Congratulations! You’ve decided you want a furry friend in your life and that furry friend is going to be a hamster, awesome! Now just like any other pet, hamsters require specific needs that you have got to meet. I’ve devised a checklist of things to get before you acquire your hamster, I’ve separated them into two categories, necessary and optional. I’ve also listed reasons why you need each item to help you understand if you’re new to getting this type of rodent (but don’t worry, i’m sure you’ll do great!)
- A Cage – now this is an absolute must, you cannot have a hamster without a cage. There is an extremely wide spectrum for cages and prices, it can sometimes seem a little daunting because new owners don’t know what’s best. Lets start of with the sizes because this is probably going to give you the best idea for what your hamster will need. The general minimum size for any hamster (dwarf or syrian) is 360 square meters of floor space, this doesn’t include any second layers or height. I would highly recommend you think about going bigger than this though, especially with larger hamsters such as syrians. I’ve added some of the best and worst cages so that you can quickly find one that’s right for you (or you could go seeking out a cage yourself!)
The cage i own: https://goo.gl/HbKn7g
Other cages worth buying: https://goo.gl/n88bcx or https://goo.gl/Z3qMfn
Cages you DON’T want: https://goo.gl/tzSvKV or https://goo.gl/4QsWjh or https://goo.gl/Nx29MY
2. Substrate – now you’ve got your hamster it’s time to go ahead get some flooring, hamsters are burrowing animals, so it’s important they have a nice substrate to bury under, generally any type of wood shavings is fine. Most people like CareFresh because it’s known to be a reliable brand. The only wood shavings i’d stay away from is Cedar, Wool, scented bedding, softwood, corn-cob and it’s probably best to stay clear of any un-labelled bedding since you can’t be sure what’s in them. Personally i use carefresh.
3. Nesting Material – so nesting material is very important for hamsters, it’s what they use to sleep. Now there’s one simple and basically free nesting material which is toilet paper. Normal and cheap toilet paper is perfect, just rip it into little pieces/strips and place it in their home. If you want to splurge you can also buy some nice nesting nesting materiel which costs about £1 or $1.50 if you’re in America. But whatever you do, do NOT buy wool-based nesting materiel, it can get caught round limbs, stuck in cheeks and severely harm your hamster.
4. Bowl, water bottle and home – i’ve put all of these together because you can’t really go wrong and they’re basic items. You want a small plastic home, or wooden one (i’d suggest wooden since it helps with teething) but either way it will give your hamster a place to feel comfort when scared or tired. Now for a water bottle, you can find any bottle for hamsters inside pet stores or wide supermarkets. For bowls you should get a ceramic one so your hamster can’t knock it over but if you need to buy a plastic bowl this is okay.
5. Hamster Wheel – Hamster wheels are pretty essential because it is a major way for them to get exercise out without causing havok chewing bars and other things. It’s very important you don’t get a small wheel because this could arch your pets back and injure them. I’d recommend you get at LEAST an 8 inch wheel, but most people should get 11 inches for a wheel.
6. Hamster food – pretty simple one, i’d recommend some simple muesli, keep them on lots of nice fruit and veggies, and if possible don’t get a food made for hamsters and other rodents, try to get one just for hamsters since it’s more likely to contain exactly what your hamster needs.
7. Hamster toys – hamster toys are something that a hamster must need, they will need chews more specifically. Wooden nibblers are best, a lot of people use toilet roles, bordem breakers and other online toys.
OPTIONAL:
- Bathing sand – now one thing EVERYONE needs to know is that you should NEVER EVER bathe your hamster in water, it is an awful thing to do and is cruel. If you want to bathe your hamster you can use a sand bath. Some people keep a little bowl and fill it with special ‘hamster sand’ which the hamsters then use to clean themselves. It’s an in-expensive way to clean your hamster without cruelty.
2. A hamster ball – now this is not needed as an essential. Some people use hamster balls and some don’t, it all depends on if your hamster likes it. Some people find them cruel but i’d say as long as you get a big one (11 or so inches) and your hamster enjoys it i saw that’s great!
3. Hamster toilet – you heard me, a hamster toilet!! You can actually potty train your hamster, you can get these from most pet places and they’re awesome if you want a less-mess cage. You can fill the toilet with ‘potty litta’ which is also found in pet stores.
4. Treats – this is something that most people will get because i mean why not spoil your hamster!! You can get these from anywhere really, just try not to get ones high in sugar such as yoghurt treats 🙂
So now you’re set for everything you need for your hammy friend!! I hope you’re going to have a great time with your new hammy and remember to spoil your new little guy 😉
Know Your Animal 