The scope of this question is very broad, because there are too many things to pay attention to if you want to raise it well. Let’s take a look at the following introductory knowledge first

The lifespan of a hamster is about 2-3 Years or more, like other pets, hamster owners are responsible for caring for them throughout their lives. This responsibility includes not only daily feeding, care and companionship, but also requiring veterinary treatment when the pet becomes ill - which can cost a lot of money. Proper care can help your hamsters enjoy a happy and healthy life, but if they become sick please treat them as soon as possible, as the condition can get worse quickly for your hamster.

Section 1 Hamster’s Home

Hamsters need a home with various facilities. Owners need to purchase some of the most basic equipment: hamster cages, bedding materials, nesting materials, water bottles and food bowls, so that they can welcome the hamsters!

1. Hamster Cage

The cage is probably the largest expense of raising a hamster. We want to buy as large a cage as possible because hamsters will spend most of their lives in it, and small cages can cause many behavioral problems for your hamster.

There are many types of hamster cages to choose from in pet stores or online. They may be plastic cages with wires, completely plastic cages, glass/plastic boxes, or completely metal cages. At the same time, you can also make your own hamster cage using easily available materials, which saves money and can be disassembled and assembled at will.

Different types of hamsters require different types of cages. When preparing a cage, pay attention to whether it is designed for your hamster!

2． Bedding

Bedding is necessary because it provides a soft, comfortable surface for your hamster and absorbs urine. The most suitable bedding material is wood chips, but wood chips that are too fine should not be used as this can cause eye diseases in hamsters.

Pine is a soft and ideal bedding material, and dry pine wood chips are very popular among hamsters. Hardwoods such as poplar or paper made from wood pulp designed specifically for small animals are also safe to provide to hamsters.

Smell-smelling wood chips should be avoided as they can cause irritation to hamsters. At the same time, things like corn cobs cannot be used because they will ferment in the hamster's stomach...

3. Nesting Materials

If you give your hamster something to use as a bed, it will be happy. These materials can be purchased from pet stores, but any fluffy cotton wool products should not be used for hamsters. Once a hamster eats it, the tiny fibers will knot and clump in its stomach, causing harm! For the same reason, pieces of cloth cannot be used. These items cannot be broken down by the hamster’s digestive system.

What kind of materials are safe? Those that are easily broken by the hamster and can be digested.

Soft paper scraps are the best choice because the hamster can break them up and eat them easily. Colorless and odorless toilet paper or shredded paper towels will do.

Hay can also be used, but it must be clean and free of mold and soil. Be careful not to use those with hard edges, as they may injure your hamster!

4. Running Wheel

Hamsters in the wild exercise a lot and run several kilometers every night in search of food. So a large cage and a running wheel are necessary - your hamster will get plenty of exercise!

Today, hamster cages are usually equipped with running wheels, and it is also possible to purchase stand-up running wheels for use by hamsters living in glass/plastic boxes.

The running wheel should have no gaps to avoid getting stuck on the hamster’s feet. Also, the running wheels should be big enough.

Most hamsters like to play on the wheel, but there are still a small number of hamsters who don’t like to play, so owners don’t have to worry; because corresponding to this is another small group of hamsters who are infinitely addicted to running on the wheel... …

5. Kettle

Hamsters need to have access to water at all times. You can put the water in a small dish (ceramic, metal or glass ones are less likely to be knocked over); but it is best to use a hamster-specific water bottle, as the hamster will not knock it over or get wood chips into the water. .

6． Food bowl

A food bowl is not necessary as hamsters will happily forage for food on the floor and will often regurgitate their food on the ground. But the food bowl is convenient for you to feed. You can observe the hamster's food intake and find out in time that it has nothing to eat!

Similarly, food bowls should also be made of ceramic, metal or glass. Plastic ones are easy to flip over.

7. Cage Accessories and Toys

Some other cage accessories can bring new excitement and a more interesting environment to your hamster

Cabins

There are many types of cabins available in pet stores You can choose to let your hamsters build a nest in it. Pay attention to the size of the cabin. Dwarf hamsters need a smaller one so that they can easily build a nest; Syrian hamsters need a larger one because the door is too small and they can’t get in!

Wooden blocks with holes

Give hamsters wooden blocks so that they can climb up, down, and drill around. But larger Syrian hamsters may have more trouble. They need wood blocks with larger holes.

