Hamsters?!?

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I've never owned one but a friend of mine adopted 7 because some girl she knows had them but no longer wanted them. So she adopted them all because she didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Well she ask if I want one or two of them. I ask my mom and she said she didn't care as long as it was okay with my dad.

I haven't answered my friend yet because I wanted to make that I could take care of one or two while still giving the chins the care they deserve and all of our other animals too. That and I have to keep my grades up or I'll lose my pc and cell.

I googled the basic care for hamsters but wasn't sure how true it was since some things online can miss lead you (like it can do with chins) so I was wondering if anyone here could help me out.

 

[Ash]

Well, first and foremost. Hamsters are solitary creatures, so your friend(And you) need to be ready to have as many cages on hand as hamsters, 1 per cage.

Cages that are metal wired are best because a) they can't chew out of the plastic, b) they're well ventilated and c) they normally have multiple levels for activity. The habi-trail cages aren't the greatest, as they can chew their ways out. Just be careful of the spacing and ladders. I'm pretty sure Martins and QC both offer good hamster cages.

Other than that, I can't think of too much else that is 'good' info. Do you know what kind of hamsters they are?

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I don't have a clue what kind they are.

okay, so they like being by themselves...so I'll probably just get one.

What kind of things can you put in their cages? What kind of food? etc

 

[Jenn]

I've got an aging hamster who is extremely friendly and has been so easy to care for. He has a tri level cage that I got from Petsmart. He has aspen bedding liner. They usually go pee in a corner of their cage, although my aging one will pee in his house as well. He has a wheel, a house, wood to chew on. He has a decent diet of pellets mixed with goodies. Mine loves vegetables nightly cut up very small and one type of fruit, like banana or apple. He has a ball to roll around the house. I clean his cage weekly as well as their house because they take bedding and food into their house and make a mess. Mine drinks from a water bottle ( I can't think of the correct name at the moment, but an inverted water bottle that hangs from the cage, like for the chins). They are solitary, as I was told when I purchased him. He is so easy to care for. They also are nocturnal for the most part. They don't wake up until later evening hours and then mine will gnaw on the cage to be let out. Good luck, they are great pets!

 

[amsue0222]

You can get dwarf hamsters that like to be with other hamsters. I had a few pairs of dwarf. They can live very happily in a same sex pair, just watch for any signs of fighting. The Syrian hamsters are the type that live alone. I have a teddy bear hamster now and she is soooo sweet. She is very slow since she is getting up there in age!! Very easy to care for, they do like to be held and cared for. They do require regular out of cage time and are nocturnal.

 

[AnnShh]

I have a hamster and feel she is pretty easy to take care of. I have her in a Martins 3-level Hamster Highrise and love it. The only thing I would recommend is to cover the wire shelves with something.

I feed mazuri hamster food mixed with the junky stuff- but mostly mazuri.

Mine is really sweet and LOVES attention. Some are not so friendly and can be pretty nippy so you might want to ask about temperment.

 

[Jenn]

I have a hamster and feel she is pretty easy to take care of. I have her in a Martins 3-level Hamster Highrise and love it. The only thing I would recommend is to cover the wire shelves with something.

I feed mazuri hamster food mixed with the junky stuff- but mostly mazuri.

Mine is really sweet and LOVES attention. Some are not so friendly and can be pretty nippy so you might want to ask about temperment.

I cover the wire shelves with a sheet of cardboard, cut to fit. So far, he has never tried chewing on it, but if he does, it is easy to replace.

 

[AnnShh]

I cover the wire shelves with a sheet of cardboard, cut to fit. So far, he has never tried chewing on it, but if he does, it is easy to replace.

Yup, that's what I have too! Easy and cheap!:thumbs: I didn't cover the ramps because I found that if they are covered she has nothing to grip onto and ends up sliding on them- so I figured the wire would give her something to grip with and she's been fine.

 

[Jenn]

Yup, that's what I have too! Easy and cheap!:thumbs: I didn't cover the ramps because I found that if they are covered she has nothing to grip onto and ends up sliding on them- so I figured the wire would give her something to grip with and she's been fine.

I actually took out the bottom ramp and fitted a swirling slide type ramp in its place. My hamster is getting up there and he really doesn't like going down the ramps - I think they are a little on the steep side for him. The swirling slide type ramp (like you would find at a kids playground) allows him a much easier trip up and down. It had come from a previous plastic cage and I used pipe cleaner to attach it to the wire ledge and it worked great!