Any tips for taking care of a hamster??Keeping it happy etc...?

Question

Im planning on buying a hamster so do you hamster owners have any tips for looking after a hamster and keeping it happy?

Answer 1

a clean cage, deep sawdust pit for hiding food. tunnels and dark areas. A wheel is a def, they love going round and round. One of those stones to sharpen teeth and claws on. you may have to take it to the vet now and again to get thier teeth cut. And some hamster treats and fresh veggies. If they don't eat all the veggies take them out of the cage as rotting veggies could make it ill. Oh and fresh water every day.

Answer 2

First of all, do not use ceder wood chips. They might smell good but they don't last long and it can cause kidney problems for him. Clean the cage every 2 weeks or so depending on the size of the hamster and the cage. Always have fresh water. Feed fresh veggies every couple of days in conjunction with hamster food. Feed hamster food in about a table spoon until it is gone. They don't over eat, but it may appear so because they burrow their food. So check the cage before feeding. Feed veggies in small portions. Such as a small peice of lettuce. Always have a chew toy to keep their teeth happy. They need a salt lick and a wheel. You will need to wipe the wheel of when you clean the cage. Don't have a cage with a lot of tunnels. It might look cool but they will carry bedding in them and pee on it than sleep in the tunnels. That causes kidney problems and it can kill you hamster. After you get the hamster, the cage and all the stuff that goes with it they are very easy to care for. They aren't like gerbils. You might not be able to hold them and play with them because they like their space. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Put them in their ball and let them run to their hearts content everyday. Make sure the ball isn't too big or small for him because it could make it difficult to run. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't don find some stairs or get stuck in a corner. If you have little kids, dogs or cats in the house it is a good idea to supervise them at all times. The cat will see dinner and the kids and dogs will see a toy. Wipe the ball out after every use.

Answer 3

Get the biggest cage you can afford and keep it clean, you can train a hamster to use an old jam jar as a litter tray (just put some soiled saw dust in the jar and the hamster uses it as toilet)
Make sure there is a very secure bed that is well covered where the hamster will feel safe.
Use proper bedding, as cheap stuff, if eaten can block their guts and kill them!!
Give fresh water and food daily, and include fresh fruit and veg, you can also buy vitamins that dilute in water.
buy a wheel, a ladder, tubes (old toilet roll tubes work well) and other hamster toys
Wrapping clingfilm around the cage will catch any sawdust your hamster decides to kick out.
also let your hamster out of its cage to exercise in either a ball or in its own special run, also handle them daily
They are easy to look after and will be happy if you just do these few things, but never wake them up to handle or play with them, also don't keep them in a bed room as the noise they make at night is evil lol

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Any tips for taking care of a hamster??Keeping it happy etc...?
Im planning on buying a hamster so do you hamster owners have any tips for looking after a hamster and keeping it happy?

Answer 5

Keep him in a new cage not one previously inhabited by a deceased hamster. Use woodchips not sawdust to line his cage (you can use newspaper underneath this to catch some of the urine but try not to use colour pages it can be toxic).

Give him a drinking bottle and make sure it's at the right height for him, change the water every day and throw it away after 3 months and get a new one if you live in a hard water area as the calcium builds up inside them. You could give him bottled water instead if this is a problem.

Give him an empty jam jar (or spaghetti sauce jar) and he will learn to use it as a toilet. Remember to empty this daily and rinse it out.

Get him a little plastic house and fill it with shredded tissue or kitchen roll paper (he will chew it to the level he feels comfy). If he wont' sleep in his house to begin with, sellotape him in for a little while so he gets used to it. (remember to take it off after a while lol)

Get him a wheel to exercise on. Get a nice ceramic food bowl (less likely to be tipped over than a plastic one) and buy him some hamster food (don't use rabbit or guinea pig, it's not the same).

They also like carrots, sunflower seeds, biscuits, celery etc. A cute thing in the summer to do is if you are having an ice cream cone, break off the end and scoop some in and he'll hold it in his paws like a mini ice cream.

Clean his cage out properly every week - don't worry if there are urine stains you can't get out, this happens. Use washing up liquid, nothing stronger and rinse it all off.

