Grainne FaganGone are the days where hamsters from Syrians to dwarf to Chinese are kept in small plastic cages. Why? After all this is the way they have been kept for decades.
That’s just the thing, times have changed, more research has been carried out, more knowledge has been shared, the welfare of any pet should be the top of any pet owners list.
The Science
In truth taking on any pet is a responsibility, and every pet should have their 5 welfare needs catered for which are to be able to
- Provide a suitable environment
- Feed a suitable diet for that specific species
- Allow the animal to be able to carry out normal behaviour patterns.
- Allow them to be housed with, or apart from other animals depending on the species and their specific needs.
- Be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
To be able to house a pet correctly these needs must be met and to do that requires a little bit of research and a lot of thought and consideration before taking on any new pet.
This means hamster enclosure wise a minimum of 100cm x 50cm sun-broken floor space is required, ideally larger as this is the minimum requirement. Gone are the days where they can be placed in a small corner of the room.
I don’t want to spend a lot of money on such a small pet, what are my hamster enclosure options?
It is worth investing in the correct sized cage, having larger enclosure makes it easier to clean, you can add enough bedding, the correct sized wheel and enrichment your hamster needs to be able to display natural behaviour. This helps prevent issues like bar biting, risky climbing and makes the enclosure much more interesting and interactive for the owner too.
Options include
The Savic plaza (suitable for dwarf hamsters) keep an eye on the page for larger cage updates.
Trixie have an amazing range of enclosures for your hamster.
Building your own or using IKEA hacks
Wheels and Enrichment
Dig boxes are a way to add enrichment, you can make your own or buy them ready made. Each section can be used for different substrates for example in one section you can put safe soil or..
Beech chips
Moss – Which can also be used to cover hides or gaps in bridges.
Paper based litter
Wheels
The minimum sized wheel for a dwarf hamster is 21cm, the minimum for a Syrian is 28cm but for those larger chunkier Syrians even larger is advisable like our 29cm wheel with a comfortable Cork lining. Did you know you can use cuprinol garden shade paints to safely paint your hamsters wheels fun colours.
Why such a big wheel?
Small wheels do not allow a hamster to stretch their backs. They just simply are too small and create spinal issues and pain in the long run. Never use wire wheels they are painful to run on, and tiny toes can get caught in them.
Toys and Hides
Hamsters require clutter to feel safe and enrichment, like tunnels. They also require a multi-chambers hide that mimics their burrows keep an eye on the page for further products.
Hides
They also love to shred items so having something like a carrot cottage is great.
Or even making your own boredom breakers and hides out of cardboard. Using a kitchen or toilet roll insert or our tougher cardboard rolls
You can stuff it with plain tissue paper and hide some treats/forage or their own food inside.
Bedding
All hamsters require a very deep layer of bedding to be able to fulfill their natural desire to dig and create tunnels. Finding a bedding that is safe, long lasting, has odour control and hold tunnels well is key. Kaytee bedding is a top favourite of mine it does all these things. The depth of the bedding ideally should be 10 inches compacted which is a far cry from the old days of a sprinkle of litter on the floor.
But kaytee bedding is expensive!
Agreed! However if you have set up your hamster enclosure correctly once you have made that initial investment you should never (unless there’s some illness or mites) need to clean out the entire enclosure through the hamsters whole lifetime. You will only ever need to spot clean and clean and sanitise the toilet area. You will only need to replace that smaller area with fresh bedding. Hamsters become stressed if their entire cage is cleaned out all at once. Hamster info Ireland have a whole list of in depth research papers on hamsters where you can delve into the why, it makes for interesting reading.
Read hamster research papers here.
Are there alternatives to Kaytee bedding?
Of course! Here at Mutts we try to provide a variety of options. You can also combine substrates to stretch it out for example Kaytee bedding with layers of orchard hay.
Or you can use Chipsi bedding which is more affordable and comes in large bales.
Keep an eye on out website page for future products!
Do hamsters need a sand bath if so why?
Hamsters must have access to a sand bath at all times, besides providing enrichment and a place to dig they require sand to keep their coats in good condition. Without it their coats become greasy and unkempt. One of the best sands to use is reptile sand, the type with no dyes or calcium added.
What about their toilet habits?
Hamsters tend to pick a spot to toilet in, to encourage them to go in one area clean everything with white vinegar then but some soiled bedding into the area you want them to go in. Many hamsters prefer to have their toilet area hidden and might use a section of their multi chamber hide, others choose to use their sand bath or another section of the enclosure. Using Cunipic in the toilet area can help cut down on odours.
However, it is important to clean your hamsters toilet area regularly to avoid any build up of ammonia and smell. White vinegar or keep it clean spray which comes in lovely lavender or freshly scented lemon which will leave the area as fresh as a daisy.
Diet
Hamsters are omnivorous so require a varied diet of seeds, protein (like meal worms) grains, nuts or fruit just as a treat, a tiny amount of fresh veg. Choosing a food with these ingredients will keep your hamster healthy and happy. Avoid foods with sugar or honey added, try to keep their diet as natural as possible. Sometimes food and treats can cross over did you know that hamsters love millet seed sprays usually for birds) and flax seed as part of their forage not to mention many of the Whimzee vegetable based treat range (usually for dogs). Remember to always double check to ensure the food you are feeding is safe, if in doubt avoid.
For more information on hamster care and welfare please check out hamster info Ireland. Ireland first and only registered charity for hamsters. They have lots of lovely hamsters for adoption like my very own Kiwi who’s photo adorns the walls of mutts pet shop along with staffs other beautiful pets. So don’t forget to pop into the mutts store on the Dargle road in Bray for all your hamster goodies. Next time… I will be rabbiting on about bunny care and what we can do to enrich their lives.
Head over to Hamster Info Ireland to learn more