Okay so i might be getting a hamster in 2 weeks and i need to know a shopping list for them. I know about food and toys and im going to use rubbermaid bin and make it a nice bedded home.
Answers:
How do you choose the right hamster?
Before you get your first hamster, it is important to find out as much as you can about them from books, friends, breeders or your vet. There are lots of different breeds and you should try to get one that will suit the whole family.
You can get your hamster from breeders or good pet shops.
As hamsters only live for about two years, you should buy one when he is young, between five to eight weeks old.
Choose a hamster who looks friendly, lively and healthy. Mum and Dad will help with this.
When a hamster is very young it can be difficult to tell whether it is male or female, so if you are getting more than one, make sure they are the same sex unless you want lots of little babies.
Does your hamster need company?
Hamsters can live very happily on their own and as long as you spend a reasonable amount of time with them, they will be content to live alone and be the centre of attention!
If, however you do want more than one, please remember, that you should never keep more than one Syrian (Golden) Hamster in a single cage. They are solitary animals and will start to fight if housed together. Dwarf hamsters (Russian or Chinese) will live together with others of their own species. However please note that fights still may happen between these hamsters occasionally and they will need to be separated.
Preparation for the arrival of your hamster
Get everything ready in advance of collecting your new hamster. Remember if he is very young, he will find everything very strange from the minute he leaves his mother and home. He will be lonely and will miss his mother, brothers and sisters. If you take a little time to prepare for his arrival, you will make it easier for him to settle in.
Hamster Shopping List
Cage
Wood shavings to line the floor
Paper bedding
Earthenware dish
Water bottle
Hamster mix
Hamster toys
Let us take these items one by one:
Hamsters must live indoors!
Some thought must be given where the cage is to be positioned:
Make sure the cage is out reach of any other pets, which could frighten or upset him.
It should be in a room that has a constant temperature, away from draughts and direct sunlight.
There are many different types of cages available for your hamster and a lot will depend on what your Mum and Dad agree on. However, as hamsters love to climb and move around, buy the biggest cage you can afford.
Cover the floor of the cage with sawdust or woodshavings and supply some soft bedding material. Fluffy cotton wool type bedding should be avoided as this can cause harm if eaten by the hamster.
The cage should be cleaned out a least once a week, more often if the litter becomes damp. He will keep a corner of his cage for piddling in and this area should be cleaned out daily. Some owners put a glass jar on its side in this spot and find their hamster does the toilet in this, thereby keeping the cage clean and dry. If your hamster learns to do this, the jar must be cleaned and washed out daily. When you clean the cage, you will find stored-away food, take some of this away but please do not remove it all as this will upset your hamster and he will spend a lot of time looking for it. Your hamster will spend time making his bed with the paper bedding material, so when you are cleaning out the cage, take care not to disturb this area too much.
A heavy earthenware dish is ideal for his feed as he will not be able to knock it over easily or indeed chew it! A water bottle is the best way to make sure that his water stays clean and fresh all day. Please remember to change the water every day.
Many cages have hamster wheels already fitted, but if not, please make sure you get one as it provides an excellent way for him to exercise. When the hamster is running in the wheel its spine must not be curved, if it is then this indicates that the wheel is too small for the hamster and you may need to buy a larger wheel. Buying a clear plastic ball or see-saw tube is another way to let him exercise in safety.
Lastly, choose a name for your hamster, for he will soon learn it and respond to it!
Arrival of your Hamster
The day has come to collect your hamster!
If your hamster arrives in a box, open it carefully. He will probably have burrowed down into the bedding, so please be careful not to give him a fright just in case he gives you a nip.
As soon as he is home, put him in his cage and leave him in peace for a couple of days to settle in. By all means, speak to him quietly when you are feeding him, but on the whole, he needs time to explore the cage, deciding where to have his nest, toilet and food storage area.
Hamsters normally sleep during the day and come to life at night, so it is best to feed them in the evening. Never poke a sleeping hamster or it may result in you getting bitten!
Making friends with your hamster
It may take a while for him to get used to being handled. Once he has settled in, it is best to start stroking him in his cage and talking to him gently so that he becomes used to you and your voice.
Your pet will soon become tame and affectionate if you handle him often but it is important to do this properly.
Always handle him when you are sitting down so that if he tries to jump he will not fall too far and hurt himself. Have him facing you and scoop him up using both hands. Let him walk from one hand to the other and, should he try to jump never squeeze him tightly. If you do not feel confident in picking him up and holding him, ask Mum or Dad to help.
