#hamstercare

we’re finally home

and mono keeps running on his wheel 😄

now i don’t know if you can see the poop there but 😭 yeah.. anyway..

he’s loved this wheel so much he keeps sleeping on it

on his side

Some helpful information on hamsters!

WHEEL AND ENCLOSURE

The plastic cages they sell at you’re local pet store are not safe housing for hamsters contrary to popular belief even for the smallest breeds of hamsters.If you cannot afford proper housing and enrichment for an animal then you should not go out and buy one.

You can only have one hamster per enclosure due to them being extremely territorial they will fight until one or both are fatally harmed its not worth the risk.

This is my rescue Nugget! He lives in a 200qt toat from Walmart($22) which is the bare minimum for a Syrian hamster.The bedding is five inches deep allowing him to burrow and hide underground during the daylight since hamsters are nocturnal animals and naturally live in burrows underground.He has a 12inch wheel! This is very important and notice how strait his back is when he runs on it! If you’re wheel is not large enough which Syrians should all have 12inch wheels then it can cause permanent damage to the spine and cause the animal allot of strain,back/spinal pain,posture issues,and ultimately spinal deformity.Also wire wheels can potentially break a hamsters toes and have before as well as they are just not comfortable for the animal i do not recommend.PLEASE do not get you’re hamster a ball these can severely stress out the animal making them feel trapped and panicked and has the potential to break toes as well.

The safest bedding to use for hamsters is aspen since most wood bedding's can cause health issues and can be very toxic to them!Please check online before buying any wood type shaving bedding's and make sure it is hamster safe.A good tip is that you can get a very large bag of aspen from Petsmart for $15 its also really good for burrowing into one of the best actually! if you want to add a softer top layer i recommend hemp bedding or any soft paper bedding!Please NEVER use any cotton based bedding products since these can damage a rodents body and cause sure death.

Change all of the bedding every other friday would be best.Also he drinks out of a bowl it only took him a few days to catch on and i empty/refill the bowl each morning to make sure his water is clean and fresh.

SAND BOX

He also has a sandbox in which he digs and rubs himself along it its kinda like a sand bath of sorts! Note you should use repti sand since sand with minerals can encourage the hamster to eat it and potentially make them very ill and most likely even pass away from it.This also gives the animal more enrichment in their natural behaviors. Please do not use dust bath mixtures or fine sand.

TOYS,CHEWS.AND HIDES

I give Nugget several toys to chew on! These ones i had found on ebay for $12 getting ten hamster chews and a se-saw as well.Its very important to get items you’re hamster can chew on it keeps them busy and keeps their teeth at a healthy length.Please DO NOT get the filled log chews or the larger ones that look like hides!They contain wood shavings and can cause really bad health issues for you’re hamster it is not hamster safe.Also they do not require salt or mineral chews and these are actually bad for their body.

Hamsters are prey animals and so having more then one hide in their enclosure is crucial to their personal safety and piece of mind.They need to feel safe in their own cage and i do not recommend digging them out or lifting those safe items to remove the animal.Respect their safe areas and they will feel more comfortable around you.Also remember that they are nocturnal so if they are not out and about during the day they are most likely sleeping and its best to not disturb them.

DIET