Hamsters as Pets
Hamsters have no detectable body odor. They are inexpensive to buy and outside of cage cleaning and proper food are relatively maintenance free. Hamsters are subject to very few health problems and diseases. Since they sleep during the day, they are active at night when most people are home. A hamster can be a wonderful family member and an excellent pet.
Pet Hamster Guide
Care Sheet
Information on the supplies necessary to care for your new hamster.
What do I need for my pet hamster?
Now that you have decided on a pet hamster you should have all the supplies necessary before bringing your pet home. This care sheet will guide you in having everything you need. Remember, hamsters are chewers, wanderers, and burrowers so choose the home accordingly.
Now that you have decided on a pet hamster you should have all the supplies necessary before bringing your pet home. This care sheet will guide you in having everything you need. Remember, hamsters are chewers, wanderers, and burrowers so choose the home accordingly.
Habitat
You will need a cage or aquarium that is at least 15 inches long by 12 inches high for one hamster or two dwarf hamsters. Get the largest size possible. The bigger the cage the happier your pet will be.
Bedding or substrate for the bottom of the cage where your pet can burrow and hide.
A water bottle or water dish. You will have less mess to clean up if you use a stoppered bottle in place of a water dish.
A food dish.
Hide and sleeping areas for your hamster.
Toys such as an exercise wheel, ramps, and tunnels so your pet hamster can exercise and explore.
Food and Supplements
Hamster food, either pellets or mixed seeds and grain.
Fresh food like acorns, apples, bananas, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, zucchini, cucumbers, grapes, kale, oranges, peas, spinach, sweet potatoes, and turnips.
Vitamin, mineral, and calcium supplements.
Treats to add variety to your pet’s diet
Examples of Care Sheets for your hamsters:
- Tissue Papers
- Scrap Papers
Food & DietThe proper diet required to have a happy and healthy hamster.
The easiest way to make sure you pet hamster’s diet provides everything he needs is to buy the best prepared hamster food you can find. Then supplement its diet with pieces of fresh fruits and veggies, throwing in an occasional mealworm or cricket. A varied diet is as important to hamsters as it is to people. Below are many of the foods you could feed your hamster.
PelletsPellets are a hamster food where the ingredients are ground up, mixed, and formed into little pieces. The requirement to gnaw on pellets and the balanced nutrition of pellets make them a suitable part of your pet’s diet.
Mixed Seeds & Grain
Mixed seeds & grain are just like they sound, a food mixture of seeds and grains. Some mixed foods include a variety of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. This type of food provides a variety of choices for your hamster to enjoy and is an excellent part of a hamster’s diet.
Timothy Hay & Alfalfa
Fresh Foods
To add some variety and added nutrition to your hamster’s diet there are many fresh foods you can try acorns, apples, bananas, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, zucchini, cucumbers, grapes, kale, oranges, peas, spinach, sweet potatoes, and turnips. The key with fresh food is to supply it in small portions since hamsters store away excess food. Rotten fruit is not something you want in your pet’s cage.
Snacks & Treats
Dietary Supplements
Cage & HabitatThe types of homes and the maintenance required for your pet.Your pet hamster requires a safe cage that provides room to run around, exercise, eat, and sleep. You can provide this as simply or as lavishly as you want as long as the basic requirements are met. When providing your hamster a cage you must remember he is a chewer and an excellent escape artist. They can chew through wood or soft plastic, such as the screening on top of tank cages. There are a variety of different habitats that you can choose for your hamster’s home.
Wire Cage
A wired bar cage as an excellent home for your pet. Just make certain the bars are close enough together that your hamster can’t wriggle through. Be sure that any door can be securely latched, your hamster is capable of moving a sliding door with his teeth and escaping.
AquariumA glass aquarium with a screened top can also be used as a hamster’s home. An aquarium has corners that hamsters like, it’s high enough to add an exercise wheel and hamsters can’t climb glass making it almost escape proof.
Tube Cage
Tube cages, like CritterTrail, are expandable habitat’s for your pet. With lots of interlocking tubes, wheels, lookouts, and other add-ons, the type of home you can make for your hamster is unlimited. A tube cage can be like a mini playground for you hamster.
The size of the cage depends on what type and how many hamsters you intend to own. A cage that is 15 inches long by 12 inches high is appropriate for one hamster or two dwarf hamsters. For your pet, bigger is better, so go with the biggest cage possible. The larger the cage, the happier your hamster will be.
Cage Supplies
Once you have picked out the perfect home for your new pet, you need to fill it with everything he needs to have a happy and healthy life. Sources of food, water, bedding, and toys are all important to your hamster’s well being. Below is a list of supplies for your new pet.
Water Bottle
Your hamster will need a source of fresh water. Hamsters will fill up water dishes with whatever they can find in their cage, so a stoppered water bottle that attaches to the cage works best.
Food Dish
A dish for food. Hamsters prefer their food to be near the sleeping area. You can use food dishes, but be aware that your hamster will quickly empty it as he constantly relocates the food.
