I finally got her!

[wwestar2000]

And yes i do have a dog. And yes he does stick his head in there. Can't reach the hamster of course cause his shoulders are the bins height. But the hamster was fine and would actaully come up to sniff the dog.
How do you know petco's pets were sick?

[snapback]867993[/snapback]​

you let your dog stick its head in there?? you need to find a way to stop that or you will have one dead hamster before you know it...if the dog doesn't get it (yes, it WILL figure out how to get in the bin), the stress will

[snapback]867997[/snapback]​

Do you know my dog? Trust me the dog just wants to play and just lays his head on the bin and whines. Half the time the hamster still sleeps. And i don't think the hamster is being streesed by it if he comes closer to the dog

 

[abstract]

Do you know my dog? Trust me the dog just wants to play and just lays his head on the bin and whines. Half the time the hamster still sleeps. And i don't think the hamster is being streesed by it if he comes closer to the dog

[snapback]868001[/snapback]​

don't get so defensive...it's like you don't want to hear anything anyone says to you, so why make posts? you ask questions (i.e. should i get it before or after vacation, what type of bedding, etc) and you get advice (i.e. wait til after vacation and get it carfree bedding), but you do the opposite (i.e. get it NOW and get it pine bedding)...what are the points of your posts? we can't even make out the animal from the pictures and all you do is get defensive whenever anyone (especially me) makes a comment..

of course i don't know your dog...but i know animals...of course your dog just wants to "play"...have you ever seen a cat "playing" with a mouse? i can tell you that dogs aren't as gentle and if it ever did get the chance it would instinctively try to "play" with your hamster...but whatever, it's not like i care about what decisions you make or what you do..but i do care about the animals involved...

i'm the type of person that doesn't see the point in taking risks when they can be avoided...there are so many options of ways you can cover the bin when you are not home or not around, but that takes too much work i guess, and since the dog hasn't attacked it yet then there is no point

 

[cheekeyarab]

You really need to put a cover on your hamster home, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Hamsters and other small rodents have a much lower level of tolerance to stress than larger animals. You must consider how sensitive your new pet is and try and keep her in calm surroundings.
it is unfortunate that you chose not to wait but as you already have her just try and make the trip away as calm as possible for her.

Please put a cover on for her - I don't want to read a post in a weeks time saying your hamster is dead and I know that you don't want that either.

 

[MegTheFish]

It says Nutritionally complet blend for hamster /Gerbils.

Never trust the labels on most pet foods (just like don't trust most petstore employees! LoL) I have a thing of flake food (for fish) and it says to feed them 3 times a day as much as they can eat in 5 minutes. This is how I killed my first goldfish.
Also, I have bags of bird seed saying that their seed is a complete diet for a bird...yah right. Everybody knows that a bird can't live on seed, its like me living on white bread my whole life! Sure, if I want it to live less then 5 years and die a painful death and become very fat!

 

[Skylar]

Ok, wwestar2000, please don't get defensive or anything but the thing is your hamster could die from SEEING your dog. Hamsters are hunted on in the wild by overhead birds and snakes, etc. So seeing your dog's head above it, will freak it out and stress it out and it will develop wet-tail.

Webbie about Wet-tail

A lid is really easy to make if your bin didn't come with one. Just go to a local hardware store and buy some metal mesh that can easily be bent. Place it on top of the bin and bend so it fits around the corners but you can still take it off.

If possible, it would be better if your hamster could be placed on a desk or on a higher up area so your dog wouldn't accidently knock it over.

I'm not dissing your dog but it's happened to loads of people, including me, so it's just a safety precaution. I'm not doubting your dog is a sweet loving little thing but make a lid for your hamster's best interest.

Skylar

 

[Dweenus]

*agrees with squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*


Yes, my dog is a sweet, loving Chihuahua, but he goes outside and killls mice and rodents all the time! He ate my friends gerbil....

He is always jumping for the shelf with the hamster cages on it, wanting to 'play' with them!

 

[Auratus]

Ok... I know it's rabbit pellets because I've seen mixes before. All mixes are practically the same. They say "balanced" but they aren't. The whole mix may be balanced, but the hamster isn't eating the whole mix, I can almost garantee you she is picking through it and eating the seeds.

When they say "nutritionally balanced" it means they add vitamins to the mix. They do the same thing with bird seeds. Think of it this way... if you eat McDonalds everyday and take a multi-vitamin, your diet is still crap... right? Doesn't make it any better... it's still McDonalds. Same thing goes for saying "I give her lettuce once a week"... right. Eating McDonalds 6 out of 7 days and a salad on Sunday is still a horrible diet.

