Stay updated! Subscribe now to receive updates about the latest news and stories!
Cages - Cages provide a place for your hamster to live. You can also use a 40+ gallon tank. The absolute bare minimum of floorspace is 450 square inches. (See Hamster Cages for more)
Hideout - Hamsters need a hideout. It provides them a safe place to go to when they are scared. Never take your hideout away when your hamster is in the hideout.
Toys - Like all pets, hamsters need something to keep them busy. Give them lots of toys. Wood toys are good, because your hamster can chew on the wood.
Bedding - Hamsters need at least 6 inches of bedding, as in the wild, they burrow underground. Never buy pine, cedar, cotton, soft wood, or scented bedding.
Wheel - Hamsters need a wheel to burn off their energy. Don't get a wire or mesh wheel, as your hamster's foot can get caught in it. Make sure that you have the right size as well. Chinese hamsters need an 8 inch wheel. Syrian hamsters need an 8 to 11 inch wheel. Dwarf hamsters need a 6 to 8 inch wheel.
Diet - Your hamster's food should include things like seeds, fruits, mealworms, and a little bit of pellets. (See Hamster Diet for more)
Water - Your hamster needs water. Give it a water bottle or a bowl filled with water. Refill it every couple of days, even if the water is still there. Clean out the water bottle thoroughly about every two weeks or so, to ensure that there is no harmful bacteria in there.
Cleaning - You should clean your hamster's cage fully every month. Don't replace all of the bedding, as the hamster's scent is on there. Clean up poop and soiled bedding every couple of days. You can mix water with vinegar to create a cleaning solution.
NEVER bathe your hamster in water. They can groom themselves and putting them in water will destroy the natural oils in their coat and they can die.
DO NOT put hamsters together in the same cage. Hamsters are solitary animals and a female and a male will breed together, even if they are siblings, which can lead to them having babies. This is bad as breeding hamsters without knowledge of how to do it is never a good thing. Males put together in the same cage will become territorial and can fight, leading to severe injuries or death.