Grooming
Hamsters wash and groom themselves regularly and, in doing so, keep themselves very clean and presentable. The longer-haired varieties can be brushed with an old soft toothbrush to remove shavings.
Exercise
If you decide to let your hamster run about loose, you must always watch what he is doing as he can cause a lot of damage by chewing electric cables and furniture. Before letting him out, please make sure other pets, which could hurt him or frighten him, are locked out of the room. Always remember, hamsters are good at escaping and disappearing! So again make sure you watch him carefully when he is out and about!
It is not advisable to let your hamster loose outside as he could easily be hurt by other animals or birds or eat unsuitable plants which could harm him.
Some hamster talk
Teeth Chattering This means your hamster is annoyed and he should be left alone as handling him could result in you getting bitten.
Standing and staring If he stands on his hind legs and stares, something has caught his attention and he is listening keenly. Hamsters' hearing is excellent and they can hear sounds that we humans cannot.
Gnawing Hamsters' teeth grow continuously so they must gnaw on apple wood, hard biscuits or the bars of the cage to stop them from overgrowing.
Side rubbing Hamsters will sometimes rub their sides against areas of their cage in order to mark their territory.
Digging It is natural for hamsters to dig and if you can give them a box filled with sand, he will love you to bits!
As you can see from the above, owning a hamster involves responsibilities as well as pleasures but if you follow this advice you will have a well-behaved, contented hamster who is a joy to own and who will repay the time and effort you have made many times over.
Check out hamsterific.com. Some of the best hammy advice on the web can be found there.
dont use a rubbermaid bin there will be no air cerculation. just get a regular cage from a pet store
if u go to petco they tell u what u need
I used a rubbermaid bin for my first hamster too! Just poke holes in the top for air, so that the air can circulate. After a while, your hamster may chew on the edge of the tuberwire container, forming a hole. In this case, you will have to find a new one.
Here is a shopping list for your hamster:
- Hamster mix (aprox. $8.00 a bag)
- Bedding (approx $10 a bag, depending on size. avoid cedar, which most hamsters are allergic to. Use a safe bedding such as Carefresh)
- Food bowl (get a heavy ceramic bowl so that your hamster can't tip it over or chew it to peices. These are approximitly $5)
- Water bottle (approx $5 for a hamster)
- Hamster Wheel (approx $6)
- Hamster Ball (approx $6)
Good Luck with your hamster! Check out http://www.hamsterific.com it'll tell you everything you need to know about your hamster and how to look after it.
I personally wouldn't buy a plastic home for a hamster. Hamsters like to chew and they are nocturnal and they will make a lot of noise during the night. What I did for my hamster is buy a 10 gallon tank and a mesh cage that would give him/her a second floor. I had all kind of chew (wood) toys and you can save the toilet paper roll and they love to hide in it and chew on it as well. They love all kinds of fresh vegetables mostly crunchy ones like carrots and stuff. A run wheel and they love hamster yogurt treats which you can find at any pet store. I hope I covered all areas and you probably find other toys you would like to get for your hamster.
I really dont suggest putting it in a rubbermaid bin.
1. My Old cage(its only a year old...you can have it if you want)
2. Food
3. Water
4. Shavings
5. Fluff(optional)
6. THIS IS A MUST!!! a running wheel
7. a hamster running ball(optional)
8. THIS IS A MUST!!! a hamster
cage
food
water bottle
chew sticks
bedding
run around ball
wheel
treats
The best kind of cage is a 10 gallon glass aquarium tank with a screen cover(just ask at the pet store they will know what you mean) The sides are clear so you can always see inside and look at what your hamster is doing, and remember hamsters always chew on things so you don't want too much plastic stuff especially for the cage itself because they will chew themselves out of it...and they do it at night when you are sleeping because that is when they are most active. and definitely get a metal running wheel unless you want to replace those over and over again. Good Luck with your hamster :)
Make sure the holes aren't too big so the hamster won't get out. Look at the shopping list below.
Pine bedding
A hut(sleeping place)
Cotton fluff to put in house(optional)
Wheel(one sided one)
Chewing sticks
Litter box if desired
Water bottle
Dizzy ball if wanted
Food
Treats(optional)
Travel cage(to put in when cleaning cage or going to vet or other place)
You can find most of the items at Petco and Petsmart.
when i got my hamster i got a cage from the brand hartz or something but it came with the water bottle and i thnk its the best kind and the food there is lots of diffrent types but thats up to you then i thnk bedding is better than ceder chips cuz the bedding asorbs the order and is mor softer
a wheel, an exercise ball, petsmart has these edible huts they seem to go for, good bedding like super shavin's, food, and an empty toilet paper roll. have fun
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