Hamsters
Breeds: There are five different breeds of dwarf hamster. Campbell's, Winter White, Russian dwarf, Chinese dwarf, and Roborovski (which are the smallest of all the breeds). Syrian is the only non-dwarf breed. These hamsters often go by many other names and these hamsters can come in a variety of different coat colors, and can either be short haired or long haired. Pet stores like to market their hamsters with other names such as: Teddy Bear, Panda Bear, or Golden hamster.
Housing: Syrian hamsters require a minimum of 600 square inches of unbreakable floor space. Dwarfs can be content in a cage of 450 square inches, but we require a minimum of 600 square inches for all breeds. Some female Syrians often are not content in cages this size and do best in even larger enclosures (800+ square inches).
How to calculate square inch floor space: length x width = square inches
Recommended cages: 40+ gallon breeder tank, DIY bin cage, Prevue 528, DIY IKEA detolf.
Toys/Enrichment: Hamsters need a standing running wheel with a solid running surface (no wire/mesh*). Appropriate wheel sizes for Dwarf breeds are 6-9 inches, Syrians is 10-12 inches. Hamsters also should be provided a sand bath for enrichment and opportunities to bathe themselves. Some hamsters also use their sand baths as a "litter box" which makes cage cleaning easier. We also suggest adding a cool hide (such as a glass jar or mug) to give them something a bit cooler to lay in, especially in summer time. Chew toys and large hidey houses are great options to add to your hamster's cage. Hamsters like their homes cluttered with lots to explore! Paper bedding is the most popular bedding type for hamster, as well as safest.
Paper bedding can also be mixed with toilet paper or aspen shavings (no pine shavings*). Hamsters are burrowing animals and need an area of at least 5 inches of bedding, which will provide a deep enough space for them to dig tunnels and comfortably sleep.
Diet: Hamsters should have commercial food available 24/7. Hamsters love to burrow and hide their food throughout their cage and in their cheek pouches. We recommend filling their bowl with commercial food every 3 days, and supplementing fresh fruits/veggies/treats on the other days. This will help them not hoard large amounts of food to be wasted/rot. Recommended Seed Mix: Higgins Sunburst Hamster/Gerbil seed mix.
Lab Blocks: Seed mixes alone do not provide enough nutrition for a hamster. Hamsters, like anyone else, can be picky eaters and can easily select certain foods out of their seed mix that they prefer to eat, which can lead to not getting enough nutrients. Hamsters also need lab blocks added to their seed mix to provide that necessary nutrients that they may not be getting enough of. Recommended Lab Blocks: Mazuri Rat/Mouse Lab Blocks.
Unlimited fresh water bowl/bottle.
Safe Fruits (limit to once 1-2 times a week due to high sugar) (*means it is controversial): Acai, Apples, Apricot, Banana, Blueberry, Blackberry, Cantaloupe, Cherries (no pit), Cranberries, Cucumbers*, Dates, Elderberries, Figs, Grapes*, Guava, Honeydew, Kiwi, Kumquat, Lychee, Mangos, Nectarines, Papaya, Passion fruit, Peach, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Starfruit, Strawberry, Tomatoes* (ripe/no leaves/stems), Watermelon*
Safe Veggies (*means it is controversial): Arugula, Artichoke Asparagus, Avocados*, Basil, Beans, Beets, Bell peppers, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cilantro*, Celery, Collard greens, Corn, Cucumber*, Dandelions, Dill, Fennel, Ginger, Kale, Leeks*, Mint*, Mushroom, Onions*, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato (cooked), Pumpkin, Radicchio, Romaine lettuce, Soybeans, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potato (cooked), Swiss chard, Tomatoes*, Zucchini
Safe Proteins (*means should be cooked): Chicken*, cheese (cheddar, swiss, marble, parmesan), Cottage cheese, Crickets, Eggs*, Grasshoppers, Lead ground beef*, Mealworms, Salmon*, Tofu*, Turkey*, Yogurt
Misc. Safe Foods (*means it is controversial): Almonds*, Barley, Black eyed peas, Black turtle beans, Buckwheat, Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans, Chia seeds, Chocolate*, Couscous, Flax seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Garlic*, Hemp hearts, Lentils, Millet, Mung beans, Nutritional Yeast, Oat flakes, Pasta (cooked and dry), Peanuts, Peanut butter*, Popped corn, Pumpkin seeds, Quinoa, Raisins*, Rice (cooked and dry), Rye flakes, Sesame seeds, Split peas, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts, Wheal germ, Organic baby foods, Gerber puffs
Unsafe Foods: Blue cheese/mouldy cheeses, Chili peppers or hot peppers, Eggplants, Kidney beans, Packaged meats/deli meats, Raw green potato, Rhubarb leaves
Housing: Syrian hamsters require a minimum of 600 square inches of unbreakable floor space. Dwarfs can be content in a cage of 450 square inches, but we require a minimum of 600 square inches for all breeds. Some female Syrians often are not content in cages this size and do best in even larger enclosures (800+ square inches).
