How To Care For A Hamster
| Pets : Other Pets If you are buying a new hamster, then it is best to buy a young one of a couple of months old as they are easier to tame at this age. The cage floor should be covered with a thick layer of bedding such as wood shavings as they are non toxic. Hamster: BeddingThe bedding should be kept warm at all times because if it gets damp then it can cause the hamster to become ill.The cage should be kept in a warm place, out of drafts but also out of direct sunlight. The water bottle should be attached to the side of the cage and kept clean and full at all times. How to hold a hamsterHandling a hamster should be done carefully as they have very sharp teeth in the front. They will really only bite if they feel frightened or threatened, so handle with caution at all times and don't make sudden movements or tease and annoy the hamster.If there are children looking after it then make sure they are aware of this. The cage should also contain lots of toys for the hamster to chew. Wood chews can be attached to the side of the cage but you can also give it cardboard tubes as well. When it comes to a bed for the hamster, then a small box placed in the cage will suffice. Place it in a far corner of the cage and if you cut a small doorway in it, the hamster will fill it itself with bedding and chewed cardboard from the toys. What to feed your hamsterFeeding a hamster is quite simple. Use a specially designed kind of hamster food mix a couple of times a day, and feed it with some fruit and vegetable everyday.If the hamster hasn't tried a certain food before, don't give it a lot to begin with so that the digestive system gets a chance to get used to it. When it comes to cleaning a hamster, you don't have to do it - a hamster will clean itself. If you think there is a bad smell then you are best to change the bedding as it is more likely to be coming from that. Wash the cage once a week or more if you think necessary, using water with some disinfectant in it. If there is any food that has been lying for a few days then get rid of it or it will go bad and make the hamster ill if it is eaten. How to exercise your hamsterYou should exercise your hamster regularly by taking him out of the cage and placing him in a special exercise ball. Be careful not to place it near stairs as it can be very dangerous if it were to roll down them, the hamster could be fatally injured.Since hamsters are most active at night, the best time to let them exercise and to clean their cage and so on is in the evening or first thing in the morning, but not in the middle of the day as this is when they prefer to rest.
More hamster adviceIf you are just getting the Hamster and he is your first then remember two things: Always prepare the cage BEFORE buying the hamster. Also when you take it home let it get used to its new habitat for four days then you slowly begin to handle your hamster. If it nips at you put it back in the cage and come back an hour or so later and try again. You can do this as much as you feel necessary. I think it is best to check your cage every hour or so to make sure your hanster hasn't run out of food,water or even just escaped. I am going to buy my seventh hamster soon, so I have quite a lot of experience, and you don't really need to check it every hour, unless he is ill or you have been advised to by your vet. I have a very good idea for hamster exercise:- you can completely clean out your bath, make sure there is NO water in it and make sure the plug is in and then you can let your hamster run around in there, and you can put toys in, but you must supervise him at all times, even though it is impossible for him to escape.. How many times A day should you feed your hamster? And what type of fruit and stuff dos the hamster need?. You should feed your hamster some dried food, just about enough to cover the bottom of his bowl, about a handful, every day, preferably in the evening, so that you don't wake him uop when feeding him in the morning. There are lots of fresh food you can feed your hamster. Raw carrot (chopped very small), dandelions, clover leaves, cheese, a small piece of brown bread is a favourite with most hamsters, cucumber (without skin). There's lots of things, do NOT feed them lettuce or chocolate, chocolate is poisonous to hamsters, cats, dogs and most domestic pets, and lettuce is very bad for rodents. They should have a few pieces of fresh food a day as well as the dried, to much will upset their stomach. I have had my hamstersince 16th july 2008 andhe still ont let me hold him why Hi, Uh, i have recently bought a hamster at the end of august. Ifeed her lettuce in the evening because a hamster care book said i could, will she get ill? Also she escaped last night and found some haribo sweets on the floor and started to nibble it before i stopped her a couple seconds later, will she die? Hi, U can use anything but sawdust and anything but cedar becuz cedar can cause liver problems
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