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Approximately one million hamsters are kept as pets in the United States, and that number is increasing every day. If you are ready to join this large population of hamster lovers, then you will need to know how to care for him or her.
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Hamster Care Tips
- Hamsters are more active at night.
- Hamsters need a varied diet that includes vegetables and other foods.
- Purchase the largest cage you can afford.
- Clean your cage at least once a week.
- Contact your veterinarian at the first sign of illness.
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Introduction
- Hamsters are small, almost tailless rodents that have made their way into people's hearts and homes rather quickly. The first hamsters were brought to the United States in 1938.Animal Corner: Hamster Trivia and History
- As of 2001, there were an estimated one million pet hamsters in the United States, making them the sixth most popular pet (having just lost their fifth place spot to turtles).USA Weekend.com: Pet Census (January 27, 2008)
- If you are ready to join this large population of hamster lovers, then you will need to know how to care for your furry little friend.
- If you have not purchased a hamster yet, be sure to check out Mahalo's How to Buy Hamsters.
Step 1: Choosing the Right Cage
- Choosing the right cage is one of the most important decisions you will make, since the cage will likely cost you more than the hamster. Keep in mind that your hamster will spend the majority of its life in the cage, so you want something that is spacious, comfortable, and entertaining—both for you and the hamster.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters When selecting a cage, here are some things you will want to keep in mind:
- Hamsters are exceptional escape artists.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care The cage needs to fit together securely with no open areas.
- Purchase the largest cage you can afford.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages There should be at least 20 square inches of floor space per hamster.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
- The cage needs to be large enough to hold not only the hamster, but also a hamster wheel, food dish, hamster nest/bed and any toys.
- Since you will need to clean the cage once a week, how easy it will be to take apart and clean?Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
- Cages need adequate ventilation without being to drafty.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
- Solid floors are preferable to wire ones.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
Types of Cages
- In general, there are three types of cages: wire, aquariums and modular plastic tube habitats (aka Habitrail, S.A.M. or CritterTrail).
- Wire Cages
- Wire cages consist of four sides of wire bars, a wire top and a plastic tray at the bottom. They can be one to three stories high.
- Advantages: Cheap, durable, lightweight and easy to keep clean.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Disadvantages: Drafty, and run the risk of hamsters getting caught between bars.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Bars must not be more than 1/4-inch (6 mm) apart for dwarf and Chinese hamsters and 1/2-inch apart for Syrian hamsters.National Hamster Council: Hamster as Pets About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- The bars will offer hamsters opportunities for climbing.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Avoid wire cages with a bottom grate because they are difficult to clean.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Levels in the cage should be solid, not wire. Cover any wire levels with special mats, ceramic or vinyl tiles, cardboard or a similar material.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Make sure the bottom tray detaches easily from the wire frame. It will make cleaning the cage easier.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- The tray should be deep enough (2 to 3 inches minimum) to keep shavings from being scattered outside of the cage.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Modular Plastic Tube Habitats
- Modular plastic tube habitats are colorful plastic or plastic/wire combination cages. They are designed as modular units that can be connected using plastic tubes.
- Advantages: Less drafty and provides lots of exercise for your hamster.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Disadvantages: Difficult to clean, can break easily and may harbor odors.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- They can be difficult to ventilate adequately and can have condensation problems.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages However, newer cages on the market combine wire and plastic tubing to combat this problem.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- The plastic can become scratched over time making them less attractive.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Syrian hamsters can become too large for the tunnels.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters There have also been cases of hamsters becoming stuck in the tubes and causing deaths.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Aquariums
- Aquariums can make great cages for hamsters. However, it must have a secure cover to prevent hamster escapes.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Advantages: Less drafty, gives you the opportunity to watch them burrow.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Disadvantages: Limited air circulation and ventilation and does not offer much climbing opportunity.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- For Syrians, the aquarium should be at least 24-inches long and 12-inches wide (a 10-gallon aquarium is too small for Syrians).The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Some debate over whether they are easy or difficult to clean.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Never place aquarium cages where it will receive direct sunlight. They can trap heat and kill your hamster.Ask The Vet: Hamster Cages
- Specially designed tops can either expand aquarium cages or combine them with modular plastic tube habitats.
Make Your Own Cage
- If you are interested in making your own cage, there are several ways to do it. Since hamsters can chew through wood, most cages are designed using a combination of wire and storage bins. Here are a few places you can find instructions:
- CritterScoop: Bin Cage Instructions
- Pet Web Site: Make a Homemade Bin Type Cage
- Hamster Central Wiki: How to Make a Custom Bin Cage!
- Hamster Central Wiki: Bin Cages Made Easy!
