Beginners Guide for Selecting and Keeping a Healthy Hamster

Before you decide to get a hamster, you must realize it is a big responsibility. You have to make sure it had food and water at all times, clean its litter, and give it lots of toys to chew on. A hamster will take a lot of time and money, so make sure you have both before you make a commitment. After you have decided that you are going to get a hamster, there are a couple things that are good to know.

Selecting a hamster
This one choice will affect you whole pet owning experience. If you get a sick one, you may end up with massive pet bills or even a dead pet. It you select one that always sleeps, you may be bored. In order to make sure you select the right hamster, you must look for a couple of things. When you get to the pet store (or breeder) ask to handle and play with the hamster. If you go in the day, they will most likely be sleeping; you should wake them up for around 5 minutes. If you don't let them wake up, they could get scarred and nip. After they are awake, look for an energetic hamster. An energetic hamster will run back and forth across the cage or run on the wheel. It will climb on top of others, but not hurt them, trying to get your attention. After you have selected a few ones that fit that characteristic, you will need to make sure they are physically healthy. Look in their eyes, they should be clear. Also make sure that it's bottom is not wet, this could be a sign of wet tail, which left untreated, can be deadly. After you have your eye on a few healthy and energetic hamsters, it is time for the fun part. Pick the one that is most appealing to you, it might be its looks or its attitude.

Bringing them home
When you select your hamster, the pet store will most likely put it in a cardboard box. To make the travel home safer and more comfortable, you should bring a little pet carrier and some treats. Make sure you do this because the cardboard boxes are very flimsy and hamsters could chew out of them easily. A pet carrier will also let you see your pet, if you have a clear one. After you get your pet, go straight home. Don't stop anywhere (accept the vet if you need to). Stopping will only make the transition harder for the hamster. It is better to make sure your cage is all set up before you bring it home, but if it isn't, keep it in the carrier until his new home is set up. Make sure the cage is in a place that gets light and it is in a place where the temperature is acceptable.

Maintenance
This is probably the downfall of owning a hamster. It is annoying, and sometimes gross. You will need to change the cages litter at least once a week. When you change it, dump out all the old litter and wash the cage with soapy water. Let it dry then put all new fresh litter in. You will also need to make sure your little furry friend had food and water available to him at all times. Hamsters are very small animals, so they cannot survive with out food for a long time. You should also take your hamster in for a check up at the vet about once a year. This is relatively inexpensive and can save your buddies life.

I hope you enjoy your new hamster and you learned a lot from this article. I will be writing more articles soon, so please check back for more.

Thanks for your time.