How to calculate square inch floor space: length x width = square inches
Recommended cages: 40+ gallon breeder tank, DIY bin cage, Prevue 528, DIY IKEA detolf.
Toys/Enrichment: Hamsters need a standing running wheel with a solid running surface (no wire/mesh*). Appropriate wheel sizes for Dwarf breeds are 6-9 inches, Syrians is 10-12 inches. Hamsters also should be provided a sand bath for enrichment and opportunities to bathe themselves. Some hamsters also use their sand baths as a "litter box" which makes cage cleaning easier. We also suggest adding a cool hide (such as a glass jar or mug) to give them something a bit cooler to lay in, especially in summer time. Chew toys and large hidey houses are great options to add to your hamster's cage. Hamsters like their homes cluttered with lots to explore! Paper bedding is the most popular bedding type for hamster, as well as safest.
Paper bedding can also be mixed with toilet paper or aspen shavings (no pine shavings*). Hamsters are burrowing animals and need an area of at least 5 inches of bedding, which will provide a deep enough space for them to dig tunnels and comfortably sleep.
Diet: Hamsters should have commercial food available 24/7. Hamsters love to burrow and hide their food throughout their cage and in their cheek pouches. We recommend filling their bowl with commercial food every 3 days, and supplementing fresh fruits/veggies/treats on the other days. This will help them not hoard large amounts of food to be wasted/rot. Recommended Seed Mix: Higgins Sunburst Hamster/Gerbil seed mix.
Lab Blocks: Seed mixes alone do not provide enough nutrition for a hamster. Hamsters, like anyone else, can be picky eaters and can easily select certain foods out of their seed mix that they prefer to eat, which can lead to not getting enough nutrients. Hamsters also need lab blocks added to their seed mix to provide that necessary nutrients that they may not be getting enough of. Recommended Lab Blocks: Mazuri Rat/Mouse Lab Blocks.
Unlimited fresh water bowl/bottle.
Safe Fruits (limit to once 1-2 times a week due to high sugar) (*means it is controversial): Acai, Apples, Apricot, Banana, Blueberry, Blackberry, Cantaloupe, Cherries (no pit), Cranberries, Cucumbers*, Dates, Elderberries, Figs, Grapes*, Guava, Honeydew, Kiwi, Kumquat, Lychee, Mangos, Nectarines, Papaya, Passion fruit, Peach, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Starfruit, Strawberry, Tomatoes* (ripe/no leaves/stems), Watermelon*
Safe Veggies (*means it is controversial): Arugula, Artichoke Asparagus, Avocados*, Basil, Beans, Beets, Bell peppers, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cilantro*, Celery, Collard greens, Corn, Cucumber*, Dandelions, Dill, Fennel, Ginger, Kale, Leeks*, Mint*, Mushroom, Onions*, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato (cooked), Pumpkin, Radicchio, Romaine lettuce, Soybeans, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potato (cooked), Swiss chard, Tomatoes*, Zucchini
Safe Proteins (*means should be cooked): Chicken*, cheese (cheddar, swiss, marble, parmesan), Cottage cheese, Crickets, Eggs*, Grasshoppers, Lead ground beef*, Mealworms, Salmon*, Tofu*, Turkey*, Yogurt
Misc. Safe Foods (*means it is controversial): Almonds*, Barley, Black eyed peas, Black turtle beans, Buckwheat, Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans, Chia seeds, Chocolate*, Couscous, Flax seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Garlic*, Hemp hearts, Lentils, Millet, Mung beans, Nutritional Yeast, Oat flakes, Pasta (cooked and dry), Peanuts, Peanut butter*, Popped corn, Pumpkin seeds, Quinoa, Raisins*, Rice (cooked and dry), Rye flakes, Sesame seeds, Split peas, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts, Wheal germ, Organic baby foods, Gerber puffs
Unsafe Foods: Blue cheese/mouldy cheeses, Chili peppers or hot peppers, Eggplants, Kidney beans, Packaged meats/deli meats, Raw green potato, Rhubarb leaves
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Photos taken from Google Image Search. All credits belong to their rightful owner. These photos are examples. Please note that everything in these photos may not be items Lala’s approves or recommends.
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