- eHow: How to Make a Hamster Cage
Step 2: Setting up the Cage
- As you set up your cage, you'll need the following items. Some of them may come with whatever cage you purchased. As you select items, it may be helpful to think of your hamster as a toddler since anything it can get his or her hands (paws) on has a high chance of going in its mouth. Therefore, anything that goes in the cage must be hamster safe.
- Bedding: Bedding is what you will use to line the bottom of your hamster cage.
- Shredded paper, aspen wood shavings or animal bedding made from similar materials is recommended.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care About.com: Top 13 Alternatives to Cedar and Pine Shavings
- Unless your cage has a wire bottom (which is not recommended) you will need to buy enough bedding so there will be at least one to two inches of material on the bottom of the cage.
- Never use pine or cedar shavings in your hamster cage. They are toxic to hamsters.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Do not use corn cob bedding, chlorophyll bedding or cat litter.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Materials should not contain any scents or oils.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Nesting box: This is where your hamster will sleep during the day.
- Most stores sell plastic dens and igloos. However, if your hamster chews excessively on it you will need to replace it with something else.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Cardboard boxes make excellent nesting boxes, but will need to be replaced regularly.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Other "homemade" nesting boxes include tissue boxes, round oatmeal containers, coffee can (washed), etc.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Nesting material: Nesting material is what the hamster will use to line its nesting box.
- Nesting material is usually softer than the bedding material.
- Unscented paper tissue, toilet paper and paper towels make good bedding materials.PETCO: Bedding
- Avoid using some commercial "fluff" that looks like cotton wool because it can become wrapped around limbs and/or block a hamster's intestines if eaten.National Hamster Council: Hamster Housing The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Food dish: A shallow ceramic or porcelain bowl is the best choice. It should be difficult to tip but easy to wash.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters
- Water bottle: Water bottles are much preferred to water bowls (which get dirty very quickly).National Hamster Council: Hamster as Pets
- Wood chews: Your hamster must be provided with a variety of wood chews to keep its teeth (which are constantly growing) worn down. Branches from pesticide-free beech trees, maple trees, willow trees, hazelnut bushes or fruit trees can be used.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
Step 3: Keeping Your Hamster Happy
- Your hamster's health and peace of mind are dependent on you providing it with various forms of exercise and entertainment.
Exercise Wheels
- A good hamster wheel is an essential item to guarantee that your hamster gets enough exercise. Here are a few guidelines on selecting the right wheel:
- The wheel should be large enough so your hamster can use it without arching its back.Hamsterific.com: Homes and Habitats For Syrian hamsters, this means the wheel needs to be about eight inches in diameter.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Avoid wheels with metal or plastic rungs. A hamster's feet or legs can slip between them and get injured.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Solid plastic wheels are the safest wheels you can buy.National Hamster Council: Hamster Housing
- Some wheels have been known to catch and pull out hair of longhaired hamsters.National Hamster Council: Hamster Housing
- If the hamster wheel starts to squeak, lubricate it with vegetable oil.About.com: Hamster Wheels
Playballs or Run-about Balls
- Playballs are the little plastic balls that a hamster can be placed in to roam about the house "freely." However, proper methods for using using them safely is somewhat debated:
- The Humane Society of the United States says they should never be used because they are "dangerous and stressful for all animals."The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- The National Hamster Council states they can be used but not "for more than a few minutes at a time."National Hamster Council: Hamster Housing
- Other sources contend that that, when used correctly, such as for 15 to 20 minutes in areas without stairs, they are perfectly acceptable.Hamster Central Wiki: Hamster Roll Around / Zoomer Balls - Good or Bad? About.com: Hamster Wheels
Dust Baths
- Many hamsters, especially dwarf hamsters, will enjoy a dust bath a few times a week.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Place some chinchilla dust in a small ceramic bowl and place it in the exercise area of the cage.
- The sand can be reused for as long as it remains clean.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
Other Toys
- One trip to your local pet store and you will see there are a large variety of toys available for your hamster. However, you can find quite a few items around your house. A few examples of these include:
- Tin cans that have been opened at both ends.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
- Boxes with multiple openings.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: General Care
- PVC Piping or other hard plastic items that can withstand chewing.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Toilet paper or paper towel tubes either on the ground or hung on wires.National Hamster Council: Hamster Housing
- Ropes to climb and swing on.Hamsterific.com: Homes and Habitats
Step 4: Feeding Your Hamster
- The main staple of your hamster's diet will be dry hamster feed. These are readily available at your local pet store in two basic types: pellets and mixes. No matter what type you choose, the hamster food should be at least 16 percent protein.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Pellets:
- Mixes:
- Hamsters will eat about 6 to 10 percent of their body weight each day.PETCO: Diet Variety That is about one tablespoon or less of hamster mix per day.Hartz: They Are What They Eat Feed a little bit at a time and make sure your hamster nearly empties its dish before you add more food.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters - Feeding
Supplemental Foods and Treats
- Feeding your hamster a well-balanced diet means expanding beyond prepackaged hamster food and offering a selection of vegetables, fruits and other foods.
