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Published in association with the RSPCA, the UK’s leading animal welfare charity, this practical family guide is full of expert advice on how to choose a hamster and how best to look after it…. More >>

RSPCA Pet Guide – Care for your Hamster

Diet is another essential element in knowing how to care for a hamster. Fresh water should be made available at all times via a specially made drinking bottle. Never put your hamster’s water in a dish, as the dish will quickly be tipped or filled with debris, and then you will have a sad, wet hamster. As for food, there are a multitude of pre-packaged hamster foods on the market, and it’s always a good idea to make those foods the bulk of your hamster’s diet. However, hamsters, like people, appreciate a little variety at dinnertime, so an offering of apple pieces, carrot slices, or crackers is always welcome. Greens can also be integrated into your hamster’s diet, but avoid overfeeding these vegetables to your hamster as they will contract an illness called “wet tail,” which is fatal if left untreated. Keep in mind also that hamsters are hoarders. It is nearly impossible to overfeed them, as they will most likely take much of their food with them into their nest, so remove uneaten foods that might spoil if your hamster decides to save them for later!

Other items that should be on your hamster care checklist include plenty of bedding (try cedar or pine shavings), adequate nesting material (facial tissues work great), and the all-important exercise wheel. Hamsters are nocturnal by nature, so be sure to get a wheel that won’t make a ruckus and keep you awake as your pet makes its nightly rounds. Always be sure your hamster’s wheel is unobstructed and can turn freely. To know more logon to www.100cookingtips.com .The exercise a wheel provides is necessary to prevent your hamster from developing a condition called “torpidity.” When a hamster is torpid, it hasn’t had the activity it needs to maintain proper mental health. This lack of exercise will cause the hamster to snap, and possibly attack you when you reach in to pet it. Also be sure to respect your hamster’s nocturnal habits. Avoid waking your hamster during the daylight hours as much as possible, as this could result in a nasty bite, or in the very least, a grumpy, confused pet.

Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to go pick out your new friend. Make sure you choose a clean, reputable pet store from which to buy your hamster. Look carefully to ensure that none of the animals seem sick, and make sure that the pet store employees are equipped to answer any questions you may have. After bringing your hamster home, allow it a day or so to adjust to its new surroundings before attempting to handle it. This may seem like a lot to remember, but know that the time you devote to learning how to care for a hamster is time well spent! Hamsters are affectionate, fascinating, and of course, adorable pets who will provide you with several years of enjoyment and companionship in exchange for your expert, loving care.

Hamster Shopping List: -Cage: between $10-$40 The price varies according to the type of cage you want: wired, aquarium or bin and on the size of the hamster. If you intend to buy a Syrian hamster, be careful what cage you buy because sometimes they might get stuck in Criter Trail and Sam/penplax tubes.

-Bedding :$2-$10 It has various purposes: lines the floor, absorbs odor, toilet place and allows your hamster to hide in it.You have to choose from wide variety of bedding: wood pulp fiber, recycled newspaper, aspen shavings, Kaytee Soft Sorbent, Eco-Straw Pellets and the list goes on . for more detials:-www.activities-little-fingers.com.At pet shops you can find even bedding smelling like apples or strawberries.

-Paper bedding: this is optional and the price is very low . I use it because my hamsters love it. All you have to do is to put small pieces of toilet paper(1-3 squares) in their cage and they take it and use it as a blanket. Sometimes they use to decorate their room(house).

-Food dish: $2-$9 Is better if the food dish is not made of wood or plastic because the small hamsters will chew it till there is nothing left. I bought mine a ceramic bowl which they love. This is a better choice because is kind of heavy and they can not move it or spill it.if you want to cut down some costs, you can use some small ceramic bowl you have in your kitchen.

-Water bottle: $2-$5 It’s a must have for your hamster. The bottle is the best choice because your hamster can not spill it and make a mess in the cage.You have to be careful when you put this in the hamster’s cage: it has to be high enough so he can not chew the plastic part.

-Hamster mix: $2.5-$5 This is the food that you should give to your hamster on a regular basis. Be very careful to buy hamster/gerbil mix and not rabbit mix because it’s toxic for your little hamster. for visit detials:-www.workplace-warriors.com.The additional proteins and calories that the hamster needs should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables according to your hamster needs.

-Hamster toys: $1.2-$30 This is the part I love most. First, your hamster needs a wheel ($3-$5) so he can exercise.The hamster ball, all kinds of tunnels and chew toys can be bought later on. Instead of buying tunnels or other stuff that you may not afford at the beginning you can use a trick: don’t throw away your toilet paper rolls. Use them to entertain your hamster! You can even make some holes in it to be more fun for your hamster.

-Hamster book $1.99-$20 The books are quite informative and of big help especially if you are at your first hamster. There are books written for 9-12 years old, so pretty much everyone has his learning book about hamsters.

Insider’s tip: I recommend you to use a small bowl with sand. The hamster likes to have small sand baths and mine uses it as a toilet as well. I empty and wash it every morning. My hamsters first use it as a sand bathtub and then as a toilet.

After you have all this, the monthly cost are :

-bedding: I usually use one big pack of bedding (I change the bedding of the cage at least twice a week) – I use big packs and they usually are enough for a month: $10 per pack -food: one or to packs – $5-$10

http://www.caring-for-your-hamster.com
http://www.carpets-cleaning.com

It is normal that the initial cost is quite high, but after you bought all the products your hamster needs, the monthly costs are quite low.

