Not sure what to do

[WorldofHamsters]

I made this post but then when I tried to post it it all got deleted so now I’m going to make it pretty short lol.

Basically we are watching a hamster, he has a bin cage but some of the other things aren’t the best. (Fluffy nesting, small wheel, poor diet, low bedding, clumping sand, lack of enrichment). I know they care about him, his owner is my mom’s friend’s kid’s and they were devastated that they had to leave him for vacation. For now I’ve removed the fluff, given him a bigger wheel, a larger hide that I hope to fill up with bedding, removed the salt lick, given sprays, but the problem is that I don’t know if I have the right to do this as he’s not my pet and we can’t talk to them about it because of where they are (and I wouldn’t wanna to ruin their vacation anyways) but I still feel like I have to do something. I’m just unsure and scared they’re going to be mad if I keep the changes.

His name is Fuzz and he’s a Syrian, I’ll make an intro later when I get pictures.

[Spud]

I know exactly how you feel WoH, I've been in a very similar situation with a relative.

If they love him, then they will appreciate any changes you make and constructive feedback you give them.

Could you speak to your mom to see what she think about you talking to the family friend about their hamster care?

Good luck with everything, keep us updated.

[WorldofHamsters]

She thinks it’s fine so long as we don’t make too many changes, so only a couple of things but not going crazy with bedding or toys.

[Spud]

She thinks it’s fine so long as we don’t make too many changes, so only a couple of things but not going crazy with bedding or toys.

That's promising, and definitely better than nothing for Fuzz.
It does make me a bit annoyed that we 'need' to put other people's feelings/pride before hamster wellbeing though.

Maybe you could direct Fuzz's owners to forums such as this one, or easy to access videos such as Victoria Raechel's YouTube channel.

Have you shown them your past hamster set ups? Often it helps if you can explain what a hamster needs with first hand experience and examples.

[Lillias]

Hang on to the accessories you removed (like the small wheel), so they have the option to change it back if they want. Minor, reversible changes probably won't bother them. You can sound out when they return if they'd be open to suggestions.

[CallaTheHam]

i agree with what everyone else said, if they’re reversible changes then it should be okay. if they’re willing, maybe show them your hamster setup when they get back and explain how much eclipse benefits from it. and definitely steer them towards some resources. good luck!! i hope Fuzz can get the awesome cage he deserves!