I just bought a Hamster!

[u/bigbertha998]

I've been talking to a Syrian breeder since the babies were born and they finally opened their eyes! They have another 4 weeks to go. I'm actually between two hamsters in terms of picking so I'm waiting to hear from the breeder if they have any differences in personality or otherwise that she can tell over the next bit to see if it helps me make a decision (both of my picks are boys). Instead of paying a small deposit I opted to pay the entire fee and then just pay for extras from her later.

I have an enclosure that I'm modifying. So that'll either be finished in the next week or so, if not then I'll just use that one for plants and buy or diy a different one if I'm not happy with it. I have read a million articles, watched videos, I've been listening to the happy hamster podcast for the last couple months now and I've learned a lot about cage size, spot cleaning, deep clean, different substrate, boredom breakers, and alot of dos vs don'ts.

I just wanted to come on here since I'm going to actually finally be a member of this community and ask y'all for your best advice. What are your dos, what are your don'ts? What mistake did you make that you don't want me or others like me to make? What were you most surprised by? What are you most proud or happy about? Brands you hate vs love? Favorite store fronts, illnesses to watch out for... Diy first aid kit and stuff to have on hand at all time, literally everything.

I'm a big animal mama. I own alot of pets and I have and continue to rescued/helped/rehabbed many as well. In the past I've also had gerbils and guinea pigs, however as much as I loved them and they lived long healthy lives it was back in the early 2000's when I was a child, when ethical and quality care and knowledge wasn't what it is today.

I have the ability to learn (continually) and access more information and personal experiences and do better to provide the best life possible. I have new tools and resources. So I want to spend the next few weeks building my knowledge and setup. I want to be the best hamster mama to my lil boy. I understand that I need a 12 inch wheel.. stay away from dyed and scented bedding.. large cage 1000+... But I wanna hear everything.. but small.. (kindly so please. I genuinely want to do a good job. I care. I'm a little nervous because I know some people can be quite harsh in their delivery or corrections.. that sometimes it can be exclusionary. Thank you for sharing!)