I want to get a hamster. Any suggestions?

Question

I need suggestions for getting a hamster. Here's a suggestion list

1. Breed of hamster to get.
2. Size of the cage for the hamster. (and where to place it.)
3. What type of bedding to put in my hamster's cage.
4. Best food to give my hamster.
5. Toys to give my hamster.
6. A name for my hamster =D

Answer 1

Definately go for a hamster :D They are great you would not hate it!

1. It's obviously your first time so get a syrian. They are the most basic breed of hamster and probably the breed that bite least. Plus, dwarf are harder to tame as they run really quick.

2. Place the cage somewhere warm as hamster dislike the cold plus it is dangerous to them, you need a cage big enough to hold a few toys, food and enough space to run around in. Depending on your price limit and space allowance. If you have only enough money to get a cage below £30, go for one like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-is-cage/product-is-14065

Or you may want a slightly more expensive one, like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-is-cage/product-is-11932

Or you may be prepared to spend A Lot on your hamster where you could go for one like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-is-cage/product-is-10215

or this: http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-is-cage/product-is-10999

Although, considering, it is not much more expensive than cage 2, but has a lot more to do. You my want a non wired cage and I suggest one because hamsters like to chew on bars and its annoying;

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-is-cage/product-is-11931



All these cages are fine for your syrian.

3. You should put woodshaving to cover the whole bottom of the floor. And then get sme shredded bedding (or just a shredded J cloth), which you will need to put a lump in wherever in the cage (They will move it to where they like although I reccomend getting a house as it makes them feel safe and protected)

Its stuff like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-6+small+pets/category-is-6A+Bedding/product-is-13663

4. Just give your hamster a general hamster mix. Although you can feed them small quantities of veg and fruit as a trea, like carrots and apples (Nothing citrus) and you can purchase chocolate buttons. if it looks like your hamster has eaten all its food really quickly he probably hasn't eaten it, they like to hide it so have a look to see if he has a hiding place before you overfeed him lol!

5. Make sure he has a wheel and tube in his cage. If you don't like the noise of the wheel get a silent spinner. I have got mine a see saw too. They should definately have a mineral or wood block to gnaw on to keep their teeth down as hamsters teeth constantly grow. He must have a ball for when you get him out of his cage. i reccomend getting a good make ball and not a cheap one because hamsters can be clever and if they hit them hard on doors or walls figure that they can be broken and your hamster will escape!

6. Bear

Oscar

Teddy

Dexter

Tiger

Lily



Hope this helps =]

Btw-If people say that hamsters smelll it's because they weren't cleaning him out properly, make sure you clean them out a least once a week.

Answer 2

Everybody says that hamsters always smell. This isn't always true if you clean the cage out at least once a week. I wouldn't recommend getting the really small hamsters if you want to handle them a lot. I would suggest getting a male golden hamster as female get grumpy and agressive when they get old and they love attention.



Use sawdust bedding. Avoid too much greens and treats and any pet shop will have good things for hamsters. Put the cage where there is sunlight (not too hot) in a room where the temperature doesn't change too much. Try a medium sized cage with different levels reachable by tubes, etc.



Spend a day or two watching your hamster in the evening when they are about and learn what their personality is like.

Answer 3

I would suggest getting a teddy bear hamster they are the most popular kind of hamster ( I think). When it Comes to a cage I would go with a 15 to 20 gallon glass aquarium. They say that these cages do not allow proper ventilation but i have never had a problem with one. I would put just plain carefresh bedding in the cage. Make sure that you put plenty in though because they love to burrow. For food I would just ask the person helping you at the pet store what they feed them. you don't want to have to switch them over to a new food. When it comes to toys and can be as creative as you can be. As long as you have the necessities. Which is really only a wheel and an exercise ball. Names. ummm i am not good at this how about Teddy?

Answer 4

1. Breed of hamster to get -

If you're looking for a hamster you can tame easily and spend a lot of time playing with, Syrian hamsters are definitely the best. They come in a wide range of coat colours and variations, and most have excellent temperaments.



2. Size of the cage for the hamster (and where to place it) -

No cage is too big. Get the biggest cage you can possibly find. I recommend a Cambridge cage or the IMAC Fantasy. DO NOT choose a CritterTrail cage as they are far too small. Avoid cages with tubes if you plan to get a Syrian. Ideally, the cage should have bars, as this means it will be well-ventilated. Put the cage somewhere cool, preferably in a shadow, and away from windows, radiators, and TVs/radios.



3. What type of bedding to put in my hamster's cage -

Never use cotton-wool type bedding, as this can become tangled with the hamster's limbs and cause serious injury. Also, hamsters have been known to choke on it. Use shredded paper bedding, or strips of white, non-scented toilet paper. Hamsters love to tear this up to make their own bedding.



4. Best food to give my hamster -

Good hamster mixes include the following:

Alfalfa

Maize

Dried Peas

Oats

Peanuts (should be fed in moderation as they are high in fat)

Sunflower seeds (should be fed in moderation as they are high in fat)

Dried sweetcorn



5. Toys to give my hamster -

Hamsters enjoy tunnels, a ball, a wheel (at least 8 inches in diameter for Syrians), and wood/honey stick to gnaw on. Get wood only from petshops. Hamsters also enjoy cardboard toilet-paper tubes.



6. A name for my hamster =D -

I think Bruno, Oscar, Taz, Tim, Leo and Willow are all cute names. :)



Feel free to IM/email me if you have any more questions.

