I just got a hamster today!! Her name is magnolia and she’s a Syrian. She is super duper cute! I built her the diy 1152 square inch enclosure with 10 inches of bedding, a sand bath, cork granule, aspen shavings, cork log, grapevine wood, 11.6 inch niteangel wheel, multi chamber hide, sprays, herbs and flowers, etc. thank you so so much for teaching me how to care for a hamster ❤❤
We recently adopted a cream long haired Syrian female we named Muffin. She is nearly 4 months old & we just love her. I really appreciate how helpful your videos are. I have owned a few hamsters & feel bad for how bored they were, with my first female even peeing through the bars of her tiny, round cage! Muffin doesn't care for boredom breakers, but she loves to burrow & tunnels in her bedding ever since we added almost 8 inches. My kids say I spoil her, but I think I'm making up for years of not knowing any better. Blondie, Rio & Ruby deserved better, so I'm showing that love to Muffin 💕
Thank you Victoria, I have two hamsters now and they are living in big enclosures with a lot of enrichment thanks to you. ☺️ I have a robo dwarf called popcorn and a Campbell’s dwarf called buttons 🐹💞 Dipper is so cute 🥺
@@f0lklores.fangirll I was asking a question.. plus my female and male hamsters (Syrian) dont fight when in the same cage but get anxious when separated unlike my dwarf hamsters 💀
@@broskii._. Where are you getting this information from 💀 Syrian hamsters are strictly solitary and WILL fight, Victoria literally made a video about hamsters being solitary… i think you’ll find ur wrong. Please provide scientific websites on how hamsters are not solitary as I’d like to see. 🤗
My hammy passed the other night, after over 2.5 years with me he went to rest peacefully,(a littleeeeee chonky) and very loved, this is all thanks to your videos he lived a happy and healthy life. he originally came from a pet smart (i was not informed on their animal mistreatment then) he had his ups and downs especially when he got out for two days! and i couldn’t find him and i was horrified of the fact i have 4 cats right outside my bedroom door, i found him and i also found that he ate a lotttt of pizza crust that was under my bed, that was the start of his diet lol. he brought me so many laughs and happy tears, there were times where i couldn’t believe this little guy was real, he was an all white syrian with grey ears. moral of the story is, you victoria completely changed and helped me learn and grow with my pet care and for that i deeply thank you.❤ Rest in peace my little Gus Gus
Mine got out too once, anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days. She luckily found her food bag stashed in my closet and chewed a hole through it, and slept inside a rolled up poster on the floor.
Mine passed two days ago. Haven’t got over it. Josh was a syrian hamster and lived to be three years and three months. He’s in a better place now. I also want to thank Victoria for the help.
The enrichment items you designed are wonderful, that's not easy to come up with new enrichment items, and you had several I've never seen before! Also I loved the low cost and functionality, they checked all the right boxes, that's freaking amazing!
I had a hamster that sadly passed away in may, i always watched your videos and thanks to you she had the best life possible. I started off with a little plastic cage from the pet store and they also gave us cotton fluff and said it was safe, after watching your video i ran to her cage and got rid off all the fluff she loved a long and happy life and i made so many toys from your videos. Thank you so much victoria
For some reason Victoria always knows what to post at the right time! Perfect video to watch while I make homemade hamster nesting material (paper, toilet paper, and cardboard shredded)
My hamster very sadly passed a week ago today and I just wanted to say how great full I am for you Victoria and how much you taught me on how to care for my hamster, which made me give my hamster the best life I possibly could, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to gave that to her. RIP ivy 🐹💔🪽
Amazing video as usual!! It was definitely worth the wait for this video, and I'm sorry you had problems when saving the video! It's super important to realise that you don't have to spend £50 on a multi chamber hide when you can make one for free! This video will definitely help so many people save some money!❤🐹
I just got a mouse from my sisters job (she's domestic) and they don't sell mice so they wanted to find a trusted home, which happened to be me. So I took her in and since we aren't well off, I have her in a small 10 gallon which was a fair upgrade from her critter trail tank. She's a lot happier in the 10 gal, but not happy enough. Tomorrow I'm picking up a 40 gallon tank for my leopard gecko, so my new mouse can have a 20 gal long. It's the best I can do and I'm very excited to upgrade her! I'm using this guide to make her new tank amazing! Thank you!
I love the wax melt holder idea!!! Girl you are genius!!! Thank you for posting this, finding a way to make cheaper hides hides gives a lot of people more money to get them better treats or a better wheel.
I used to watch you back when I kept hamsters (rip, caramel, aspen, and asali) but now I’m watching these again cause I’m thinking of getting mice and need more accessories but am so happy I found you back then cause now I don’t need to buy a bigger cage and other stuff cause I already bought them ❤️
I like using mug cups and putting them in their sandbaths/dig boxes. They help cool your hamster down during the summer and are very cheap! You can also use them to pick your hamster up to tame them.
