Hamsters: The Essentials

Whether it’s your first time owning a hamster or if you’ve been doing it for years and just want to make sure you have everything ready, we’ve compiled a guide of everything you need for your new furry friend.

The first step to bringing home a new small furry animal is making sure you have their home ready. While cats and dogs can have the freedom to roam the whole house, there are just too many hazards for smaller companions and they need a nice safe space of their own. In the wild, hamsters have lots of predators so they’re always alert and keeping an eye out for danger. A hamster cage serves as somewhere they can feel totally safe in and not have to worry about any predators or stay too alert to dangers.

When you’re looking for a home for your new companion, it should have plenty of space to move around in, somewhere for their food, water and a separate sleeping area. Hamsters love to cuddle up tightly to sleep in a nice thick layer of bedding that they will arrange to make it super comfortable. A cage like the Little Zoo Hugo Hamster Cage makes really good use of the space it has with a fun tunnel and different levels to provide plenty of room to roam. It comes with a water bottle, food bowl, a house to sleep in and even an exercise wheel so you already have the basics you need.

If you want to go one bigger, then the Savic Sky Metro Hamster Cage is a great choice measuring 80cm in length. Your hamster will have plenty of space to run around along with all the basics included and the bonus of multiple little homes they can choose to make their bedroom!

When looking for the perfect bedding choice for your furry friend, by far one of the most common options is wood shavings. The Woodshavings Giant will easily last weeks and won’t hurt your pockets. It’s almost entirely dust-free which will help keep your hamster nice and healthy, not to mention making for a nice comfortable bedding that they can happily dig around in.

If you’re looking for a bedding material that is guaranteed to have no dust at all and help your hamster avoid any respiratory issues, then Carefresh White Ultra Small Pet Bedding is a fantastic option. It’s made from recycled paper, highly absorbent and biodegradable too. While both woodshaving and paper bedding make a great addition to any hamster cage, you can treat your furry friend to extra soft bedding specifically for their bedroom. The Neetnest White Small is safe, soft and extra comfortable so they can make it into the perfect bed for themselves.

Hamsters love to run on a wheel like the Savic Rolly Hamster Wheel, so a wheel is a necessity for any cage. Most hamster homes come with a wheel but you should make sure it’s the right size for your new friend. If it’s a little small and they have to curve their back to run on it, then you may need to upgrade to a larger size. The Super Pet Silent Spinner Medium is a great option if you share a room with your hamster. Hamsters are often away in the night and love to get their exercise in while you sleep. A silent spinner means you can sleep peacefully while your furry friend plays and occupies themselves when you’re not awake to interact with them.

A hamster food should fulfil all the dietary requirements of your new fluffy addition to keep them fit and healthy. You can subsidise their diet with fresh veggies to have a nibble at but you should avoid too much sugar. Treats are a great way to bond with your new buddy but they should also be healthy for them like Nibblot Berry Treats for Small Animals. They can help you make fast friends with them while not being detrimental to their health.

A balanced and healthy diet is something like Tiny Friends Farm Harry Hamster Food. This option is packed with nutritious and palatable ingredients which are all natural like pumpkin seeds, peanuts, soya oil and sunflower seeds. Your hamster is bound to love such a colourful and flavourful mixture of food.

Sometimes hamsters can do something called selective feeding when they pick out their favourite bits of food and leave behind the ones they don’t like so much. If they do this over time, that balanced and complete diet you give them will no longer be balanced when you’re always throwing the same pieces out. If they start to feed selectively, getting them a diet of uniformed nuggets that contain everything they need and still taste great might be the way to go. Burgess Hamster, Gerbil & Mouse Nugget Dry Food all look the same but are packed full of all the vitamins and minerals.

Once they have everything they need to keep them safe and healthy, you can look at different ways to bring some excitement and enrichment into it by getting lots of different toys to keep them stimulated. They are inquisitive critters who love to explore so filling their home with different things that you can change out and give them different things to do regularly will keep them happy. Hamsters love to chewm, so filling their home with lots of chew safe toys like Rosewood Gnawty N Nice Fruit & Veg Chew Toy will keep them from getting bored and chewing at the bars, as well.

Outside of their cage, they can have plenty of cuddles and you can even set up a little play area for them to have time out with you. A hamster ball like the Cheeko Clear Hamster Ball even means they can safely explore the house without getting lost under the couch! You can find all the toys you need along with all of your hamster essentials in store and online.