Pet Advice

Happy Hamster
Hamsters

Hamsters make great pets and have cheeky characters. Hamsters also enjoy being handled and played with by their owners. The pet hamster can be of several varieties, namely dwarf hamsters such as the Chinese or Russian type or the friendly Syrian (Teddy Bear) hamster that is the most the familiar. It is felt that suitability of a dwarf hamster as a child’s pet is not advised these are best left to the experienced owner as they can prove to be very nippy. Syrian hamsters are larger and the most common, they do need to be patiently tamed and befriended when first introduced into the household, but will provide hours of fun and company.
 
Housing
Syrian hamsters sleep all day and are awake most of the night, they need to be kept inside and free from drafts and bright sunshine. They like to be active in their wheel so it is advisable not to place the cage near a child’s bed. There hundreds of types of cages available on the market that are well constructed and have space for toys and tubes. Hamsters also require quite a lot of space to run around. The minimum requirements of a cage suitable for a Syrian hamster are approximately 30 cm x 50 cm base and not more than two storeys high to prevent injury from falling. Some hamsters can be trained to live in a cage with a litter tray. Line the cage with a layer of clean wood-shavings, shredded or woolly safe bedding should be placed in the house.

Diet and Feeding
Hamsters require a small bowl of good quality dried food and plenty of fresh water each day, small bits of carrot or apple are a welcome treat. It is important to keep the hamsters teeth healthy as they grow constantly and need to chew lots of food or wood gnaws to keep their teeth sharp and short. Hamster have two pouches inside their mouth, one each side, where they can store food or bedding to move around the cage, they often hide away favourite bits of food or treats to eat later.

Care and Maintenance
Hamsters are very clean animals and often soil in the corner of their cage. Soiled cages can smell and cause the hamster to become stressed and ill with things like the wet tail illness. The cage should be cleaned out at least once a week, and washed out with the use of a safe pet disinfectant to prevent smells lingering.

Handling and Exercise
As with rabbits the golden rule to keep a hamster happy and friendly is to handle them for at least an hour a day. Two hands should be used to pick up a hamster, one placed under the tummy and the other cupped on top to prevent the hamster jumping. Hamsters require exercise, a wheel can be placed in the cage, a hamster ball can be used as a safe way to let the hamster explore the floor or place the hamster in the empty box to have a run around. Hamsters need toys to play with and items that they can chew. Cardboard tubes are ideal and provide both these functions, other toys such as plastic tubes, and seesaws provide the activity and interest for the hamster but should not be chewed as plastic if eaten can be harmful to the hamster.