🐹 Looking After Your Hamster
A complete guide to caring for happy, healthy hamsters
Hamsters are adorable, curious, and surprisingly characterful pets. Whether you have a Syrian hamster or one of the dwarf breeds such as Roborovski, Djungarian, Siberian or Chinese, giving them the right care helps them live a healthy, happy life.
Syrian hamsters grow to around six inches and typically live two to three years, while dwarf hamsters are smaller—around two to three inches—and usually live one to two years.
Although often seen as ideal pets for children, hamsters are naturally nocturnal. They are most active late at night, which means digging, scratching and lots of wheel‑running. If you’re awake in the evenings or don’t mind a busy night‑time pet, a hamster can be a wonderful companion.
Hamsters may nip if woken during the day, so children under six shouldn’t handle them, and older children should always be supervised.
When choosing a home for your hamster, remember these key rules:
- Syrian hamsters must live alone — they are solitary and should never be housed together.
- Dwarf hamsters can live in pairs or small groups, but never mix males and females unless you want lots of babies.
Choosing the Right Cage
- Syrians do well in a wire cage or a 10‑gallon aquarium with a secure mesh lid.
- Dwarf hamsters can live in cages designed for mice.
- Fancy modular cages with tubes and tunnels are fun but can be harder to clean.
Place the enclosure away from direct sunlight and drafts. Line it with safe bedding such as aspen shavings, timothy hay, shredded paper, or pelleted bedding. Avoid pine or cedar, as their fumes can be harmful.
Enrichment & Comfort
Hamsters love to explore, hide and nest. Make sure their home includes:
- A solid exercise wheel
- A small hideaway or sleeping box
- Tunnels (cardboard tubes work perfectly)
- Soft paper for nesting
A comfortable hamster is a happy hamster.
🏠 Hamster Housing
🥕 Hamster Diet
🧹 General Care & Handling
Cleaning Routine
- Remove droppings, old food and soiled bedding daily.
- Replace all bedding and clean the cage with hot, soapy water weekly.
Chewing Needs
Hamsters’ teeth grow continuously. Provide:
- Untreated wood or twigs
- Dog biscuits (great for gnawing)
Taming & Handling
Start by offering treats from your hand. Once your hamster is confident, gently pick them up and gradually increase handling time.
Let your hamster explore outside the cage daily in a safe, enclosed area. Remove wires and anything they might chew.
🩺 Hamster Health
Seek veterinary help immediately if you notice:
- Dull or sunken eyes
- Matted fur
- Weight loss
- Shaking
- Runny nose
- Diarrhoea
Hamsters are prone to respiratory infections and can even catch colds from humans, so avoid handling them if you’re unwell.
A balanced diet keeps your hamster healthy and active. Start with a quality hamster mix containing seeds, grains, cracked corn and pellets.
Safe Fresh Foods
Offer small amounts every two to three days:
- Spinach, lettuce, carrots, apples
- Fresh grains
- Sunflower seeds and nuts (sparingly—they’re high in fat)
- Alfalfa pellets
- Remove uneaten fresh food before it spoils.
Foods to Avoid
Never feed:
- Raw kidney beans
- Onions
- Raw potato
- Rhubarb
- Chocolate
- Sweets or junk food
Provide fresh water daily using an inverted bottle with a drinking tube.
Hamsters often store food in hidden corners, so check for stashes during cleaning.
⭐ Key Takeaway
With the right housing, diet, enrichment and gentle handling, your hamster can thrive and bring plenty of joy to your home.
Contact Information
Opening Hours
Principal Pets
184 Telegraph Road
Heswall
Merseyside
CH60 0AJ
Tel: 0151 342 9635
Email: info@principalpets.co.uk
VAT : 178 3864 58
Free Local Delivery
Monday Closed
Tuesday 09:00 to 17:30
Wednesday 09:00 to 17:30
Thursday 09:00 to 17:30
Friday 09:00 to 17:30
Saturday 09:00 to 17:30
Sunday Closed