hi Victoria! you have helped me with my hamster care so much! my hamster used to live in a small wire cage from the pet store and now she is in over 600 sq :) i’m so appreciative of you and i love your videos❤
I have a dwarf hamster named herald I’m working on upgrading his cage and this video shows me I don’t have to spend a bunch of money and luckily some people in my family are builders and can help me build stilts and maybe a big cage I love you vids❤
thank you so much for your videos 😊 our first hamster went from a crittertrail to a 2x2x4' enclosure with more textures, scattered seed mix and enrichment thanks to you, and after some saving up our second (and current) hamster has a dozen different kinds of sprays and a bunch of different substrates too
This is like the ultimate hamster cage on a budget video... I wish I had this when I first started setting up my hamster's cage lol. I was on a tight budget when I got my first hamster. For the cage, I tried to find some cabinet but they were either too small or too expensive, so I bought a children's study desk that also had shelves and a storage cabinet. It was even cheaper than those tiny hamster cages. I flipped the desk, the sides were already covered and I used the shelves to cover half of back and front, stapled some mesh wire over the other halves. I also used the parts left and some more mesh wire to make a lid. I even painted the cage to match my furniture (only the outside of it). It turned out pretty decent, and the whole thing was under 50 bucks in USD. In my country owning a hamster is not that common, so finding hamster products is a bit hard, and when you do find them they're a bit expensive. (There are around 20 petshops in my area and the last time I checked only 1 of them was selling hamster food...). But bird accessories and hideouts are super easy to find and super cheap! And a lot of them are basically the same with the hamster stuff. So I don't know if that applies to anywhere else in the world, but if in your country hamsters are not that common but birds are, make sure to check out the bird supplies 😄😄 For the platforms, I use "stackable kitchen storage shelves" and file holders, both are made out of natural wood, they are super cheap and they don't require any extra work to be used in the cage. And I use a lot of bendy bridges I made out of paper straws and some thick wire. I saw that one on youtube I think. It's 2 am so I apologize for the broken English 😄😄
Thank you so so much for these videos!!! We discovered a Syrian hamster had burrowed under our front porch last week. I had rats in my teens, but I had never had a hamster. I started watching your videos to figure out how to keep him safe and happy while I figured out what to do with him. I posted my number in the neighborhood that I had found him.. but nobody has claimed him. Initially I had planned to take him to the local animal rescue, however I started to worry that he wouldn't get the best care if he were adopted because your videos showed me just how much care hamsters need. So I now have a black Syrian hamster with a very large habitat full of safe and enriching toys and plenty of places to hide and burrow!
One thing i use is paper bags from the store, I put some seed mix in the middle and then just crumple the paper around it. Makes a pretty good ball they have to chew through to find the treats
I love this! Hamsters aren't that hard to please you just have to think about what they actually like and not what the pet store tells you they like. ❤ my bunny always appreciated any kind of cardboard to chew on too.
My hamster gets so bored very quickly because he is a VERY adventurous hamster 😭 so this will be useful you are a life saver I just want him to be happy also Juni looks just like Bumble. ❤
THANK YOU so much!!! I've just bought a big cage and I realised I dont need to spend tons of money with those accessories but at the same time give enrichment to my hamster
I got a hamster in june and a second hamster last week. I found your channel when I was thinking about getting a hamster, and you've been so helpful. I've learnt so much from you, and I've been improving my hamsters' lives. ❤Thank you so much!
Hi Victoria! This was really helpful because sometimes i find it tricky to afford the best hideouts or tubes and this video had such great quality and it was explained really well! This one of my favourite videos now I just love how easy it was to watch and follow along!❤
That fills up soooo much space and for me it will be near free bc my dad has sooooooo much cardboard but I dont know if he has nontoxic glue but well buy it
You are absolutely right! With a bit of creativity and almost zero money people can make a rich and engaging setups for their hamsters. We all have easy access to cardboard and safe glue is super cheap. However, a common answer I get is ''why bother when the hamster is going to destroy it''. Who cares if they destroy it! They are having fun while doing it, they have something to do in stead of being bored. When it comes to cereal boxes and other boxes that have dye on them, I personally prefer not to use them because I don't want my ham to ingest the dye.
I just bought a little hammy today and spent a total of 300€/400$ and my cage is 100x50x50 and got a proper sized wheel 11 inch I’m first time HAMPTER owner :) and your videos got me prepared little floof ball loves his new enclosure
I'm preparing for a hamster, I've been researching it for about many years (like a little child i was) until my therapist convinced my parents to agree to get me one, so this helps a lot
Hey, first time viewer here. I went down a rabbit hole (or maybe a hamster hole?) watching videos related to hamsters and their care. I saw your channel recommended _by name,_ and I was curious, so I watched this. It really gave me confidence in you to see such a rich enclosure that you built for a lil fella, all while you own a bunny and two cats! I'm glad your hamsters are in environments where they're safe from cats' wily instincts. When my mom and I were between houses, we stayed with friends who had a pat rabbit and a new Robo dwarf hamster. My cats, who they graciously let us keep with us the whole stay, regarded the bunny with mere intrigue and a bit of confusion, but I think because she was close in size to them meant to them she was just a weird cat. I saw my SAINT of a cat, Nemo (who was the most polite, well-behaved cat I've EVER met), got this mad twinkle in his eye when he spotted that little hamster in his cage. I brought it up to our friends (their son kept the hammy and rabbit in his room), and they were fine with keeping the hamster and his small enclosure outside of that room (the cats were shut in there). So glad you're a DILIGENT pet owner! Thanks for making videos like these educating people!
im getting a hamster very soon and my dad said i have to look on amazon to see how much money it would cost so i can save up that much, and a little extra for vet visits. but this may narrow it down to just 115 dollars or so! thanks victoria! i have been watching your channrl for years!