You can buy treats to clip to the inside of his cage which he will enjoy nibbling. Let him out to exercise but make sure there are no bits of furniture he can hide behind. One of those exercise balls are good as long as you don't have small kids who will push or kick it.

Make sure he doesn't get cold because hamsters will hibernate if they get too cold and some don't survive this. Keep him in the living room if possible because hamsters are nocturnal and the squeeky wheel going all night keeps you awake if he's in a bedroom.

Give him empty kitchen rolls, toilet rolls to run through / chew.

Enjoy!

Answer 6

Buy the largest cage you can afford. A good cage is the Cambridge hamster cage - £37.99 from www.petsathome/invt/11932

Your hamster will divide their accommodation up into sleeping, eating, bathroom and play areas. They like to exercise daily and need a wheel - they can run the equivalent of 4 - 8 miles in an evening!

Be gentle and calm when he/she arrives and within a week or so you'll have a new friend. They become so tame and will come out to your voice. They love handling and affection.

Clean out once per week - it's so easy and inexpensive.

Enjoy your new pet.

Answer 7

Hamsters sleep all day and come out to play at night which usually entails frantically exercising on their wheel and kicking all the sawdust out of the cage. Handle him when he's young so he gets used to it or you could end up with a nasty nip. If he escapes it can be a nightmare because they will disappear somewhere where you can't catch them (mine got behind our fire). They do need something to chew on so they can sharpen their teeth, an old cotton reel will do. They also store their food in pouches in their cheeks and then hide it in their bedding. But otherwise fresh water, hamster food and a bit of fresh fruit and veg as a treat.

Answer 8

Well, for YOUR comfort, they're nocturnal so don't keep them in a bedroom if you sleep at night :)

Make sure it has a large enough cage, those Critter Trail cages are nice, but a pain to take apart to clean. And don't get the one with the wheel on the top. They bring all their food up to that spot, then try to run and all you hear is the food/bedding swirling round and round and round.....Make sure it has a wheel that'll be large enough when it gets older to run on. They love those wheels lol. Buy a good bedding for them, can't think of what I use, but you don't want to use any of the scented woods like pine or cedar. Not good for them. I use this soft stuff, you'll know it when you see it. I always add a few cotton balls, or ripped up tissue, and occasionally throw in the cardboard from the toilet paper/paper towel holders. Pick up a few wooden chew sticks for their teeth. And, I use a pellet food and the seeds. Mine seem to prefer the pellet food, and usually just pick at the seeds though. You don't want to overfeed them on fruits and veggies either. Can cause diarrhea, which is bad for them. Just a tiny piece every other day or so.

If you get one from the store, most likely it'll be a baby. When you bring it home, let it be for a day or two. It'll be stressed. It will most likely bite you when you try to handle it. Mine grew out of that fairly quick fortunately, and we handle ours a lot. Start out by letting him sniff your hand through the cage. Offer treats out of your hand-through the cage to start, eventually they'll trust you and associate you with something good. Then start petting it when it comes down to eat or get it's treat. Then once it's comfortable around you, start picking it up and handling it. Be advised though, they are very good jumpers, and I don't think they see/judge distances very well, and will jump out of your hands or off the bed/counter/where ever you have it lol.

One last thing, they are notorious escape artists, and I honestly believe their main goal in life is to escape. I got mine at Walmart in the auto section, or use the metal piece on a dog leash, the eye hook key chain thing, use that on the door of the cage to clip it shut. Experience there....Do an online search for hamster care, lots of info out there.

Answer 9

I recommend the book "Training your pet hamster" by Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville. It is amazing! It not only teaches you how to train your hamster, but how to keep it mentally happy and make toys to stimulate its brain so he stays smart! It also recommends cages and toys and bedding that is good for your hamster!

Answer 10

hi,
i had a hamster for two and a half years. as long as you give him lots of attention, he has enough room to run around in his cage and plenty of water he will be fine. as regards food he used to eat half an eggcup of hamster food a day but did enjoy eating human food such as chilli prawns, garlic bread, chocolate and cakes. don't know if thats normal or if he was just a nutter!