hi! i have not at all been active but i have recently been thinking about making a post about how owning a hamster has been for me 
no one needs to respond if you don’t want to but i hope this might help some desperate soul doing a google search haha!
i spent a lot of time researching hamsters and found there is a lack of information about personal experience with owning a chinese hamster (i have found the generic info isnt super helpful when you are new to hammies)
i own trixie (trixie belle) she’s a dominant spot (white coloured with grey stripe and spot) almost 2 year old hamster. i got her at about 8 weeks old from a breeder. trixie lives in a slavic hamster heaven (650 sq inches) with 6-7 inches bedding. i at first anticipated having to get a larger cage but have noticed she seems to be happy and settled as she is, for me it’s all about the enrichment i give her.
i use megazorb bedding. there are mixed reviews about this, it can be bought on amazon and for price it’s incredibly good. a few people have commented on the dust but it’s not been an issue for me or trixie (no sneezing, coughing or respiratory issues). it’s soft, a natural colour and holds tunnels SO WELL!
it’s a good one for me but every hamster is different.
i started her off on the rodipet dwarf hamster food (the no added sugar one as chinese hamsters are more prone to diabetes) but due to delivery price have since changed to an etsy mix (if the link is wanted at all i’ll defo share its very good) scatter feeding has been great for her and i’d recommend everyone tries it with there hamsters. i also add flax, wheat and sorghum sprays, sunflower and other seed treats and some fruit purée biscuit things (have vitamins in). i add a herb and flower forage mix which not only smells so so good but also has calming herbs which i have found made her so much better when going to my friends house to be petsat
HANGING TOYS chinese hamsters love to climb, don’t be afraid to get bridges and rope toys, they are incredible good at climbing and as long as your cage isn’t super tall won’t be harmful.
handling with trixie was a slow game but once food was used as a bribe she’s happy to sit in my hands and get pets but that’s about it, don’t expect to much and don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t happen right away, your hamster still appreciates you and you definitely haven’t failed as an owner.
and my last piece of definitely controversial advice is wing it a bit! i know you feel like there are a million rules and regulations you need to live up to to have a happy hamster but you will know what your pet does and doesn’t like. i am obviously not saying to ignore things such as dietary needs or floor space/ bedding depth. but if you can’t buy a multi chamber Niteangel house don’t worry! i got a cardboard box and cut a few holes and it’s trixie favourite thing in the world now but don’t compare yourself to others and the way they do things.
and try your hardest not to stress, hamsters are animals, they do what they do and are surprisingly tough little things.
im not sure how i feel about posting this but if it helps one person, or is even just a little interesting then good also i literally always want to talk about hamster care and stuff so feel free to respond. have a great day! <3
