Happy Hamster Habitat

For many people hamsters make great pets. They can be entertaining to watch, can be held and played with and are relatively low maintenance. The first step to a happy hamster is having a great place for your hamster to live. This can be achieved by making sure you have a few essential things.

To start your happy hamster habitat you will need to determine what type of cage to get. Keep in mind that with certain types of hamsters you only want to house one hamster per cage because they will get aggressive toward each other and one of them will end up dead. When looking for a cage there are a few things to keep in mind. The bigger the cage you have the better, because this will give your hamster more space to explore and run around. Also look for one with a plastic top and bottom, with metal bars between them. The bars provide your hamster with a great place to chew, which helps their teeth, and it's a great way to feed them treats. My hamsters love when I put special treats through the bars in their cage. Personally my favorite types of hamster cages are the "Critter Trail" brand. They have many different sized cages and almost of the cages can be connected to each other with plastic tubes. You can even add just plastic tubes to the cage so your hamster can have some fun.

Once you have a cage there are three essential things you will need. You need to have a water bottle, food dish, and wheel. Some cages come with these and others don't. For your convenience I would suggest buying a cage with all of these in it. Then you won't have to worry about if they fit or where to put them. Another reason I suggest "Critter Trail" cages is that they come with these items.

One you have your cage, a wheel, food dish and water bottle you will need bedding for your cage. Your hamster will bury themselves in the bedding to sleep and hide food and treats in it. It's important to have an adequate amount of bedding for your hamster. There are a few different options for this and it really depends on your personal taste. One option is wood chips. You can find bags of this in your local pet store or Wal-Mart. If you're going to use wood chips, use pine not cedar. There is something in the cedar that is harmful to your hamster's lungs. The next option for this would be the soft, fluffy bedding that is found in stores. This is more expensive than the wood chips but your hamster may enjoy this more. The last option for bedding would be shredded newspaper. With this option be sure to use only black and white newspaper, not colored or magazines.

The next thing to do would be stock up on food and treats for you hamster. For a general food, I would just buy the hamster and gerbil mix at the pet store or Wal-Mart. Also hamsters need treats to keep them happy. There are two types I recommend buying at the store the rest can be found in your own kitchen. You should get you hamster a salt wheel, which can fit right between the bars of the cage, and yogurt bites. Those items can be found in the store near the hamster food. Most hamsters like all types of foods. Fresh vegetables such as lettuce, green, yellow or red peppers, celery, and carrots are excellent treats and healthy for your hamster. They will also like fresh or dried pieces of fruit. Cereal, pretzels and popcorn are also enjoyed by hamsters. Some of them will eat small pieces of meat or boiled egg. Remember when giving your hamster treats these are treats and should be given occasionally to supplement their diet.

The last thing you will need to create a happy hamster habitat would be toys for you hamster's cage. Depending on the size of the cage there may not be much for toys but some cages come with toys already. The wheel is something we already talked about but will provide your hamster with lots of entertainment and exercise. Hamsters love to move around and crawl and they like to chew. If you can add plastic tubes to your cage that would be a great. Also toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls make a good toy because the hamsters can crawl through them or they can chew them up for extra bedding. Extra places for you hamster to sleep and hide things in are excellent. Most pet stores sell wood blocks and other things that are made specifically for your hamster to chew and that is a great toy.
These are just a few basic tips to help you make a happy hamster habitat. If you follow these suggestions and give your hamster plenty of attention you should have a very happy hamster. If you'd like to hear about and learn about my hamster please follow my blog here. Do any of you have an suggestions from your experience?