I recently got my second hamster, a Syrian named bear. I got him a detolf with around 1000 square inches, it has safe deep bedding, a sand bath, multi chamber hide, 12 inch safe wheel and lots for him to do. He’s super happy and I got his wheel, coconut hide, multi chamber hide, tunnel, some chew toys for £50 at pets at home. Thank you for helping me with my hamster care. 🐹💕
I have some white shelves in my house and was wondering if I could turn them into a diy hamster cage? I can purchase things to make it into a good one but I need to know if it would be a good idea the dimensions are roughly 34.5' wide by 11' tall by 11.5' deep. If so, any material suggestions are welcome or if not, I'm very open to other ideas!
Hi I have a hamster called Bella and she is going to be 1 in October and I got her from a pet store sadly she used to be in a pet store cage but thanks to you she is now living in a big cage the pet store didn’t give me any information about her age so she looked like she was 2 months old and I got a big wheel I’m 10 years old but I take good care of her thank you for your help and I love your channel I hope you can read this she has a decent amount of bedding I used to use just carefresh and now use kaytee with carefresh
thank you so much victoria! i've recently bought a bin cage with 966 sq in of floorspace!! ive been wondering what to use in the cage whether its bedding, enriching toys, or wheels!! your videos are so so helpful, i appreciate you so much (especially as a minor with little influence!) ❤❤
Thanks you sooo much ! I adopted a Campbell dwarf (6 weeks old ) and we bought the basic things need Needed and this video helped me so much to add more things to his enclosure and he is definitely not bored 🙂💖
I'm moving overseas and can't take my hamster with me so I have to give her to some friends. I'm scared they wont take good care of her but I'll make sure they watch your videos amd I'll tell them about hamsyer care as much as I can! Ty for esucating people on hamster care! You make it clear how easy it really is so people have no excuse for bad care!
Tysm, I just bought Topokki and before having her I had a hamster named spots but he died so I gave all my supplies to a friend with a hamster as well. When I got Topokki I was worried I would have to but all the supplies again which was really expensive for me considering I’m still in junior year. Watching this video helped me create supplies for my new hamster for cheap.❤❤❤❤❤
This is one of the best videos you've uploaded. Thanks. I'm always trying to encourage people to try making their own . Thanks for all the effort you put into these youtubes.
Thank you for making these videos. Without you I wouldn’t have gotten my hamsters, Percy, Bean, Chip. They have passed away and I’m thinking of them and what Ed to thank you because without you I would have never got to love them without you helping ❤️❤️❤️❤️
thank u for doing video's like this. i just watch this yesterday and i made one of the things you showed. it was the one were you take a box and put toilet paper tubs and cut them and glue them in a box. i made this for my little guy mystic and he absolutely loves it. thanks to your videos i have learn so much that i did not know .i have had dwarf hamsters in the past and i did all the things i thought was right until i saw your videos .now i know the do and do not.
Thank you so much for this awesome video! I’m currently saving up for a bigger cage and I’m planning on making lots of cardboard diy’s. Hope you have a great day! :)
i wanna say tysm!! i've had a hamster for 4 months now because of you! his name is Oreo and hes a syrian hamster, 6 months old, i havent got a huge cage like yours but its still pretty big so tysm and hes happy :D
omg i just bought a large aquarium tank from the second hand store i work at for my ham, this is such perfect timing. i've had him in an enormous storage bin that was modified to mock a wooden-acrylic enclosure and got so excited to find the tank (: so happi!
I love the wax melter idea!!! We made a lot of stuff for our hamster. Used things from around our house. If you're younger, ask your parents or friends for containers they don't have use for, I'm positive most people have something. One of my favorite items in our hamster cage, was a repurposed wax melter that I originally purchased from Sentsy. The reason I repurposed it is because, the wiring was off on this particular wax melter. So It exploded when I plugged it in. I didn't get around to returning it because I had already gone back and forth over this particular wax melter. Frankly I was over dealing with Sentsy at this time. Huge tip, shop garage sales!!! The wax melter we repurposed had a dish along with the larger area where the bulb would go, that we made into a cave. The bulb attachment and plug are easily removed. It should already be sanded smooth. If not, sand it down. We have an awesome crystal cave and matching blue dish out of this 1 purchase. It added an awesome pop of color to our cage. Our winter white feels secure and has 2 exit points. We use this cave to add in foraging. But you can use it for many things such as a sand bath.. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
The only place I can get a hamster near me is a PetSmart. I live in a small town and it is HIGHLY unlikely that anyone will be selling a Russian Dwarf anytime soon. Is that okay? Or should I just not get a hamster?
This couldn't have been posted at a more perfect time. I just put together my Vista cage and my hamster already has a large Niteangel wheel. I adopted him off a young woman for $60. They had him in a terrible bin cage with a tiny wheel. I threw almost everything away but the bin because I had ordered the Vista.
I made the substrate box and added toilet paper and she under for her bed! I even added the forage box to the other Sid of her substrate box bc tehre was still space. I also upgraded her 7in wheel to an 11in and I’m seeing her run again! Me so happy :D I also got her some sprays and she demolished the ones with the balls on top (not sus lol) not sure what they are called. I also made the toilet paper tube seed treat thing. She hasn’t don’t anything with that yet but I hope she will! Imma also add the lil piece of cardboard with the holes in it. Hope she will also love that! Thx Victoria!
Most grocery stores in the US (not sure about other parts of the world) will give you cardboard boxes for free if you ask them. They usually have them just lying around from items being shipped to the store :).
Hey Victoria,I Love your videos ,I know this is off topic but I just want to know if you have any advice for our hamster that has this big tumor on his breast,my parents won't allow us to take him to the vet and I don't know what to do,keep up the great work!!
