Hamster Care
Keep your hamster healthy and
happy
Advice on using the right accessories
for your hamster
Handling
Most hamsters
will enjoy being handled gently, but avoid waking
a hamster from deep sleep & then playing with
it, you may get bitten. Syrian hamsters tend to
be more dosile than the Dwarf Chinese & Russian
varieties. Regular handling from a young age will
normally tame your hamster nicely. Always handle
your hamster close to the ground to avoid falls
but make sure he can't escape into any holes,
under furniture or appliances.
Housing
You may
use an aquarium to house your hamster, but be
sure it has a secure lid. Pet shops sell a large
variety of specially made hamster cages. Choose
the largest you can afford to give your pet plenty
of room. Provide a house or hideaway for your
hamster were it can go to make it's nest and feel
secure. Beware that hamsters are good at escaping
and may even eat their way out of plastic containers.
Feeding
A hamster
that is fed a well-balanced diet is usually a
healthy hamster. The basic and major part of the
diet is a dry hamster mix, which can be purchased
from your local pet shop. This food will consist
of a mixture of seeds, crushed oats, flaked maize,
sunflower seed, locust beans, peanuts,etc. with
some hard biscuit. All of these are good for the
hamsters teeth and a small handful of this mixture
should be given each day. When buying your hamster
food ensure that it is clean and dust free.
You will notice that your hamster will not eat
all of his food, but will make a food store. They
tend to store their food in a corner usually close
to their bed, and due to this it is best to feed
greens and soft foods in moderation, otherwise
any uneaten food may spoil.
Hamsters
store food in their cheek pouches which are delicate.
AVOID sticky or sharp foods e.g. chocolate which
will melt and cornflakes which will scratch.
Your hamsters
diet can be supplemented with green food to keep
it healthy, but this must be fed in moderation
to avoid stomach upsets. The following fruit and
veg. can be given:
FRUIT:-
Apple, Banana, Melon, Paer, Grapes.
VEGETABLES:-
Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Cucumber,
Mushroom, Swede, Sweetcorn, Runner beans, Potatoes,
Carrots, Parsnips, Celery, Sprouts, Pease, Beansprpouts,
Butter beans, Broad beans.
You will
also find a variety of specialist treats for hamsters
available at your local pet shop.
As a very
special treat give your hamster a raisin or sultana
but not too often.
Fresh water
should of course always be provided.
Bedding & Cleaning
Use a good
quality hamster bedding from your local pet shop,
the soft type shredded bedding is best, with dust
free woodshavings to cover the bottom of his cage.
You may also find that your hamster will use an
empty jam-jar as a toilet if provided. Clean out
your hamsters bedding regularly and use a small
animal disinfectant to clean the cage and any
toys etc.
We also
have pet
care and advice sheets for other pets:
Dog
Care Advice Sheet
Cat Care
Advice Sheet
Reptile
Care Advice Sheet
View All
Our Pet Care Advice Sheets
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