- Introduce any new foods gradually in small amounts.National Hamster Council: Hamster as Pets
- All foods (cooked or raw) should be fed at room temperature.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy?
- Do not leave fresh foods in the cage for more than an hour.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy?
- Supplemental foods should be offered in small amounts every two or three days. If you offer them too often, you can cause health problems such as diarrhea, gastritis and liver problems.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy? Treat foods should be offered less often.
- Do not feed your hamster any sticky foods such as peanut butter and honey because they can become trapped inside the hamster's cheek pouch.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy?
- Foods high in sugar should be fed very sparingly to dwarf hamsters, who are prone to diabetes.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy? The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters These foods include: apples, bananas, blueberries, carrots, cherries, corn, cranberries, grapes, kiwi, mangos, melon, peaches, pears, raisins, strawberries and yams.
- Dwarf hamsters can also get a condition called "heat" if fed too many foods high in fat, such as nuts and seeds. At most, feed your dwarf hamster one or two nuts every other day.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy?
Foods to Avoid - Note: Some sites say that you should avoid only the green potatoes and potato eyes, others say avoid potatoes totally and some say cooked potatoes are okay.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters National Hamster Council: Feeding There is a similar disagreement about tomatoes (green parts versus the whole tomato).The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters - Feeding
Supplemental Foods - Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cottage Cheese
- Cucumber
- Dandelion leaves
- Green beans
- Green pepper
- Okra
- Parsley
- Peas
- Pumpkin
- Note: Too much lettuce can cause liver damage in hamsters.ZapGraphix.com: A Hamster's Diet: What SHould I Feed My Hammy?
Step 5: Cleaning the Cage
- Your hamster's cage will need to be cleaned about once a week or it will start to smell.National Hamster Council: Hamster as Pets You may notice that your hamster has a designated bathroom spot in its cage. This area can be changed more often, if desired. Here is the proper way to clean a hamster cage:
- Hamsters are nocturnal, so try to clean the cage in the evening to avoid waking a cranky hamster.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Hamsters
- Remove your hamster and place him or her in a safe spot.
- Lift out all the toys and hamster nest.
- Your hamster's nest material should only be changed once every four to six weeks. Changing it more often than that can be too disruptive for your hamster.About.com: Care of Pet Hamsters However, you can remove any food it may be storing in its nest and clean the container—just replace the old bedding when you are done.
- Throw out the bedding.
- Wash and disinfect the cage and any toys inside the cage. A good dishwashing soap works well and will be safe to use.
- Once the cage is dry, place fresh bedding and replace the toys.
- Rinse the water bottle and fill with fresh water.
- Refill you hamster's food dish with a little extra to allow it to restock its store.National Hamster Council: Hamster as Pets
- Replace your hamster into its cage.
Step 6: Keeping Your Hamster Healthy
- Hamsters are fairly hardy pets, but they can suffer from a variety of ailments. If you notice a change in your hamster's behavior or it shows any signs of illness, please consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
- Check out Mahalo's How to Find a Good Veterinarian for more information.
Cancer
- Symptoms: Hormone imbalances, hair loss, changes in behavior and tumors.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: Medical Concerns
- Treatment: Surgery if possible. Seek veterinary advice.
Wet Tail (Proliferative Ileitis)
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'''Treatment:''' Fluid replacement, antidiarrheal medication, and/or antibiotics.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: Medical Concerns Do '''not''' rely on over-the-counter medications.Pet Web Site: Hamster Health
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'''Symptoms:''' Very fluidy diarrhea; loss of appetite; lethargy; ruffled coat; wet, soiled anal area and tail; increased irritability and/or hunched posture.About.com: Hamster Health Animal Health Center: Ham
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'''Warning:''' Death can occur within 24 to 48 hours.Pet Web Site: Hamster Health: Wet Tail Animal Health Center: Hamsters: Medical Concerns Seek veterinary attention immediately.
Diarrhea
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'''Symptoms:''' Feces appears light colored, soft and watery. The anus may become dirty.The Pet Web Site: Hamster Health: Diarrhoea
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'''Causes:''' Most commonly caused by overfeeding vegetables and other fresh food. It can also be caused by infection, diet changes, and antibiotics.About.com: Hamster Health
Teeth Problems
- Symptoms: Lack of appetite, drooling, weight loss and/or foul odor from mouth area.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: Medical Concerns
- Causes: Misalignment of teeth, broken teeth, or overgrowth of one or more of the teeth.Animal Health Center: Hamsters: Medical Concerns
- Treatment: Seek veterinary attention.
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