I just got a hamster a week ago and I’m a bit worried bc it feels like he isn’t settling in whatsoever he still seems rlly anxious any tips from anyone would really help I feel like I can’t bond with him because he’s even scared to take any food from my hand or anything. I love ur content so much it’s very helpful and I have been watching for 3 years and have done research for 3 years before getting this hamster but now I’m not sure if I’m doing everything right as he still seems rlly scared thank u for all ur rlly helpful content🩷🩷
i just rescued a hamster from Facebook marketplace a week ago, this video is very useful! i bought everything they absolutely need from ~40$ and made extra hides from cardboard.
This video was pretty perfect bc I’m preparing for a Syrian (which means everything has to be new. My last hamster was a dwarf, so everything I have is about half the size it should be😂) and I’m looking at a rough total of $600😭😭😭 but it’ll be so worth it to see them happy. It’s a 1,011 sq bin and I think ima go with the name pawmi (one of the newest Pokémon)
last month got a bin cage, (my dream cage) after having a wire care for so long. I notice my chinese hamster is much happier and the best part is that, the bin cage i got is a 110qt storage bin from target. It was only $16.99! My hamster has so much more fun burrowing, waking up and etc! thank you for this videi
Thank you for the trypophobia warning! I personally don’t have that phobia but that was incredibly kind. Thanks for the video! I have a silver Syrian hamster, he’s a grumpy little senior citizen, and I’ve been meaning to make him some new toys :) Edit: we just buried him :( I miss you baby…
i love all these ideas im gonna have to try some out. those tealight candle holders are great water dishes. i wanted to use them but i had a slightly larger glass dish i would use for my syrian hamster but she always found ways to tip it and flood her bedding so i decided to use the plastic food dish i had from my Pets At Home cage and i stuck velcro to the bottom of the dish and to the platform it sits on so now she cant throw her water around she realized pretty fast so now she dumps her treats into it and the next day i go to check her water theres just a bunch of swollen soggy biscuits and seeds in there 😂
Honestly the cages at pet Co and pet smart cost at least 3x what it cost for a nice large bin cage set up with lots of toys. In fact you mostly spend a lot more on pet Co and pet smart cages then DIY cages. I am posting a vid of my hamster cages and the set ups soon
I love your channel you were the reason I got hamsters in the first place sadly they are both gone but I have been thinking about getting giunea pigs and I got a new big cage and when it's the right time to get them I will definitely be using these hideout and boredom breakers for them thank you so muucchhh ❤❤❤
Hii thank you for all of your help now I am a successful hamster owner all because of you even thought you aren’t perfect you still are kind and helpful!!!
I have a hamster and I used a room for him, got rid of carpet, made a door he cannot get through, metal gate. And I filled it with safe for hamster soil and tubes!
When I move out I plan on getting a hamster but I’m one of those who like to have everything before getting a pet so I have the proper care for any animals 😅
i absolutely love your videos! you have taught me so much about my hamster! without you, my hamster would probably be malnourished, and would probably be in a tiny tales cage. again, thank you so so much!💕
I just got a hamster today!! Her name is magnolia and she’s a Syrian. She is super duper cute! I built her the diy 1152 square inch enclosure with 10 inches of bedding, a sand bath, cork granule, aspen shavings, cork log, grapevine wood, 11.6 inch niteangel wheel, multi chamber hide, sprays, herbs and flowers, etc. thank you so so much for teaching me how to care for a hamster ❤❤
That is an awesome set up!
You have a long and beautiful journey with your hamster. Lot is to come.
@@NandigamSso sweet 😊
Omg she’s gonna be the happiest little hammy
Mine is Syrian too
We recently adopted a cream long haired Syrian female we named Muffin. She is nearly 4 months old & we just love her. I really appreciate how helpful your videos are. I have owned a few hamsters & feel bad for how bored they were, with my first female even peeing through the bars of her tiny, round cage! Muffin doesn't care for boredom breakers, but she loves to burrow & tunnels in her bedding ever since we added almost 8 inches. My kids say I spoil her, but I think I'm making up for years of not knowing any better. Blondie, Rio & Ruby deserved better, so I'm showing that love to Muffin 💕
Thank you Victoria, I have two hamsters now and they are living in big enclosures with a lot of enrichment thanks to you. ☺️ I have a robo dwarf called popcorn and a Campbell’s dwarf called buttons 🐹💞 Dipper is so cute 🥺
did they end up killing each other? bc my hamsters who are sisters almost died
@@broskii._. why would they be put together? All hamsters are solitary
@@f0lklores.fangirll I was asking a question.. plus my female and male hamsters (Syrian) dont fight when in the same cage but get anxious when separated unlike my dwarf hamsters 💀
@@f0lklores.fangirll so you're wrong not all hamsters are solitary.
@@broskii._. Where are you getting this information from 💀 Syrian hamsters are strictly solitary and WILL fight, Victoria literally made a video about hamsters being solitary… i think you’ll find ur wrong. Please provide scientific websites on how hamsters are not solitary as I’d like to see. 🤗
My hammy passed the other night, after over 2.5 years with me he went to rest peacefully,(a littleeeeee chonky) and very loved, this is all thanks to your videos he lived a happy and healthy life. he originally came from a pet smart (i was not informed on their animal mistreatment then) he had his ups and downs especially when he got out for two days! and i couldn’t find him and i was horrified of the fact i have 4 cats right outside my bedroom door, i found him and i also found that he ate a lotttt of pizza crust that was under my bed, that was the start of his diet lol. he brought me so many laughs and happy tears, there were times where i couldn’t believe this little guy was real, he was an all white syrian with grey ears. moral of the story is, you victoria completely changed and helped me learn and grow with my pet care and for that i deeply thank you.❤ Rest in peace my little Gus Gus
@nevaeh006 sorry to hear about your hamster passing away last night. Hamsters can bring joy and happiness with their cuteness.