Bedding & Substrate
Your pet will need a bedding or substrate. They are burrowing creatures and will be much happier if they have something to burrow in. There are many commercial beddings made from wood shavings and pellets made from wood, alfalfa, pecans, sawdust, corncob, walnut, and recycled newspaper. Do not use clumping kitty litter or cedar based shavings. Hamsters eat a portion of their feces as part of their digestive process. Clumping litter can cause intestinal obstruction which could lead to your pet hamster’s death. Aromatic oils in cedar based shavings are irritating to a hamster’s respiratory system.
Sleeping Areas
Your hamster needs a sleeping area and any small container will work. This container must be big enough for ventilation and for your pet to turn around in. It should also be easy to clean or inexpensive enough to throw away and replace if it becomes soiled.
Cage Enrichment
Cage enrichment is the toys and items that will keep your pet busy, active, and happy. Things he will enjoy include wheels, pipes, tubes, chew blocks, wooden toys, and balls. Luckily, there are many commercially available hamster toys that will keep your pet happy.
Cleaning
It is important to clean your pets cage about once a week. Replace the substrate and bedding, wash the food bowls, and change the water. You can also wash other parts of the cage that smell with soapy water. Be sure to dry everything before putting items back in the cage. While cleaning, be sure to keep your hamster someplace safe to prevent escape. A trash can, deep bucket, or a bathtub with the drain plugged are good places to temporarily keep your pet.
Health & IllnessCommon health problems and illnesses that could affect your pet hamster.
A healthy hamster is a happy pet and everyone wants a happy pet. Luckily it is quite easy to make sure your hamster lives a long, healthy life. A proper diet, fresh water, and a nice, clean habitat, go a long way in preventing illness and injury. You want to make sure your hamster’s home avoids drafts, excessive heat and dampness, as well as provides exercise and suitable hiding places. Protecting your hamster by carefully handling him and preventing a nasty fall will also keep your pet safe.
Even with a quality care, a proper diet, and a wonderful habitat, injuries and illness can occur. In the event of one of these unfortunate occurrences, contacting your veterinarian is always recommended. Signs of illness may be weight loss, loss of appetite, and behavioral changes. Below is a list of the more common issues that can affect a hamster’s health.
Broken bones
For broken bones, isolate your hamster and keep it in a cage without a wheel. Do not handle him and make sure you feed your pet a good diet with a calcium supplement. The break should hopefully heal nicely within two weeks.
For broken bones, isolate your hamster and keep it in a cage without a wheel. Do not handle him and make sure you feed your pet a good diet with a calcium supplement. The break should hopefully heal nicely within two weeks.
Bites
Hamsters do fight with each other and bites are part of that scenario. If a bite occurs, clean broken area with peroxide and if the injury leads to infection, contact your veterinarian.
Hamsters do fight with each other and bites are part of that scenario. If a bite occurs, clean broken area with peroxide and if the injury leads to infection, contact your veterinarian.
Cheek Pouch Injuries
These injuries can occur during a fight or your hamster may find a sharp object in the cage and cut its cheek pouch.
These injuries can occur during a fight or your hamster may find a sharp object in the cage and cut its cheek pouch.
Abscesses
An abscess can happen when a wound heals over before the infection inside is gone. It looks like a swollen area and will be very tender to the touch. There can be redness of the skin and your hamster may scratch at or around the area.
An abscess can happen when a wound heals over before the infection inside is gone. It looks like a swollen area and will be very tender to the touch. There can be redness of the skin and your hamster may scratch at or around the area.
Teeth
The hamsters front incisors are designed to rub against each other while nibbling and are suppose to wear evenly. This doesn’t always happen. The unmatched teeth can hinder eating and may grow into the roof of the mouth or cheek pouch.
The hamsters front incisors are designed to rub against each other while nibbling and are suppose to wear evenly. This doesn’t always happen. The unmatched teeth can hinder eating and may grow into the roof of the mouth or cheek pouch.
Eyes
Hamsters do develop eye problems in response to eye injuries or infections. Hamsters can also develop cataracts.
Hamsters do develop eye problems in response to eye injuries or infections. Hamsters can also develop cataracts.
Respiratory Infections
Symptoms of respiratory infections are labored breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Symptoms of respiratory infections are labored breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Gastrointestinal Infections
Symptoms of gastrointestinal infections are a stained tail, diarrhea, lethargy, failure to eat or drink, irritability and ruffled hair.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal infections are a stained tail, diarrhea, lethargy, failure to eat or drink, irritability and ruffled hair.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections are caused by damp, dirty, housing and inadequate diets.
Fungal infections are caused by damp, dirty, housing and inadequate diets.
Heatstroke
Symptoms of heatstroke are heavy breathing and laying on it’s belly. A hamster can die quickly if you don’t take immediate action. Move the cage to a cool spot. Take the hamster out of the cage and run cool water, not cold, over it’s body until it is alert and breathing has slowed. Dry it off gently and place it in a clean dry cage away from any heat to rest. Use an eyedropper to offer your hamster water or Pedialyte. Take your hamster to the veterinarian. Do not leave your hamster’s cage by a sunny window, in your car or an unventilated room.
