A quick guide to caring for your hamster
It is essential that your hamster is given the right amount of food, drink and comfort so how you setup and position your hamsters cage is very important. The information below is only intended to act as a basic guide, if you have any concerns regarding the health of your hamster do not hesitate to contact your local vet.
Your hamsters living accommodation
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Keep the cage in a warm place indoors which is not in direct sunlight.
- Your hamster does not need a huge cage, if it falls too far it may harm itself, a cage such as this would be ideal: Hamster Starter Kit.
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The hamster should have a nest box or house so that it can burrow out of sight to sleep and hoard food. We offer a fantastic selection of houses suitable for hamsters which can be found here: Small Animal Cage Accessories
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The floor of the cage should be covered with animal safe wooden shavings, do not use home made shavings from sheets of wood such as MDF as the dust in the wood could potentially kill your pet.
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Hamsters like to have a lot of bedding in their house for added comfort, this should be changed on a regular basis to avoid germs, bacteria and disease from spreading.
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Do not use newspaper of cotton wool in your hamsters cage as both are extremely dangerous to them.
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Hamsters, like most desert rodents, can not be bathed in water as it soaks in to their fur and can drown them. Instead you can provide them with a small bowl of sand to roll around in which helps to remove any excessive greasiness from the coat.
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To ensure that your hamster lives a happy and healthy life you should thoroughly clean the cage out once a week with animal safe disinfectant.
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A general tidy up of any extreme mess in your hamsters caged should be done on a daily basis.
Taming your hamster
When you buy your hamster the chances are it will not be tame as it will more than likely be young and have had very little time being handled. The younger a hamster is when it is being tamed the better. Hamsters will only bite when they are frightened or attacked. The following tips should help you to tame your hamster:
- Talk to your hamster
By talking to your hamster it will learn your voice and become more comfortable around you.
- Make eye contact with your hamster
The more your hamster looks at you the more it will begin to recognise your face and associate you with caring for it.
- Hand feed your hamster
By hand feeding your hamster it will soon learn that you are the hand that feeds and it will be a lot less likely to bite you. To begin with you should place a small amount of food next to your hand for your hamster and then gradually place the food in your hand and see if it takes it from there, with some hamster's this may take a while. When your hamster does eat from your hand gently stroke the hamster's back to give it extra confidence while it eats.
- Never stroke your hamsters head
Hamsters do not like having their heads touched especially while eating. If you do touch their head it is likely to frighten them and they may try to bite you.
- Picking up your hamster
It is important that you get your hamster used to being picked up at an early age. To pick your hamster up gently scoop it in to both hands, do not lift the hamster from under the arms as this can cause the hamster to stop breathing. Take things slowly and only lift the hamster a small distance away from the cage floor at time until it becomes used to it.
Your hamster's diet
You should provide your hamster with a mixed diet of seeds, grains, nuts and small quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables. Do not feed your hamster to many fruit and veg as this can lead to an upset stomach. Most good quality hamster foods will provide the hamster with everything in needs for a healthy diet.
Important feeding tips
- Feeding should take place every day.
- Ensure that your hamster always has a fresh supply of water in a clean bottle. The following small water bottle is ideal for hamsters: Hamster Water Bottle (other colours are also available).
- It is important that your hamster has access to a hardwood gnawing block to wear down long teeth on or a mineral stone such as those found here.
- Food bowls should be sturdy and hard to tip over, we offer the following stainless steel bowl which is ideal for hamsters: Stainless Steel Hamster Bowl.
- Any uneaten food should be removed and disposed of daily.
- Keep all bottles and bowl clean and in good condition.
Keeping your hamsters home clean
By adhering to a cleaning regime you will significantly reduce odours and the risk of your hamster becoming ill which can lead to expensive vets bills. Follow these tips for conducting a weekly clean:
- Ensure your hamster is kept out of the area when cleaning the cage, an exercise ball or small box is ideal.
- Empty the old wood shavings and bedding into a bin liner.
- Vacuum the cage to remove any small dust particles that may remain.
- With the exception of the water bottle, spray the cage and its contents with a suitable disinfectant spray and then rinse in hot water.
- Any urine scale should be removed with a lime scale removing product and then rinsed in hot water again.
- Make sure that the bars of the cage are kept clean as a lot of hamsters will chew these and could contract illnesses if they are not clean.
- Allow the cage and accessories to dry.
- Clean the bottle with a suitable bottle brush, removing any scale around the nozzle with a metal scourer which will help to reduce leakages.
- Rinse the bottle with hot water.
- Before re-filling the bottle with fresh drinking water you should rinse it with cold water to lower the temperature of the bottle.
- On a daily basis the hamster's cage should be tidied, and food pots and the water bottle should be cleaned.
Grooming your hamster
Grooming your hamster is not only good for the hamster's coat but also a great way of creating a bond between you and the hamster. Regular grooming will also give you the opportunity to check the hamster's general health.
- It is recommended that you groom your hamster at least once a week, more often if it is a long haired breed.
- Hamsters should not be bathed in water as this will remove the natural oils from the coat and could cause illnesses.
- A small soft bristled brush is ideal for regular grooming.
Other important hamster tips
- It is advised that hamsters live alone as they are very territorial
- Hamsters are nocturnal and it is important that you allow them to sleep during the day to reduce risk of illness and stress
- Hamster food should be stored in an air tight container in a cool dark place
- Try and maintain a constant temperature in the hamster's living area which should not fluctuate by more than 4°, if the temperature is too cold this could cause your hamster to go in to hibernation.
- If you have a cold or a cough do not handle your hamster as bacterial infections could be transmitted.
- If your hamster develops skin sores bathe them in warm water containing a mild antiseptic. If it persists seek veterinary advice.
- Sore eyes can be caused by dusty bedding, ensure it is replenished frequently.
- Claws and teeth should be trimmed by a vet should this be required.
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