Hamsters are a great pet for older children and adults. They are friendly, curious and a lot of fun to watch. However, like any small animal they have special requirements that must be met in order to keep them healthy and happy.
Cage: There are several varieties of cages on the market today. Most of them are plastic bottom and top with wired sides. You can add plastic tubes and tunnels and wheels and hiding places to them very easily. In the past most people kept their hamsters in an aquarium. I don't condone this practice since hamsters like to climb and hide and an aquarium does not afford them the opportunities. One solution to this is to buy an addition to your aquarium that sits on top and is a wire cage that the hamster can access through a tube. This gives the room to climb and explore their habitat.
Bedding: If you had a hamster in the past you probably bought your bedding at the grocery store along with their food. It was cedar bedding and it smelled nice. Since then it has been discovered that cedar bedding is toxic to small animals. When their urine mixes with the oils in the cedar it produces a toxic gas. So NO CEDAR. I personally use aspen bedding from PetSmart it is relatively in expensive and is soft. Pine is okay as well but it seems a little rougher. Put lots of bedding in their cage they will rearrange it and move it to make a comfortable nest for themselves. There are conflicting reports on using fluff in their cages. Most people agree that the fluff on the market is not good for them because it can get wrapped around their legs and tangled in their mouths. Some also say giving them tissue is not a good idea either. But, I give all my hamsters pieces of tissue once in awhile and they love it. I also give them toilet paper rolls and they tear them up and use the cardboard in their nest. By chance I discovered that they love little pieces of fleece in their nest. So people donate fleece to me when they are making blankets and they have scraps, I cut 4x4 pieces and put them in the cage and let them take them where they want. Two of my teddy bear hamsters use them as blankets and literally cover themselves up with them.
Food: Hamster food is readily available at most department stores and grocery stores as well as pet stores. Mine enjoy the food with bits of nuts and seeds in them. They don't seem to care for the pellets but they do eat them eventually. You can give them fresh fruits and vegetables, but not a lot. I will dice up a baby carrot and hand that out about once a week. Mine particularly enjoy carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash and greens. Fruit is high in sugar so go easy with it. If you have a dwarf hamster avoid fruit since they are prone to developing diabetes. If you over feed your hamster on veggies and fruit it will cause diarrhea and you don't want to deal with that.
Water: Always supply a water bottle with fresh water. Do not add any vitamins to the water it can change the flavor and cause the hamsters not to drink as much. If you have a cage that has a water bottle that hangs from the top be sure to check it everyday. Since these are usually a solid color you can't see through them so you have to actually remove the bottle to check the water in it. If you have a bottle that hangs on the side of the cage, be sure the hamster can reach it easily. Don't make them work for their water, it should hang down far enough so that it is off the ground and out of the shavings but also low enough that the hamster can drink with ease.
Entertainment: By nature hamsters are a curious animal that likes to be entertained. You should always have a wheel available for them to use anytime they want. Most cages come with a wheel that attaches to the side of the cage. Don't use a wheel that is metal wire, hamsters have small feet and if you have ever seen one running they are in a zone and not paying attention to anything else. So if they slip and catch their foot it will cause a serious injury. Get one of the solid plastic wheels and save yourself the worry. Tubes and Tunnels, these are plastic tubes that snap together and then onto the cage. Hamsters love to run through them, hide in them and sometimes sleep in them. I have one hamster that uses one as her bathroom. It's her version of an outhouse. Be careful when you start adding the tunnels up and out. Make sure they are secure if you are going out make sure they are over something so they don't accidentally break off and fall. If you are going up make sure not to go to high because they weaken the higher you go. Remember a hamster is not rubber, when it falls it gets hurt.
Use these few steps and you and your hamster will live together happily for many years. |