About Huxley the Hamster

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Glad you stopped by! This is the place reserved for info and photos featuring me.

A Syrian Hamster in Paradise

In case you were wondering, I'm a Syrian hamster. I have a pretty sweet habitat with all the amenities any pet hamster could ask for! I came to this habitat in August of 2002, when I was 6 weeks old, and I've never looked back.

My habitat has gone through many versions in the past two years. I started out in a non-Habitrail setup, with mostly wire caging and a few plastic toys. I spent most of my time chewing the bars and making a nuisance of myself, until the introduction of a habitrail cage adapter and a few tubes. Having some stimulation and security, the gnawing was reduced to a minimum.

My chewing had done considerable damage to my wire cage, unfortunately, and, worried for my safety, my parents invested in a new Habitrail Space Station cage. Having two access ports for tube connection, the possibilities are endless. The modules increased rapidly until my home became the palace you see before you.

Mom's General Comments

All connectors in this setup are LOCKING connectors. It was a small investment to replace any of the original connectors with the locking ones. I'd never go back to the non-locking variety.

I've replaced the "lookout post" that came with the Space Station (the teal-coloured shelf and ramp that mounts inside the habitat) with the "Mission Control" shelf, instead. This cost around $10 CAD. This one has a nesting area, which makes the space more funtional.

At one time, the West Wing had a Habitrail Loft module at the top of it. Huxley seemed to think this was a good place to "go" and the whole thing got really messy. I just removed it eventually. If you've had success with this module, I'd like to hear from you.

Huxley has numerous wooden blocks and other things to chew on in his cage. His food is also of the pellet variety, which helps keep his teeth healthy. If you want to save your plastic cages, be sure to always have plenty of alternatives for your pet to chew on.

Cleanup is a bit of a chore, but it HAS to be done. I scoop the two hamster potties regularly and replace the litter in them when needed. (I only use the Habitrail brand of litter, because I haven't had success with any other brands.) Disinfection involves a complete dismantleing of the tubes and modules, rinsing, and then I run them through the dishwasher, with a vinegar pre-rinse. The main cage section (with the bars) just gets scrubbed by hand, since Habitrail recommends NOT disassembling this part.

While all this is going on, Huxley spends time in his ball, but then after about 15 minutes or so, I transfer him into a temporary cage, with water and a bit of food. Hamsters should never go more than 15 minutes wihtout food or water, and the dishwasher obviously takes longer than that.

DISCLAIMER - Before you throw your entire Habitrail habitat in the dishwasher, test a few pieces first! Each dishwasher is different, and each household has a different water temperature. The dishwasher method of disinfecting the cage works for me, but it may be disaster for you! I take no responsibility for damaged cages or sick hamsters.

And now... what you've all been waiting for.

Full Frontal Hamster

Whole Setup

West Wing

Main Foyer

East Wing

Mission Control

Exercise Wheel

Hamster Potty

Star of the Show

Habitrail

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