Bathroom

A box large enough to hold the bath sand is enough. Make sure it is not prone to tilting and causing the bath sand to spill out. Hamsters love to roll around in bath sand, which helps remove oil from their fur. In the wild, hamsters live in sandy areas, so sand in the bathroom will be very popular with hamsters.

Tubes and Lookouts

You can buy plastic or wooden pipes and lookouts at pet stores, either small ones for dwarf hamsters or larger ones for Syrian hamsters.

Mineral or salt blocks

Available in some pet stores, but not required.

Cardboard Ducts

Old cardboard boxes or toilet paper rolls can provide pipes for hamsters to crawl in and out of, or simply turn into crumbs!

Nipping wood

You can buy it at pet stores, or you can even find an apple branch to use as chewing wood. This helps the hamster keep its teeth long and sharp!

8． Other Equipment

There are also things you can provide your hamsters if they come out to play.

Hamster ball

Hamster ball is the most common hamster toy, and hamsters can roam around your home in it. Many hamsters love hamster balls, but not all. Make sure someone is around when the hamster is in the ball, make sure the door to the hamster ball is closed tightly and that the hamster has enough space inside. Don't leave your hamster in there for too long. Once your hamster seems bored, take it out.

Hamster Paradise

It is very dangerous to let the hamster run around outside the cage, but the owner wants it to have a freer space. Hamster Paradise is a good choice. Hamsters can play inside without you being unable to find them.

Section 2 Do you live in groups?

1. Syrian hamsters

Although they can live together or be crowded together in pet stores when they are young, Syrian hamsters will become completely solitary animals when they mature sexually. Therefore, Syrian hamsters cannot tolerate cohabitation from the age of 6-10 weeks. Fights between each other may not be serious at first, but will become more and more intense until one party is seriously injured or dead. This usually happens at night and is not easily noticed. Therefore, the owner must keep them separately and abide by the one-rat-one-cage principle.

2． Dwarf hamsters

Dwarf hamsters are social animals, and a pair or a group of hamsters can live together, regardless of gender. Different species of dwarf hamsters cannot live together because they have different habits. Living together will make them nervous and cause adverse effects.

It is best to raise dwarf hamsters together from a young age, because adult hamsters, especially those that have lived alone, usually cannot accept new members. If you buy more than two dwarf hamsters from a pet store, although you don't have to make sure they are born in the same litter, make sure they are the same age and size and have lived together since they were young.

When small hamsters or hamsters that have been living together are brought to a new environment, they may yell and chase each other. This is to confirm the new control order and the possibility of real biting. Sex is not big.

At this time, it is best for the owner to observe rather than interfere with them to establish a new order, unless they really get into a fight and are injured. Then they must be raised in separate cages.

Also, hamsters rarely accept new members outside their control!

Section 3 Ready to move in!

Be sure to choose the location of the cage before arranging it. The cage should be kept away from direct sunlight, away from ventilation openings, away from heating objects, and placed in a place with a constant temperature. Owners should also prevent other animals around them from harming their hamsters.

A proper cage is:

● The floor is covered with bedding materials such as sawdust

● Fill the kettle with water and hang it at the appropriate height to ensure The kettle dispenses water and does not leak. Going to the store to buy some water-soluble vitamins and adding them to the water can be very beneficial for your hamster, especially if they are sick.

● Place the food bowl securely and fill it with food. You can also sprinkle some around the cage.

● Get some nesting materials and put them in the cage or spread them in the shed.

● Install running wheels on the cage, or place the bracket running wheels in a suitable place.

Section 4 Hamster Food

Each hamster has a different taste. There is no way to determine what hamsters like to eat; but you must know what is edible and what is poisonous and harmful. of.

Hamsters use their cheek pouches to collect food and bring it to a "safe" place to enjoy. In a "safe" place, the hamster will squeeze out the food and build a small granary. Hamster cheek pouches are very fragile, and sharp or sticky food can affect the health of your hamster's cheek pouches!

1. Staple food

The staple food for hamsters sold in pet stores usually consists of oats, barley, peanuts, melon seeds, corn, dog biscuits and some synthetic food (fruit and vegetable compresses). There are also some teething foods designed for small animals. Although they are very suitable for hamsters, they do not provide enough variety of nutrients.

Foods designed for other pets cannot be given to hamsters because they may not be suitable for the hamster's digestive system. But a food mix designed for birds can be given to a hamster, especially if it is pregnant or nursing a baby.

