Hamsters are suitable pets for both teenagers and adults. Unfortunately, however, hamsters are often misunderstood. Hamsters are territorial animals that love to dig burrows, are active and energetic. Hamsters are also very clean animals, and it is your responsibility to provide a hygienic home for your hamster. It is very important to provide the best possible environment for your hamster so that it doesn't feel bored and stressed. The cage is the most important thing you will give your hamster, so think carefully about your hamster's need for a healthy and pleasant home before you buy a cage.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Getting the Hamster Cage
Step 1. Find a hamster cage
First of all, you'll need to figure out what size and type of cage you need to keep your hamster as happy as possible. Wire cages, with bars or mesh edges, are preferable to modular cages with solid sides. Make sure that the cage you choose has a solid base so you can give your hamster a place to dig and nest.
Syrian and Chinese hamsters cannot be kept in the same cage together as hamsters are very territorial and will fight and injure, or even kill, each other
Step 2. Buy as big a cage as possible
There are three minimum sizes that are most widely used, and while there are no set rules, it's still a good idea to look for a cage that's large enough. The American minimum size is quite small, German is best, but the RSCPA minimum size works as well. You can't connect multiple cages together to achieve the minimum size because hamsters need space to run around as hamsters often do in the wild. These minimum sizes include:
- America/Forum *Hamster Hideout* - 914 sqm
- RSPCA/UK – 80 cm x 50 cm
- Germany – 1 m2
- There are many different size recommendations, but the basic principle remains the same: the bigger the better.
Step 3. Or, use an old cage
It's better to use a new cage, but if you want to buy or use a used cage, first wash the cage with baby soap and rinse it thoroughly. To deodorize the previous occupants of the cage, you can also use a mixture of white vinegar and water, but only do this occasionally. You can also use a pet-safe disinfectant spray.
Step 4. Decide where you will put it
You should carefully consider the location of the cage as this will affect the overall well-being of your hamster. Avoid overheating, keep out of direct sunlight, and do not place near radiators or other heat sources. Don't put it where it's too windy either. If you want to keep it indoors, you can put it in a frost-free greenhouse or garage, but give it more space first.
- Hamsters are very sensitive to high-frequency light and sound. Do not place it in a room where the light turns on and off at night, and keep it away from objects such as televisions, computer screens, running water sources, and vacuum cleaners. These objects produce ultrasonic sounds which can be stressful for your hamster.
- If you have a wire cage and want to prevent droppings from the cage falling to the floor, cut a piece of cardboard that will fit into the cage (the length and width should be a few inches apart), and place your cage inside.
Part 2 of 4: Equipping Your Cage
Step 1. Buy a wheel
Hamsters are very active and need a lot of objects to move around in their cage-a wheel, for example. Chinese Hamsters and Dwarves need a 20 cm diameter wheel or a medium Flying Saucer wheel. Larger hamsters, such as the Syrian hamster, will need wheels measuring 30 cm in diameter, or a large Flying Saucer. It's important to get a wheel big enough for your hamster. DO NOT use slotted or mesh wheels, as your hamster's legs can get caught and swell.
One way to tell if it's too small or not is to observe your hamster-if your hamster is running around it with its back arched, your wheels are likely too small
Step 2. Buy a bowl or bottle of water
If you're buying a bottle, buy one that's good and doesn't leak. Mount the bottle outside of the cage, with only the tip inside. If you're buying a bowl, buy a small curved wooden bridge and place it over your bowl so the hamster doesn't bury it or drop wood chips into it.
Step 3. Decide whether the food will be in the bowl or sprinkled
The bowl will allow you to see how much food your hamster is eating, is cleaner, and easier to use. However, sprinkling food will awaken your hamster's natural foraging instincts. If you have a pair of dwarf hamsters, use food sprinklers to prevent the hamsters from fighting and fighting. If you have a Chinese hamster (note: not a dwarf hamster. Despite what your pet store may tell you, Chinese hamsters are solitary as Syrian hamsters, including the males) or a Syrian hamster, you are better off using a food bowl. so you can check your hamster's eating habits.
If you're using a bowl, buy one that's small so it doesn't take up too much space in the cage
Step 4. Choose a house for your hamster
Most houses are suitable for dwarf and Chinese hamsters, but most are too small for a Syrian hamster. Small wooden bridges can be turned into cave-style houses if you bury them under a trap. Some hamsters build nests, but hamsters still need somewhere to hide and store food.
Step 5. Buy some toys
Hamsters are very energetic and need lots of toys. Be sure to buy chew toys because hamster teeth never stop growing. Hamsters like toys that hamsters can climb on, and hamsters also like toys that allow them to hide. Also look for some tubes. Tubes won't be a substitute for your hamster's digging habit, but hamsters love to run through them. Also make sure they're big enough-many tubes aren't big enough for Syrian hamsters. Also check to see if the tube is ventilated, as if the tube is too long, your hamster could have difficulty breathing without ventilation.
