Wine Box Upcylcing// Homemade Multi-Chamber Hide
If you are someone who gets wine in the mail, you might enjoy this!
Sofia Gets a Nail Trim
Sofiaโs nails got too long! I made a quick video diary of how I got her nails trimmed up. I hope she forgives me!
Giving Coconut ๐ฅฅ Fiber a Try
I just got a huge bag of loose coconut ๐ฅฅ fiber from ZooMed, canโt wait to see how Steven likes it!
This is what Iโd like to put in Stevenโs natural/โenchanted forestโ theme cage. Heโs very sensitive to change, however, so Iโll wait a few days before I place it in there (maybe Iโll even remove him from the cage)
Little Sofia digging in her EcoEarth coconut fiber
Action shot of the digging!
Still reviewing this to see how my hamsters and I like it, but if youโre interested in buying, here is the link to Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases): https://amzn.to/37zNaRU
It is also available at PetCo (affiliate link-I earn a small commission if you purchase through this link).
My Little Hungry Hippo ๐ฆ
I love my little Sofia. But as she has gained confidence with us, sheโs become a bit of a โbiting Betty.โ It doesnโt appear to be aggressive, it seems more like she is just SO excited to see us and leads with her mouth, ๐ hoping food will find its way in.
Iโm hoping that this is just a phase, she has grown so much and I believe we could have a really sweet and affectionate ham on our hands, we just have to get her used to the idea that we arenโt also food.
For now we have begun wearing gloves when interacting with her, letting her crawl in our gloved hand and get used to being comfortable with that.
So far the leather gloves have proved appealing to nibble on, but at least itโs not our fingers!
Oddly enough Steven appears to be less afraid of a gloved hand than a naked hand, so itโs been fun letting him crawl over the leather gloves too!
Wyze Pet Cam
I plan do do a review on this pet cam soon and will post when itโs ready. Until then I feel like I have to share how much I love this pet cam!
Itโs fairly inexpensive and then for about $14/year you can have all your pet cam videos uploaded to the cloud!
Since hamsters are nocturnal animals (and can sometimes avoid coming out until you go to sleep), I found this pet cam SO helpful. It allows me to check in on my little friends and make sure they are happy and healthy. It also helps me see what toys and parts of their cages they tend to use the most so I can give them the best care possible.
Also, itโs just adorable. I have have two per hamster enclosure, one on each end :).
You can purchase it from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2VNIJNK
*as an Amazon Associate I ear from qualifying sales
Look how great the quality is!
The night vision is good too! And the camera uses a light spectrum that isnโt visible to hamsters ๐น (so it shouldnโt disturb them and isnโt visible to people either!)
UPDATE: Video is up!
Sofia Gets a Cage Clean ๐งฝ & Update!
Sofia chews on her Whimzee in her freshly cleaned ๐งน bin cage
Hamster ๐น Haul, Election Week Therapy
Itโs been a weird week. How โbout we just talk about hamsters?
I got some new hamster things! Come open them with me! :)
Stevenโs Continued Bin Cage Updates
Iโm on a quest to get Stevenโs 200 qt bin cage to feel juuuust right. I want all the fluff, all the sand, and lots of places to hide. Easier said than done!
I love my hamsters ๐น
Steven drinks in his freshly spot cleaned enclosure
How cute is he when he drinks water? Iโm still not over it.
My Dream Bin
Bins used to be something that held stuff. Donโt get me wrong- I loved a good bin.
But now, now bins are for HAMSTERS! And I see them with totally new eyes.
I recently discovered (after some deep dives on the Hamster Hideout Forum) the IRIS Christmas Tree box from the Container Store! 1000 sq inches of hamster play space!! Woot!
I juuust got my little fur balls into 200 qt bins. But, maybe in some time Iโll give them the upgrade to these longer, IRIS bins!
The only downside I see is height- the IRIS Christmas Tree Bin is only 14โ high, which means thereโs not a lot of room for a wheel (when you add the base height). Even though I have robos I do like to give them generously sized wheels (as I think all hamsters deserve!).
You can check out the IRIS Christmas Tree Bin on the Container Store website here.
Have you used it? Let me know how it went!
Another thing I loveโฆ
I just bought this small, 3โ sieve from Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases), and OMG does it make a difference!
I have two Roborovski hamsters: Steven & Sofia (named after Steven Spielberg and Sofia Coppola). I love them both and especially love how different they are! Their habits, their likes, food they go for, what they do with their evenings, and so on!
