Wanting all the experience with hamsters!

That's plastic o.o how did they take it off and put the mesh on? Any idea?

A dremel to cut and hot glue to affix the mesh to the inside. Made some makeshift bin cages for each pregnant girl as well. You defiantly want the mesh on the inside of the cutout or your critters will chew the plastic.

I used a 30g bin cage for my guinea pig Daisy and it was about 2x1 C&C. It's not big enough for the average pig (she was immobile) but plenty big for a hamster. I'm planning on turning it in to a hamster cage in the future.

wow, thanks for sharing all the great info. i wish i knew more of this when i had hamsters. if i ever get another one in the future, i will be sure to research more.

Well, if your going for hammies(yes that's what they're called) I'd suggest Syrians as the dwarf ones don't like to be handled much....and they are little biting machines. You do need a solid bottom cage with cage bars having a gap no more than half an inch as hammies can and will 'squeeze' their way out. Bigger the cage, the better and they love to climb! Tanks aren't recommended as the ammonia build-up from their urine can cause respiratory problems, some hamsters also love to pull apart the silicon seal that holds the tank together. You also need a water bottle and wheel in the cage. Personally I loved all the hammies I kept but I don't want to keep anymore as they live only 2-3 years on average, it's sad when they go away. They tend to succumb to 'wet tail' within 24 hours so always keep a bottle of Dri-tail handy and always keep them well hydrated.

I have a robo dwarf ham, and I made her cage out of a 110qt plastic bin. All you have to do is cut a hole in at least two sides and install mesh over both sides. The mesh needs to be small, 1/4 inch or less for each cube, and I cut mine two inches larger than the hole on all sides (to help prevent escapes) There is a wealth of knowledge on building bin cages on Youtube some personal favs are:Hammy Lux, TheHamsterNinja, and Small pet junkie. I learned to make mine from seeing videos like these. There is also an ikea detof cage as an option, Hammy Lux has some info on hers. Bin cages are like the C&C cage of the hamster world, much better for health, happiness and wellbeing. Plus it's a lot cheaper than finding a cage that is an appropriate size.

I would reccomend a syrian to start, they (in general) are more friendly and easier to handle, they also tend to be a lot slower (my robo is VERY fast and she jumps) so as a new hammie mom, I would reccomend a syrian.

Thanks! We're going to go to a local shelter to look at them,we're not able to get one until I know more, and till mom and I get our next *paycheck* ( mom gets paid and I get paid from my grandmother ) so 2-3 weeks

Mmk. So we went to see the hamsters, and mom didn't like how they hide a lot, and you're not always able to see them, much like our piggies.
She's wanting something the size gerbil, to a guinea. I suggested a rabbit, but she's had one in the past and it just "crapped alot " in her words. thoughts? o.o

Have you considered rats? They are intelligent, friendly, clean, and adorable! Basically I see them like tiny puppies. They can learn tricks and are fairly easy to train. Much more social than hamsters, gerbils, and even guinea pigs but they should be kept in pairs at a minimum. Definitely worth looking into if you want a pet that absolutely adores human contact and will play with you.

I would adore a rat, but my mom finds them disgusting xD my friend had a pet rat, named Anisa. (A knee sah) but unfortunately it passed from a tumor that they wernt able to treat in time
I saw the critter nation cage at petsmart (was comparing prices) and they wanted a whopping $260 for it. LOL. Id rather pay the 170 and not pay shipping.

My sister thought they were gross until she met mine. They are cleaner than most other small critters and personality wise are just incredible. It's sad they have such a bad reputation when they are truly amazing little creatures.

What does a rat eat and use, bedding wise? Are they nocturnal? ((Very curious now Lmao)

I fed my rats a shunamite style diet but there are other ways to feed rats. Lab blocks are popular. They can have the same bedding as a hamster or guinea pig. I used stove pellets for mine with shredded newspaper or soft hay on top for burrowing.

A good quality lab block like Harlen teklad, oxbow regal rat, or a high quality low protein dog kibble, grains fruits veggies eggs meats etc they can eat quite a few different things. They can be housed on fleece or bedding like a guinea pig but they tend to chew the heck out of fleece so if you go that route opt for the cheapest you can find. They need vertical space because they are climbers and have a love for cozy hammocks and other comfy things. They will happily and easily adjust to your schedule.

Meats? ..they're carnivores?

Rats are a great choice for someone wanting something small that is more social than guinea pigs, hamsters, etc. Or, have you considered stepping outside of mammals and looking at Bearded Dragons? They are another fairly social and friendly small creature. I would have one, but I can't feed living things to other things. Or, Iguanas are pretty friendly too, and I believe they can be vegetarians (although don't quote me on that). I was looking in to an iguana before I got my pigs but didn't want to spend the hundreds of dollars our local reptile rescue wanted for an iguana. The reptile rescue went out of business because they couldn't adopt out any reptiles because they wanted such high adoption fees. But, I understood why because they had a lot of costs with the vet bills because so many came in badly neglected. Anyway, just thought I'd throw out those ideas.

I tend to use thick layers of newspaper that thy arrange as desired. They shred the heck out of it. My guys don't seem to enjoy deep bedding and if I tried to get them to burrow they would look at me like I was crazy. "But mom why would we burrow if we have tons o cozy hammocks to sleep in??"

Reptiles are another no go in my house. I can't feed a living thing to something else (except my dogs they'll eat spiders/moths..)
But I do love the rat idea. I agree they have a bad reputation, but having seen one living with someone else, I thought they were cute thanks @ClemmyOddieIndy
And yeah. @CritterSlave , LOL my first thought was to stock it with hammocks.. They eat meat though? .. (...mind blown literally)

They are opportunistic scavengers. They will pretty much eat anything and I give them small scraps of whatever we had for dinner as long as it is rat safe (no raw potatoes, no oranges or orange juice for the boys as it can cause a certain type of cancer, no onions or garlic etc.). They do love a nice hard boiled egg or a bit of scrambled eggs or some lean roasted chicken.

o.o wow. I found dogs in a smaller package lmao. (Just kidding)
Do they use run wheels? I know guineas can't, hamsters...can I think o.o rats are a whole new concept