Part 3 of 4: Providing Substrate and Nesting Materials
Step 1. Choose a substrate
Substrate is a single-use material that you can use as a cover for your cage. Find a good substrate that will absorb your hamster's urine and become a trap for your hamster to dig into. There are several substrate options other than wood chips or sawdust – specialty sites have reviews of different types. Avoid using substrates such as pine or spruce as both can cause respiratory problems. Use a substrate that is 6 cm or more thick, as hamsters love to dig.
Step 2. Choose a network
As with the substrate, bedding or nesting material is also important. Avoid materials that can separate into small pieces such as wool and wool. Both can cause harmful indigestion for your hamster, as well as entangle the hamster's legs. The hamster's instinct will be to try to pull the entangled leg and dislocate it, and some hamsters have even been reported to have gnawed on their own leg and died from blood loss.
- The best germs to use are tissue paper, although you can also use branded ones that you can get at pet stores. Pile the rogue in the corner of the cage.
- Pet stores also sell scraps of tissue in special packaging bags, but you can also tear your own from unpainted toilet paper rolls, or non-additive wipes.
Step 3. Make sure you have enough substrate and substrate, and change it regularly
It's a good idea to have substrate and substrate in stock at home so you're better prepared and can replace them regularly. You should also inspect your cage and keep it clean. It's a good idea to pull out urine-soaked substrate once every few days-it'll only take you a few minutes to do this. Also, clean your cage completely once a week.
- It's a good idea to have a regular cleaning schedule as your hamster can get stressed if his cage is cleaned too often, or too rarely.
- Every day, clean the stains in the cage to remove feces to prevent wet tail disease.
Part 4 of 4: Maintaining a Healthy and Stimulating Environment for the Cage
Step 1. Keep adding new things to stimulate your hamster
In addition to keeping the cage clean, it's important to keep adding new toys and chewing items. Try giving your hamster cereal boxes or empty granule bars (remove the stained area first). Hamsters also love empty toilet paper jars, and love to play with them until they chew them to bits.
Step 2. Have your hamster play every day
Hamsters love to be noticed. Each hamster has a different personality, but having your hamster play regularly will allow you and your hamster to get used to each other. But, of course, you should always be careful. For example, don't hang your hamster's legs and force it to walk on its front legs. This can put a lot of strain on the hamster's little legs, and can injure, or break, the hamster's legs.
Make sure you give your hamster a chance to get comfortable with the hamster's new cage before taking the hamster out to play. Moving to a new cage is a big event for a hamster, and hamsters will be more attracted to humans when they are happy
Step 3. Check your pet weekly
It's important to provide a good environment for your hamster, and you can also check your hamster's health by listening to the hamster's breath. If your hamster sneezes, call your vet. Check the hamster's footprint, whether there are wounds or not; check hamster teeth; check the hamster's skin for signs of irritation or cracking. Make sure the hamster's nose is dry and the hamster's eyes are clear.
You can also weigh your hamster to see if it's gaining weight or not. Hamster weight can be a sign of health problems
Suggestion
- Give your hamster clean water every day.
- Hamsters can get thirsty quickly and need a lot of water, so make sure you have a bottle of the right size.
- Give your hamster some extra food each day, but not too much.
- If you have a very active hamster, do not lift the hamster above the cage.
- If a hamster bites into its cage, look for a cage that looks like an aquarium tank. If you can't, brush the cage posts with olive oil or lemon juice. Both are non-toxic, but hamsters won't like them.
- Do some research on European hamster forums, such as Hamster Central. American hamster forums contain more misinformation than European hamster forums, most likely due to stricter pet care laws in Europe.
- Give your hamster lots of toys.
- Never use wire/mesh wheels, hamster feet can get wavy.
- Hide food in the cage; this can be a great way for your hamster to practice foraging for food. You can also hide it in the hamster's sandbox.
- Do not use a critter tail type cage and do not overcrowd the cage. Hamsters don't like cramped cages.
Warning
- If you have other pets that could scare or even eat your hamster, put the hamster cage in a room that your other pets cannot enter. Secure your cage.
- If your hamster's droppings are soggy or stuck in your hamster's bottom, call your vet right away! This is a sign of serious illness, or wet tail disease in hamsters.
- Never leave the cage open!
- Some people keep hamsters outside, in open boxes, but that's a bad thing-there are lots of parasites, predators, and diseases outside that can kill your hamster.
- Dwarf hamsters are best kept separately if you are a beginner. Although hamsters can live in pairs, hamsters often end up separated. It would be wrong to think that dwarf hamsters should be kept in pairs, because hamsters will still enjoy living alone. NEVER introduce him to a hamster of a different breed.
- Chinese hamsters are not dwarf hamsters, and Chinese hamsters are not social.
- Don't buy a cage with multiple floors or hangers if you have a pair of dwarf hamsters as this can lead to territorial conflicts.
- Syrian and Chinese hamsters MUST be kept separately or the hamsters will kill each other.
- If you are planning to give a hamster to your child, consider it carefully. Regardless of what you expect and perceive from your child, chances are he or she will not be held responsible; that is the nature of children. If he really wants a pet, try adopting a dog or cat for the family, as hamsters are much easier to care for when you get them from a shelter and they are adults. You can give your teen a hamster, but only if and only if your hamster likes animals, as teenagers usually won't hurt pets, although they may abandon them.