The staple food is the most basic and important content of the hamster's diet. The process of changing the type of hamster's staple food should be completed gradually, otherwise the hamster may get sick!

2． Fruits and Vegetables

Although staple food provides hamsters with their basic nutritional needs, they still need to eat some fruits and vegetables. Do not eat too much of these things at one time because they can cause diarrhea. At the beginning, only one or two pieces of fruit or vegetables should be given a week, and after a few weeks, they should be provided every day. Once your hamster develops diarrhea, fruits and vegetables should be withheld until the hamster is fully healthy again.

Some vegetables and fruits can be given to hamsters, but only a little at a time to prevent food from spoiling.

Hamsters can eat:

Alfalfa apples (seedless)

Asparagus avocado (peeled, seedless)

Banana Blackberries

Blueberries Kale (in small amounts occasionally)

Chinese cabbage (should only be fed in small amounts, too much can cause health problems) Carrots

Cauliflower leaves and stems of celery

Cherrys (pits should be removed, as they threaten teeth) Chestnuts

Chicory corn

Cranberry cress

Cucumber curly kale

Grape green beans

Kidney beans (cooked food) Kiwi fruit

Kumquat lettuce (a small amount occasionally, excessive amounts can cause liver problems)

Lychee mango

Melon and green beans

Okra and parsley (a good tonic)

Peach and pear

Plum potatoes (cooked)

Raspberry raspberry plant leaves

Rhubarb (ripe) star fruit

Strawberry sugar cane (a small amount)

Grapped soybean sweet pepper

Carrots and watermelons

Hamsters cannot eat:

Kidney beans (raw materials)

Onions

Potatoes (raw)

Rhubarb (raw)

Rhubarb leaves

Tomato leaves

3. Plants and Flowers

When feeding any plants or flowers, make sure they are harmless, and if you are unsure, don’t try it!

What hamsters can eat:

Tingleaf

Blackberry leaves

Clover

Cornflower

Dandelion Leaves and Flowers

Hawthorn Leaves

Calendula

Daisy

Rose

Miracles

What hamsters can’t eat:

Convolvulus

Windbell

Bulbs

Iron Fir

Heath fairy

Horseeye

Lauren leaves

Oak leaves

Ligustrum lucidum

4． Other foods

Many kinds of foods can be purchased in pet stores. You don’t need to use them as staple food, but just as snacks to reward your hamster. Because most of these foods contain high amounts of sugar, they can cause excessive obesity in hamsters.

Other things hamsters can eat:

Acorn beech

Biscuit boiled potatoes

Brazil nut bread (fresh)

Cereal breakfast cake (but not chocolate cake)

Cashew chicken (deli)

Cheese coconut

Cricket dog biscuits

Eggs (cooked) Fish (cooked)

Hazelnut nut meat products (cooked)

Nuts and prunes

Raisins and sweet chestnuts

Toast walnuts

Remember, because they contain too much sugar and fat, be sure not to feed your hamster too much of these.

Other hamsters cannot eat:

Almonds

Chocolate

Garlic

Sweets

Toffee

Section 5 Hamster’s Little Days

Food and Water

Hamsters eat when they wake up every night, so this You can add staple food and other snacks to it. If it wakes up very late, you can use food to adjust it so that it wakes up earlier. The eating time can be developed slowly, but it is best to be fixed!

The water in the kettle must be refilled at any time and kept clean. Hamsters cannot be short of water!

Pay attention to your image!

Most species of hamsters do not require disguise, but there is one exception - those long-haired Syrian hamsters. You'll want to comb their coat carefully to keep it clean and smooth, using a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Hamsters do not need to be washed. They can clean their fur by themselves, but water will wash away the natural and necessary oils on their bodies, causing skin diseases. Of course, the most dangerous thing is the cold caused by washing. But they can always take a good wash in the sand. The sand takes away excess oil. Healthy, beautiful fur is very important for hamsters.

Clean the cage

The cage should be cleaned once a week or so. Take the hamster out and dump everything in the cage: sawdust, feces, hidden food... Reducing the smell of the hamster is one thing, and preventing these things from fermenting is another. At the same time, you can put some old nest-building materials inside the new one, and the hamster will feel more friendly!

Health Check

When cleaning the cage, you can hold the hamster and check it over and over! At this time, you should also look at the sawdust in the cage: soft stool is a precursor to diarrhea. If there is very little stool, you should pay attention to whether it is constipation.