Cage- A hamster’s cage must have at least 450 square inches of floorspace per hamster. Though hamsters may be small, they run and are little buckets of energy. They need lots of room for exercise and for a good amount of toys. You want your cage to be semi-cluttered. This means that it should have room to run but they shouldn’t feel unprotected and out in the open.
Food- Your hamster should have high quality nutritious food. This will keep them healthy and fit. They should be fed around a tablespoon whenever there is a lack of food in their cage. Just make sure to feed them less when they have a ginormous food hoard.
Water- Your hamster needs chlorine-free water fed out of a clean bowl or bottle. This means no tap water! Distilled or filtered is better. Clean your bowl or bottle daily to prevent build-up of bacteria. Though many people use bottles instead of bowls, either can be put to use. Bowls are more natural for the hamster and easier to clean, but they can be spilled too. Both bottles and bowls are both usable as long as they are both kept clean.
Bedding- Burrowing is a natural hamster behavior and should be supported by all hamster owners. Hamsters in the wild burrow to stay warm and to hide from predators. Even though hamsters are small, they still can’t burrow in only one inch of bedding! There should be at least a section of the cage with around 6-10 inches of bedding. If you want your hamster to have extra sturdy burrows, sprinkle some soft hay over some of the bedding. The hamster will use that as nesting and it will make the burrows stronger and easier to use.
Wheel- Hamsters are little balls of energy. A wheel provides a place for the hamster to run as much as they do in the wild. A wild hamster runs an average of 5.5 miles in only one night! When buying your hamster wheel, make sure it has a solid bottom because wire or mesh wheels can give your hamster something called bumblefoot. Also, the wheel needs to be 10-12 inches in diameter for a syrian and 6-10 inches for a dwarf so it doesn’t bend your hamster’s back.
Hidey House- In the wild, hamsters often hide from predators in burrows. They also like to hide in small crevices or hidey houses. It should be a priority to make a safe, wild-like home for our hamsters. That is why a hidey house is necessary. If you are owning a hamster on a budget, you can use a tissue box, a cardboard box, or even just a mug.
Sand bath- Do not give your hamster a bath in water!!! That can give them a chill and kill them. Also, it makes their coat’s texture even worse. Give your hamster a container of sand big enough for them to do a full turn and roll around comfortably. The sand will work it’s way into your hamster’s coat and get rid of the fur’s oils. Do not make them take a bath if they don’t want to, let them do it in their own time. Some hamsters prefer to just clean themselves without the need of sand, this is perfectly fine too.
Tubes- Tubes are replicates of burrows in the wild. Hamsters like enclosed and small spaces because it makes them feel safe. Hamsters that feel safe are less aggressive and much less scared. Plus, for cheap, you can use toilet paper tubes as a tube and a chew! It’s two birds with one stone!
Climbing Opportunity- In my experience, all of my hamsters have loved to climb. Whether it’s the cage’s bars, upright tubes, or even just a ladder to a platform, hamsters need various climbing options to help them get more exercise and enrichment. Climbing toys are often hamster’s favorite toys because it climbing provides exercise and enrichment.
Toys & Chews- Hamster teeth and nails never stop growing and if they grow too long, your hamster will be in pain whenever they walk, run, or eat. If a hamster’s teeth are relatively long, give them wood toys or wood climbing objects to chew. If they don’t chew on the toys, put the tiniest bit of peanut butter on the chew. When your hamster’s nails are too long, try a disinfected rock under the water bottle or somewhere they go a lot. You can also put a piece of sandpaper on the wheel, but make sure they are supervised when they run on the sandpaper.
⬇️Any questions? Please leave a comment down below. ⬇️
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