanks Victoria!!!!! ❤❤
Hello, my Syrian hamster had 12-14 inches of bedding for a year or more of his life (glass tank about 1200SQ) and he wouldn’t burrow at all, I gave him tunnels, caves, and a big home that he could’ve dug down through (no base, on top of the bedding) I tried different/ a mixture substrate, Kaytee paper bedding, hay, hemp, soil, sand, aspen, carefresh paper bedding (all unscented and no colour) and it was not fluffed up, he’s quite social and likes to come out whenever he hears voices, but he doesn’t have much interest in his toys either, wicker tunnels, cardboard digging box, bamboo, banana leafs, vine, soft woods, apple twigs, dandelion root, etc, I’ve tried a number of different things with him over the year but he really doesn’t chew much yet his teeth are healthy (took him to the vet for a checkup, everything was ok) he kinda just spends life sleeping (he will literally sleep anywhere) and running on his wheel, is he okay or is he just special? I only recently in the past month cut down on his bedding because he just wasn’t using it. (He has 6-10 inches now.)
I don't think I would worry too much as long as he still has access to all of those things if he ever does decide he wants to use them.
when I first got my current hamster he burrowed all the time, but now he only does it when I take him to the vet or is otherwise scared (depth of bedding has not changed). he has 10 inches of bedding but still chooses to sleep on top of it
How to build a good enclosure.
Stack 2 tubs together, drill two holes on the inside for tubing.
First, for the top floor scatter sawdust, install wheel/hiding/feeding.
Then, lower floor for burrowing in plain kitchen roll (buy a paper shredder).
Next, link both tubs with tubes on either end. One long, one short (diagonally place either end).
After that, you can even have the short tube link to a smaller container with a sand area on the lower floor (use zip ties to secure it).
Longer tube links straight to the bottom burrow.
Finally, cut a rectangular hole on the lid, add wire mesh and add zip ties around to fix it in place for air.
Make sure the zip ties are out of range of the hamster.
And you're done. No messing around. Cleaning is easy, just lift the lids! It takes my 10 mins to clean everything.
I used mine for almost 2 years, my hamster doesn't like leaving the cage at all.
I certainly wouldn't think of buying a cage from Niteangel, what an absolute rip-off. 😒
Wonderful information~👍
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗
I recently found grain mites in my hamsters cage, the mites came from the new brand of food I was feeding them. So both hamster enclosures are on 'mite watch', and I feel really bad because I only have a few inches of bedding in each cage right now :') but I want to make sure the mites are entirely gone before I refill their enclosures with their usual 8 inches of bedding
Last night was our 2nd night with our new young hamster. He has borrowed already. I found him sleeping at the bottom at the edge where I can just see him. Thank you for your videos. I ran around my small town trying to find the biggest clear bin I could find. It’s not as big as I want but it will have to do for now.
haha thanks!
You have inspired me so much! My teacher is getting a class pet, and he was going to get one of those critter trails. With no enrichment 😢.He was also going to get 2 Syrian hamsters 😢. But I have been watching since I was 9 ( I am 12 now )so I told him that will not work because I have been watching you😊. Then I thought him everything that you thought me about hamsters❤. And now he is getting a bin cage with deep bedding an a sand bath also a proper sized wheel I also gave him some of my sprays and now we took some of the seeds from the sprays and now we are growing them as a class❤. So thank you for teaching me about hamsters.❤❤❤
I'm glad you were able to explain to him that wouldn't be a good idea and could teach him about proper hamster care!!!
In my hamster’s enclosure there is a foot of well packed, paper based bedding and that covers pretty much the whole enclosure (800+ squared inches) but he just won’t burrow. He did once but he never uses it, but when he did he slept right by the glass, and we have had the enclosure for almost a year.
My granddaughter and I have learned so much from you
I'm happy I could help!
Thanks for everything you do for the little hamsters! Raising awareness for them is awesome! You're beautiful too!
Thank you so much!
My Roborovski grew up in a Rody Duo for the first month of her life but she loves digging in her new cage, guess she was still young enough to have kept that instinct despite living in a small pet store cage with her family when she was a baby
Victoria I wanted to ask if you can make a video Of you giving tips on what to do when you and your hamster are going on a road trip❤
I have 5 hamsters & all of them burrow.