Mine got out too once, anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days. She luckily found her food bag stashed in my closet and chewed a hole through it, and slept inside a rolled up poster on the floor.
@@smartwalrus1957 they’re adorable little chaos balls😭🩷
Mine passed two days ago. Haven’t got over it. Josh was a syrian hamster and lived to be three years and three months. He’s in a better place now. I also want to thank Victoria for the help.
The enrichment items you designed are wonderful, that's not easy to come up with new enrichment items, and you had several I've never seen before! Also I loved the low cost and functionality, they checked all the right boxes, that's freaking amazing!
I had a hamster that sadly passed away in may, i always watched your videos and thanks to you she had the best life possible. I started off with a little plastic cage from the pet store and they also gave us cotton fluff and said it was safe, after watching your video i ran to her cage and got rid off all the fluff she loved a long and happy life and i made so many toys from your videos. Thank you so much victoria
For some reason Victoria always knows what to post at the right time! Perfect video to watch while I make homemade hamster nesting material (paper, toilet paper, and cardboard shredded)
My hamster very sadly passed a week ago today and I just wanted to say how great full I am for you Victoria and how much you taught me on how to care for my hamster, which made me give my hamster the best life I possibly could, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to gave that to her. RIP ivy 🐹💔🪽
aww,I’m late,but o hope ur ok❤
Amazing video as usual!! It was definitely worth the wait for this video, and I'm sorry you had problems when saving the video!
It's super important to realise that you don't have to spend £50 on a multi chamber hide when you can make one for free! This video will definitely help so many people save some money!❤🐹
my name is Fern!
Oh hi Fern! I’m such a big fan
I just got a mouse from my sisters job (she's domestic) and they don't sell mice so they wanted to find a trusted home, which happened to be me. So I took her in and since we aren't well off, I have her in a small 10 gallon which was a fair upgrade from her critter trail tank. She's a lot happier in the 10 gal, but not happy enough. Tomorrow I'm picking up a 40 gallon tank for my leopard gecko, so my new mouse can have a 20 gal long. It's the best I can do and I'm very excited to upgrade her! I'm using this guide to make her new tank amazing! Thank you!
That´s great! ^^ Mice are also very social animals. Maybe he/she could get some friends (from the same sex). ^^
Mice are very social animals that depressed alone you need to get her some female friends
I love the wax melt holder idea!!! Girl you are genius!!! Thank you for posting this, finding a way to make cheaper hides hides gives a lot of people more money to get them better treats or a better wheel.
ALWAYS LOVE YOUR EDUCATIONAL, LOGICAL HAMSTER KNOWLEDGE!!! 🥰😍❤
You're the most polite person I've ever seen!!! Tysm for the trypophobia warning
I used to watch you back when I kept hamsters (rip, caramel, aspen, and asali) but now I’m watching these again cause I’m thinking of getting mice and need more accessories but am so happy I found you back then cause now I don’t need to buy a bigger cage and other stuff cause I already bought them ❤️
Tysm! My hamster is so happy she's having the best life she can get because of you.She has a lot of enrichment and hides.Thank u again.❤😊
4:57 also as long as your hamster isn’t a plastic chewer, you can use cheap Tupperware as well
I like using mug cups and putting them in their sandbaths/dig boxes. They help
cool your hamster down during the summer and are very cheap! You can also use them to pick your hamster up to tame them.
hi Victoria! you have helped me with my hamster care so much! my hamster used to live in a small wire cage from the pet store and now she is in over 600 sq :) i’m so appreciative of you and i love your videos❤
OMG!!! Never thought of DIY'ing these with cardboard! wow.. thanks Victoria!!!!!
This video was so helpful! I think a lot of people will appreciate these DIYs.
I have a dwarf hamster named herald I’m working on upgrading his cage and this video shows me I don’t have to spend a bunch of money and luckily some people in my family are builders and can help me build stilts and maybe a big cage I love you vids❤
thank you so much for your videos 😊 our first hamster went from a crittertrail to a 2x2x4' enclosure with more textures, scattered seed mix and enrichment thanks to you, and after some saving up our second (and current) hamster has a dozen different kinds of sprays and a bunch of different substrates too
This is like the ultimate hamster cage on a budget video... I wish I had this when I first started setting up my hamster's cage lol.
I was on a tight budget when I got my first hamster. For the cage, I tried to find some cabinet but they were either too small or too expensive, so I bought a children's study desk that also had shelves and a storage cabinet. It was even cheaper than those tiny hamster cages. I flipped the desk, the sides were already covered and I used the shelves to cover half of back and front, stapled some mesh wire over the other halves. I also used the parts left and some more mesh wire to make a lid. I even painted the cage to match my furniture (only the outside of it). It turned out pretty decent, and the whole thing was under 50 bucks in USD.
In my country owning a hamster is not that common, so finding hamster products is a bit hard, and when you do find them they're a bit expensive. (There are around 20 petshops in my area and the last time I checked only 1 of them was selling hamster food...). But bird accessories and hideouts are super easy to find and super cheap! And a lot of them are basically the same with the hamster stuff. So I don't know if that applies to anywhere else in the world, but if in your country hamsters are not that common but birds are, make sure to check out the bird supplies 😄😄
For the platforms, I use "stackable kitchen storage shelves" and file holders, both are made out of natural wood, they are super cheap and they don't require any extra work to be used in the cage.
