An adventurous hamster who was found in Bristol this week has prompted quite a bit of interest in these furry creatures. Here’s what you need to know…
Recently a hamster was brought into us by a couple who had found it in their loft. They had heard scratching sounds and after making a hole to put in an access panel, the hamster popped out! After a brief stay with us, Dasher the hamster found a new home with a family in Bristol who are experienced hamster keepers.
The story prompted a lot of people to ask us about what’s involved in keeping hamsters as pets, so here we’ll be answering the most common questions.
Where should hamsters live?
The minimum size for a hamster cage is 78cm – 48cm x 36cm and make sure the bars are spaced no further than 1cm. They’ll need a deep layer of suitable bedding for burrowing, a food bowl, water bowl and suitable toys and accessories. You should also put in a wheel with a minimum diameter of at least 20cm for dwarf hamsters or 28cm for Syrian hamsters. The more space and enrichment activities you can offer your hamster, the happier they will be.
Can hamsters be housed outdoors?
No. In the wild, hamsters live in warm, dry climates so outdoors in the UK would not be a suitable environment for them. It’s also important that they aren’t exposed to drafty or damp conditions. They need to be kept in a room where the lights go off at more or less the same time each night. Try to avoid erratic hours of lighting. Hamsters are also sensitive to bright sunlight.
Do hamsters like company?
Not all hamsters are sociable. In the wild, Syrian hamster adults generally live on their own in their burrows. Other species, such as the Russian dwarf, naturally live in groups – but if you are planning to house them together it’s important that it’s done under appropriate conditions.
If you are housing hamsters in groups, take great care to make sure the groups are compatible. Hamsters are generally solitary animals, and can be aggressive towards other hamsters. When aggression occurs between hamsters it can be very dramatic and lead to serious injury or even death. Provide multiple shelters in the cage so that each hamster can hide away from the others if they need to. Any fighting between group members is likely to happen during the night when your hamsters are most active so always check them in the morning to make sure that none of them have been badly injured and need to be taken to the vet.
Do not house unfamiliar hamsters, and different cages of hamsters, next to one another as they can find this stressful. Hamsters use odours including pheromones to communicate. The presence and scent of other animals in the home can also be stressful for hamsters, so make sure to keep them away from your hamster.
How do you handle a hamster?
Hamsters enjoy interacting with people – but only if you’re careful and sensitive to their needs. Don’t handle them when they’re sleeping and try to let them investigate your hands in their own time, rather than grabbing them straight away. Hamsters should be picked up by cupping the hamster with two hands and then gently opening the hands so that the hamster is sitting on joint palms.
What do hamsters eat?
You can pick up hamster mix at most good pet shops, which is basically a compound pelleted mixture of different seeds. They can also eat very small quantities of greens, cleaned root vegetables or pieces of fruit to supplement their usual food and add variety. Don’t feed them rhubarbs or grapes though, as these can be poisonous to rodents.
It is also very important to ensure they have continuous access to fresh, clean drinking water. The water should be given ideally from a bottle with a valveless sipper tube. Check the water bottle daily for leaks and/or blockages. Change their water regularly and clean the bottle and nozzle properly to avoid contamination.
