I am getting hamster over the weekend and I need to know everything about them, such as what they need in their cage, what they eat and how long they live for, things like that.
Hamsters are lively and clean and most are happy to live alone, although some species will live as pairs. They can take time to become tame and need to have peace and quiet during the day because they are nocturnal.To live alone (some dwarf species will live as pairs).
Daily feeding on a mixed diet of seeds, grains, nuts and washed fruit and vegetables.
A constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water in a drip-feed bottle with a metal spout.
A large home that is kept in a warm place indoors, out of direct sunlight.
A nest box inside their home. The hamster needs somewhere it can burrow out of sight to sleep and hoard food.
A clean layer of sawdust on the floor of their home with soft hay and clean white kitchen paper for bedding. Do not use newspaper or cotton wool.
Plenty of exercise. A solid exercise wheel (no open rungs) should be fixed to the wall of the hamster’s home.
Toys, like cardboard tubes and wooden cotton reels.
Their home to be tidied every day and thoroughly cleaned every week.
A hardwood gnawing block to wear down long teeth.
To be brushed every day, especially if they have long hair.
Quiet during the day.
To be taken to a vet if they are ill or injured.
To be looked after when you are away on holiday.Pick up a hamster very gently using both hands as a scoop and stay close over a flat surface. hamsters move very quickly and are likely to jump if they are frightened. The RSPCA strongly advises that you do not breed from your hamster as it is very difficult to find good homes for the young. The best way to ensure that hamsters do not breed is simply to keep the sexes apart. If your hamster develops skin sores, bathe them with warm water containing a mild antiseptic. If they persist, seek veterinary advice. Loss of fur and sore skin could also indicate parasites or the fungal disease ringworm.
Sore eyes can be caused by dusty bedding, old age or breathing problems. Ask your vet for advice.
Hamsters may suffer from overgrown teeth and claws. Both can be trimmed by a vet.
The lining of a hamster’s cheek pouches is very delicate and can be damaged by wood splinters or sharp food. If any material becomes lodged in the pouches, seek veterinary advice straight away.
If a hamster is sneezing, breathing slowly and has a sore nose, it may have an infection that could develop into pneumonia. Keep the hamster warm and improve its diet, but seek veterinary advice if symptoms continue. Wet tail is a potentially fatal disease that is highly infectious. If a hamster is tired, loses its appetite and has watery diarrhoea, seek veterinary advice straight away.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW HAMSTER
water, food, and something they can exercise with
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Wow.
Uhm, A water bottle, a food dish, bedding, treats, a wheel.
A bunch of different stuff!
A hamster isn’t expensive to take care of though.
Good luck.
References :
Previous experience
They live for around 2 years and a half but if looked after well can live longer. You need a waterb bottle (fill every day) a cage, hamster pellet food, they eat nuts but some nuts they can’t so be careful. You need hamster toys. Bedding, sawdust for floor. Food bowl (clean out every day and top up every day) and potty (to do their poos in)
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i have a hamster! goodluck!
ok, cage, bedding, water, food, i had a little building for it to sleep under, and its cool to get them a wheel/ball for them to play in. a ball is cool to watch them roll in in your room.
References :
experience
—cage
—bedding(pine or aspen shavings)
—food dish
—water bottle
—wheel for exercise(very important)
—toilet paper rolls are good cheap dark areas for em to lay in.
—wood chew toys(keeps em from chewing the stuff your don’t want em to)
Feeding-
Feed your hamster once a day, in the late afternoon or evening. There is hamster mix at pet stores to feed em with. If any is left uneaten, give less the next day. If all is eaten, try giving more, but first check to see if your hamster is hoarding in its cage. Also throwing in some fresh veggies are nice.
Life expectancy is about 4 years.
if you want more detail go to http://www.angelfire.com/tn/allabouthamsters/basic.html#HH they have some really also a very interesting article on how to retrieve your lost hamster. you laugh now but those things can/will chew there way out of anything. Also has a bit on how to tam the little guys.
References :
http://www.angelfire.com/tn/allabouthamsters/basic.html#HH
First thing you do before you get a hamster is to buy a cage! There are many hamster cages to choose from:
-an old fish tank or aquarium
-a normal habitrail hamster cage
-wire cage
Get the cage prepared:
-Place a good layer of wood shavings on the floor(s) of the cage.
