Know 10 Things Before Adopting A Hamster

Hamsters are mammals belong to the rodent family; they are the most popular pets in the United States Of America with 5 of the common species being Syrian Hamster, Dwarf Campbells Russian Hamster, the Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamster, the Roborovski Hamster and the Chinese Hamster.

Know 10 things before you adopt a hamster: 

1) Keep the cage ready before you bring the hamster home; you could make the best selection going through books, websites and pet shops. Select a square cage with solid flooring. They are brilliant escape artists; so be careful while letting the hamster in and when inside, making sure the latch is secure. Ensure that the cage is not of a material like wire which the pet hamster can chew through. Provide a little sleeping house, tubes to crawl through and a solid hamster’s wheel intertwined with paper to avoid injury. Provide a small bowl of sand for the hamster to use as potty; ensure you clean the sand every few days.  

2) Hamsters are loners and it is best to provide a cage for every hamster, as 2 hamsters could fight and even kill each other.

3) Feed the hamster with good quality commercial food like Harry hamster food and small servings of fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, apples and grapes; avoid iceberg lettuce and chocolates or any food you are not sure of. Make sure to provide a water bottle that not only keeps the water clean, but also prevents getting into the bedding material. Offer good treats like plain Cheerios and whole-wheat toast.  

4) Most hamsters live for 2-3 years with proper care; children should handle them only under an adult’s supervision.

5) Hamsters sleep during the day and are active in the evening; do not interfere with this cycle as it could cause stress, biting, health problems and also an early death.

6) Understand that an hamster’s teeth is continually growing and it is best to provide them hard things like wooden blocks from a pet store, paper towel rolls, and an occasional piece of dog biscuit to gnaw on. Take your hamster to a veterinarian if it does not eat properly to have its teeth trimmed.

7) Use Carefresh or Aspen bedding; avoid cedar or pine that could damage the liver, respiratory system, and cause other health problems.  Use plain unscented toilet paper for nesting material and avoid fluffy nest bedding that a hamster could accidentally ingest to cause bowel blockage, or tangle a limb in it.

8) Do not handle or pick up a hamster; they could bite. They also bite when startled, woken up from deep sleep and when they smell another animal or food in your arm. You could make a hamster crawl into your hand by put a couple of sunflower seeds in a little container held in the hand. Avoid handling the hamster in the presence of other pets like cats, dogs and ferrets.

9) You could help your hamster exercise by using a hamster ball whose cover is tightly secured with tape; keep the hamster in the ball for just 30 minutes and avoid kicking or rolling the ball as it could stress the hamster.  

10) Illness progresses fast in small animals like hamsters; if your hamster is sick take it to a vet that treats small animals to save its life.   

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