Hello! I’m Chantal from Tondo, Manila and I started in this hobby way back 2018. My boyfriend said that he has never seen a hamster running on a wheel so I bought him a pair of Syrian hamsters as a gift (I had no idea they are solitary). At first we thought, “Mabilis lang naman yan alagaan,” just give them pellets and sunflower seeds as their staple food, buy kusot, provide a water bottle with water, and just place them inside a small cage. We thought that was enough. Until my boyfriend joined the PHK Community and realized that there are so many incorrect practices with our hamster care.
(18L bin cage with my adopted Campbell dwarf hamster)
Ever since he joined, he learned a lot about proper hamster care and his hamster actually survived longer. One day, we heard that there was a Campbell dwarf hamster for adoption and we decided to adopt. Then I was able to adopt and have my first hamster. My first cage was an 18-liter storage box that was converted to a bin cage. Through the days staying and learning with the Group, I realized the importance of having a larger enclosure. I slowly did my upgrades. I upgraded to 42L, then to 58L, 100L, and now 135L. It is a big help to be part of a community that encourages you to improve your hamster care. Because of this group, I learned to be a better hamster owner.
(My upgraded bin cage and current setup, 100L and 135L)
My advice to those planning to own a hamster, make sure that you are prepared. You can start whenever you can and slowly improve your care or be above the standard. Continue to trust the process until one day you will realize that you are already reaching the standard. You will then realize that your cage is the appropriate size. Everyone can have pets for as long as you can provide for their needs and be open to improvements.
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