Steven is a โwheel-pee-er,โ as I have heard many hamsters seem to be. Steven wakes up, runs to his wheel and immediately pees. I wash his wheel constantly (and even have a few on rotation so I can swap one in when I wash the other) but itโs always an uphill battle.
Sofia, on the other hand, is a sand-pee-er. This actually makes more sense, itโs kind of like having a teeny, tiny cat. Only thing is, now I have to stay on top of keeping her sand cleanโฆ. and thatโs where this small, 3โ sieve (strainer) comes in handy!
I have been running the hamโs sand through a fine mesh sieve about 1x a week, depending on how itโs looking. I usually reserve Saturdays for tidying up the hamster cages.
For Sofia, however, I felt that I needed an easy way to clean up more frequently without having to disrupt her habitat too much. Itโs hard during the week, since by the time Iโm off work, sheโs already awake- I canโt easily remover her sand bath while sheโs awake without her getting a bit frantic.
So! I think I found the perfect solution! I tried using this last night and was very happy! She clearly doesnโt like the sound, so I have to use it when sheโs occupied eating or burrowing, but at least I can quickly get in there, scoop a few bits of dirty sand out and move on!
I will say, there probably are some particles on the air as a result of this, so I would recommend doing this while your hamsters are otherwise occupied. Probably the sand settles after a minute or two, but I wouldnโt want a hamster around this just in case they inhale a bit of airborne sand.
Iโll still want to do a full straining on the weekends, since itโs hard to get all the corners and far reaches of her sand bath, but I do think this is a step in the right direction.
How do you keep your hamโs sand bath clean?
Long nails
I finally got Sofia to slow down for a second and I saw her long nails! Eek! She doesnโt do the digging in her sandbox like Steven does, so I think Iโm going to have to find a new solution for her.
I ordered some pumice stones from Amazon yesterday, letโs hope I can get these to work!
Hamster Lava Chews from Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases):
https://amzn.to/2JXfFk8
Wednesday 11/4/20- update
I just got home from work and they arrived! They are so weird - ten individually wrapped, square, grey pumice stones! They arenโt super attractive but Iโm hoping they work for little Sofia!
Iโll have to figure out how to arrange them in her cageโฆ more to come!
Eeek So Cute!!
I got the cutest little house as a birthday gift!
From my new fav Etsy shop: Love Drizzle!
Link to their store in Etsy (Not an affiliate link!): https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveDrizzlesStudio
I canโt decide who is going to get this house- Steven or Sofia. Iโm thinking Steven, since he doesnโt have a little cozy hide the way Sofia has her strawberry hide. Heโs more of a burrower anywayโฆ but maybe he just hasnโt had the opportunity to get cozy in a little hide? Weโll see!
Kaytee Crittertrail SUPER Habitat Review
The review is live! Canโt wait to hear what the rest of you think of this cage!
Itโs a huge box!!
If you are interested in this cage or the products show, including links below!
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Kaytee Crittertrail SUPER Habitat: From Amazon. You could also try Craigslist or OfferUp, Iโve seen a few for sale recently, you can save some $$!
Kaytee Silent Spinner 10โ (size L): Amazon
PetCo only sells the size 12โ silent spinner (size XL), which would be good for a Syrian. Iโm not sure it would fit in this cage, however.
PetCo also sells the size M, 6 1/2โ Silent Spinner, but I only recommend this wheel for young hamsters who are not strong enough to push the larger wheel. Even for a robo I would recommend not going smaller than 8โ.
*I do like that PetCo has a pay online for a discount and pick up in stores option! I actually use this a lot- it saves time and money, AND packaging!
You and Me Exercise Saucer, size Medium (7 1/4โ) from PetCo - This is not a good replacement for a real wheel, but I found both of my hamsters enjoy using it and it serves also as a hide that they like to snuggle under. I have been putting this in Sofiaโs sandbath (since she loves to hang in her sand so much) and she spends a lot her evening on or around it! Get size L for a Syrian hamster. The small size is too small any type of hamster in my opinion. A very similar product by Ware is available at Amazon.
Clean and Cozy (white) paper bedding: from PetCo and Amazon. I have tried using aspen in my hamster enclosures and found I am VERY allergic to it, so I got rid of it :/. I also found that the aspen didnโt make for great burrowing. I liked that it provided some variety in textures for my little friends, but seeing all of their tunnels in the paper bedding is so fun and cute. Clean and Cozy works really well for this. Steven has more scent than Sofia (Iโm not sure if thatโs a gendered thing?) but I rarely smell anything aside their natural hamster scent.