I know the prevue 528 only has 6” but they use it (I have a robo in 1 & a Russian in another)
My Chinese hamster burrows the most & he has about 10-12”
My other dwarf loves to burrow so I upgraded him to a 200 qt bin & now he goes under his wheel 😅😂
My Syrian is in a Pawhut & burrows a little.
and remember that even if you don't see your hamster borrowing doesn't mean they are not doing it. they could be just sneaky.😊
i wish it was possible to connect 4 cages together so that the two on the bottom are only for holding bedding. :)
That would be cool! though it probably would be hard to create something that connects like that!
I have had many hamsters, including decades ago when a few inches was considered acceptable, I have seen different reactions of hamsters being given deep bedding. Some never burrow and just used the provided hides, most dig a nest out, then dig a new one a week or two later. I usually end up throwing out the materials in the old nest because of pee and poops. A few have dug extensive systems, but over the period of several weeks, which means being very selective on weekly spot cleanings to not disturb tunnels that are not soiled/smelly. My current dwarf hamster Kashi has an entrance under a small hide connected by tunnel to nest under her multi-chamber located on the opposite side of the enclosure.
Another amazing and educational video from Victoria! Love all of the helpful tips in this video ❤ My hamster Archer is also not much of a burrower! I’ve tried so many things, but he just doesn’t want to! 😅 Glad to hear that this is completely normal :)
Thank you!
Hi Victoria, I really like your videos. I've always wanted a hamster, and I have been watching your videos to make sure it will be safe and happy. I have a question, is spruce and fir tree bedding safe? Lots of love xx
Yes it is!
Thank you!
I have over 30cm of bedding, my only issue is that she tends to click mountains and mountains of bedding onto the surface every night which leads to her sand bath, dog box and wheel being covered and unusable.
Previously had a male syrian who wasnt big on burrowing even with almost a foot of bedding. My girl Syrian... never stops lol
Just thought i would share with you guys. Got a hamster few days ago and pets at home have now started working put floor space of cage before you get the hamster 😃 (adopted a hamster) it is also now essential to take a care leaflet
Hi Victoria thanks for posting my hamster really likes to burrow he is very lazzy but we do keep at least 14 to 12 inches all the time💖💖
You are the reason my hamster had a good life before he passed away ❤
I'm happy to hear they could have a good life!
I have 3 Syrian hamsters, they all have really deep-packed bedding, but 2 do not burrow just dig holes to hide food, and one has the best burrows, so she has a full cage worth of extra bedding. She loves it. My others love their multi-chamber and hide outs more than burrows
Awwww poor guy! I hope he gets better with time!
Hii Victoria! I have some hamster name suggestions for when you get 2 more hamsters! Some names are Wendy (from gravity falls), Hope, Candel, Pretzel, and fern or fernie! Do you like those names?
Thank you for all you do! Your videos have helped me a LOT!
My syrian hamster Violet turned 2 this past August. I know that is basically elderly for hamsters however she has not been acting herself lately. When she comes out of her burrow (which is rarely) she walks very slowly and shakes while doing it. Forums online suggest that she may have had a stroke but I have no idea how to tell. She still eats and occasionally gets water but other than that she stays hidden. Has this happened to you? Any suggestions?
I have a Syrian hamster from marketplace since February and he was around 8/9 months at the time but still nothing with him. Not even digging. He’s not really scared but acts different.. I think he might be traumatised. He acts really slow and doesn’t like anything. He doesn’t eat much, doesn’t like any sprays or herbs dried flowers etc. He just walks in his wheel a bit and that’s it. Gave him a nice enclosure but took a few things out since he wasn’t moving around much because he seemed overwhelmed. So less is more with him. Hopefully he still likes it here asinine I saved him from a tiny bar cage jail.
Hii omg i love your vidsss
I watched your videos since before I adopted my hamster. We provided our hamster with over 1000 sq inches with 15 inches of bedding and we loved to see her burrow ( we liked to joke she was always renovating) She is now about 2 years old and I started seeing signs of her aging,. Would you make a video on the different stages of life/aging in hamsters, please?