And I use a lot of bendy bridges I made out of paper straws and some thick wire. I saw that one on youtube I think.
It's 2 am so I apologize for the broken English 😄😄
Thank you so so much for these videos!!!
We discovered a Syrian hamster had burrowed under our front porch last week. I had rats in my teens, but I had never had a hamster. I started watching your videos to figure out how to keep him safe and happy while I figured out what to do with him. I posted my number in the neighborhood that I had found him.. but nobody has claimed him. Initially I had planned to take him to the local animal rescue, however I started to worry that he wouldn't get the best care if he were adopted because your videos showed me just how much care hamsters need. So I now have a black Syrian hamster with a very large habitat full of safe and enriching toys and plenty of places to hide and burrow!
I'm so happy to hear my videos have been able to help especially in your case with the hamster you've found, I'm sure they're so happy now!
One thing i use is paper bags from the store, I put some seed mix in the middle and then just crumple the paper around it. Makes a pretty good ball they have to chew through to find the treats
Thank you for macking my hamsters life better
I love this! Hamsters aren't that hard to please you just have to think about what they actually like and not what the pet store tells you they like. ❤ my bunny always appreciated any kind of cardboard to chew on too.
My hamster gets so bored very quickly because he is a VERY adventurous hamster 😭 so this will be useful you are a life saver I just want him to be happy also Juni looks just like Bumble. ❤
THANK YOU so much!!! I've just bought a big cage and I realised I dont need to spend tons of money with those accessories but at the same time give enrichment to my hamster
I got a hamster in june and a second hamster last week. I found your channel when I was thinking about getting a hamster, and you've been so helpful. I've learnt so much from you, and I've been improving my hamsters' lives. ❤Thank you so much!
I love how you notice people that don’t have enough funds for a hamster and give us tips I recently got a hamster in totally using these tips!!!🎉
I love the educational advise your hamster so cute too
happy birthday to me!! my gift: a new victoria video. love your videos always🩷🩷
Happy birthday!! 🥳
Hi Victoria! This was really helpful because sometimes i find it tricky to afford the best hideouts or tubes and this video had such great quality and it was explained really well! This one of my favourite videos now I just love how easy it was to watch and follow along!❤
Thank you so much!
That fills up soooo much space and for me it will be near free bc my dad has sooooooo much cardboard but I dont know if he has nontoxic glue but well buy it
Love these!! It also beats just throwing away all the cardboard.
Thank you ,this is an amazing video for people who want to own a hamster on a budget!❤
Fantastic video Rachel! Thank you for everything you do to help all our little hams have happier, more interesting lives! Xxx
Her name is Victoria Raechel not Rachel
You are absolutely right! With a bit of creativity and almost zero money people can make a rich and engaging setups for their hamsters. We all have easy access to cardboard and safe glue is super cheap. However, a common answer I get is ''why bother when the hamster is going to destroy it''. Who cares if they destroy it! They are having fun while doing it, they have something to do in stead of being bored. When it comes to cereal boxes and other boxes that have dye on them, I personally prefer not to use them because I don't want my ham to ingest the dye.
I just bought a little hammy today and spent a total of 300€/400$ and my cage is 100x50x50 and got a proper sized wheel 11 inch I’m first time HAMPTER owner :) and your videos got me prepared little floof ball loves his new enclosure
Congrats on your new friend!
@@VictoriaRaechel thank you!,!!
I'm preparing for a hamster, I've been researching it for about many years (like a little child i was) until my therapist convinced my parents to agree to get me one, so this helps a lot
Hey, first time viewer here.
I went down a rabbit hole (or maybe a hamster hole?) watching videos related to hamsters and their care. I saw your channel recommended _by name,_ and I was curious, so I watched this. It really gave me confidence in you to see such a rich enclosure that you built for a lil fella, all while you own a bunny and two cats! I'm glad your hamsters are in environments where they're safe from cats' wily instincts.
When my mom and I were between houses, we stayed with friends who had a pat rabbit and a new Robo dwarf hamster. My cats, who they graciously let us keep with us the whole stay, regarded the bunny with mere intrigue and a bit of confusion, but I think because she was close in size to them meant to them she was just a weird cat. I saw my SAINT of a cat, Nemo (who was the most polite, well-behaved cat I've EVER met), got this mad twinkle in his eye when he spotted that little hamster in his cage. I brought it up to our friends (their son kept the hammy and rabbit in his room), and they were fine with keeping the hamster and his small enclosure outside of that room (the cats were shut in there).
So glad you're a DILIGENT pet owner! Thanks for making videos like these educating people!
Thank you so much! It's important if you're going to keep predator and prey species you're making sure both are safe in their environments!
Wow! This is great! I’ve been waiting for this video for sooo long! This is so helpful as well thanks Victoria 👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
im getting a hamster very soon and my dad said i have to look on amazon to see how much money it would cost so i can save up that much, and a little extra for vet visits. but this may narrow it down to just 115 dollars or so! thanks victoria! i have been watching your channrl for years!
Thank you so much for all the ideas..we spent all day making these . My grandchildren loved it 😍
Happy to hear that!!!