Also, I didn't mean you can't take it to a vet in a critter keeper, I meant... if you are going to go the cheap route on the home, then you certainly aren't going to want to pay for a vet bill.

I know the Petco animals were sick because I work for an exotic vet. We treat the Petco and Petsmart animals in the area and when they run out of room in isolation they have to keep animals on the store floor and they put those signs up.

--------------

As for the dog... my mom's friend let his kid have a hamster, he was outside on the lawn playing with it and the dog came up and started licking it. The boy thought it was cute but the hamster died. The dog wasn't intentionally hurting the hamster but the stress from a large animal's mouth being RIGHT there scared it to death. Same thing goes for a large dog sticking it's head in your hamsters home. It already has been shipped to the store which is a great cause of stress, now it is at your house and has no clue where it is... last thing it needs is a "friendly" dog coming down from the heavens (that's what it looks like to him) and sniffing it. Man... stop being so hard headed and actually listen or your dog is going to figure out how to knock that silly bin over and you can say goodbye to that hamster you think you are taking such good care of.

 

[wwestar2000]

You guys just don't understand! seriose ly your fighting the bull blindfoldefor one the dog is kept in a cage while im not home so no worries there. And when the dog comes to the bin i am here in the room. The dogis a min pin. A little dog. He cannot reach the hamster or even jump in it. I'm not going to bother to put the lid on it if she doesn't need it.

 

[abstract]

i think we all knew that was coming

 

[betta_fish]

umm just wanna add those wheels are unsafe. hamster can get there feet caught in there and have their legs ripped off.It happened to my friend Hamsters need solid surfaced wheels like wodent wheels, silent spinners, or comfort wheel. they are safe.

very cute hamster.

My seed mix is perfectly fine,i just pick out the sunflower seeds. My hamster Dash got extreamly fat and could not run at all.

you have issues!!!My dog is the sweetest dog ever ecept for he goes by instinct and wants to eay my hamsters.

I feel so sry for this hamster who is going to probably die of stress.

 

[cheekeyarab]

How high is this bin? Hamsters are quite ingenious when it comes to escaping and even if you think that's impossible your little one might just prove you wrong!

 

[Skylar]

I don't want to start a fight but you've listened to all our ideas/help before...this is one of the most important things you need to listen to! Your hamster can have heart attacks by viewing your dog...whether you are in the room or not. They can also climb the sides of bins if there isn't a lid!

Maybe you have heard stories about how well some cats and dogs get along with their hamsters. Please do not take any risks by letting cats and dogs near your hamsters. Keep your hamsters out of reach from your cats and dogs.

from http/h4hamster.sgpets.org/

Hamsters in the wild are prey animals. Pet hamsters need to be guarded against dogs and cats. If you own a dog or cat, as a hamster owner, you have a responsibility to ensure that the dog or cat cannot get near to your hamster. A cat/dog sitting beside a hamster cage, peering greedily at the occupant can cause the poor hamster to die of fright. So keep the two pets well separated.

from http/www.springlodgevet.co.uk/buyhamsters.html

Cats can climb and can reach a hamster even on a desk or something up high.So if you have a cat close the door so the cat can't get in the room where your Hamster is or monitor your cat VERY closely.
Cats AND Dogs don't have to touch the hamster to kill it.They can scare it to death.
Also you can put books or something heavy on top of the cage so you cat/dog or little sister/brother can not lift it.It also doubles as a way to keep from your Hamster escaping!
Dogs can be kept away from the Hamster or the Hamster cage can be kept in a high place where the dog can not reach the Hamster.

from http/members.aol.com/honeybee4289/Hamstercare.html

Protect your hamster from hazards such as dogs and cats. Many hamsters are injured when owners accidentally drop their pet. Escape is another problem for hamsters as they will have difficulty finding enough food and water. Prevention is the best solution!

from http/www.hagen.com/usa/small/info_sheet.cfm?CAT=61&INFO=36


Is that enough information for you to realize that you are putting your hamster's life in direct danger?!


Seriously...
Skylar.

 

[black angel]

come on guys you all need to back off a bit here. youve given your advice and just let wwestar think about it all. All this constant barrage isnt friendly, its almost like you are force feeding your views over and over again. Let him/her think about it all, and if they take the advice then fair enough.

 

[abstract]

come on guys you all need to back off a bit here. youve given your advice and just let wwestar think about it all. All this constant barrage isnt friendly, its almost like you are force feeding your views over and over again. Let him/her think about it all, and if they take the advice then fair enough.

[snapback]869433[/snapback]​

i agree, all that could be said has been

 

[Skylar]

I agree that I may be force-feeding my views...but I want wwestar2000 to realize that the dog is a potential hazard.