This guide will teach you all of the basic and proper hamster care. (As of 2022!)
I am in no way a professional when it comes to hamster care, but I have done my research. Even though this guide covers a lot there is still so much more to learn, and I’d recommend doing a ton of research before getting any living animal.
Okay, let’s get started!
There are 5 domesticated species of hamsters.
The Roborovski dwarf, the Cambell’s Russian Dwarf, The Winter White Dwarf, The Chinese Hamster, and the Syrian.
1: Cages
Hamsters have been domesticated for less than 100 years, so it is very important that we give our hamsters large cages.
The bare minimum amount of floor space a hamster should ever have to live in is:
450 sq. inches (U.S. and Canada)
620 sq. inches (U.K.)
750 sq. inches (Germany)
Please keep in mind that minimum isn’t ideal, and it’s recommended to have at least 800 sq. Inches for a dwarf, and 1,000 sq. Inches for a Syrian.
Bigger is usually better!
Why does my hamster need a big cage?
In the wild hamsters walk miles a night, so it is ideal for them to have lots of space.
Hamsters also get stressed very easily, and small cages are very anxiety provoking, which can lead to many health problems, and can even kill your hamster or shorten their life span.
Some common signs of stress are:
Bar biting,
(Chewing on the metal bars in wire cages)
monkey barring,
(Climbing and hanging from the bars of wire cages)
wall scaling,
(Jumping at the walls of glass or plastic cages)
pacing,
(Running from one end of the cage to the other over and over again)
and hair loss.
A common hamster illness called wet tail (Diarrhea) is an illness caused by bacteria in the intestines. A stressed hamster's immune system is more defenseless to the disease. It’s very rare that it effects older hamsters or dwarfs so usually only young Syrian hamsters get it. Wet tail is very deadly and can kill a hamster in three days or less so keep a look out.
If your hamster has any symptoms take them to the vet immediately.
Symptoms include:
Loss of appetite/dehydration
Lethargy
Walking weird
Ears pulled back
Dirty back end
Extreme Diarrhea
When shopping for a hamster cage:
Always make sure the enclosure is the proper size. This is simple. Just calculate the width times the length of the enclosure to find the square inches.
If you get a wire cage make sure the bar spacing is 1/2 inch or less for Syrians and 1/4 Inch or less for dwarves as hamsters are incredible escape artists.
If store bought enclosures are too expensive, you can make a hamster cage out of a storage bin! This is super easy and cheap and there are tons of tutorials on YouTube.
You can also get large fish tanks, but larger ones can be quite expensive.
A 40 gallon breeder is the smallest fish tank you’ll want to keep a hamster in, but bigger is better.
There are also many DIY options including modified IKEA furniture.
Never house hamsters together.
Hamsters are solitary and will fight to the death.
2: Bedding
Hamsters are burrowing animals, so it is important to provide them with lots of bedding to burrow in.
For dwarves and Chinese hamsters a good amount would be six or more inches, and for Syrian hamsters eight or more.
Some hamsters don’t start burrowing until they have at least ten inches of substrate, so if you think your hamster doesn’t like burrowing, try adding more bedding.
The best options for bedding would be unscented paper based bedding and Aspen wood shavings.
Make sure it isn’t too dusty!
Unsafe substrates:
Avoid pine and cedar wood shavings, kiln dried wood, and soft wood as these can cause respiratory infections and have unsafe chemicals.
Also avoid scented bedding as it can give your hamster respiratory issues.
Avoid cotton fluff, which can give your hamster blockages and can also get stuck on their limbs, cutting of circulation.
Don’t use fleece since this won’t allow your hamster to burrow.
Don’t use bedding that can’t hold up burrows.
3: Wheels
Wheels are very important.
Hamsters travel miles a night in the wild so they need a wheel; however, make sure your hamster has the right type and size of wheel!
For dwarf species you’ll want to give them at least an 8 inch wheel, and for Syrian and Chinese hamsters at least a 10 inch wheel.
If your hamster’s back is arching it means the wheel is too small. A too small of wheel can lead to back problems and a shortened life span.
Avoid wheels that are made of mesh and wire, these can give your hamster
“bumble foot” which is painful blisters that can lead to infections.
Your hamster’s toes and limbs can also get caught in the holes.
Also avoid wooden wheels with wooden grips as these can scrape against your hamster’s feet causing them to bleed.
4: Diet
It’s a common myth that hamsters shouldn’t have variety because it will make them picky, but this isn’t true.
Pelleted diets don’t provide your hamster with enough variety which is ultimately boring, as well as they don’t have enough nutritional value.
There isn’t one single store bought hamster food that has all of the things a hamster needs, but you can mix the seed mix with a lab block.
The best store bought hamster diet is 50% Higgins Sunburst Hamster and Gerbil blend mixed with 50% Mazuri Rat and Mouse Pellets.
You should be feeding your hamster around 2 table spoons of food every three days.
Hamsters also benefit from fresh fruits and vegetables.
Some safe options are:
Apple
Banana
Blueberry
Strawberry
Romaine lettuce
Cucumber
Tomato
Carrot
Spinach
Broccoli
Make sure to give them in variation and to not feed too many. A little bit two to three times a week is a good amount.
Winter White, Russian Dwarf, and Chinese hamsters are prone to diabetes so make sure not to feed them too much sugar.
