Monster Truck

Species: Dwarf Hybrid 

Gender: Male 

Est. DOB: March/April 2024

Likes: Food, digging around, being a busybody.

Dislikes: Tummy touching, being rudely awakened, being denied snacks.

Fosterer’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deep.space.ham9/ 

Requirements:

Cage: Min. 90x50x50cm - As per HSS guidelines

Wheel: Min. 21cm - As per HSS guidelines.

Bedding: 

I am currently using a mixture of the following:

  • Oxbow Pure Comfort 

    • I find it to be a great bedding for tunnelling when slightly pressed down.

      • NOTE: it is important to manually crumble the compressed bedding when it is taken from the packaging while the hamster is NOT in the enclosure as this can create dust. Once this is done though, it will be fine for the hamster:). 

  • OPTIONAL: Timothy hay or Aspen shavings to provide texture and structure for tunnelling mixed into the paper bedding, or to place inside hideouts as extra texture.

    • Currently using Niteangel and Kaytee,  but Oxbow is also ok.

      • ALTERNATIVE: Can also use the Marukan brand of Aspen shavings.

        • Optional: Shredded tissue paper for a pop of colour! Currently using IKEA brand coloured paper napkins.

    • He also has a bit of Niteangel brand dry moss layered with other hamster safe wood substrates in a few of her hideouts for texture. This is because kind donors to HSS have given us so many supplies over the years. (And with proper storage they can last for a while!)

Food: 

Currently using a mixture of FatPouches Standard Hamster Seed Mix and Bunny Dream Expert Dwarf Hamster. 

  • I encourage you to also get a foraging mix from FatPouches such as the Foraging Seed Mix or Delight Mix! This can be sprinkled and lightly mixed into the bedding every few days. 

  • Alternative foraging choices can simply be another brand of HSS approved seed mix such as Rodipet brand to provide diversity in “healthy” feed/foraging.

  • A big big fan of sweet fruits - dried or fresh. He just loves eating.

  • He also loves any treats that make him work for it. Like Whimzees or dried sunflower heads, or nuts in shells.

  • I've also provided him with sprays like millet and flax. 

    • Millet can be the kind that is marketed to birds!

Enrichment:

  • At least 3 hideouts 

    • Can be one large nesting area/chamber hideout and 2 smaller ceramic or cardboard hideouts.

      • Trustie brand from PLC for the smaller ones is a good option.

      • A main nesting area can be made by connecting 2 hideouts with one tunnel (EG: plain tunnel with middle hole, or T shaped tunnel - DIY them with cardboard toilet tubes!)

  • It is recommended he has enough bedding to properly dig around in. Please refer to the HSS website for further advice.

    • OPTIONAL: Non perishable treats and food hidden in bedding.

  • OPTIONAL: A dig jar or box partially filled with coco peat and mixed with non-perishable (as in not too oily to attract ants) and dry treats and seeds, as well as some short stalks of sprays. 

    • The FÖRVAR jar from IKEA is a good choice for this kind of enrichment activity!

    • RAJTAN from IKEA is another alternative. 

    • As long as the jar or container is slightly tilted or easy for her to get in and out of it should be fine. 

**Please note: Monster Truck has a slightly swollen scent gland and hates having it touched. But! You will need to lightly soak it with some saline on a cotton ball or piece of gauze to allow the gunk to soften which will allow it to be removed easily. This can be done once a month or so at a hamster savvy vet as recommended by HSS.

Profile: 

Part of a surrender of 8 hams, Monster Truck was the inspiration behind their car themed names. From the moment he stood on his back legs to peer at his fosterer from his tiny cramped cage that he shared with another, he revealed his might. This was no baby Syrian, this was a MONSTER TRUCK (dwarf) HAMSTER!!!!

Yes Truckie is HUGE (a whole 70+ grams!), but he is also just big boned. While not as speedy as his neighbour Vezel, Monster prefers to do his activity below ground, choosing to wiggle around and dig like the Sandworms on Arrakis. And like the Sandworms, once he hears that snack/food container shake, he will emerge from his tunnels, ready to devour. 

Monster Truck bears scars of his past with 2 holes in one ear. But he doesn't let those memories get to him, no matter how much his fosterer bothers him with kisses and deep inhalations of his weirdly nice smell. Take this big boy home and shower him with treaties and kisses and nose boops!!!