A Youngster’s Tutorial on How to Take Care of a Pet Hamster

Hamsters are one of the best start-up pets for young children.  They bring a lot of fun, not only to you but to your friends when they come over for a visit. Even your parents can’t help themselves but to love and pet the tiny, scurrying creatures.

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Some advantages of keeping hamsters

• They are really affordable to maintain.
• Their pet-related mess is contained in their cages, so there isn’t a lot of cleaning up to do.
• They’re very easy to look after.
• They don’t need walks.
• They don’t need cleaning out every day.
• They’re pretty and will become domesticated (tame) very quickly.
• They’re fun to have around.

Some disadvantages of keeping hamsters

• You can’t keep several types together and in the case of Syrian hamsters, you can only have one to a cage.
• They can be very noisy at night.
• They’re asleep during a lot of the daylight hours.
• They only live for about two years.
• You will need to learn new skills in order to clean and feed them.
• You have to wait for about four days after you bring them home before you can touch them.
• They may nibble your fingers at first (while they get to know you).

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Decisions to make before you buy your hamster

• What type do you want to have?
• What size of cage can you afford (this determines what type of hamster you can have).
• Syrian hamsters (the easiest for a first pet) have to live on their own.
• Will you have enough time to play with them to keep them tame?
• Do you have enough space in your house to keep them away from the bedrooms at night? Hamsters run in their wheels all night long.
• Are you willing to love a pet which will die in a couple of years?
• Smaller hamsters like Russian or Chinese hamsters are very fast and difficult to catch. If you’re under eleven the best hamster for you is a Syrian.

Preparing for your hamster

• Once your decision is made, choose a cage that’s suitable for the kind of hamster you’re buying. Your pet store will advise on this.
• Your hamster likes to live in a place that’s room temperature. The cage should be out of direct sunlight and far from sources of heat like radiators or home appliances, but should never get too cold.
• Check that the hamster you choose has unmated fur and a clean, dry bottom.
• Give your hamster adequate places in which to hide out. They’re nocturnal animals (they sleep during the daytime mostly), and need a quiet, private place to sleep.
• Your pet shop would know the kind of food your hamster likes to eat. Make sure that they have the right sort.
• Purchase some chewing and climbing toys to keep your hamster happy. They don’t like having nothing to do. This makes them unhealthy and sad.
• It’s important that your hamster has a wheel in its cage. No exercise makes this kind of pet very unhappy.

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Caring for your hamster

• Let them get accustomed to their new environment after you bring them home. Talk to them, but don’t touch them until after four days when they know your voice and your scent.

• You don’t have to feed them every day. Just check to make sure they still have enough food. Remember that they hide food around the cage too.
• Give them fresh food like a small piece of broccoli or a grape, but not too often. Once or twice a week will do.
• If you give your hamster fresh food, remove uneaten pieces the following day.
• Clean the cage weekly in accordance to your pet store’s instructions. Change the water twice a week.
• Add a suitable vitamin supplement to your hamster’s food bowl every week.
• Make regular checks to ensure there’re lots to chew on otherwise your hamster’s teeth will grow too long. Long teeth prevent them from feeding properly.
• Printing ink can be harmful to hamsters, so do not put newspaper (or shredded newspaper) into its cage.
• It’s important to handle them every day. Hamsters are not like cats and dogs. They’ll become wild again if you stop holding them.
• Remember that hamsters don’t like being disturbed from their sleep. Check to see that they’re awake before you try to hold them.

 If this is your first time keeping hamsters you may find it helpful to start off with Syrians. They’re the easiest to take care of. Have fun taking care of your hamster.