Thinking about gettnig a hampster, have some questions.?

Question

I've researched that you can keep a hampster in an aquarium with a grate lid. I have a spare 20 gallon kicking around, but am wondering with an aqaurium, how on earth do you set up a wheel for them?

Also, for bedding, can I use newspaper pellets that are used with bunnies, and just add in some soft bedding materials? Or do I have to use pine?

Any hampster experinces positive or negative would be good too.

Wasn't planning on using newspaper, but newspaper pellets that are designed for bedding, just not sure how hamsters feel about them.

I don't trust pet stores and try to do independent research as well

Answer 1

They make wheels on a stand where you can just sit it in the tank. Get a solid plastic wheel. The metal ones with gaps in it can SERIOUSLY injure small pets if their feet slip through while they are running.

Along with the wheel you should give them something to nest in, and several somethings to gnaw on. With a 20 gallon aquarium you should be able to build a hamster heaven!

I wouldn't recommend them, but you can use newspaper pellets, BUT you should also offer the hamster something SOFT along with it, because hamsters like to build nests, and it couldn't build itself a nice soft comfy nest with newspaper pellets.

NEVER under any circumstances should you use a ceader bedding, and only use pine if you absolutely have no other choice. If you want a wood chip bedding, aspen is the best choice.

There is a bedding called Carefresh, and its really the best thing out there for small pets. Its fairly soft and absorbent. Also, it comes in different colors (just for fun).

Just for the record, I use aspen shavings for my own pets.

Now I say, A hamster, huh?

If you've never owned a small pet before a hamster is not a good starting one, I would recommend a mouse or a rat before a hamster, because hamsters can be very temperamental and are more prone to biting than mice or rats are.

Hamsters from most pet stores (particularly chain pet stores) have never been handled properly and will most likely be biters when you adopt them. And you will have to be willing to be bitten and to cuddle them anyway, because that is the only way to tame them down.

You might luck out and get a sweet one that has been handled properly and loves to cuddle. Hamsters CAN be cuddly pets,and many people have sweet ones that they love, but in my own experience I've only ever met 2 hamsters that didn't bite (or at least try to bite) me.

Answer 2

I had a hamster in an old fish tank when I was little, the wheel was a metal one with it's own stand so that's easy enough to find at a pet shop (but you have to make sure you don't get bedding underneath it) The problem we had was making the hamster tame, because it had so much room to play in we couldn't catch it! We used sawdust and he made his own bedding out of it, when we put the sawdust in though we'd pat it down really hard so he could bury about. Our hamster loved old toilet roll, he'd chew it up and play (it was the cardboard roll of course, not the actual paper!) We'd change the top layer and the bedding about once a week, and the whole lot every month or so.
Plus, don't feed the hamster lettuce, it gives them diarohea and our one died from it.
Also, we used the same tank for two gerbils and they managed to move all the sawdust to make a hill that they climbed out of, so don't use too much bedding!
Have fun though, hamsters are quite lovely!

Answer 3

use pine or ceder bedding don't use newspaper the ink might not be so good I always put my hamsters in a aquarium they have wheels that are on a stand at petco. Becareful put a lid or screen over the top hampsters like to climb on the water bottle and get out.

Answer 4

Dont use newspaper, use the bedding designed for hamsters, ask the people at the pet store which one, cause I remember there was one type that could make them sick, for the wheel, get one on a stand. Also, dont leave the cage open, cuase I did that and lost my hamster forever!

Answer 5

as far as the wheel, they make metal ones that are on a stand, so you can just set it on the bottom of the cage.... as far as bedding, i'm pretty sure you can use the paper pellets, they'll probably try to pack it in their cheeks tho, so you may want to supervise & if they try to eat it, you may want to switch, but other than that it won't hurt them, i always used the wood shavings (pine, etc) for mine, but you can use either, just don't put any cloth in with them, they'll shred it & possible ingest some..... hamsters are good pets, a bit smell, but with proper cage cleaning, it's not a big problem, but they are VERY good at finding ways to escape, so keep a close eye on your little houdini & modify your cage if he/she finds an escape route.....

p.s.---- go to www.ferretstore.com & click on the "Small Pets" icon at the top, then click "Hamster & Gerbil" & go to the cages, look for the Super Pet "My First Home" tank topper, it fits on the top of your aquarium, adding extra living space for your hamster, & it costs about $25, they're really neat, & it's got a lot of good reviews, so you may want to check it out........

Answer 6

DO NOT GET PINE!! HORRIBLE FOR HAMSTERS!! The best sort of bedding to get is called Care Fresh Bedding. It's pine free. You can get a big pack from Petco and Petsmart.

Answer 7

we have our hamster in a fish tank to, we just buy the pine bedding and change it about every week and his wheel sits right in the cage with him, it works great.

Answer 8

For your wheel question, they sell wheels that come on a stand and sits individually by itself. I'm not sure about mixing bedding.

Answer 9

hamsters are glorified rats. they dont even have sufficient experience to no longer devour their very own babies. choose a canines or extra constructive yet, a rubber duckie that flips human beings off. its lovable, its offensive, its pop custom.

Answer 10

better buying a banjo...you cant get a tune out a hamster these days.....