I have a dwarf from facebook marketplace and when I got him he had a little space of bedding and the rest of his 40gal tank was just half an inch of sand😭 he has 12 inches of bedding in the low spot and 18 in the high spot and doesn’t totally know how to use it yet
Awwww!!! I hope he eventually gets the hang of burrowing!
Esse canal é muito necessário, amo ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹
I better start taking notes for my very first future hamster! 😀
I recently got my first dwarf. To be exact, i got him 3 days ago. I haven't interacted with him much because I want to make sure he is comfortable. He has been sleeping ALOT (including at night), which is worrying me, as I've never had a hamster do this. He has access to a 750 square inch cage and 8 inches of bedding, as well as cork logs, lots of hides, toys, etc. Is there a reason he might be sleeping as much?? (Not only sleeping a lot, but sleeping on the surface)
Hi Victoria. I ordered the niteangel bigger world MDF terrarium and it didn't come with the tape to fill the cracks. What do you use to fill it, and would it be safe to use green paper tape?
Hi I was wondering if you could make a 10 hamsters things I can’t live without video? ❤
i had deep bedding for a while and never saw my hamster burrowing, until i started compressing the bedding!
Great video as always
Thanks again!
My longhaired Syrian didn´t burrow for months after I adopted him. Than one day he randomly started to burrow. A few days later he closed all the tunnels and moved back into his mulitchaimber hideout. Recently he started burrowing again... I have no idea why he is like that, I never changed anything in his enclosure or the bedding. But I leave him be.
So give your hamster time and the opportunity to burrow and do other hamster stuff. Maybe he will use it, mabe he won´t, you never know.
Hamster's are fascinating creatures thats for sure!
this might be a weird question but, can you use the shells of some seeds / nuts as a digging substrate? for example some sunflower seed shells
Paper bedding also seems to be my hamster's favourite. I have a question though! I tried the aspen with hay layering before but I never did it again after I kept getting stings from nettle leaves inside of the bag of "high quality" orchard hay. I was scared that those nettles could sting my hamster as well and maybe even cause infections. Is this indeed a risk or are hamsters somehow magically nettleneedle-proof?
Hmm I’ve never had an issue with that. What type of hay were you using? I always use a soft hay like orchard grass so my hammy doesn’t get poked by it.
And if it is poky, I wouldn’t use it.
@@cloudyskyz2237 In that case I think mine was just bad somehow (it really had many of those pieces). Maybe I'll try another brand in the future then! Thanks for the reply, now I know that not all hays have them :) Totally forgot which brand it was though, I'm pretty sure it was orchard hay. I threw away the bag after all the fuss!
I've never had nettle leaves inside my orchard grass! If I do use hay in my enclosures I use the oxbow orchard grass and it's always been soft for me.
Victoria x
Thank you so much for your videos!!
Please can I request for you to make a video with mistakes hamsters owners from your community have made and you yourself, so that other hamster owners don't make the same mistakes😭Some of our mistakes cost our hamsters' their lives.
My accident was having a water bowl that was too big and deep. She had no problems with it, till she was an old hamster. So sad😭😭
I was wondering, what do you do with your hamster around the time people like to set off fireworks, I personally don't but a lot of people around different celebrations, love to fire off fireworks, do you have to take them to a quieter space with no windows and cover them with a soundproof blanket? Or do I have to do something else, once I get my hamster?
Love your videos! Also I think I'm getting a male Roborovski Hamster!
Hello Victoria, how was taking care of the hamster?
In april i rescued two dwarf hamsters, they lived in a cage which only had the size of 20x30 cm with basically no bedding. They now live in a 120x100x60 and the other one in a 120x60x60 tank they i gave them both 25 to 30 cm bedding, they only really started burrowing a few weeks ago and now they love it. I‘m so glad they finally can enjoy burrowing in a nice enclosure. They are just the cutest babies i named them dobby and hedwig🥹
At first i was worried that they didn‘t know how to burrow but they slowly started to learn at first it was only a little burrow underneath a platform or a hideout but slowly they started to make real burrows :)
It’s really sad some hamsters haven’t ever been able to burrow ☹️🥺
The only problem with the orchard hay is sorting the hay for sharp needle like stalks that could harm the hamster when he/she is burrowing. A hug pain in the posterior!!! Maybe some think this is not needed but I would feel responsible if my hamster was hurt and I really do not see any other possibility with any grade of Timothy Hay sold on the market, even the bag with the soft orchard hay label.
