Pet hamsters care information

Hamsters can be excellent pets. Hamsters should be purchased between the ages of four and seven weeks of age. When the Hamster is purchased young they are easier to tame and handle. Young children should be supervised 100% of the time when handling the hamster. The hamster could become afraid and bite the child or the child may accidentally drop the hamster, injuring it. Learning to properly care for the hamster and recognizing health issues can help increase its lifespan.

How to Choose a Hamster

The breeder or pet store will supply you with a cardboard carrying box. If you’re traveling more than a short distance bring a plastic container with air holes and a secure lid. Hamsters can chew out of the cardboard box. Add a small amount of bedding to the bottom of the container. Sprinkle a small amount of food on the bottom of the container.

Male and female hamsters are both equally easy to tame. Some varieties of hamsters can be kept in one cage together if they have been littermates. The social species of hamsters are Dzungarian Dwarf Hamsters, Short Dwarf Hamsters and Russian Hamsters. Other varieties of hamsters should be kept in separate cages since they will fight and injure or even kill each other.

Check with the pet store or breeder to find what variety of food the hamster is accustomed to. It’s a good idea to continue feeding the same food and gradually changing to another variety if you choose to do so.

Housing

Make sure you have purchased the cage you want to use for your hamster before purchasing the hamster. It’s always a good idea to have everything clean and set up before it bringing home. This creates far less stress on the hamster and you. The cage should be disinfected with a mild disinfectant. Rinse the cage completely and dry it. Many of the disease and afflictions that plague the hamster can be avoided with proper and frequent disinfecting and cleaning of his cage and materials.

There are many cages for the hamster available for purchase. The best cages are rigid wire tops with a plastic base. This is my favorite because it is easy to clean and disinfect. I also like this type of cage because the bedding isn’t as likely to get all over outside of the cage.

There are many other cages available in pet stores. Some cages have multiple levels and tunnels. These cages can be quite costly and difficult to clean. These cages can also be a tight fit for some of the larger varieties of Hamsters such as the Syrian Hamster.

Both glass and plastic aquariums can be used as housing. I don’t like using aquariums because of the lack of ventilation and the susceptibility of the animal being over heated. Glass aquariums are heavy and cumbersome to clean. A plastic or acrylic aquarium is lighter and easier to clean. Make sure the aquarium has a well ventilated, secure lid. The hamster needs fresh air. A well-ventilated lid is also necessary to keep condensation from building up inside the cage.

Bedding Material

Comfortable and healthy bedding is a must for the hamster. They must build a comfortable nest out of safe materials. Don’t ever use cotton or wool bedding because it can cause harm if the hamster ingests it or becomes entangled in the material. Many hamsters have died because of this “fluffy material”. The hamsters that died at the result of this fluffy bedding material died of blockages and choking. Cedar chips and pine chips should also be avoided. Pine and cedar have strong oils and are odorous. Pine and cedar can cause respiratory problems in hamsters. A good wood shaving bedding material is Aspen shavings. Paper based shavings are also available and are safe.

Good nesting material is torn up paper towels, cardboard, hay, (not straw) and toilet paper. The material should be torn into small strips. Hay works great as long as it is clean, not moldy or dusty. Straw can be too sharp and can injure the hamster.

Cage Accessories.

A good water bottle is a must. Pick out a high quality water bottle because the cheaper ones are susceptible to leakage. An exercise wheel should also be provided. Most hamsters will use an exercise wheel but not all. The exercise wheel should be of the solid variety and not the runged variety. The runged variety can be dangerous because the hamster can get his little legs caught in the wheel rungs or slip and fall and get injured.

Many miscellaneous accessories can be made or purchased. Toilet paper rolls make great toys. A piece of apple wood can be hooked between the cage bars so the hamster can climb on it. Check out the pet stores for different accessories to provide extra stimulation and fun for your hamster.

Feeding

There are many commercial hamster foods available. You can purchase either a mix or a pellet. The pellets meet the hamster's nutritional needs but they do not offer much variety. If you use the pellets be sure to supplement with other varieties of foods. The mixes usually have a variety of foods such as crushed oats, barley, rodent pellets, sunflower seeds, peanuts, maize and dog biscuits. They usually include other foods as well.

