Post by Fawn on Dec 17, 2017 19:14:34 GMT -6
Hello all hamster lovers! Thank you all for visiting our hamster care article. This post was made in collaboration with user Vee, so make sure you show her some love! Feel free to comment on anything you would like to see added, changed, or ellaborated on! Thank you so much for reading, and Happy Hamming!
Hamster Shopping List
DISCLAIMER: All guidelines herein are meant to serve as basic hamster care information and guidelines. They are not rules that are guaranteed to work well for all hamsters in all situations. Treat them as such. You can find further details on the topics mentioned in this thread using the links in their corresponding section.
HOUSING
Hamster Paradise’s minimum cage size is 600 square inches (3870.96 square centimetres) of functional floorspace. This standard is to serve as starting point and a bare minimum, not as a golden rule to decide whether or not a cage is suitable for your individual hamster. Larger cages should always be the goal. If your hamster shows signs of stress or boredom, it could be time to upgrade their housing.
Most small pet cages found in pet stores are far too small for any animal to live in permanently and are expensive, poorly made, hard to clean, and easy to escape from. (Crittertrails, Habitrail OVOs, etc.) DIY/modified cages and tanks are usually the best options to offer your hamster enough space. Some suitable cages include:
-Bin cages
-Large aquariums/terrariums (40+ gallons)
-IKEA detolf
-Guinea pig or rabbit cages covered with wire mesh
-DIY cages
SUBSTRATE & NESTING MATERIAL
Bedding, or substrate, is crucial for a hamster’s well-being. Generally, bedding depth of at least 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) should be provided in at least one part of the cage.
Safe substrate can include paper-based (unscented), aspen shavings, hemp-based, beechwood, disinfected children’s play sand, and wood or paper-based cat litter. All other materials are considered potentially harmful to hamsters.
Nesting material, as the name suggests, works well as lining for burrows or nests, but is not suitable as the primary substrate. Suitable nesting materials include toilet paper, tissue, and hay.
FOOD BOWLS & WATER BOWLS/BOTTLES
Food bowls are generally optional since you may choose to scatter feed, but they do prove useful for containing fresh foods and monitoring consumption. If you chose to provide your hamster with a food bowl, ensure it’s large enough for them to sit inside it. Hamsters prefer to sit on their food to protect it.
Water bottles should not be larger than 8oz to avoid the bearing being too large and heavy for your hamster to drink from. Bottles should be emptied and refilled at least 3 times a week, and cleaned thoroughly to avoid the growth of algae and bacteria.
Water bowls are less commonly used, though they are more natural for your hamster’s neck. Bowls should be heavy and shallow to avoid spillage and hamsters falling in. They should be refilled with fresh water daily to avoid getting contaminated by substrate and general debris.
DIET
A nutritious diet is crucial for hamster health. You can judge a commercial food’s nutrition levels based on the GA or Guaranteed Analysis on the package. Fully grown hamsters need around 17% - 19% protein, 4% - 7% fat, and 8% - 13% fiber. Young hamsters may require slightly more protein, and elderly hamsters may do better with less.
Ideally, a food should have natural, high quality ingredients without artificial dyes and excess sugar and high variety, or many different kinds of whole ingredients as possible. Fresh foods provide extra nutrition also serve as a tasty treat for your hamster. Ensure all foods offered are safe before feeding.
HIDEOUTS & HOUSES
Hamsters are naturally prey animals. They feel most comfortable when they have a small, safe place to hide away from potential dangers such as loud noises and other animals. These can include houses, hideouts, and tunnels, but really anything would work as long as it is enclosed, and preferably dark.
All hideouts should be large enough to comfortably fit your hamster and be made of safe materials such as wood, plastic, cardboard, hay, paper, or ceramic.
CAGE ACCESSORIES
Toys and enrichment are an essential part of life for every hamster, as not only do they help to keep your hamster from getting bored, but they also promote overall health. Your hamster should always be provided with a variety of interesting and safe toys of all different types, hideouts, chews, puzzles, tubes, climbing, etc.
Chew Toys
Chew toys are essential to keep hamsters’ teeth down. Without them, their teeth overgrow, which prevents eating and drinking and can even cause damage to the inside of their cheeks. In addition to wooden and cardboard chews, there are also a variety of edible chew toys on the market, which are safe but should be fed in moderation. Mineral chews or salt licks are not beneficial or healthy for hamsters and are best avoided.
