Owning a hamster can be a very rewarding experience and lead to countless hours of enjoyment; but with it, comes responsibility in the way of proper maintenance and husbandry. In this comprehensive guide, you can read about topics ranging from picking the right pet, finding an appropriately sized cage, selecting safe bedding materials, choosing healthy food options, treating illness and injuries, breeding and carrying for babies and much much more.
Learn how to take care of a hamster by following the information and advice bellow:
Picking the Right Hamster
There are several breeds and number of colors and coats to choose from these days. But beyond the pure esthetics or the appearance of the hamster, one needs to select a hamster that they can can manage to take care of. Different breeds have different dispositions and different tendencies. If you are a beginner, choose a Syrian or Golden hamster breed; they are probably the most friendly and curious of all the breeds. Some Dwarf species are harder to keep due to their small stature and their skittish and shy behavior. Find out if you are allowed to own small pets in your state.
Selecting a Cage Habitat
There are several options for selecting a cage. Each options has its pros and its cons. The best habitats however, are large and spacious. Whether they are made of plastic, metal wire or glass, they key here is to buy the largest home for your pet that you can afford at the time. Get one that you can add on to over time. This will make your hamsters happy and not stir crazy or bored.
Choosing Your Bedding
Choose your hamster bedding carefully. Some bedding preforms better than others. You can make your own bedding but its better to buy packaged hamster bedding form a local pet store. These usually stand up well to wear and tear and absorb waste rather well. Avoid using cedar chips because of the the combination of urine and cedar wood can be toxic. Pine chips can be toxic too if the wood has been treated with chemicals.
Feeding Your Hamsters Food and Water
Hamsters like a diet that consists of both plants and protein. Like most small rodents, they do mostly eat plants, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts but they also occasional like to eat a bug or two. This is the diet they would have in their natural habitat. There are several types of diets that should be considered based on the age and health of your hamster. some older ones can’t handle all the protein and thus should be fed a lower ratio of protein to greens. Additionally, if a hamster has too much greens, fruits or vegetables, it can lead to diarrhea. This would then require a reduction in the amount of these types of foods in their diet.
Accessories for Exercise and Fun
Hamsters need a lot of space to be happy and several options for exercise. You could never give your pet a cage as large as its natural habitat, so it’s important to provide good care in the way of an exercise wheel, ball, ladders, tubes and tunnels. With a wide range of accessories to keep it occupied and fit, the hamster won’t become stressed from a lack of exercise or stimulation. Other accessories like a sleeping house will also reduce stress as it give them a safe place to hide. Read more about accessories…
Observing Behaviors
A happy and healthy hamster will poke it’s head up and look curiously at you when you open its cage. If it seems to have no interest or cowers in fear, this could be a sign of an illness or a lack of trust. If it’s sleeping, it’s best to slowly wake it up if you want to handle it. Startling a hamster while it slumbers can be very stressful on it. This could lead to getting bitten. However, the most important behavior to be concerned about is any unhealthy repetitive habit. if it keeps running in circles of constantly gnaws on the cage bars, this could be a sign that it doesn’t ave enough stimulation or space to roam around in.
Treating illnesses
Hamster get sick just like any other living creature. Many of the illnesses are similar to that of what humans can contract. These include things as common as the cold or flu. Treating a sick hamster can require some quality care and potentially a trip to the vet. if you notice a change in behavior of your hamster or notice a change in its physical appearance, there’s a good change your little guy has an illness or injury. Find out more about what might be troubling your hamster.
Author: Tim Winter
Why does my hamster bites me when he approaches me.
It is probably just a bit stressed. You need to take it slow when getting to know it. see this post on how to handle a hamster.
Is it normal for your hamster to not like chewing on wood or anything? I know its suppose to keep there teeth in good shape
Usually they chew on everything! You can try other things and some types of foods or treats might help file down your hamster’s teeth.
I’ve had my hamster for a few weeks now and she has been causing me to lose sleep cause she moves around, chews on the bars of her cage and knocks her water bottle off the side of the cage. she’s got a hamster ball that I put her in for a little while before I go to bed but it doesnt wear her out and make her sleep at all. I’m a university student and I need my sleep. Is there a way I can make her actually sleep??
The problem here is that by nature, hamsters are up during the night time hours and asleep by day. with all those noises and not having the ability to put the cage in another room (assuming you are in a dorm room), you might consider getting some ear plugs. It’s hard to adjust their sleeping habits and I personally don’t have experience with trying to do so. Perhaps some our other readers might have a solution for you.
I like hamsters!
hi,my hamsters name is boo and i lost her one day and once i found her she didnt seem the same as before.now all she wants to do is sleep!
She could just be a bit traumatized from her ordeal. Give her time and she will come around when she is ready.
hi i was looking at your website because im getting a hamster for my birthday in april,i was just wondering if you could give me some tips and do you give them fresh veg evreyday.will they have the same sawdust as guinea pigs?
Certainly, we can help. See this post for a list of vegetables for hamsters and then see this post on good hamster bedding. These were both great question to ask. There are a lot or veggies and greens you can feed it, a bit of fruit, unsweetened yogurt, nuts, seeds and some other healthy things. Sawdust is probably not what you are thinking of but yeah, it’s a similar product. There are some really good brands of bedding that don’t make a mess or make hamsters sick.
My Hamster tends to like to chew on the bars of her cage and this evening I tried to make her stop by touching her nose through the bars. Next thing I knew, when she dropped she looked like she was in pain and her nose was bleeding. what kind of injuries could she have sustained?? Could she have broken her teeth?? what could have caused her nose to bleed?? She did eat afterwards but she would only eat the soft Peanuts. how long does it take a possible mouth injury to recover?? I feel so bad now. I didnt think touching her nose to make her stop chewing would hurt her. Will she be ok???
It’s likely your hamster just has a small cut on the inside of her mouth or a small nose bleed. It should heal quickly though. In the mean time, feed her soft foods so it doesn’t hurt her when she eats. Yo might also take a wet wash cloth and clean any blood off her fur but be careful not to reopen any cuts – be very gentle. if she is too stressed, just let her be to allow her to heal. If the condition doesn’t get better in a day, you should talk to a vet.
Hi, just stopping by to say hi and thank you so much for making this website.
I found you on the Dogtipper Pet Blog Directory, your blog being the only other blog aside from mine that comes up when you type “hamster.”
This is a website that will prove very helpful for new hamster owners, and I love the background.
I just got a hamster a week ago. i read your whole article about taming it and you say its best to tame it when its young but i don’t know how old my hamster is. she has already bitten me and my sister even though we’ve tried to get it used to us by giving it food and letting it sniff us. how long does it usually take for older hamsters to get familiar and comfortable with people? its difficult to clean out its cage when it won’t let us take it out without biting us. i feel like she’s stressed out too much even though her cage is in a calm area. it would be nice if you have any suggestions! thank you in advance!
Every hamster is different and some may take longer to get use to you. You just need to tame you hamster very slowly. try placing an open palm into the cage with a treat in the middle. Don’t force it to come out but hopefully, it will eventually come over to investigate. don’t move your hand and see if it will climb into your palm. Bottom line though, it just takes time.
hey i have a long haired hamster and it has a cold what shall i do???
Colds are common in hamsters just as much as they are in us. Take a look at these posts: treating a hamster sickness and hamster with a cold. These should give you the information you are looking for.