Hamster Shopping List:

-Cage: between $10-$40 .
The price varies according to the type of cage you want: wired, aquarium or bin and on the size of the hamster. If you intend to buy a Syrian hamster, be careful what cage you buy because sometimes they might get stuck in Criter Trail and Sam/penplax tubes.

-Bedding :$2-$10.
It has various purposes: lines the floor, absorbs odor, toilet place and allows your hamster to hide in it.You have to choose from wide variety of bedding: wood pulp fiber, recycled newspaper, aspen shavings, Kaytee Soft Sorbent, Eco-Straw Pellets and the list goes on . At pet shops you can find even bedding smelling like apples or strawberries.

-Paper bedding: this is optional and the price is very low . I use it because my hamsters love it. All you have to do is to put small pieces of toilet paper(1-3 squares) in their cage and they take it and use it as a blanket. Sometimes they use to decorate their room(house).

-Food dish: $2-$9.
Is better if the food dish is not made of wood or plastic because the small hamsters will chew it till there is nothing left. I bought mine a ceramic bowl which they love. This is a better choice because is kind of heavy and they can not move it or spill it.if you want to cut down some costs, you can use some small ceramic bowl you have in your kitchen.

-Water bottle: $2-$5.
It’s a must have for your hamster. The bottle is the best choice because your hamster can not spill it and make a mess in the cage.You have to be careful when you put this in the hamster’s cage: it has to be high enough so he can not chew the plastic part.

-Hamster mix: $2.5-$5.
This is the food that you should give to your hamster on a regular basis. Be very careful to buy hamster/gerbil mix and not rabbit mix because it’s toxic for your little hamster. The additional proteins and calories that the hamster needs should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables according to your hamster needs.

-Hamster toys: $1.2-$30 . This is the part I love most.
First, your hamster needs a wheel ($3-$5) so he can exercise.The hamster ball, all kinds of tunnels and chew toys can be bought later on. Instead of buying tunnels or other stuff that you may not afford at the beginning you can use a trick: don’t throw away your toilet paper rolls. Use them to entertain your hamster! You can even make some holes in it to be more fun for your hamster.

-Hamster book $1.99-$20
The books are quite informative and of big help especially if you are at your first hamster. There are books written for 9-12 years old, so pretty much everyone has his learning book about hamsters. Check out these hamster facts for more information about hamsters.

Insider’s tip: I recommend you to use a small bowl with sand. The hamster likes to have small sand baths and mine uses it as a toilet as well. I empty and wash it every morning. My hamsters first use it as a sand bathtub and then as a toilet.

After you have all this, the monthly cost are :

-bedding: I usually use one big pack of bedding (I change the bedding of the cage at least twice a week) – I use big packs and they usually are enough for a month: $10 per pack
-food: one or to packs – $5-$10

It is normal that the initial cost is quite high, but after you bought all the products your hamster needs, the monthly cost are quite low.

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There are many different kinds of hamsters, but the one most commonly kept as a pet is the cute Syrian hamster breed. Syrian hamsters are the largest kind of hamster, and they can be found in a lot of pretty different colors, in long-haired or short-haired variety. The long-haired Syrian hamster is sometimes called a Teddy Bear hamster. A full-grown Syrian hamster usually grows to about four to six inches long. An important thing to know about Syrian hamsters is that you should never keep more than one per cage, because if two Syrian hamsters are forced to share the same space, they will probably fight and can seriously hurt each other. The next most popular hamsters are Dwarf hamsters, which only grow to three to four inches in length, hence the name Dwarf hamsters. These cute little guys can be kept together with other Dwarf hamsters and they will usually get along just fine.

Before you decide to buy a hamster as a pet, you should buy all the supplies you need, such as a hamster cage, water bottle, food, bedding and toys. You can find and buy any of the stuff you need to prepare for a new pet hamster by searching online; I think that is how you’ll find the best deals on pet supplies. Get your hamsters house set up and ready beforehand, so the hamster can relax and immediately begin to make his or herself at home in the new surroundings. There are all kinds of different styles of hamster cages to choose from, you just need to make sure whichever hamster cage you choose has a wheel for the hamster to exercise on. Also, try not to get a wire exercise wheel, because they can injure a hamster if the hamsters leg falls through the wires, so it’s best to find a solid plastic hamster wheel if possible. Try not to place the hamster cage in direct sunlight, and don’t let your hamster get too cold or hot.

After you have everything set up, you are ready to buy a pet hamster from a pet shop or from a hamster breeder. The hamster itself will probably be rather inexpensive, and you already have the hamster cage and other supplies set up and waiting for your hamster, so you shouldn’t have to spend much money at the pet store. Try to make sure that wherever you decide to buy your hamster that the hamsters appear to be clean and well taken care of. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the hamsters. Ask how old the hamsters are and try to get a young one. You probably don’t want to bring home a pregnant hamster either, because then you might end up with more than you bargained for!

Last but certainly not least, although hamsters are good at taking care of grooming themselves, you need to make sure to clean your hamster’s home regularly. This is very important to your hamster’s health. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to do. If you follow these simple hamster care guidelines and do your research online by reading as much information as you can, your hamster will love you for it and you will be a better pet owner to your hamster.