Wheels
Wheels are crucial for exercise and enrichment. Hamsters can run up to 9km nightly, so it’s important they are given the opportunity to do so with a wheel. Wheels should always have a flat surface. Wire, mesh and barred wheels are unsafe and should never be used with hamsters. Your hamster’s wheel must be properly sized to avoid back problems. Syrians require at least 11 inches and dwarves 8 inches.
Basic Care Information
CLEANING
Your hamster’s cage should be spot cleaned multiple times a week by removing dirty bedding, droppings, and uneaten fresh foods from the habitat. The cage should be cleaned monthly, depending on how deep the substrate is, and should only be done in 1/3 increments as to not fully remove your hamster's scent from their cage. This can be done less or more frequently, but be sure to not over clean as it could cause a substantial amount of stress resulting in wet tail. If your hamster is litter trained, this can be done as infrequently as every 2-3 months.
All cleaning products you use to clean your hamster’s cage should be small pet safe. These include mild hand or dish soap, store-bought small pet safe cleaners, and vinegar. Avoid strong chemical cleaners like Windex or Lysol as these are extremely harmful for your hamster and aren’t necessary anyway. Diluted bleach may be used rarely, in the case of a contagious illness.
GENERAL CARE
In addition to spot cleaning, there are a variety of other daily tasks you must to complete to ensure your pet’s health and well-being. Your hamster’s water bottle should be checked and tested daily in case it has stopped up. The water should be changed at least every other day. You can feed your hamster daily or every day, but make sure they empty their food bowl before providing them with more to ensure they eat all parts of their food and receive proper nutrition.
Frequent health checks are key in catching illness in hamsters before the window of treatment ends. Health check your hamster by checking all parts of them for anything out of the ordinary, including their eyes, ears, mouth/teeth, bottom, and coat. You can place your hamster in a clear container for these checks if you’re not comfortable handling them. Weight loss is oftentimes the first sign of illness, so it’s very important to weigh your hamster regularly and check for any abrupt loss or gain. It’s best to weigh and health check your hamster multiple times a week.
Feeding
Syrian hamsters can eat up to 2 tablespoons of food per day. This can vary from hamster to hamster, of course, and varies greatly with weight, age, and general attitude. Drawfs usually only eat about 2 tablespoons of food. Hamsters do not overeat, and will usually store enough food to last them another day. Therefore, they should always be provided with food in their bowl.
TAMING
You will be able to find our comprehensive guide here, as soon as it is posted!
Hamster Shopping List
DISCLAIMER: All guidelines herein are meant to serve as basic hamster care information and guidelines. They are not rules that are guaranteed to work well for all hamsters in all situations. Treat them as such. You can find further details on the topics mentioned in this thread using the links in their corresponding section.
HOUSING
Hamster Paradise’s minimum cage size is 600 square inches (3870.96 square centimetres) of functional floorspace. This standard is to serve as starting point and a bare minimum, not as a golden rule to decide whether or not a cage is suitable for your individual hamster. Larger cages should always be the goal. If your hamster shows signs of stress or boredom, it could be time to upgrade their housing.
Most small pet cages found in pet stores are far too small for any animal to live in permanently and are expensive, poorly made, hard to clean, and easy to escape from. (Crittertrails, Habitrail OVOs, etc.) DIY/modified cages and tanks are usually the best options to offer your hamster enough space. Some suitable cages include:
-Bin cages
-Large aquariums/terrariums (40+ gallons)
-IKEA detolf
-Guinea pig or rabbit cages covered with wire mesh
-DIY cages
SUBSTRATE & NESTING MATERIAL
Bedding, or substrate, is crucial for a hamster’s well-being. Generally, bedding depth of at least 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) should be provided in at least one part of the cage.
Safe substrate can include paper-based (unscented), aspen shavings, hemp-based, beechwood, disinfected children’s play sand, and wood or paper-based cat litter. All other materials are considered potentially harmful to hamsters.
Nesting material, as the name suggests, works well as lining for burrows or nests, but is not suitable as the primary substrate. Suitable nesting materials include toilet paper, tissue, and hay.
FOOD BOWLS & WATER BOWLS/BOTTLES
Food bowls are generally optional since you may choose to scatter feed, but they do prove useful for containing fresh foods and monitoring consumption. If you chose to provide your hamster with a food bowl, ensure it’s large enough for them to sit inside it. Hamsters prefer to sit on their food to protect it.
Water bottles should not be larger than 8oz to avoid the bearing being too large and heavy for your hamster to drink from. Bottles should be emptied and refilled at least 3 times a week, and cleaned thoroughly to avoid the growth of algae and bacteria.