Zacro Acrylic Silent Spinner: I love this wheel! So does Steven. Itโs truly soundless and very wide. My only dislike is that it doesnโt have great traction, but Steven makes it work. You can see my review of it here. And a link to the product on Amazon here.
ReptiSand: I live in an apartment, so I donโt really have a lot of space to store a 40 LB bag of childrenโs playsand (but if you have the space, this is a great option). If youโre like me and you just need a little bit of sand at a time, ReptiSand is great! You can find it from Amazon here.
Hamster Rainbow Suspension Bridge (I tend to use it more as a โfenceโ around sand, but it is a fun pop of color!): From Amazon
My First Ever Bin Cage
Top view of Stevenโs first, 100 qt bin cage
Sept 24, 2020:
I knew I needed something better for my hams.
By mid to late September I had had Steven for almost two months. For most of his life with us he had been in a Kaytee Crittertrail SUPER habitat (which I hope to do a YouTube review of soon). It wasnโt a bad cage. Technically it meets the minimum size for hamsters. But, due to the confinements of the layout of the cage, there were limitations on how high/large a wheel could be, how deep bedding could go, etc.
Initially I wanted bars- my robo, Steven, was so shy that it was easier to interact with him through the bars than if our hands were in his cage. Even now, four months into having him, we can touch him and pet him, but if we move something in his cage or he sees our hand and it isnโt rubbing his head, he flies in the air running. Itโs actually kind of comical how scared of our hands he is unless they are touching him! I try hard to rationalize what it is heโs interpreting.
I had my eyes on the Living World Eco cage (link to Amazon) Itโs not sold in the US, but you can get it shipped from the UK for a mere $150! Itโs also 1000 sq inches and looks gorgeous. ONE DAY!!! We all need goals, right?
In the meantime I tried to think more rationally. How can I give Steven more sand bath space, more bedding depth, more hides interest to his enclosure? Other than dropping $300 on that Living World cage, I kept coming back to bin cages.
But I felt so overwhelmed by making one. UGH I donโt have that time. I mean, really. I have a full time job, an hour commute (yes! Even during COVID times) and I have other personal goals Iโm working towards. I have time to take on being a hamster mom, but I wasnโt so sure about making a bin cage. Also they looked so ugly to me!
And then one day, as I was perusing OfferUp for some good glass tanks (too heavy!) I found a 100 qt bin cage for sale and decided to just give it a try. Why not? Worse comes to worse I donโt love it, but Iโm only paying $30 and itโs coming with some unused paper bedding!
Getting a bin cage really got my creative juices flowing. In a barred cage it kind if is what it is. But in a bin cage- the world is your oyster! After seeing a really cool Niteangel multi-chamber hide, we made something similar out of some wine boxes (see below). placed this in the bin with the wheel on top. I figured this gave Steven some new hiding spots and more vertical space for burrowing!
Best part is, since Steven is just a wee robo, I quickly realized a lid really wasnโt necessary for him. He can jump (as Iโve seen him do a few times) but itโs not THAT high. I also donโt even think he would try to escape if he could.
I spent the whole day working on his bin cageโฆ how to get it just right? Where to put a sand bath? SO many questions! And then I let Steven give it a tryโฆ. See photos & video below!
Who is Sofia?
Sweet little Sofia, as captured by the ๐น hamster rescue โค๏ธ where I got her on Sept 14, 2020
I should have started this website sooner. But here I am, so I am going to have to backtrack a bit.
I got Steven (Spielberg) at the end of July 2020. I had been planning to get a hamster ๐น but hadnโt even considered or knew to search for hamsters on Craigslist that needed a home, hamster rescues (they do exist!) or ethical hamster breeding.
I work in manufacturing for a living (specifically USA made apparel) so I know how important it is to know where something is coming from and in what conditions was it madeโฆ but I had never considered to think this way about a little animal! ๐น ๐ ๐ข ๐ฆข ๐ฆ
Getting Steven opened me up to the hamster side of the internet. From instagram to YouTube and online forums, I learned about the many hamster rescues and found one not too far from me.
I reached out to see if they had an robos. I love all hamsters but felt like I would be a better caretaker if I focused on one type of hamster.
The woman who ran this particular rescue had a few robo hamsters she was looking for homes for- she said because they can be tricky to tame they are hard to find homes for.
One Sunday morning (Sept 14, 2020), I checked LA traffic, saw that it was light and made my way down to her house.
It was amazing. What a sweet woman, she had this whole air conditioned back house with all of these little hams, waiting for homes. This particular robo, the one who became my Sofia, had been born at the rescue, when a pregnant robo was surrendered. The woman who runs the rescue estimated she was about 2 months old.
