Table of Contents
What are the basic needs of a hamster?
For a quick look at the basics to set up a happy home for your hamster, you’ll need the following:
- Small animal habitat.
- Small animal bedding and nesting fluff.
- Small animal bed or sleeper.
- Hamster hideaway.
- Exercise wheel and/or ball.
- Water bottle.
- Food bowl.
- High-quality hamster food.
Do hamsters need daily care?
Clean and wash your hamster’s space regularly Spot change bedding as needed (when soiled/wet) Wipe out their food dish weekly. Change water daily. Empty their entire habitat weekly or twice a week.
What do hamsters like all day?
Hamsters love to run on exercise wheels. This is the main source of exercise for pet hamsters, who can’t walk around the neighborhood or run around the house. Choose one with a solid or mesh bottom, rather than rungs; little hamster paws can get stuck in between wire bars, possibly resulting in serious injury.
What should a hamster eat daily?
The ideal hamster diet will include:
- Commercial hamster pellets (not a muesli-style mix). You can buy these in pet shops.
- Small amounts of fresh fruit, vegetables or herbs.
- Timothy hay.
- Occasional treats, like nuts, boiled egg or mealworms.
- You hamster will also need constant access to clean, fresh water.
Do hamsters need hay?
Hay isn’t necessary for hamsters, as it would be for guinea pigs or rabbits. It does provide some nutritional value to them, mostly minerals and fibers. But it’s not necessary, as in they are okay if they never see a straw of hay in their life.
What does exercise do hamsters need?
Hamsters need a wheel to get enough exercise and to mimic their natural behavior. They have an extensive territory in the wild and are very active creatures that run a lot. In the wild, hamsters will run several miles while foraging and will use their running skills to escape predators.
Do hamsters like hamster wheels?
The reason hamsters adore hamster wheels is easy: The tiny rodents are born to run. It comes naturally to them. Hamsters truly enjoy running, plain and simple, and their species as a whole are very energetic and lively.
What do hamsters do on the wheel?
Hamster wheels or running wheel are exercise devices used primarily by hamsters and other rodents, but also by other cursorial animals when given the opportunity. Most of these devices consist of a runged or ridged wheel held on a stand by a single or pair of stub axles. Hamster wheels allow rodents to run even when their space is confined.