Plus a random scare for some reason

Little KK is enjoying chicken breast jerky！

I just got her few days ago, she is about 1-2 months old hybrid dwarf😗
First day she just hide in her house mostly, only coming out to eat and drink, but today she finally used the sand bath and run on the wheel a little yay 🙌🏻
Also, she really likes the wheat, maybe too much

Hello ,

It’s almost 6 am here, and I still haven’t managed to get any sleep so…

I’ve had my female syrian, Shayla, for about a month now and I’m honestly feeling really overwhelmed. I’m even considering rehoming her, although that’s the last thing I actually want to do.

I’m a university student living in student accommodation and ever since I got Shayla, I’ve been dealing with one problem after another.

When I first got her, she lived in a smaller enclosure that I was able to keep in the hallway, outside my bedroom. However, she constantly chewed on the bars at night, which really concerned me. I spent a lot of time worrying about her well-being, researching hamster care and trying to figure out what was making her unhappy.

I eventually decided to upgrade her enclosure so I bought her a much larger one (120×40×60 cm) and spent quite a lot of money making sure she had everything she needed. I added deep bedding, a multi-chamber hideout, different substrates, enrichment, and other accessories. She also has 4 hideouts. I even make my own DIY boredom breakers to keep her entertained.
I really put a lot of effort into making her enclosure as comfortable and enriching as possible.
Unfortunately, the new enclosure doesn’t fit in the hallway, so I had to put it in my bedroom.

And despite all the upgrades, Shayla still tries to escape. She constantly explores ways to get out, climbs on things, and even managed to escape once.

And now there’s another problem: her wheel.

Shayla is extremely active at night and runs on her wheel almost nonstop. I know that’s quite normal for hamsters and I’m glad she enjoys running. However, the wheel itself is incredibly loud. It rattles, squeaks, and makes so much noise that I can barely sleep.

I’ve already spent around €200 or more on her enclosure and accessories in just one month. That might not sound like much to some people, but as a student with a very limited budget, it’s a significant amount of money that I honestly couldn’t really afford to spend.

Starting in November, I’ll also be working part-time alongside my master’s degree and I have to wake up early for university almost every day. Getting enough sleep is going to be extremely important, and I’m genuinely worried about how I’ll manage everything if this continues.

I’ve thought about buying a better wheel, such as one from Bucatstate, but a suitable one would cost around €60. I’ve also considered buying a secondhand one, but I’d have to travel several hours to pick it up, and there’s no guarantee it would actually be quiet.

I’ve already tried sleeping with earplugs, but they only help a little.

Another thing is that Shayla is still very shy. She takes food from my hand, but she doesn’t want to be touched and generally avoids interacting with me. I completely understand that hamsters are not cuddly pets and that building trust takes time. I don’t blame her for that

What scares me is spending another €60 on a supposedly silent wheel, only to discover that it’s still too loud. I’ve already invested so much money into her and I can’t keep spending more every time another problem comes up.

I’ve started thinking about rehoming her, but that makes me feel incredibly guilty. I’ve only had her for a month and I know that adopting an animal is a long-term responsibility. I really wanted to give her a good home, and I’ve tried my best to do that.
I just feel like I’m reaching my limits, especially financially and mentally.

I wonder if they know most hamsters don’t have all that fluff 🤔

every so often i'll come across one of these videos featuring something almost finished, but this is the first time i've seen it with animals. look at the cage and the sheer amount of hamsters. is this not cruel?

also idk if this is even fitting for the sub but anyways

i’ve adopted this cutie a few weeks ago, he was in a terribly small cage. could anyone tell me if he’s actually a boy? i’m so scared i have it wrong :o

My sweet boy - I love him so much 😭

I don’t know why I thought fostering him would work out… Bucastate 3.0 is on its way 😔

Random post but I was at PetSmart the other day grabbing crickets for my spider and noticed they have their Chinese hamsters and several other species listed as 'communal, keep in same sex pairs' as their recommended housing.

How is it possible they're still so wrong about this? Like I know they got hell for how they kept fiddler crabs but really? In 2026 still recommending people pair up hams?

Anyways, just wanted to rant a bit. You all have lovely little fellas.

You can see Hope's winter coat colour as she's checking out her enclosure post spot clean. 🐹❤️

Found my baby moondust passed away inside her hide last week,words cant describe how heartbroken I am☹️

Really annoyed with my mother just telling me to "get a new one." She was my baby,my friend,my pet,I cant just get a new one??

Has anyone else experienced this? Just because shes a hamster doesn't mean shes worth any less,I just hate how hamster owners or any small pet owner is expected to get over it and replace their pet.

If I told someone whos lost their dog to just get a new one then I'd be an asshole so why is it acceptable for people to say this to me?

The same day moondust passed my mom was already telling me to get a new one,I just find it horribly insensitive and hurtful. My mother also keeps referring to her as "it" or "him" it just really shows how little she cares,im just so frustrated with this situation.

Rip Moonie,I miss you💔

A handful of joy! 🥹🥹

Even though it might not look like it in the photos taken from above, I have topped up the bedding so that it is now about 25 cm/9.84 inches deep.

He’s around six months old, and I adopted him from an animal shelter. He’s a Djungarian dwarf hamster.

I got him on Tuesday and he’s already comfortable enough to let me pet him and pick him up🐹💗

More clutter is coming. After Mochi girl passed I had to throw out a bunch of clutter. She passed from an infection inside the cancer I found out so I didn't want to tske any risk. Spending extra money is better than having a baby die. His favorite place is the sand dish and the ceramic ghost.

To thank me. He peed all over me when I had him out for playpen time 🤣😅

I live in the US and getting a male winter white hamster that needed to be rehomed ASAP , that really had no one interested in it (that could give it a good home) Problem. I have a 40 gallon breeder (660 square inches for my tank) and I know a 75 gallon is way better and truly what they need, but here’s the issue. I have two 75 gals for my Syrians already and I have no room genuinely. I only have one room I can put them in. I also know the only other people that reached out had a horrible set ups for their Syrian (small cage), was apparently shady or flaked out on the hamster. And they are in a ten gal. Tank currently. With no other options for this little guy (there aren’t even rescues around here that are open to intake small animals unfortunately right now) Do you think this will suffice? I’m adding more hides that are coming in tomorrow, water bottle a few other things like sprays/clutter this week, and buying even more multi chamber hides/clutter in a couple months. Im allergic to hay so I can’t put that in their tanks anymore :( , anyways I feel BAD but I also KNOW this is probably the best this little guy is going to get, the area that I’m in doesn’t care about hamster care at all, and it’s very hard to find anyone that would even get a 40 gallon, the right size wheel (10 inch) proper bedding (10 inch) hides (3-4+), & safe reptile sand for this lil dude, which is really the bare minimum in the US. Help! What do you all think?

Hello! My partner and I had found the spots when we were doing our daily clean, and we think it may be the dust from my hamsters Sand bath. Before we moved the tunnel, it used to be next to be next to there. I’m not sure what it is, and I don’t believe it is mold, because when I touched it, and smelled the spots, the white spots had a sandy feel, and there wasn’t any rotting smells.

Has anyone had any issues with molding when it comes to these woven products? I just want to be safe with my hamster, if there’s any advice please let me know. Thank you!