I was so happy to have Sofia. I wasnโt sure if she was a girl, but until proven otherwise, I went with that name. It seemed like her.
Since I named Steven after Steven Spielberg, I felt it was fitting to name Sofia after Sofia Coppola.
Sheโs so different from Steven and I think thatโs what I love the most about her. Figuring her out and getting to know her had been such a joy!
We quickly discovered that Sofia enjoys spoon rides after she eagerly would climb in when we fed her.
We canโt quite get her in our hands yet (a few brief encounters only so far) but sheโs okay with a gentle pet while sheโs eating
Since Sofia loves the yellow, Silent Runner wheel, I decided to go full rainbow ๐ hamster ๐น theme for her
200 Qt Bin Cage
Sofia in her โCarnivaleโ themed, 200 qt, bin cage
Steven reviews his new cage
Iโve come a long way from whence I began on July 27, 2020. Iโve gone through several cages- the Midwest โBrisbyโ Cage, The Kaytee Crittertrail SUPER Habitat, 100 Qt Bin Cages, and now 200 qt bin cages!
I think we are all on a journey, right? I wanted to provide good care for my hamsters, and even though the 100 qt and the SUPER Crittertrail cages are technically okay for robo hams, I could tell my hams were feeling under-stimulated. A new cage would always begin with excitement and nerves. I would work hard to ensure things that smelled familiar to them were transitioned to their new cage while introducing new elements. For a few weeks, Iโd see them blossom- running around, sniffing, playing with a new toy or a new, bigger wheel.
Then, fast forward a few weeks and they are stuck doing the same routine. During hours when they should be awake and active, they spend more time buried in their nests. I can sense their boredom and despair. Maybe I relate to their limitations as I too and dealing with a post-COVID world.
In early October I broke my spending freeze and found myself on Amazon at 2 am on Saturday night. I convinced myself that this was my โbirthday month,โ and given how hard of a year itโs been, it was time I indulged myself and my hamsters in a little birthday love.
It started with a strawberry hide and a new sand bath for Sofia, innocent enough.
But you know how it happens with windows. Once you break one, the rest donโt seem so sacred anymore.
And so I found myself ordering a trio of 200 Qt bins (which arrived in the largest box I have ever seen).๏ปฟ
The true test of a good cage size is- can you get your whole body in it?
I ordered clear, plastic tubes for Steven.
Steven in his new, โnaturalโ themed bin cage
I ordered aspen wood shavings for texture variety. Sheet moss for color. Link to Amazon: Colorful hamster tubes for Sofia ( As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). A new, Niteangel wheel for Steven. Acrylic shelves for who knows what! Twinkle lights for their cages so I could interact with them without turning on overhead lighting.
Sofia explores her new pillow moss
Sofia contemplating her new cage
It seems like a lot, and maybe it was. Maybe I spent $100-$200 this month on hamsters! Iโm not fully sure. But whatever it was, it was a worthy cause. They are such sweet little beings and I hope they live lives worth living. Donโt we all?
Scroll Down to see time-lapse videos of both Steven & Sofiaโs 200 qt bin cages
Products mentioned in this blog entry:
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
200 Qt Bins: https://amzn.to/3geplCY
Clear Hamster Tubes: https://amzn.to/2Jw6ebW
Niteangel Silent Hamster Wheel: https://amzn.to/3lKs1JF
Exotic Nutrition Silent Runner 9โ: https://amzn.to/2JUegLe
Kaytee Clean and Cozy: https://amzn.to/2LdxIU3
Moss: https://amzn.to/3mPdqxV *Pls freeze the moss overnight to ensure no bugs come along with the moss
Clear acrylic tray (for sand bath): https://amzn.to/39MaGhm
Niteangel Wooden Bridge: https://amzn.to/2JOFXFo
Kaytee Hamster Tubes (Fun Value Pack Assorted): https://amzn.to/2VVPj5b
Kaytee Hamster Tubes (Fun Value Pack Twist and Turn): https://amzn.to/3qxT5je
*I only recommend these tubes for Robos and small dwarves, larger hamsters like Syrians can get stuck in these!
The Quest for the Perfect Hamster Wheel
The Zacro Acrylic Silent Hamster Wheel- see my fav products page for a link
Does it exist? The perfect hamster wheel? The one that makes no noise, is easy to clean and makes you hamster happy and safe?
I hope the answer is yes.
Join me as I continue to evaluate hamster wheels after getting feedback from my two, Roborovski hamsters, Steven & Sofia.
past blog entriesโฆ
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