Hamster Care

[Darren Lim]

Buying a cage is the largest expense in keeping a hamster and it is important to provide the best and largest cage for your hamster that you can. However, it is possible to make a cage yourself for your hamster from relatively cheap items.

Syrian Hamsters

Syrian Hamsters are solitary and although they live together as babies as they mature their solitary instinct develops and they will not usually tolerate the company of another hamster once they reach approximately 8-10 weeks of age. Therefore Syrian Hamsters should be housed separately - one hamster, one cage. If Syrian Hamsters are not housed separately serious fighting, injury and even death can occur.

Dwarf Hamsters

Dwarf Hamsters are sociable and will live happily in pairs or groups of mixed or single sexes. Different species should not be housed together as this would be highly stressful to them as they would not normally meet in the wild and each species has a very different character. Dwarf Hamsters are best introduced at a young age as an older hamster will not usually accept a new companion, particularly if it has become used to living alone. When buying two or more Dwarf Hamsters to live together it is not necessary to get hamsters from the same litter but they should be roughly the same age and size (and sex if you do not want to breed them) and should have been living in a group community when bought. They may squabble a little when first introduced but the squabbling often sounds worse than it actually is and is just their way of establishing who is the boss. Often there will be much squealing but very little physical contact. They are best left to sort this out unless serious injury or prolonged non-stop fighting occurs. Occasionally a very dominant hamster may not accept living with another but this is rare.

Plastic/Wire Cages

There are a variety of hamster cages available from pet shops or Online Pet Stores. The most common type of hamster cage has a plastic base and a rigid wire top. The wire top can be unclipped from the base making it easy to get the hamster out of the cage or to clean the cage. Similar cages with two or more floor levels are also available with ladders which allow the hamster to climb up and down between the different levels. These plastic base, rigid wire top cages are lightweight, durable and relatively cheap. However, you should check the secureness of any doors on such a cage as one that is opened too easily may be pushed open by the hamster. A cage with a shallow base will allow woodshavings to be kicked out of the cage and so it is best to find a cage with a deep base. The disadvantage with these type of cages is that they are not draughtproof and so it is important that this is considered when deciding where to put the cage.

For housing dwarf hamsters the bars should not be spaced more than 0.5 cm apart to prevent the hamster from escaping by squeezing through the bars.

Enclosed Plastic Cages with Tubes

There are also various makes of cages which consist of solid compartments and tunnels. These cages are often quite expensive and can be difficult to take apart and clean. Also larger Syrian hamsters may find the tunnels a bit of a squeeze, and for this reason they are not suitable for pregnant or very large Syrian hamsters.

Most Dwarf Hamsters once full grown are able to climb up vertically through the tubes but they will undoubtedly find a horizontal arrangement of the tubes and compartments easier.

As these cages have solid compartments they do offer protection from draughts. As a minimum any such cage must have at least one large compartment which allows the hamster plenty of room in which to explore and exercise and a compartment for nesting. The advantage of this type of cage is that more compartments can be added over time.

Aquariums

Aquariums can also be used to house either Syrian or Dwarf hamsters. These are draughtproof and relatively cheap but glass aquariums can be awkward to clean because of their heavy weight. Plastic aquariums however are much easier to clean being lighter but the sides tend to become scratched after a time. Aquariums make ideal cages for pregnant hamsters, nursing mothers and baby hamsters. A water bottle can be fixed to the side of an aquarium by using adhesive Velcro pads or some water bottles are designed to be hung and these can be hung from the top of the aquarium. If the aquarium is shallow water bottles can be fixed horizontally from the lid but it should remembered that these will want refilling regularly as they will not dispense water when half empty. It is always best to ensure a lid is fixed to an aquarium - this will ensure nothing is accidentally dropped on the hamster, and will also help in preventing the hamster to escape - given plenty of woodshavings they can pile them up in one corner and reach the top. A wire mesh top is preferable to a solid lid with airholes as this prevents the build up of condensation.

Metal Cages

Cages made totally from metal are rarely seen these days and have a tendency to rust.

Home-Made Cages

Home-made cages can be made from a combination of wood and wire mesh and a piece of perspex - the base, back and two sides made from wood, a front perspex window and a wire mesh top within a wooden frame hinged at the back and with a little securing hook at the front. The disadvantage with this type of home-made cage is that the wood soaks the urine and so frequent cleaning is needed to keep the cage free from smell and hamsters do tend to gnaw the wood and so these types of cages may need repairing from time to time.

Home-made cages can also be made from plastic storage boxes with wire mesh tops and these are cheap to make, easy to clean and draughtproof. The disadvantage is that they are usually solid coloured and so do not allow you to see the hamster unless looking from above.

[Darren Lim]

Before preparing the cage you should consider where you are going to place the cage. The cage should be placed away from direct sunlight, away from draughts and in a room of constant temperature. Avoid putting the cage near a heater where the hamster may become hot and be sure to put the cage out of the way of any other pets which may harm your hamster.