I recently got my second hamster, a Syrian named bear. I got him a detolf with around 1000 square inches, it has safe deep bedding, a sand bath, multi chamber hide, 12 inch safe wheel and lots for him to do. He’s super happy and I got his wheel, coconut hide, multi chamber hide, tunnel, some chew toys for £50 at pets at home. Thank you for helping me with my hamster care. 🐹💕
I have some white shelves in my house and was wondering if I could turn them into a diy hamster cage? I can purchase things to make it into a good one but I need to know if it would be a good idea the dimensions are roughly 34.5' wide by 11' tall by 11.5' deep. If so, any material suggestions are welcome or if not, I'm very open to other ideas!
Hi I have a hamster called Bella and she is going to be 1 in October and I got her from a pet store sadly she used to be in a pet store cage but thanks to you she is now living in a big cage the pet store didn’t give me any information about her age so she looked like she was 2 months old and I got a big wheel I’m 10 years old but I take good care of her thank you for your help and I love your channel I hope you can read this she has a decent amount of bedding I used to use just carefresh and now use kaytee with carefresh
I love these videos so much! You saved my hamsters life!😅 Ty Victoria for teaching me !❤
OH MY GOODNESS I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU HEARTED MY COMMENT THANK YOU SO MUCH
thank you so much victoria! i've recently bought a bin cage with 966 sq in of floorspace!! ive been wondering what to use in the cage whether its bedding, enriching toys, or wheels!! your videos are so so helpful, i appreciate you so much (especially as a minor with little influence!) ❤❤
That's awesome!! I'm sure you'll have fun filling it up!
Thanks you sooo much ! I adopted a Campbell dwarf (6 weeks old ) and we bought the basic things need Needed and this video helped me so much to add more things to his enclosure and he is definitely not bored 🙂💖
I'm moving overseas and can't take my hamster with me so I have to give her to some friends. I'm scared they wont take good care of her but I'll make sure they watch your videos amd I'll tell them about hamsyer care as much as I can! Ty for esucating people on hamster care! You make it clear how easy it really is so people have no excuse for bad care!
You can also collect branches,grass, stones, moss and other wood from outside. Make sure to bake the wood in the oven and to boil the stones🥰
Tysm, I just bought Topokki and before having her I had a hamster named spots but he died so I gave all my supplies to a friend with a hamster as well. When I got Topokki I was worried I would have to but all the supplies again which was really expensive for me considering I’m still in junior year. Watching this video helped me create supplies for my new hamster for cheap.❤❤❤❤❤
I've watched this video at least ten times, and it gets cuter every time
This is one of the best videos you've uploaded. Thanks. I'm always trying to encourage people to try making their own . Thanks for all the effort you put into these youtubes.
Thank you!
THANK YOU. New hamster parent here and your DIY ideas are wonderful! 😊
Thank you for making these videos. Without you I wouldn’t have gotten my hamsters, Percy, Bean, Chip. They have passed away and I’m thinking of them and what Ed to thank you because without you I would have never got to love them without you helping ❤️❤️❤️❤️
thank u for doing video's like this. i just watch this yesterday and i made one of the things you showed. it was the one were you take a box and put toilet paper tubs and cut them and glue them in a box. i made this for my little guy mystic and he absolutely loves it. thanks to your videos i have learn so much that i did not know .i have had dwarf hamsters in the past and i did all the things i thought was right until i saw your videos .now i know the do and do not.
Thank you so much for this awesome video! I’m currently saving up for a bigger cage and I’m planning on making lots of cardboard diy’s. Hope you have a great day! :)
i wanna say tysm!! i've had a hamster for 4 months now because of you! his name is Oreo and hes a syrian hamster, 6 months old, i havent got a huge cage like yours but its still pretty big so tysm and hes happy :D
omg i just bought a large aquarium tank from the second hand store i work at for my ham, this is such perfect timing. i've had him in an enormous storage bin that was modified to mock a wooden-acrylic enclosure and got so excited to find the tank (: so happi!
I just got my first 40 gallon!! I'm so excited to get my hamster
I love the wax melter idea!!! We made a lot of stuff for our hamster. Used things from around our house. If you're younger, ask your parents or friends for containers they don't have use for, I'm positive most people have something.
One of my favorite items in our hamster cage, was a repurposed wax melter that I originally purchased from Sentsy. The reason I repurposed it is because, the wiring was off on this particular wax melter. So It exploded when I plugged it in. I didn't get around to returning it because I had already gone back and forth over this particular wax melter. Frankly I was over dealing with Sentsy at this time.
Huge tip, shop garage sales!!!
The wax melter we repurposed had a dish along with the larger area where the bulb would go, that we made into a cave. The bulb attachment and plug are easily removed. It should already be sanded smooth. If not, sand it down.
We have an awesome crystal cave and matching blue dish out of this 1 purchase. It added an awesome pop of color to our cage. Our winter white feels secure and has 2 exit points. We use this cave to add in foraging. But you can use it for many things such as a sand bath.. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
Those boredom breaker ideas at the end were amazing! just what I needed to stimulate my hammie!
Happy to hear that!
The only place I can get a hamster near me is a PetSmart. I live in a small town and it is HIGHLY unlikely that anyone will be selling a Russian Dwarf anytime soon. Is that okay? Or should I just not get a hamster?
One like this for rabbits would be a great video idea 😊
6:50 oh my god thank you so much Victoria for the warning!!!!!
I also loved looking in the thrift store for decorations or something to DIY!
This couldn't have been posted at a more perfect time. I just put together my Vista cage and my hamster already has a large Niteangel wheel. I adopted him off a young woman for $60. They had him in a terrible bin cage with a tiny wheel. I threw almost everything away but the bin because I had ordered the Vista.