As for treats, it’s recommended to only feed healthier treats such as safe baby puffs, safe cereals, safe dried fruit or vegetable, and seeds.
Make sure your hamster always has easy access to clean water.
Clean their water source daily.
Both bowls and bottles work well.
With bowls make sure your hamster doesn’t fill it with bedding and with bottles make sure the spout is sticking out so that the hamster can properly access the water.
5: Enrichment, toys, and other things your hamster will need
Hamsters are very high energy animals, and enrichment is very important to keep your hamster’s brain stimulated.
This is a list of other things your hamster needs to keep them happy and healthy.
Chew toys:
Hamster’s teeth grow continuously so you need to make sure your hamster has at least two chew toys or wooden items in their enclosure.
At least two to three hideouts:
Hamsters are pray animals so they need places to hide.
The bigger your hamster’s enclosure is, the more hideouts you should put.
A good rule of thumb is to have at least 2 or 3.
Make sure they are the proper size for your specific species of hamster.
For dwarves and Chinese hamsters smaller hides will work, but for Syrians you’ll want something a little larger.
Make sure the opening is at least 2 inches for dwarves and 3 inches for Syrians so they don’t get stuck or scrape their cheek pouches.
Always make sure your hamster can turn around inside their hideout.
Clear plastic hides aren’t recommended as they leak in light and can trap in heat.
You’ll want to have at least 2 toys.
This can be something to climb on, crawl through, or play in, such as bridges, cardboard tubes, cork logs, or grapevine wood, and different safe substrates such as coconut fiber, cork granules, etc.
Bendy bridges are a popular toy for hamsters, but make sure there aren’t any gaps your hamster’s feet can get stuck in. When using it as a bridge stuff and glue the gaps between logs with moss, and when using it as a divider do the same with the edges.
Avoid Snak Shak Logs and similar products as these are made with unsafe wood shavings which aren't good for a hamster to be ingesting.
Natural/wooden hides and toys are best, but solid plastic works too. Just make sure your hamster isn’t chewing on it.
Sand bath:
Hamsters can’t be bathed in water as it strips them of the natural oils in their fur and it can cause stress and sickness so it’s important to include a sand bath in your hamster’s enclosure.
Make sure you use safe sand.
Unsafe sands are:
Sand with calcium,
Sand with dyes,
Bathing dust/Bathing powder.
Bathing dust or Bathing powder can be too fine and cause respiratory issues and sand with calcium or dyes can potentially be poisonous.
Recommended sand is:
Non-dyed calcium free reptile sand
Children’s play sand (Sterilized in the oven and sifted)
All hamsters need sand baths, but especially dwarf hamsters, and even more importantly robo (roborovski) dwarf hamsters as they come from sandy areas.
For any hamster make sure the area or dish you are using as a sand bath is big enough for your hamster to roll around in, and for robo hamsters you’ll want an even bigger sand bath.
6: Cleaning your hamster’s cage
If your hamster’s enclosure is a proper size, then you shouldn’t have to clean it too often.
Make sure you are spot cleaning and taking out any soiled bedding, any droppings, and are cleaning out your hamsters’s sand bath if they use it as a bathroom.
Some hamsters go to the bathroom on their wheel, so if your hamster does this make sure to clean the wheel once to twice a week too!
You shouldn’t be deep cleaning your hamster’s cage too often, and should only have to do this every 2 to 5 months at most.
When you deep clean your hamster’s cage take half of the bedding or just the dirty bedding out and throw it away. Clean the bottom of the cage with a cleaning solution. (You can buy some, but I’d recommend making your own with 50% water and 50% vinegar. It’s safe and cleans well.)
Once you’re done cleaning the bottom add new bedding in and mix the old bedding you left in the enclosure with the new bedding, this way your hamster will still have some of their old scent and won’t be as stressed.
Clean your hamster’s hides and toys with your safe cleaning solution and replace the sand and other substrates if needed.
7: Taming and playing with your hamster
When you first get your hamster don’t touch or interact with them unless absolutely necessary for at least 2-3 days to let your hamster settle in to their new surroundings.
Once these days are up you may now start the taming process.
Sometimes your hamster will be completely tame already, but most of the time that will take a little bit.
Start off by giving your hamster a treat around the time they wake up for a few days.
Then after those few days keep doing this, but now offer your hand out to see if the hamster wants to climb on it. You can also attempt to pet them.
Keep doing this every day until your hamster is more comfortable with you.
Some hamsters just don’t like human interaction so if this sounds like your hamster, try to understand and let them be.
Go slow!
If you are still a bit confused or want to know more and or other ways to tame a hamster there are tons of awesome YouTube videos to help you out!
Never use a hamster ball to give your hamster “Out of the cage time” as they have very poor ventilation, are almost never big enough for your hamster, make it even harder for your hamster to see, and your hamster can get their feet and toes stuck in the “ventilation slits”.
Play pens are great options for playing with your hamster, as well as free roaming.
If you choose to free roam your hamster make sure you block off any areas where your hamster could escape or where they could get stuck, and make sure to pick up anything dangerous for your hamster.
If you don’t want to free roam, and don’t want to or can’t afford to buy a play pen you can also play with your hamster in the bath tub.
Just make sure to close the drain or block it off first, and that the tub is dry and chemical free.
I hope this guide was helpful, and please do more research than just this guide before getting a hamster!
Good luck with your new fur baby!
(If you have any suggestions or things I need to add let me know!!
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