-Fill the water bottle with water and fix it to the cage at a height that the hamster will be able to reach comfortably. Check by running your finger over the end of the spout that it is delivering water. If it is not give the bottle a little squeeze, dry the end of the spout and run your finger over it again. Pet Shops sell liquid vitamins which can be added to the water and these can be particularly beneficial if your hamster is ill.
-If you are using a food dish fill it with hamster food and place this in the cage, otherwise sprinkle some on the floor of the cage.
-Place any cage accessories in suitable positions within the cage.
-Place a handful of nesting material in the cage or inside the hamster’s "house".
-Fix the Exercise Wheel to the side of the cage or if you have a free standing wheel place this in a suitable position in the cage.
Be sure to pick the perfect hamster for you. Take your time to choose your hamster. Check the animal over. A healthy hamster should have clean ears, a clean and dry bottom, just slightly rounded tummy, no bald spots or lumps (except for the scent glands on its thighs, which many beginning owners mistake for cuts or scabs), clean, bright and black eyes, and healthy teeth which aren’t overgrown or curled upwards. Also ask about their age. The hamster should be from 4-7 weeks old.
When first bringing your hamster home, leave it alone. Put your new friend in its cage, with fresh food and water, and let it be. These are the critical hours. The hamster may be slightly stressed, and may be unwilling to adapt, but give it time.
After around 1-2 days of leaving your hamster alone, you may start to become friends. Slowly reach towards the hamster, and allow it to sniff you (but make sure your hand doesn’t smell like food, as the hamster might think you’re a tasty snippet of cheese and bite you!). Offer it food from your hand, so that it comes to know your scent. Also remeber to handle it the proper way!
Pick your hamster up like how you pick cats and dogs up. Treat you hamster with love, care and attention!
For the food, you can feed your hamster all kinds of fruits and vegetables!!
Your hamster’s cage should be cleaned once a week.
For cleaning the cage, use soap , warm water and a dry towel.
Hamsters love chewy toys! They don’t just like them, but they are good for them. If hamsters don’t have something to gnaw on, their teeth will grow too long, and that would mean you might need to take it to the vet.
Have fun with your hamster!
Hamsters can only leave up to 2-3 years!
References :
hamster owner
a cage , its shud come with everything like water thing , food bowl, and running wheel ! and you need to buy food and bedding [dont buy wood shaving] and maybe some hamster treats?
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just make sure they’ve got a water bottle, food and a running wheel or a running ball. They need bedding to sleep in and wood shavings to shit and piss in. That’s about it really.
References :
- well, they need a good quality cage which a pet store worker can advise you on.
- the best toy they can have is a runner wheel which comes with the cage, they like hidy logs with holes in which they can run through, hide and chew! mine has a see saw a wooden climbing frame which they chew, a grass house and about 5 chewy toys and a minerla lick.
- they eat hamster muesli which you can get from a pet shop, get a good quality make. they will like a treat of veggy every other day, i give my hammies 1 small brocoli floret, 1 slice of carrot, 1 bit of cabbage and maybe a bit of celery every other day to each of my hamsters, weekly they have a bit of apple, dwarf hamsters like a tasty protein supplement, so i give mine a small slice of chicken twice a week. syrians don’t eat meat, only dwarfs. they should have fresh water available at ALL times
- syrians live for 2-3 years, and dwarfs live for 1-2 years.
- use PLAIN woodshavings not cedar / red cedar / pine shavings or sawdust. all of these can gove respiratory infections so use woodshavings only. cover the base of the cage with this. in the bed use something like paper and paper wool flakes or paper strips sort of thing, i use both. you can use carefresh in the cage maybe too to soak some pee up. clean the cage weekly, empty all bedding, throw away stored food and food in food bowl, change water DAILY, clean the cage with an anti bacterial spray or spray from a pet shop. replace bedding.
- provide LOTS of chew toys, their teeth NEVER stop growing and carry on growing throughout their life, gove wooden toys, hang chews from the top of the cage maybe, mineral blocks, fruity flavoured chews too. toilet and kitchen rools too!
- if claws begin to look long put sandpaper on the botom of the cage with a thin layer of woodshavings on top.
when choosing the hamster:
~ make sure eyes are bright and clear
~ make sure fur is bright and not dull or dry
~ make sure the ‘bum’ and rear area / end is clear of poop otherwise it may and probably has wet tail which is fatel
~ make sure eyes, nose and mouth are clear of any mucous, this could mean the hamster is potentially sick
if you have ANY more questions email me, if you accept email i should reply shortly.
i hope i helped, good luck
References :
hamsters need a lot of handling to make them use to people they need a good diet plenty of exercise a big enough cage so the have plenty of space and your love dont forget to clean them out once a week too
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do not use pine or cedar shavings these cause respiratory problems in rodents!
