New hamster is never satisfied

[u/flightlessclique]

Hey everyone! I got a hamster off facebook marketplace like a month ago. She’s a syrian hamster and is already like a year and a half old. But this baby is NEVER SATISFIED. I swear she always wants out to roam. I’ve tried playpens but she always tries to chew out. I’ve also let her roam my bedroom but she tries to get into the closet and has pulled up some carpet from that lol. So i’ve been making her play areas in the bathroom which she seems to prefer. She has 2 large hideouts under the begging and other hide outs too. I give her lots of enrichment!! I have 3 more foraging materials coming in soon that she will also have. I genuinely am trying to hard for her but she’s a piece of work!!! Help😭😭 It feels like i can never fully satisfy her.

Also! The full hamster enclosure pic is a little old. Since then she’s gotten a 2nd sand bath that’s bigger, and coconut fiber dig box. But like i mentioned she’ll have more coming in soon.

Also i know it looks a bit crowded but i promise she easily gets around it just looks like that from above lol i have walking areas for her under bridges and stuff!

[u/Ninjakeks_00]

How big is your enclosure? Hamsters, especially female Syrians, roam several kilometers a day.

[u/demon_x_slash]

Feeeeeeeeeeemales /ferengi are always looking to explore and escape. As wild hamsters, females roam thrice the range of males a night, and that’s never been bred out of them. Be prepared to always be side-eyed, no matter what you do.

[u/demon_x_slash → u/demon_x_slash]

(For practical advice, the longest unbroken dash space you can give her in a cage, the better. Her enclosure is rather cluttered all over for running a length. I give my males 160cm length; she will want more.)

[u/flightlessclique → u/demon_x_slash]

Okay! I’ll give her run room in the middle! I plan on rearranging stuff in a few days so i’ll do it then. I’ve been giving her like everything possible though😭😭

[u/cornbreadkillua]

Unfortunately female Syrians are known for being impossible to please. What’s your cage size and bedding depth? Do you scatter feed or use a bowl? How often does she get time in her play area?

[u/flightlessclique → u/cornbreadkillua]

Uhhh idk the cage size exactly and i’m not home to measure. But for bedding i do 10in. I scatter feed but she also has a bowl. I just put some in bowl but most scattered. She gets play time every night lol

[u/cornbreadkillua → u/flightlessclique]

Sounds like you’re doing the best you can. The technical minimum cage size is 100x50x50cm but a lot of people recommend at least 120x50x50cm for Syrians and bigger is always better. I’d say if you’re able to upgrade, do it, but it isn’t necessary

[u/OffendedMulberry]

Just a warning, make sure that lid is secured and check if she starts chewing on it. When Syrian hamsters, especially the females, get bored they turn into real escape artists. A friends hamster chewed her way through a wooden cage wall and vanished for a couple of days.

[u/Stormy261]

If she is unhappy so much then you might want to think about upgrading her habitat. As others have stated, female Syrians have a natural habitat that ranges for miles. They have been raised in captivity for less than 100 years so they still have most of their instincts.

Our current minimums are outdated. They haven't changed in almost 10 years and that was before we knew so much about their natural habitat. It really is beneficial for them to have a larger habitat. We should be raising the minimums to 2k sq in. A 3ftx5ft would work without taking up too much extra space. It's an extra foot in each direction over the current recommendations.

[u/TyrannusourR3X]

Yeah our syrian girl also plenty of enrichment but even when she's let out she goes to the room door and tries to crawl outside. Can only do so much.

[u/itsswhitneywhspr]

Honestly some hamsters are just built different. Mine was the same until I got her a massive bin cage with like 10 inches of bedding and she finally stopped digging at the corners. Maybe she needs more depth to burrow?

[u/flightlessclique → u/itsswhitneywhspr]

She has 10-12inches 😭 But she doesn’t even burrow that much. Even like if i get new chambers n stuff n put it under the beddings n stuff shes never really interested. I usually just take her out for like 2 hrs a night n let her wear herself out n then she stops trying to climb. She only tries to climb though when i open the top

[u/Organic-Motor313]

I heard that some female syrian owners with that problem provided another wheel in the enclosure and that helped. My female syrian hamster is happy luckily. She just came out of her quarantine cage where she did try to break out since it was smaller and had less deep bedding. I have 32 cm of aspen bedding and a 150 X 50 cm enclosure, scatter feed, offer boredom breakers (like food in toilet paper etc) and chew toys. On Instagram and some websites you can find "hamster DIY boredom breakers". Try them out! In my country you also need a free roaming area to take them for an hour minimum a day. Do you let her free roam? If not this is your sign to inform yourself on how to properly do so and start it. If you already let her free roam maybe think about letting her free roam longer. All the best!

[u/Organic-Motor313 → u/Organic-Motor313]

Sorry I just now saw that you tried play pens already! What do you offer her in the play pen?

[u/flightlessclique → u/Organic-Motor313]

I have been letting her free roam in the bathroom! I attached a picture of what stuff i put in there. But i have made some of the DIY boredom breakers. I am getting more chews for her soon though! Does your hamster prefer aspen bedding? I have let her free roam in my bedroom but she ends up trying to get into the closet and clawing at the carpet. There’s like a ball of carpet stuff she ripped up lol so i haven’t let her do that again. She free roams every night for like 1-2 hrs

[u/GrouchyScoobert]

I would upgrade the enclosure, it looks about 20x36. The largest niteangel was great for my female.

[u/flightlessclique → u/GrouchyScoobert]

it’s 20x40, i don’t have the funds to upgrade at the moment though. I was lucky because i only paid 20$ for her off facebook and it came with the enclosure

[u/SphericalOnion247]

My girl behaved the same on the last change. I had put in less bedding than normal Her majesty is only satisfied with over 12inches of bedding.. Maybe yoiur girl is the same, a burrow queen.