Answer 5

1. I have a Dwarf Siberian Hamster along with 2 of my other friends love him



2. Place the cage somewhere warm as hamster dislike the cold plus it is dangerous to them, you need a cage big enough to hold a few toys, food and enough space to run around in. In your living room.Some where where you would be riminded he is there. The cage should be x50 bigger than the hamster. If you have only enough money to get a cage below $30, go for one like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-i...

Or you may want a slightly more expensive one, like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-i...

Or you may be prepared to spend A Lot on your hamster where you could go for one like this:

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-i...

or this: http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-i...

Although, considering, it is not much more expensive than cage 2, but has a lot more to do. You my want a non wired cage and I suggest one because hamsters like to chew on bars and its annoying;

http://www.petsathome.com/find/keyword-i...



3. I recommend getting carefresh i have used it for 7 years no doubt about it.Pine shaving and or wood shaving are horrible they are hard imagine sleeping on a bed with palm tree leaves thats how they feel.Plus its bad for their breathing and lungs.



4. Just give your hamster a general hamster mix like Fiesta. Although you can feed them small quantities of veg and fruit , like carrots and apples (Nothing citrus). if it looks like your hamster has eaten all its food really quickly he probably hasn't eaten it, they like to hide it so have a look to see if he has a hiding place for the "Winter"



5. Make sure he has a wheel and tube in his cage. If you don't like the noise of the wheel get a silent spinner.They should definately have a wood block to gnaw on to keep their teeth down as hamsters teeth constantly grow. He must have a ball for when you get him out of his cage. i reccomend getting a good make ball and not a cheap one because hamsters can be clever and if they hit them hard on doors or walls figure that they can be broken and your hamster will escape!I put tape on mine i have a crittertrail ball.

6. Bear

Oscar

Teddy

Dexter

Tiger

Lily

Hammy

CoCo

Bobo

Buttercake

Butterfinger

Pancakes



Hamsters dont smell i use

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753657

for my bedding i had it for 6 weeks with out changing it and its barely starting to smell.Dont use white bedding i had to change it every 2 weeks.



Wif luv Princess

Answer 6

Hamsters do not stink.. They only do if you don't clean out their cage.





First off, decide if you want one or more hamsters. If you only want one, you can get something called a Syrian (commonly called "Teddy Bear Hamsters"). Syrian hamsters can't be housed with anything else, especially other Syrians because they will fight and eventually kill each other. If you want two or more, get dwarf hamsters. They are energetic and friendly and can be housed in groups. I would recommend getting two or more females as two or more males can become aggressive to each other and it isn't wise to keep males and females together as they will constantly reproduce which might seem cute, but it can be hard work and it's hard to house them all. Two dwarf females might still play fight and you might see this or hear squeaking while they are "fighting". Don't interrupt this, it's going to happen. So long as no blood is drawn and there isn't serious injury, you have no reason to be worried. It's natural, they play rough with each other.



I'm not sure about the size of the cage for a Syrian hamsters but you can use this; http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754670 for dwarf hamsters. I currently have this exact cage that keeps two female dwarfs perfectly fine.









I also use CareFresh bedding. Never use Cedar of any kind as it will kill hamsters (as well as many other small pets). I have heard of people using Pine shavings, but I stick with CareFresh. It's made out of wood pulp that can't be recycled so it's environmentally friendly and biodegradable. It can be a bit more expensive than other beddings but to me, it's worth it.









Food wise, keep them on a specifically made-for-hamsters diet. They have many premade bagged foods at pet stores all over the place.











For toys, you can buy hamster toys at pet stores or you can give them ripped up toilet tissue (unscented) or tissue paper to make nests with, give them old toilet tissue and paper towel rolls to climb through, empty tissue boxes, cardboard boxes, cardboard egg cartons that have had the bottoms of the "bumps" cut off so that they can climb in and out of them... etc.







And here is a website that has a lot of information on dwarfs, but it's got a list of names for them as well to help you out;



http://russiandwarfhamsters.tripod.com/hams/id7.html

Answer 7

Everything thing you have on that list is about right your only missing one thing. You will need to go buy a pet snake to devour the little **** becuase those things honestly smell like crap, i dont know why but those little hamsters are horrible. I had to keep one for a friend for about a week and the room i had it in smelled like....a hamster i guess. And i changed the bedding so that wasnt it, they are just plain gross. Get a rat honestly, they are actually not bad little pets and they dont stink if you keep the cage clean.

Answer 8

Mimba was the name of my hamster and I thought it was cute name. I like giving food names to my pets like Sugar(white dog), Cinnamon(looks like a cinnamon roll when she rolls up), Milk(white cat), Mame(beans in Japanese), Qoo(apple juice name in Japan) and so on. Only Mimba and oh Crayon(tropical claw fingered frog) are the exceptions because my husband named them. I also always liked this name, Ugoljok(not sure the spelling anymore). I think it was russian and means blackie. I'd totally call "Ugo" or "Ugoo" XD I like Meteorite, it's cute.

Answer 9

Eww don't. I had one and it smelled, it was mean and don't just take my word for it. I know other people who had hamsters and hated them. If you want a rodent, I suggest a mouse, rat, or rabbit. Good luck.

Answer 10

DON'T GET A DWARF HAMSTER!

THEY NEVER DIE

WE HAD TO PUT OUR TO SLEEP

SHE WAS LIKE 5 YEARS OLD

AND THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LIVE LONGER THAN LIKE 2 YEARS

SHE WAS DEPRESSED AND SHE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT MAKE A WEIRD BUZZING NOISE!

AGH!