References :
Hamsters are lively and clean and most are happy to live alone, although some species will live as pairs. They can take time to become tame and need to have peace and quiet during the day because they are nocturnal.To live alone (some dwarf species will live as pairs).
Daily feeding on a mixed diet of seeds, grains, nuts and washed fruit and vegetables.
A constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water in a drip-feed bottle with a metal spout.
A large home that is kept in a warm place indoors, out of direct sunlight.
A nest box inside their home. The hamster needs somewhere it can burrow out of sight to sleep and hoard food.
A clean layer of sawdust on the floor of their home with soft hay and clean white kitchen paper for bedding. Do not use newspaper or cotton wool.
Plenty of exercise. A solid exercise wheel (no open rungs) should be fixed to the wall of the hamster’s home.
Toys, like cardboard tubes and wooden cotton reels.
Their home to be tidied every day and thoroughly cleaned every week.
A hardwood gnawing block to wear down long teeth.
To be brushed every day, especially if they have long hair.
Quiet during the day.
To be taken to a vet if they are ill or injured.
To be looked after when you are away on holiday.Pick up a hamster very gently using both hands as a scoop and stay close over a flat surface. Hamsters move very quickly and are likely to jump if they are frightened. The RSPCA strongly advises that you do not breed from your hamster as it is very difficult to find good homes for the young. The best way to ensure that hamsters do not breed is simply to keep the sexes apart. If your hamster develops skin sores, bathe them with warm water containing a mild antiseptic. If they persist, seek veterinary advice. Loss of fur and sore skin could also indicate parasites or the fungal disease ringworm.
Sore eyes can be caused by dusty bedding, old age or breathing problems. Ask your vet for advice.
Hamsters may suffer from overgrown teeth and claws. Both can be trimmed by a vet.
The lining of a hamster’s cheek pouches is very delicate and can be damaged by wood splinters or sharp food. If any material becomes lodged in the pouches, seek veterinary advice straight away.
If a hamster is sneezing, breathing slowly and has a sore nose, it may have an infection that could develop into pneumonia. Keep the hamster warm and improve its diet, but seek veterinary advice if symptoms continue. Wet tail is a potentially fatal disease that is highly infectious. If a hamster is tired, loses its appetite and has watery diarrhoea, seek veterinary advice straight away.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW HAMSTER
References :
Hamsters life span is only about two years but if you treat it well they can live for 3. You will need bedding but if you dont want to buy alot of it you can also use shredded paper or another money saver is those white and blue checkered cloths you can cut them in to tiny pieces and use them as bedding. Water is essential also and something to play with in the cage and a nice treat to settle them in. When you do get your hamster though make sure you let it settle in before starting to touch it as this may startle it and it will bite if you pick it up to soon id say leave it about 3-5 days before picking it up. Also buying a ball so they can roll around the house will be needed to and a bed they can sleep in in the cage. Don’t forget to clean it weekly or daily as it will start to make the room smell very bad and put sawdust down on the bedding. A spacey cage is best and a hamster wheel is vital!
Good luck =]
References :
Personal experience. Had one for 3 years.
Hello!
ok here is the shopping list for a hamster!
1) Hamster Cage
Exersize Wheel
2) Hamster House or bedroom
3) Hamster Bedding
4) Hamster Food
5) Food Bowl
6) Water Bottle
7) Chew Toy
9) Exersize Ball
10) Hamster Treats
11) pet disinfectant
k hope i helped
References :
i own a hamster!
You will need water, hamster food, and a cage. that is all.
References :
can anyone tell me on average how much food a hamster eats in a week please. i need this info for a class project, thanks guys
Hello , I am The Online Hamster Expert.I go through the web and look at posts that need help about hamsters,I see that you are having trouble.
Everyone has cleared the basics.
Food
Water
Cage
Bedding
Treats
ECT ;
But they have not covered the most important thing.
LOVE .A hamster needs love like we need water to live.Love to a hamster is everything.If you love your hamster then you will have a great and steady relationship.
TRUST. Your hamster needs to trust you.Pick him/her up and play with her , make him/her homemade toys.When he/she gets used to you then you will know that.
Thankyou for listening and understanding.