For all you future-hamster owners this page is for you! These are
the requirements a hamster needs! And if
you are a hamster owner, and you do have these, well congrats! *clap, clap*
For all you future-hamster owners this page is for you! These are
the requirements a hamster needs! And if
you are a hamster owner, and you do have these, well congrats! *clap, clap*
A cage: It should be a metal cage with a plastic bottom and
it's size should be at least 40 x 30 x 25 cm. The plastic bottom
"pan" should be 7 cm high. The top or side or the cage should flip open and the distance between bars should be 1-1.3 cm. Or if you have a terrarium it should be at leat 80 x 40 cm so there is enough air circulation. One thing that I do urge is, the bigger the cage, the better it is for your hamster.
A house: This is needed so the hamster has a place to sleep in,
and also some privacy of it's own. I don't really think it matters what kind of material the home is made of. But if your hamsters home is made of plastic and your room is very humid then there could be a problem. It could actually be more harder for your hamster to breathe in it's house therefore causing the inner walls can dampen. (Not a good thing!) If you have that problem or you want to be in the "natural side" than get a woven-type-hay-ball home. The disadvantage is your hamster can chew it and will eventually break it whole. (Time for a replacement.) There are also ceramic type homes, which probably have no disadvantages except of the possibility of it being broken by you, the hamster owner.
A heavy food bowl: A heavy one is needed so it won't easily move, spill, and flip over by your energitic hamster!
A water bottle: Yes, I mean a bottle. NOT a water dish. In a water dish, your hamster can easily kick woodchips into it. The water bottle should be outside the cage, but if you have a terrarium than it's fine if it's inside.
An excersize wheel: Usually they come with your cage. They are a hamsters most common and favorite toy! But if your wheel is too small for your hamster, just replace it with a new one. There are some kinds which stand by themselves.(Please inspect it making sure that there is no way your hamster won't get it's leg caught while leaving the wheel. Located between the hinges.) And once in a while remember to lubricate your hamsters wheel if it starts to give high-pitched squeaks. This usually happens more often in the metal-type wheels.
These are just a few points saying what a hamster needs daily or weekly.
Fresh foods: Everyday your hamster needs fresh seeds and try to give them a fruit or vegetable everyday. (Beware of a one-sided diet. That means feeding it the same thing every 2 or 3 days. Like you feed carrots then celery, carrots then celery... etc. Don't do that! It could result in baldness from a lack of nutrition variety.) Feed it only washed quality foods.
Fresh water: Yeap, everyday change the water in your hamsters bottle. An extra is adding vitamin drops to it.
Woodchips: Every week, clean your hamsters cage and give it new woodchips. The best kind to use are aspen, pine, or cedar chips.
Caution on cedar chips- I've been tipped that the oils tend to make the hamsters sick. I don't know if that's acutally true since I use pine chips. But if you use cedar chips (and have no other choice but to), I wouldn't worry as much... think of it as this way. At least it's not as bad as using cat litter!
The most fun bit, LOVE: Everyone needs a little love and by spending just a few minutes a day is enough love for a hamster. And in return, you'll be amused by it's undying love.
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 31/00