To prepare the cage:

Place a good layer of woodshavings on the floor(s) of the cage.
Fill the water bottle with water and fix it to the cage at a height that the hamster will be able to reach comfortably. Check by running your finger over the end of the spout that it is delivering water. If it is not give the bottle a little squeeze, dry the end of the spout and run your finger over it again. Pet Shops sell liquid vitamins which can be added to the water and these can be particularly beneficial if your hamster is ill.
If you are using a food dish fill it with hamster food and place this in the cage, otherwise sprinkle some on the floor of the cage.
Place any cage accessories in suitable positions within the cage.
Place a handful of nesting material in the cage or inside the hamster's "house".
Fix the Exercise Wheel to the side of the cage or if you have a free standing wheel place this in a suitable position in the cage.

[Darren Lim]

Each hamster will have different tastes and not all hamsters like the same things to eat. However, it is important to know what can and cannot be fed to hamsters to avoid harming the hamster and to help keep the hamster healthy.

Hamsters have cheekpouches which they use to collect food. They push the food into the pouches which expand and then carry the food to some "safe" place. Here the hamster will empty the food from the pouches by pushing the food fowards and out of the mouth and create a food store. The inner lining of the cheekpouches are very delicate and sharp or sticky foods can become stuck.

[Darren Lim]

Food and Water

The hamster should be fed a basic hamster mix each evening as it wakes and can also be fed additional supplements. If your hamster wakes very late it can be encouraged to wake earlier by feeding earlier in the evening and tapping on the side of the cage to wake the hamster. After a few days the hamster will learn when it is feeding time.

Fresh water should always be available from a position your hamster can reach comfortably. Pet Shops also sell vitamin drops which can be added to water and are beneficial to the hamster. The hamster should never be without access to water.

Grooming

Hamsters do not need grooming, with the exception of Long Haired male Syrian Hamsters who may need the occasional brush to remove shavings from their coat which is best done using a soft toothbrush.

Hamsters do not require bathing as they clean themselves and to bath a hamster removes the natural oils from the coat and there is a risk the hamster will catch a chill. Hamsters do appreciate having a dish of sand to roll in though and this helps to remove the greasiness from the coat - remember in the wild they live in deserts so this is natural for them.

Cage Cleaning

The cage should be cleaned weekly by removing the hamster from the cage and throwing away all old woodshavings and food. Any fresh food that may have been stored by the hamster should be removed after a couple of days to avoid it rotting. The hamster will appreciate it if some of its old bedding is placed in the clean cage along with some fresh bedding.

Health Checks

When you clean the cage you should check the hamster over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.

[Darren Lim]

Most hamsters can become tame in a very short space of time with gentle regular handling. Hamsters normally only bite because they are frightened.

If your hamster is a bit jumpy or nervous it is a good idea first of all just to get it used to your hand before attempting to lift it out of its cage. Try gently stroking the hamster while it is in its cage and offering it pieces of food from your hand. It will soon realise that it has nothing to fear.

Next try placing your hand in the cage and letting the hamster investigate, and step onto your hand, whilst keeping your hand still.

Once it is happy that there is nothing to fear, take off the top of the cage if possible or open the door of the cage, and gently scoop the hamster up in both hands. Do not hold it too tightly or squeeze it as this may frighten it.

Don’t lift your hamster too high as if it jumps from your hands and falls it may injure itself. It is always best to handle your hamster whilst you are sitting down so that if it does jump it does not have far to fall and will simply land in your lap.

Once you have taken your hamster out of the cage, and are sitting, face the hamster towards you - they seem less inclined to jump if facing towards you. Let the hamster walk from one hand to the other. If your hamster does attempt to jump, let it and then simply pick it up again. It is better to do this than try and hold onto the hamster which may cause it to become frightened. Once it is happy to step from one hand to another, gently start to curve your fingers around it’s body so that it can begin to get the feel of being held.

Before long your hamster should be happy to walk from one hand to another with your fingers wrapped around its body and you can then start facing it away from you whilst you are sitting down and letting it walk again from one hand to another.

Some hamsters are more nervous than others and may take a little longer to become accustomed to being handled. Be patient and gentle and your hamster should become very tame.

If your hamster is really frightened or has had a bad experience being handled and bites whenever handled, try handling it whilst you wear a pair of gloves and handle it as indicated above. The wearing of gloves will help your confidence which in turn will help the hamster. Once the hamster stops biting you can move to handling the hamster without gloves.

Don’t handle your hamster directly after you have been handling food. Hamsters have extremely poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell - if you’ve just been eating an apple, the hamster will smell this on your hand and think that your hand is an apple and may have a nibble!

Syrian Hamsters are quite easy to handle because of their larger size. Russian hamsters tend to be a little more lively and are not quite so easily handled by small children. The Chinese Hamster is often a delight to handle as they just sit on your hand and use their paws to cling to your fingers - it is often difficult to remove a Chinese from your hand! Another point worth noting about Chinese is that if they are nervous they have a habit of emptying their bladder on your hand! Roborovskis are extremely lively and fast and therefore not a pet that is easily handled. They need to be cupped in your hand to avoid them running away, but they very rarely bite.

Younger children should be supervised when handling hamsters as they may unintentionally squeeze a hamster, causing it to nip or injuring it.