I made the substrate box and added toilet paper and she under for her bed! I even added the forage box to the other Sid of her substrate box bc tehre was still space. I also upgraded her 7in wheel to an 11in and I’m seeing her run again! Me so happy :D I also got her some sprays and she demolished the ones with the balls on top (not sus lol) not sure what they are called. I also made the toilet paper tube seed treat thing. She hasn’t don’t anything with that yet but I hope she will! Imma also add the lil piece of cardboard with the holes in it. Hope she will also love that! Thx Victoria!
I just want to say that you have been a great help to me in guiding me how to better take care of my hamster.
Happy to help!
You taught me how to take care of my dwarf hamster properly! Thank you :)
Glad I could help!
Most grocery stores in the US (not sure about other parts of the world) will give you cardboard boxes for free if you ask them. They usually have them just lying around from items being shipped to the store :).
also pick n fly sprays on UK amazon are just under £4, you get 3 types of sprays!! so cheap, also trixie wheels are under £20
Hey Victoria,I Love your videos ,I know this is off topic but I just want to know if you have any advice for our hamster that has this big tumor on his breast,my parents won't allow us to take him to the vet and I don't know what to do,keep up the great work!!
Hi my hamster died a couple of weeks ago and I just want to say how much you have helped me Victoria! Thank you so much
I just got a hamster a week ago and I’m a bit worried bc it feels like he isn’t settling in whatsoever he still seems rlly anxious any tips from anyone would really help I feel like I can’t bond with him because he’s even scared to take any food from my hand or anything. I love ur content so much it’s very helpful and I have been watching for 3 years and have done research for 3 years before getting this hamster but now I’m not sure if I’m doing everything right as he still seems rlly scared thank u for all ur rlly helpful content🩷🩷
It sounds like he may just need more time!
@@VictoriaRaechel ok thanks for the advice I’ll wait a few more weeks and see if there’s any improvement thank u so much:)
i just rescued a hamster from Facebook marketplace a week ago, this video is very useful! i bought everything they absolutely need from ~40$ and made extra hides from cardboard.
Great video❤! Thank you
1:57 THE RABBIT HAIR, OMG!!!
This is an amazing video! Loved this ❤
This video was pretty perfect bc I’m preparing for a Syrian (which means everything has to be new. My last hamster was a dwarf, so everything I have is about half the size it should be😂) and I’m looking at a rough total of $600😭😭😭 but it’ll be so worth it to see them happy. It’s a 1,011 sq bin and I think ima go with the name pawmi (one of the newest Pokémon)
last month got a bin cage, (my dream cage) after having a wire care for so long. I notice my chinese hamster is much happier and the best part is that, the bin cage i got is a 110qt storage bin from target. It was only $16.99! My hamster has so much more fun burrowing, waking up and etc! thank you for this videi
That's awesome!
Thank you for the trypophobia warning! I personally don’t have that phobia but that was incredibly kind. Thanks for the video! I have a silver Syrian hamster, he’s a grumpy little senior citizen, and I’ve been meaning to make him some new toys :)
Edit: we just buried him :( I miss you baby…
i love all these ideas im gonna have to try some out. those tealight candle holders are great water dishes. i wanted to use them but i had a slightly larger glass dish i would use for my syrian hamster but she always found ways to tip it and flood her bedding so i decided to use the plastic food dish i had from my Pets At Home cage and i stuck velcro to the bottom of the dish and to the platform it sits on so now she cant throw her water around she realized pretty fast so now she dumps her treats into it and the next day i go to check her water theres just a bunch of swollen soggy biscuits and seeds in there 😂
Thank you Victoria, your work has improved so much my knowledge on hamster care ❤️
That's awesome!
Honestly the cages at pet Co and pet smart cost at least 3x what it cost for a nice large bin cage set up with lots of toys. In fact you mostly spend a lot more on pet Co and pet smart cages then DIY cages. I am posting a vid of my hamster cages and the set ups soon
Those Niteangel enclosures look great now you’ve joined 2 side by side to create larger tanks. Definitely need 2 and that’s expensive but looks great.
I love your channel you were the reason I got hamsters in the first place sadly they are both gone but I have been thinking about getting giunea pigs and I got a new big cage and when it's the right time to get them I will definitely be using these hideout and boredom breakers for them thank you so muucchhh ❤❤❤
You are a life saver you know I love your vids they in spider me so much to be like you
Could you make a video on how to maintain/clean the enclosure? Seems like a lot of work to replace the bedding
Temu is also great for wooden toys/hides etc - just make sure to check the measurements! Lots of niteangel dupes :)
Love this video! So many good tips and you're always so charming.
Hii thank you for all of your help now I am a successful hamster owner all because of you even thought you aren’t perfect you still are kind and helpful!!!
I got my 2nd hamster 3 weeks ago and her name is Oreo❤
I have been watching your videos since i even got my 1st hamster and they really work
I have a hamster and I used a room for him, got rid of carpet, made a door he cannot get through, metal gate. And I filled it with safe for hamster soil and tubes!
yeah i got the hampter as a rescue and i improved bedding and feed to start about all i can do at this time but im saving for my little buddy ;;
When I move out I plan on getting a hamster but I’m one of those who like to have everything before getting a pet so I have the proper care for any animals 😅
I love the video. This will help tons of hamster owners! This was worth the wait!:)
Thanks for watching!
i absolutely love your videos! you have taught me so much about my hamster! without you, my hamster would probably be malnourished, and would probably be in a tiny tales cage. again, thank you so so much!💕