Supplement any of the commercial foods with fresh fruits and vegetables. Be sure to remove any uneaten fresh foods from the cage so it doesn’t grow old and moldy and cause your hamster to become ill. Fresh fruits and vegetables also make a good treat. Sugary treats are not good for a hamster.

Lists of foods to supplement Commercial Foods

Acorns, biscuits, boiled potatoes, bread, breakfast cereals, cooked fish or chicken, cheese, crickets, currents, dog biscuits, cooked eggs, mealworms, nuts, raisins, apple, banana, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, clover, corn, cucumber, dandelion, dock, grapes, kale, lettuce (not iceberg), parsley, pear, raspberry plant leaves, spinach, sweet corn, turnip and watercress.

Never feed your hamster these foods:

Chocolate, garlic, buttercups, onions, rabbit mix (it contains antibiotics), raw kidney beans, sugar or toffee.

Purchase and feed a vitamin supplement. Provide your hamster with fresh water everyday.

Handling and taming your hamster.

The first day you bring your hamster home talk to him calmly. Put him in the cage and let him relax and adjust to his environment. Don’t put off handling your hamster. It is much easier to tame them when they are babies. Talk to him frequently. Offer him healthy treats in his cage. This will allow him to get use to your hand. Leave your hand in the cage while he is eating. At this point begin leaving the food in the palm of your hand. He will climb up into your hand. Now you can get your hamster used to being picked up. Cup him gently in your hand. Play with him close to the ground in case he happens to fall. Have him walk from one hand to the other. Handling him and playing with him will increase both yours and his confidence. You will form a trusting bond.

What to do if you lose your hamster.

Put the cage in the room where you think he might be hiding. Put food in the cage he may return to the cage at night because he is hungry. If you don’t know where he is hiding, place food in various rooms and check to see what food is missing. Now take a bucket or can that is tall enough he can’t jump out of. Place a wood ramp up to the top of the can or bucket. Place treats and foods in the can or bucket. He will get in the bucket to eat and can’t get back out. Sometimes leaving flour on the floor will lead you right to your little hamster’s hiding spot. Just follow his little footsteps.

Health Issues

Keeping your hamster safe and his cage and accessories clean and disinfected are the best ways to extend your little hamster’s life. I will list the leading causes of death and a little about what causes it.

Wet Tail - Symptoms are excessive soft droppings. Wet tail is a disease that is stress related and caused by unclean and bad living conditions. Wet Tail is a bacterial infection in the stomach and/or intestine. The disease can be fatal. It is important to seek veterinary care immediately. Symptoms of Wet Tail can instead be diarrhea that is very fatal if not treated immediately. Death can occur from diarrhea within 24 hours of the symptoms displaying themselves.

Aspergillis Fungus - Symptoms are blood in the urine, excessive soft droppings, severe lethargy and wheezing. Aspergillis Fungus develops in the area of the cage where the hamster urinates. Fungus grows in the urine and releases spores. You can see these spores in the advanced stages. The spores are white and black in color. Prevent Aspergillis Fungus by cleaning and disinfecting his cage with a disinfectant that also contains an anti-fungicide. This fungus can also grow in rotting vegetables and fruits. Always clean up all uneaten food quickly. The spores can infect other hamsters by airborne spores. All hamsters will need to be treated. Please seek out veterinary care without delay; this illness can be fatal if not treated immediately. The hamster will be treated with both an antibiotic and an anti-fungal medication.

Bladder and Kidney infections. Symptoms are excessive thirst, excessive urination and blood in the urine. They may squeal because of the pain and burning when they urinate. They may be listless. Keep the little hamster warm. Place a protected heating pad under one third of the cage only. This will give the hamster a chance to get away from the heat if he becomes too hot. Give him plenty of fresh water. He will require veterinary care and will be treated with antibiotics. Prevention is keeping his cage and accessories clean and disinfected. and giving your hamster plenty of fresh water. Hamsters that have a high fat content in their diets are more susceptible to bladder infections because the urine is more alkaline from the high fat content in their diets. A poor diet will cause more alkaline in their urnie as well.

Conclusion

Keep your hamsters cage and accessories clean. Feed them a variety of nutritious foods. Give him plenty of fresh water. Watch out for dangers, falls and toxic substances. Watch the hamster's stress levels. If you follow these guidelines you should have a happy healthy pet. Above all enjoy your pet hamster.