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23 Apr 2014

Why Hamsters Make Great Pets

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Nutrition | Hamsters | Hamster Food | Pet Care

Hamsters make great pets but whether you decide on a Dwarf or Syrian hamster they both need the love and care that a larger animal would. Make sure you are prepared to take on the responsibility, especially if you are adopting your hamster (or hamsters) for a child as a family pet.

Dwarf Hamster

Due to their small size Dwarf hamsters are not recommended for small children, especially the Roborovski. Hamsters are nocturnal but once they are up and about they are full of energy and can be found swinging from the bars of their cage like a child on a monkey swing, which is entertaining to watch and you find yourself willing them on. They’re also into everything, loving to gnaw on the cardboard box you bring them home in!, and are gentle natured.

The four species of Dwarf hamster are: Russian Campbell, Russian Winter White, Roborovski and Chinese, although technically a Chinese hamster is not classed as a Dwarf due to their longer tails. The most commonly kept as a pet is the Russian Campbell. If you are buying more than one hamster and keeping them together make sure they are not a mix of breeds or they will fight.

Syrian Hamster

Like the dwarf hamster Syrian’s are good natured, inquisitive and just as fun and naughty but due to being bigger than a Dwarf hamster make great pets for children as well as adults. They are also nocturnal but full of mischief when they are awake.

Syrian hamsters carry food in their cheek pouches, which can hold half their body weight! In the wild they can hide a newly-born litter in their pouches when they sense danger. Golden hamster is another name for the Syrian hamster but there are over 40 colour varieties as well as three types of coat – short hair, long hair and rex. Some hamsters have fur that long the wood shavings has been known to stick to the fur that trailed along behind them like a robe!

What you need to make your hamster happy

Suitable cage

They may be small in stature but they dream big, sometimes they squeak in their dreams. Hamsters love to run around so the more room they have the better, if you can, get your hamster a cage with multi-levels and different compartments. However, if the route involves tubes make sure they are not too small for Syrian hamsters. Ideally the bottom of the cage should be plastic and the bars made from roof wire.

If you are house proud and your hamster is too, a clean carpet is a must. Cover the entire cage floor with wood shavings then put shredded paper on top. Your hamster will need a toilet area, a nesting area, an eating area, and a play area. It’s important to keep the cage hygienic, so clean it thoroughly once a week paying the most attention to the toilet area. Always make sure you are using a pet safe disinfectant.

Gnaw-proof food dish and food

You want your hamster to eat the specially designed hamster food inside the dish not the dish itself!

Water bottle

Like with all pets it is essential your hamster has a constant supply of fresh clean water. A bottle rather than a bowl is a better more hygienic option as hamsters can poo and walk in the bowl, this also gets them wet and could lead to illness.

Soft bedding

If you like you can buy your hamster a bed in the shape of a house and fill it with bedding especially designed for hamsters. When cleaning out their house you may find some of the stored food it had in its pouches. Be careful if you do choose the house to give your hamster some privacy as it can be hard for them to use the door and window when their sensitive pouches are full. You may find yourself lowering your hamster into their home via the roof!

Healthy food and gnaw blocks

As hamster’s teeth can grow long and sharp, so help them stay healthy, by feeding quality hamster food such as Supahamster and appropriate treats. It is a lot better for you and your hamster if they are gnawing a treat or a specially designed block. The alternative would be them biting the bars which is bad for their health and loud on your ears.

Toys

This is where hamsters really come into their own and there are many great toys for hamsters. My favourite is a ball in the shape of a car. Who wouldn’t love their hamster to be a racing legend?! If you have more than one hamster you could race them. You could also let them run without a ball and design a run for them yourself using anything that wouldn’t be harmful to them if they stopped for a quick pit stop gnaw!

A tube is also a good toy and some can even be converted into see-saws. As mentioned earlier if you are getting a Syrian hamster make sure the tube is wide enough. The same can be said for other toys such as boots, these have several holes in them so make sure they are big enough for your hamster.

The classic toy for hamsters is the wheel, going round and round. The exercise wheel provides, well, exercise for your hamster as like children they like to burn off energy before sleeping. Regularly make sure the wheel is secured to the cage properly so that it doesn’t fall on your hamster as they climb in and out.

Bonding with your hamster

If hamsters don’t socialize frequently they may become less friendly when you want to play. Gently lift your hamster from the bottom out of their cage and let them run around you on a daily basis, but not during the middle of the day. Hamsters like to sleep then and nobody wants to see a hamster grumpy!

Cuddle your hamster and pass it from one hand to the next to reassure them you are a kind owner who can be trusted. One way of getting your child to bond with the hamster is getting them to design a name badge for their hamster to put on the front of the cage.

About Pet Habitat

Pet Habitat is an online pet store which sells advanced nutritional pet foods and offers a complete selection of pet accessories of the finest quality for all your Aquarium, Bird, Reptile and Small Animal needs in South Africa. We are committed to making the lives of pets better. We aim to do this by providing high quality homes such as hamster cages, bird cages, guinea pig cages, rabbit cages, chinchilla cages and tropical and marine fish tanks, as well as great pet food that's good for your pet’s health as well as being deliciously tasty. Pet Habitat represents some of the world’s finest pet manufacturers and is the exclusive distributor for brands such as AquaEl, Burgess, Rotastak, Pet Inn, Roudybush, AquaSzut and Marine Pure.

Please note we are not a walk-in pet store. We dispatch all goods from our warehouse, so if you want to arrange a pick-up in person, you'll need to order ahead and let us know when you'll be coming.