black bear hamster (syrian) care

[memehermit]

does any one have any information on black bear hamsters,because where i stay they have them at this petstore called petland.and they are very sweet.and i've never had an hamster before and i've been researching getting one for a while,any info would be great on the black bears hammies ,bye!

[Vanilla_Rat]

"Black Bear" hammies are just black syrian hamsters with a cute name to sell them.They reqiure the same care as all syrian hamsters.

What do you need to know exactly?

[mulder]

well, a hammie is a great pet! first off, know that their eyesight is bad, so ALWAYS talk to them before scooping them up. NEVER wake a sleeping hammy, they usually awake around 8 or 9 pm. DO NOT use pine or cedar, it's bad for them, there's plenty of other affordable options like carefresh or just aspen shavings. lots of chew toys, water bottle (nice big one), food bowl. don't get a cage with tubes, they just fill with poo lol YUCK! a good diet of block food with seeds on the side, fresh veggies everyday or when you can. i wouldn't recomment that hamster fluff stuff for making beds, they could ingest it and get a blockage, or it could catch their little toes and get tight and sore. they like toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, and the tp and pt itself. newspaper is fun, they'll shred it and make a cool bed. half a kleenex box for a hut and you're set!

[meredithgirl]

we just got a black bear hamster and need help knowing how to care for. one site said not to touch their bedding in the home but clean the rest of the cage. is this right? what do you clean the cage with. how can we help her to stop bitting us? she seems very afraid. very jumpy. what do we need to know to care for her the right way?

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by meredithgirl we just got a black bear hamster and need help knowing how to care for. one site said not to touch their bedding in the home but clean the rest of the cage. is this right? what do you clean the cage with. how can we help her to stop bitting us? she seems very afraid. very jumpy. what do we need to know to care for her the right way?

You might have more luck getting replies if you make your own thread .

Disturbing the nest isn't actually that big of a deal...the hamster will just rebuild it. Although it's good to leave it alone, don't hesitate to clean it if it gets soiled at all. Also check to make sure the hamster isn't storing fresh foods in there long-term since they'll begin to rot.

As for cleaning the cage, just soap and water should do the trick. Make sure you've rinsed the cage really well and let it dry fully before putting her back in.

Your best bet for now is just to leave her alone for a while. Hamsters need some time to themselves to get used to a new home. When you work on taming her, make sure you don't pick her up right away. Get her used to your hand being in the cage first. Once she'll take food from you, try petting her gently. Only after she accepts petting should you attempt to hold her.

I've found a great trick is sitting in the bathtub and letting the hamster run around. She'll get used to your presence and probably start to climb on you. Don't handle her at first, just let her come to you when she feels comfortable. Offering some treats will help too.

Don't be discouraged if it's taking a while to tame her. Petstore hamsters (I'm assuming that's where you got her?) aren't really handled so they can take a while to get used to human contact.

Welcome to Paw-Talk, by the way!

[Coco-bean]

She is probably very afraid and jumpy because she has a new home. Give her a few days to settle in. Talk to her and offer her treats and slowly but surely she will begin to trust you. The bathtub trick sounds great. If you are afraid of your hamster it will be afraid of you. Handle her with confidence and respect and she will inturn be confident and repectful (i.e not bite you! lol!)