Water bowls are less commonly used, though they are more natural for your hamster’s neck. Bowls should be heavy and shallow to avoid spillage and hamsters falling in. They should be refilled with fresh water daily to avoid getting contaminated by substrate and general debris.
DIET
A nutritious diet is crucial for hamster health. You can judge a commercial food’s nutrition levels based on the GA or Guaranteed Analysis on the package. Fully grown hamsters need around 17% - 19% protein, 4% - 7% fat, and 8% - 13% fiber. Young hamsters may require slightly more protein, and elderly hamsters may do better with less.
Ideally, a food should have natural, high quality ingredients without artificial dyes and excess sugar and high variety, or many different kinds of whole ingredients as possible. Fresh foods provide extra nutrition also serve as a tasty treat for your hamster. Ensure all foods offered are safe before feeding.
HIDEOUTS & HOUSES
Hamsters are naturally prey animals. They feel most comfortable when they have a small, safe place to hide away from potential dangers such as loud noises and other animals. These can include houses, hideouts, and tunnels, but really anything would work as long as it is enclosed, and preferably dark.
All hideouts should be large enough to comfortably fit your hamster and be made of safe materials such as wood, plastic, cardboard, hay, paper, or ceramic.
CAGE ACCESSORIES
Toys and enrichment are an essential part of life for every hamster, as not only do they help to keep your hamster from getting bored, but they also promote overall health. Your hamster should always be provided with a variety of interesting and safe toys of all different types, hideouts, chews, puzzles, tubes, climbing, etc.
Chew Toys
Chew toys are essential to keep hamsters’ teeth down. Without them, their teeth overgrow, which prevents eating and drinking and can even cause damage to the inside of their cheeks. In addition to wooden and cardboard chews, there are also a variety of edible chew toys on the market, which are safe but should be fed in moderation. Mineral chews or salt licks are not beneficial or healthy for hamsters and are best avoided.
Wheels
Wheels are crucial for exercise and enrichment. Hamsters can run up to 9km nightly, so it’s important they are given the opportunity to do so with a wheel. Wheels should always have a flat surface. Wire, mesh and barred wheels are unsafe and should never be used with hamsters. Your hamster’s wheel must be properly sized to avoid back problems. Syrians require at least 11 inches and dwarves 8 inches.
Basic Care Information
CLEANING
Your hamster’s cage should be spot cleaned multiple times a week by removing dirty bedding, droppings, and uneaten fresh foods from the habitat. The cage should be cleaned monthly, depending on how deep the substrate is, and should only be done in 1/3 increments as to not fully remove your hamster's scent from their cage. This can be done less or more frequently, but be sure to not over clean as it could cause a substantial amount of stress resulting in wet tail. If your hamster is litter trained, this can be done as infrequently as every 2-3 months.
All cleaning products you use to clean your hamster’s cage should be small pet safe. These include mild hand or dish soap, store-bought small pet safe cleaners, and vinegar. Avoid strong chemical cleaners like Windex or Lysol as these are extremely harmful for your hamster and aren’t necessary anyway. Diluted bleach may be used rarely, in the case of a contagious illness.
GENERAL CARE
In addition to spot cleaning, there are a variety of other daily tasks you must to complete to ensure your pet’s health and well-being. Your hamster’s water bottle should be checked and tested daily in case it has stopped up. The water should be changed at least every other day. You can feed your hamster daily or every day, but make sure they empty their food bowl before providing them with more to ensure they eat all parts of their food and receive proper nutrition.
Frequent health checks are key in catching illness in hamsters before the window of treatment ends. Health check your hamster by checking all parts of them for anything out of the ordinary, including their eyes, ears, mouth/teeth, bottom, and coat. You can place your hamster in a clear container for these checks if you’re not comfortable handling them. Weight loss is oftentimes the first sign of illness, so it’s very important to weigh your hamster regularly and check for any abrupt loss or gain. It’s best to weigh and health check your hamster multiple times a week.
Feeding
Syrian hamsters can eat up to 2 tablespoons of food per day. This can vary from hamster to hamster, of course, and varies greatly with weight, age, and general attitude. Drawfs usually only eat about 2 tablespoons of food. Hamsters do not overeat, and will usually store enough food to last them another day. Therefore, they should always be provided with food in their bowl.
TAMING
You will be able to find our comprehensive guide here, as soon as it is posted!
