| Clean the cage about two or three times a week. When cleaning the cage try keeping some of the nesting material and place it in the clean cage. This is so the hamster can recognize his cage and so he wont have to work as hard to build a new nest. Most hamsters will go to the bathroom in one spot or corner,scoop out the "bathroom" everyday. |
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| The Helpful Hamster |
| Care.... |
| The Best food to feed your hamster is simply bought from and pet store. Bagged foods have the vitamins and all the good stuff your hamster needs. Offer a reasonable amount of this in a food dish and your hamster will be happy. Change the food every day. Water should only be given through hanging water bottles. Water bowels are very bad, they can get dirty and can easily drowned a young hamster. Stick with a water bottle, change it about once or twice a day. |
| There are four main types of cages- Wire cages, Plastic Cages, Glass Cages, & Storage Bins. They all have their own pro and cons. The one I suggest is converting a storage bin into a cage or buying an aquarium. If you do not know how to turn a storage bin into a cage click here. Wire cages are messy because bedding and food can easily fall out while bins and glass and plastic cage all prevent that. Wire cages offer plenty of ventilation while glass and plastic do not. So really its your choice. Click here to see some cage pics. 10 gallons is a good size for 2 dwarfs or 1 Syrian. |
| If your hamster nips at you, you will have to tame it. Syrians are easier to tame then dwarfs. To start the taming process simply do not pick up your hamster for the first day, but rather talk to it so it can get use to your voice. Then on the second day talk to your hamster while trying to offer a treat with your hand. Repeat for day three, four, and five. Then on the sixth day stick your hand in the cage and let your hamster explore it. DO NOT move your hand while your hamster is exploring it. If your hamster tries to crawl up your hand try picking it up. If your hamster gets scared and runs away repeat the steps all over again. |
| Food & Water |
| Cages |
| Taming |
| If your hamster is chewing its cage bars, the best thing I found out is to use a simple water and cinnamon solution. Take 1 cup of water and 1 table spoon of cinnamon and mix them together. Then pour it in a spray bottle. Then when the hamster is out of the cage spray the liquid all over the cage bars. Then put the hamster back in and it should work. You should keep the rest of the liquid for later use, but remember to shake it before each use because it will separate. You will have to keep it in the fridge. Do not use it if its over 2 weeks old. You will have to spray about every 2 days. You can also use bitter apple spray which is used for dogs but you can use it for hamsters too. By placing a dog biscuit or a extra toy in their cage it will make them more busy so they will have less time to chew the cage bars. |
| Cage Chewing |
| All hamsters need a place to hide when they are scared or a place to sleep. A simple card board box or a store bought house do fine. Flower pots are good too. There are many types of houses you can buy in the store. Do not buy cheap thin plastic houses. They will break very easy and will possibly break when you are trying to assemble them. |
| Houses |
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| Toys |
| You can house 2 or more dwarves per cage. They are social and enjoy the company of others. They do well in same sex groups so they do not breed. Only house 1 Syrian per cage. They are non-social animals and will fight until death. |
| Housing Hamsters Together |
| If you need to catch a hamster the best thing to do is get a bucket, ladder or ramp, and some hamster food. First pour the hamster food in the bucket, then set up the ramp leading up to the bucket. When the hamster smells the food it will go up the ramp and it will fall in the bucket and wont be able to get out. You also may want to place a old blanket or pillow in the bucket so the hamster will not hurt its self when it falls in. Then put the hamster back in the cage, but make sure you figured out why the hamster got out and make sure you fixed the problem. |
| Lost Your Hamster? |
| If you use wire wheels then you will want to switch to a safe plastic wheel. Wire wheels can break your hamsters bones and make their feet bleed. If you cant afford to buy a new wheel you can weave thin cardboard through the spokes and then your hamsters feet wont fall through the spokes. If your wheel squeaks try Vaseline, olive or vegetable oil and put it on the hinges to make it stop squeaking. Don’t throw away the old wire wheels because if you can figure out a way to make the wheel stop turning they are a great toy for hamsters to crawl up on. Thanks |
| Hamster Wheels |
| Treats are a great tool for training or taming your hamster. Treats should only be given in moderation. Treats should be offered about once or twice a week only. Store bought treats can contain lots of sugar and salt. When buying store bought treats check the ingredients and make sure there is not sugar or salt. The best kinds of treats are already in your fridge or garden. You can offer your hamster these fresh treats- apple, banana, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, clover, corn, cucumber, dandelions, grapes, peas, potato, spinach, & turnip. Never give your hamster citrus, be careful when offering fruits because they contain lots of sugar. Wash all these treat before offering them to your hamster. |
| Treats |
| Copyright © 2004 - The Helpful Hamster |
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| Bedding |
| Cleaning the cage |
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| not sure yet |