Orchard grass hay is soft :) I've never had sharp needle stalks in a bag.
I have seen my hamsters make burrow in there cages before but they'd do that as much as they use too
I totally agree with this, when I first got my hamsters, I had a tiny cage for 2 Roborovskis but soon after I found this video and put them in separate cages. My cages are way bigger than the ones in store but still can only fit six inches of bedding. at first, neither hamster burrowed but slowly Luna started to dig under the surface. Her burrows aren't super deep though and are probably only 2-3 centimetres from the surface. Laura, on the other hand, likes to make small air pockets in the bedding but never really properly burrows. I'm not sure whether this is just what she prefers or if it is a problem that I should deal with. Does anyone have any experience on this behaviour?
Hi! LOVE your videos! I just passed my first 1 year mark with my oldest hamster… I would love to see a video focused on elderly & the geriatric stages of hamster care. Like when do they consider them elder? I have heard of people saying they make a “retirement” setup for older hamsters, could you do a video diving into that?
If you’ve already done i apologize, but I haven’t seen one on your list about it ❤️❤️ thank you!!! ❤️❤️
Thank you!! I've done one a very long time ago but I definitely could do something more updated!
@@VictoriaRaechel oh thank you so much!! That would be awesome! ❤️❤️ but in the meantime imma do a deep dive and see if I can find your first one as well! ☺️
And again thank you for such great content & information 🥰
I LOEV YOUR VIDS thanks to you I know a lot about hamsters ❤❤
I'm getting a hamster in around a week any suggestions or could you maybe make a video of good amazon cages, bedding and food? Or just reply, I've been looking at the small Niteangel Vista Cage. Is that good?
I would definitely go for at least the medium. A small is only 562 square inches and Victoria, and I too, recommend something at least 800 sq inches. I have the medium which is 923 square inches and unfortunately, my hamster still wasn’t satisfied so I had to upgrade to a DIY 2 x 4 cage.
I have left over critter trail plastic tunnels, could I theoretically compact those into the paper bedding to help my dwarf hamsters burrow?
Edit: I don't use critter trail cages anymore. I just have the tunnels.
mine recently stopped burrowing.. were hoping its just him adjusting to the new apartment, his enclosure has the same setup, same bedding depth, same type of bedding (kaytee clean&cozy), he seems uninjured and is behaving about the same as before other than not burrowing. he has made some little nests but not burrowed. :( im concerned for him, i really hope its just him needing to get more settled in the new place.
I'm sure he's okay! Might just need some time :)
@@VictoriaRaechel thanks for the reassurance
Hello! My names Emery, and you have helped me a lot!! :) over a month ago, I had a hamster that had a small tiny tiny tales cage, unfortunately my hamster suger plum has died from most likely stress ;(.. now I’m setting up my new hamster cage with 1,543 square feet, and 8 inches of bedding! I’m getting a Syrian hamster, I have provided a 9 inch wheel! I can’t wait for him to arrive!
Haha, the Gravity falls theming is the best theme ever.😂 You need a Gruncle Stan hamster.
Mine burrows at random places and sleeps there. There are at least 4 spots, one for bathroom and three for sleeping 😅 its cute but every morning i see a new burrow and i never know where he is asleep 😊
He has 20cm of bedding and seems to be enough for him. The first few days i had him he didnt and preferred to sleep on the outside. He still does that sometimes so i'm guessing he trusts me
After watching this I realised the mistakes I made setting up my cage. I'll have to redo it soon lol
Do you think the uber bedding or the small pet select has less dust? i have heard some people put it in a mesh bag and shake some outside first to try and get any leftover dust out. I am in between the uber and small pet select bedding.
I have used it before and find it does have less dust!
@@VictoriaRaechel Thank you! :)