Hamster Toys

Toys to buy Unsalted nuts and seeds Fresh veggies such as carrots Fresh fruit such as apples A variety rich hamster food like Fiesta A cage you want to clean Unscented toilet paper for bedding A solid plastic wheel without slats A sturdy bowl that won't tip A rolling ball with a locking door Pine or Aspen for the cage floor (or recycled paper) A good drip free water bottle A dark cloth cover for the cage (or use your own) A little hamster house or hut Wood Chews

Toys not to buy Fluff or cotton bedding (dangerous) Expensive hamster treats (unecessary, fresh foods are better) A water dish (can become contaminated) A complex plastic cage (you will never want to clean it!) Cedar or Pine wood shavings (toxic) A rolling ball where the door comes off too easy (escape time!) A wire or mesh-type wheel (ouch to the feet!) Other animal (i.e.: rabbit) food (use specific hamster food instead) Too small of a cage! (should have 12" by 12" at least!) Aquariums (hard to clean, not fun for hamsters!) S.A.M. cages (escape haven!) Plastic toys (break easily, hamster may chew on them)

Home made toys Plastic crawling tubes for small hamsters out of toilet paper and paper towel roles Hamster hut from a cleaned out coconut half with a hole drilled in the top and no sharp edges Safe wheel out of a wire or slatted wheel by weaving heavy paper though the bars

The Wheel Hamster paws are similar to our hands, and just as delicate (speaking of hamster paws, when my hamster Taco ate, his pinkies were pointed upwards. Such a gentleman!). Make sure there is nothing sharp she can cut her paws on, including the rungs of her wheel. Weave paper in the rungs of her wheel so that she is walking of a flat surface when she is in her wheel, and her legs don't fall through the rungs of her wheel and scrape her leg. Plastic wheels that come with some wire cages are not good for hamsters. They tend to be flimsy, too small, not sturdy enough, and chewable. They also hurt your hamsters feet.

Hamster Potties Since hamsters are very clean and odorless, they make great indoor pets. Baby hamsters are sometimes not housebroken and will soil their cages anywhere, but I've never met a hamster that didn't respectively go to the bathroom in one corner of its cage. See Potty Training to learn everything you wanted to know about potty-training your pet hamster and about hamster potties, how to make your own, litter, and more.