Symptoms of heatstroke are heavy breathing and laying on it’s belly. A hamster can die quickly if you don’t take immediate action. Move the cage to a cool spot. Take the hamster out of the cage and run cool water, not cold, over it’s body until it is alert and breathing has slowed. Dry it off gently and place it in a clean dry cage away from any heat to rest. Use an eyedropper to offer your hamster water or Pedialyte. Take your hamster to the veterinarian. Do not leave your hamster’s cage by a sunny window, in your car or an unventilated room.
Breeding & Babies
A guide to hamster breeding, reproduction sexing, and babies.
Breeding & Mating
To breed your hamsters, introduce the female into the male’s cage every evening for four days during her estrus. Estrus is the period of time, usually about 12 hours long when the female will mate with the male. The female will be receptive if she flattens her body and splays her legs when you stroke her back. Estrus occurs during the night and there may be some minor sparring and tussling between the male and female. Be ready to remove the female if she doesn’t settle down soon and appears to only want to fight with the male. It also helps if the male has an easy to get to place to hide from the female. If mating occurs, keep the pair together for several hours or even overnight.
To breed your hamsters, introduce the female into the male’s cage every evening for four days during her estrus. Estrus is the period of time, usually about 12 hours long when the female will mate with the male. The female will be receptive if she flattens her body and splays her legs when you stroke her back. Estrus occurs during the night and there may be some minor sparring and tussling between the male and female. Be ready to remove the female if she doesn’t settle down soon and appears to only want to fight with the male. It also helps if the male has an easy to get to place to hide from the female. If mating occurs, keep the pair together for several hours or even overnight.
Gestation & Litter Size
The pregnant female will appear fatter 2 to 3 weeks after mating. She may spend less time wheel running and more time eating. Pregnant females tend to become more aggressive as their due date approaches. The gestation of your hamster varies by type but expect a litter in 18 to 22 days. The hamster litter size is usually in the 4 to 6 range. It can be as few as 3 and as many as 12 depending on the type of hamster. Your hamster could have many babies but may not raise them all to weaning. It is possible that she may eat some of the babies.
The pregnant female will appear fatter 2 to 3 weeks after mating. She may spend less time wheel running and more time eating. Pregnant females tend to become more aggressive as their due date approaches. The gestation of your hamster varies by type but expect a litter in 18 to 22 days. The hamster litter size is usually in the 4 to 6 range. It can be as few as 3 and as many as 12 depending on the type of hamster. Your hamster could have many babies but may not raise them all to weaning. It is possible that she may eat some of the babies.
Birth
Nest building activity increases as does eating, grooming, and digging before giving birth. The female will seem restless and may startle easily. She stands erect as the babies (pups) are born and will sever the umbilical cord on her own. The pups are born at 10-30 minute intervals and the mother will sleep or tidy the nest area between births. The mother will then hold and clean her pups. Make sure she had adequate food and water since the hamster will be very hungry and thirsty after the birth. Do not open the cage to look at the babies for at least two weeks. The female may interpret this as a threat and eat their young if the cage is disturbed.
Nest building activity increases as does eating, grooming, and digging before giving birth. The female will seem restless and may startle easily. She stands erect as the babies (pups) are born and will sever the umbilical cord on her own. The pups are born at 10-30 minute intervals and the mother will sleep or tidy the nest area between births. The mother will then hold and clean her pups. Make sure she had adequate food and water since the hamster will be very hungry and thirsty after the birth. Do not open the cage to look at the babies for at least two weeks. The female may interpret this as a threat and eat their young if the cage is disturbed.
Babies
The babies will begin drinking water at 13-15 days of age and eating food between 16-21 days. Make sure they can reach the water bottle and the food dish. Pups huddle with each other, move around together and eat together. They also play fight. The babies can be successfully weaned from the mother after about 3 weeks. Hamsters are sexually mature at 6-7 weeks of age.
The babies will begin drinking water at 13-15 days of age and eating food between 16-21 days. Make sure they can reach the water bottle and the food dish. Pups huddle with each other, move around together and eat together. They also play fight. The babies can be successfully weaned from the mother after about 3 weeks. Hamsters are sexually mature at 6-7 weeks of age.
Sexing Hamsters
Grasp the hamster firmly around the body and lift him upright and tilt his body slightly backwards. Hamsters are not fond of being in this position so he will struggle. You are not hurting him. Look at the genital area. Female hamsters have the genital opening and the anus close together. Males have the genital opening separated from the anus by a distance approximately equal to your forefinger. In males older than five weeks, when you hold him upright, the testes fall down to the edge of the body, forming two distinct pale pink lumps on each side of the anus.
Grasp the hamster firmly around the body and lift him upright and tilt his body slightly backwards. Hamsters are not fond of being in this position so he will struggle. You are not hurting him. Look at the genital area. Female hamsters have the genital opening and the anus close together. Males have the genital opening separated from the anus by a distance approximately equal to your forefinger. In males older than five weeks, when you hold him upright, the testes fall down to the edge of the body, forming two distinct pale pink lumps on each side of the anus.
