RSPCA GUIDE TO CARING FOR HAMSTERS:

• Provide somewhere suitable to live
• Provide a proper diet, including fresh water
• Provide an environment for the ability to express normal behaviour
• Provide housing with, or apart from, other animals
• Protect from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Essential to know:

Housing: Provide a big cage and spacious living quarters to allow for lots of running and exercise. A cage with a wire cage will allow your hamster to climb too.  Provide some hiding areas for them too, like tunnels, etc.

Bedding: Provide lots of absorbent bedding (woodflakes, shredded paper, etc)

Cleaning: Remove soiled bedding / litter completely once a week & replace with fresh, new bedding but always put back a small amount of used, dry bedding as their scent is important to keeping them happy.

Food & Water: Provide good quality hamster mix / pellets. Small amounts of fresh fruit & vegetables can also given once a week (Eg: apples, carrots). Provide items that are safe to gnaw on (wood blocks, sticks) - vital to keeping teeth healthy & from overgrowing.

Grooming & Handling: Never wake a hamster when they are sleeping. Handle gently & with care; and from a safe height to reduce risk from injury should they jump out of your hands. Handled from a young age and they can become comfortable and confident around people. Get them health checked regularly by a qualified veterinary professional.

Good to know:

How long will we live?: Hamsters typically live for 2 years.

What are we like?:         Hamsters are nocturnal and will spend most of the day sleeping and most of the night foraging and playing! .

Do we need a friend?:  Syrian Hamsters should be kept alone. Dwarf Hamsters prefer company.