Husbandry Advice

When selecting a cage, keep in mind the golden rules of happy hamster housing.

In the wild hamsters are solitary and should live alone. They do fight and may seriously injure or even kill each other.

Keep your hamster in a wire cage or a big aquarium with a wire-mesh top. The fancy cages with tubes, tunnels and hideaways are also good, but they generally cost more and are harder to clean. If you have space for a larger cage, it will be much appreciated by your hamster.

The enclosure should be placed away from direct sunlight and drafts. It should be deeply lined with an absorbent bedding such as timothy hay, shredded paper (like Care Fresh or Eco Bedding) or pelleted bedding.

We don’t like woodchips as they are dusty and can even be toxic.

Hamsters love to exercise, so please make sure your little pet has a wheel for running. We advise you buy a wheel with a solid base to prevent their little paws being caught.

Hamsters also like to hide and sleep inside enclosed spaces, in the desert they live in cool dark burrows deep underground. So they love to crawl through tubes- empty cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper may used. In our retail shop and other pet shops you will find ‘special’ tubes made of thick cardboard or cardboard and hay to provide your little hamster with tubes that they can crawl through, hide in and also safely chew on.

If is also good to provide your hamster with a small hiding box.

Remember to regularly give him small pieces of paper towel or napkin to shred and make a nest with.

We do not recommend fabric or cotton wool bedding materials as the small strands in them can get caught up around their feet and constrict the blood supply.