Know How to Look After Your Pet Hamster

By Kristijan Senjkovic

Hamsters are cute little balls of fur belonging to the rodent family. Unlike rats, these little creatures have short tails. They come in a wide range of colors like white, black, honey tints, cream, yellow or even red. The sense of smell and hearing are very well developed in these animals. If you are looking for a hamster as pet, then you can choose the Syrian or golden hamster, Chinese Hamsters or Dwarf Hamsters.

Living space for hamsters

Hamsters are active and lively creatures that need a lot of exercise. Their health deteriorates if they are kept in small confined places without much place for maneuver. This is the reason why little swings, running pads and rotating wheels are placed in their cages. So, if you want to buy these animals as pets, make sure that you can provide them with spacious living quarters.

The cage that you prepare for your pet has to have space for it to run around, a tiny gym for exercise, separate eating place, water bottle and sleeping place. In keeping with the characteristics of rodents, these animals have very sharp teeth. They can bite through wood and other soft materials and escape from the cage. So, ensure that the case of made up of hard materials like metals or glass.

The best kind of place that you can provide for your pet is a tube cage. A tube cage is a set of tubes, which can be interconnected to form tunnels for the animal to run through. You can add windows, see through places, wheels, toys and things to chew in order to make it more interesting for your pet.

Food for hamsters

Hamsters love multi-cuisine food. So, make sure that you add a lot of variety to the diet you provide for your pet. There are a number of readymade foods available in the market. You can throw in some fresh fruits, vegetables and worms to add variety. The best kind of food for it will be multigrain foods, pellets, special kinds of grass called alfalfa and timothy hay and nutritional supplements comprising of vitamins and minerals.

These animals need plenty of water. However, these naughty little creatures tend to throw all sorts of debris in their water bowls. So, provide water through water bottles attached to the cage. These little creatures like to eat in bed. So, put the food bowl in an area close to its bed.

Health issues

Some of the most common symptoms of ill health in a hamster are loss of appetite, sudden weight loss and changes in behavior patterns. Eye infections, respiratory problems, fungal infections, stomach problems, broken bones and heart problems are the most common health issues in these animals.

To keep hamsters in good health, keep the cages clean, provide healthy food and plenty of water. Wash the food bowls, water bottles and replace bedding regularly. Most importantly, let it have lots of exercise. It keeps the animal healthy. Be careful when you handle these animals. Their razor sharp teeth can hurt you. These creatures are odorless, can be trained and make excellent pets.

For more great tips and advice on hamsters as pets visit animalpets.co.uk

Article source: EzineArticles



The Hamster Handbook, by Patricia Bartlett. Barron’s Pet Handbooks look very much like Barron’s Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals, but the Handbooks are larger—more pages, more text, more color photos, and more detailed pet-care advice. This brand-new title will be of special value to parents of younger kids who are keeping hamsters, to older children who can read the book on their own, and of course, to adults who keep hamsters as a hobby. The author explains everything hamster owners need to know about the animal’s life cycle, traits, breeding, feeding, caging, treating health problems—and simply keeping hamsters happy with appropriate toys and exercise accessories. More

Super Pet CritterTrail Extreme Challenge Habitat, by Super Pet. Extreme challenge habitat for all hamsters, gerbils and mice. The rotating pet-powered activity wheel and spiral slide provide hours of fun activity. Removable petting zone allows for easy interaction and is a safe resting location. Create a dream environment with expandability ports that allow connectible accessories to be added. Easy to clean construction with deep base. Well ventilated environment. Includes water bottle and food dish. Super protect technology built into all interior surfaces to provide a healthier habitat. More










Most of today's pet hamsters are descended from
hamsters captured in Syria.