How to Care for a Hamster

Hamsters are small adorable rodents with chubby cheeks and short stubby tails. They are one of the most popular small pets because of how affordable they are and how easy it is to take care of them. Hamsters are a great choice for first time pet owners and they are also great pets for children. If your planning on getting a hamster, here are things you need to know to properly take care of your furry friends.

1. Choosing the right type of hamster

The first decision you need to make is what type of hamster you want and which one is the best one for you. In total there are about sixteen different hamsters. Here are the three most common and best hamsters for first-time pet owners.

Syrian Hamsters

Syrian hamsters are the most popular and best hamsters to own. These hamsters are best kept by themselves because they are very antisocial and don’t do well with other hamsters. Syrian hamsters can grow up to seven inches so their size makes it easier for children to handle. These are the best hamsters because they are the easiest to handle and they require less maintenance than all of the other hamsters.

Roborovski hamsters, also known as the desert hamster, are the smallest type of hamsters. When they are first born they are about two centimeters and can grow up to four to five centimeters. These are social hamsters so they can live with other hamsters of the same sex and breed. Also, these hamsters are really active so they’re fun to watch. They live up to three in a half years making them the longest-lived hamsters.

Chinese Hamsters

Chinese hamsters, also known as stripped hamsters, can grow up to four to five inches in length and their life span ranges from two in a half years to three years. These hamsters are very intelligent so you can teach them tricks and behaviors better than you can teach the other breeds. They are very loving once you tame them

2. How to set up a cage for your pet

Hamsters are very small so its important to make sure that the masters cage narrow openings. Also, you need to make sure your pet have plenty of floor room.

Bedding

Bedding is used to make your hamster comfortable and is also used to absorb your pets urine. The best type of bedding you should use for your pet is paper bedding, cellulose fiber, or aspen shavings. You shouldn’t use cedar wood shavings or pine because the wood can give your hamster splinters. You should put at least two inches of bedding in your hamster’s cage.

Water

One of the most important things to add to your hamster’s cage is a water bottle. Make sure the water bottle doesn’t leak or touch the bedding

Buy a wheel

Hamsters use the wheel in their cage to exercise. Hamsters need plenty of exercise so its very important to buy and place a wheel in their cage.

Toys

Hamsters teeth never stop growing so its best to keep toys in their cage. Any dye-free and natural toys can work. I highly recommend getting a wooden toy for your hamster to chew on.

Food

You can buy a bag of hamster mix and feed them one tablespoon of the pellets everyday. You should add additional fruits and vegetables to your hamster’s daily meal. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that hamsters can eat

Fruits

Vegetables

- Spinach

-Carrots

-Broccoli

-Green beans

-Asparagus

-Cabbage

Cleaning your hamster

Hamsters don’t really need baths because they clean and groom themselves. If you feel like your hamster is really dirty and need a bath, you can spot-clean them by wiping them with an unscented baby wipe or with a washcloth damped with lukewarm water. If you have a dwarf hamster, you can give them a dust bath once a week. You can leave a small dish of animal dust for your hamster to roll in. You can keep the dust bath in for a few hours but no more than twelve hours.

Keeping your hamster’s cage clean

Your hamster will urinate a couple of times everyday in the same area so it is best for you to scoop out the area of the bedding that has urine on it and replace it with new bedding. You should completely change out the bedding once a week to keep the hamsters habitat clean. Lastly, you should clean your hamsters cage at least once a month. You can clean their cage with lukewarm soapy water and make sure the soap you use isn’t an ammonia-based product. After rinsing out the cage, make sure the cage is completely dry before adding fresh bedding.

With the proper care, you will have a happy and health hamster!

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