hamster

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Caring for A Hamster

By Liz Andrews

Learning about caring for a hamster is an important part of being a responsible pet owner. Many hamster owners who don't take the time or effort to really understand their pets find that they don't last very long. Hamsters, especially dwarf hamsters, are delicate little creatures that need some specific things to make sure they stay healthy and content.

Proper Housing

Hamster housing needs to be safe and secure for your hamster to thrive. There are countless types of housing available so you will need to learn more about your specific breed to determine the best fit. Some breeds can escape their cages, and others can't maneuver through vertical tubes so it is important know what is best for your particular hamster.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness of the cage is of the utmost importance when caring for a hamster. Hamsters can become stressed living in unclean areas and this can result in illnesses like "wet tail" which can be deadly within 24 hours. Every day you should be doing some sort of housekeeping for your hamster.
Usually hamsters will only go to the bathroom in one section of the cage. Clean this area daily by scooping out any droppings, removing soiled bedding, and replacing with fresh bedding. Every other day you should do a more thorough cleaning of the entire cage and at least once a week, you should completely empty the cage and use a gentle cleaner on the wires, plastic or glass.
Cleanliness of your hamster is also important. Hamsters are from the desert so they really like sand, specifically sand that they can clean themselves with. You can purchase a cleansing sand (it is really more like a dust) product from a pet store or pet website. Don't use regular sand or sandbox sand, as there could be bacteria in it. Put the sand in a small plastic container and watch your hamster have a ball at the "salon" getting her hair done!

Food and Water

Food for your hamster should be changed out every day. Hamsters like to hoard and they will definitely hoard any food you give them. Because of this, they might sometimes move around food that is old and spoiled. So remember what you give your hamster and clean his hiding areas so he doesn't get sick from rotting food. These might be things like carrots or leafy greens that you provide in addition to his normal hamster pellets.
Water is especially important for hamsters because they drink all the time. The water dispenser should be cleaned and filled every day as water can harbor bacteria on the nozzle.

Toys

Hamsters are inquisitive and love to explore their world. Caring for a hamster includes providing them with an exciting environment in which to live. Give them as many different fun options as you can afford. You can provide tunnels and tubes to run through, hamster wheels, hamster balls, hamster swings, chew toys, and even little hamster cars to go cruising around your room.
Most of all, you should learn everything you can about your particular breed of hamster or obtain a complete guide on raising them. Caring for a hamster is a big responsibility and you definitely want to make sure you are being the best owner possible.

For more information on caring for a hamster, check out DwarfHamsterSite.com. Liz Andrews has been a hamster enthusiast for nearly 20 years. Her newest book, 'Dwarf Hamsters In a Nutshell' teaches hamster owners absolutely everything they need to know about caring for their pet.

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Dwarf Russian Hamster

By Liz Andrews

Learning how to care for your Dwarf Russian hamster can seem like a daunting task if you aren't familiar with the breed. They are a bit different from regular hamsters and have their own specific needs.
Here is a list of basic things you should and should not do when caring for your Dwarf Russian hamster. This list provides a small sampling of the time and effort that is required to keep your hamster safe and healthy. For more information, invest in a thorough guide or instruction manual in addition to consulting with your veterinarian.

Do not keep your hamster's cage near doors. For obvious reasons, outside doors pose quite a problem when owning a hamster. Some cages provide more security like aquarium tanks, but if you have a wire cage, where you place it becomes even more important.
Don't clean your hamster cage with harsh chemicals. Instead, opt for mild solutions available at pet stores or use a very mild mixture of dish soap and water to thoroughly clean the cage. Always rinse very well and allow to completely dry before placing new bedding inside.
Clean your hamster cage every day. You don't need to change the bedding out completely but you do need to get out the dirty bits. Scoop soiled bedding and old food out daily.
Don't keep males and females together. Unless you want plenty of hamster babies, keep the males and females in separate cages. The gestation period for a pregnant Dwarf Russian hamster is very short (16-20 days) so you can see how quickly you could end up with a population problem.
Do leave your hamster alone during the day. Hamsters are mostly awake at night and sleep through the day. Keep your hamster happy and allow them their beauty rest. How would you like it if every few hours someone picked you up out of your warm, toasty bed? Now you know how your hamster feels.
Give your hamster some fresh fruits and vegetables every couple of days. In addition to his or her hamster food, provide some bites of apple, tomato, corn, broccoli, and green leafy lettuce. Don't go overboard as you don't want to make your hamster sick. Just a few pieces of fruit and a few small pieces of leaves is plenty.
Never feed your Dwarf Russian hamster foods that are high in sugar. This type of hamster has a tendency to get diabetes so keep everything low in sugar to prevent disease.
Do handle your hamster every day. If you stop taking your hamster out of its cage to play and be handled, it will become wild again. Then you have to start the taming process all over. Unlike the Syrian hamster, Russian hamsters revert to their wild state. Remember to play with them when they are awake and active so try dusk or dawn.
Never place cedar material in your hamster cage for bedding. The oils in cedar cause a respiratory infection in hamsters. Instead, use aspen or ask for a recommendation at the pet store.
Do purchase Chinchilla sand for your hamster to "bathe" in. Don't give water baths as these are unnecessary, no matter how dirty you think your hamster appears. Allow them some time in the Chinchilla sand (not dust) and they will be shiny and clean.

Learn more about caring for your Dwarf Russian hamster so you will enjoy many years with your furry and entertaining new pet.

For more information on Dwarf Russian Hamsters, check out DwarfHamsterSite.com. Liz Andrews has been a hamster enthusiast for nearly 20 years. Her newest book, Dwarf Hamsters In a Nutshell, teaches hamster owners absolutely everything they need to know about caring for their pet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Andrews

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Hamster Cage

By Cason Williams

There is no lack of selection when it comes to your gerbil's homes. A person may develop a veritable town for your gerbil along with various combos of hutches, pipes, channels, add on packages as well as any selection associated with additional functions, that are also entertaining for you personally because it is interesting watching the gerbil. Conversely from the size, your own gerbil can certainly reside in an easy cable crate or perhaps in an old fish tank you had.
Each glass as well as plastic material fish tanks may be used as gerbil homes. Plastic material gerbil hutches tend to be lighter in weight and consequently simpler to clean up compared to a glass, however scuff much easier.
Each glass and plastic material fish tanks possess the benefit of staying draft-proof; therefore, particles and bedding stay inside of (and never throughout the ground!). They're simple to thoroughly clean. Nevertheless, plastic and glass fish tanks highlight temperature ranges to allow them to turn out to be very warm and in many cases alarmingly so in sunlight. Additionally, until you give a engineered cover that can take add-ons, regular clip-on drinking water containers fail to work (even though they could be modified by using stick-on Velcro patches). Fish tanks aren't ideal for a clip-on physical exercise wheel, even though a free standing wheel could be replaced. You have to remember that a free standing wheel will require up more room inside your gerbil's house than the usual clip-on wheel.
If you choose to make use of an aquarium tank as your own gerbil's house, a person should include this safely therefore he can't get away as well as in order to maintain away your own additional home domestic pets. Wire fine mesh covers or ventilated plastic material covers created particularly with regard to these types of reasons tend to be accessible. Do not make use of a solid cover, or moisture build-up or condensation might shape within the actual aquarium tank, warmth may end up being caught and there's no oxygen circulation/ventilation - which could make your own gerbil ill.
Typically gerbil cages possess a plastic material bottom having a firm, snap-on cable best, however, you may also discover hutches having a strong plastic material bottom along with a snap-on, ventilated crystal clear plastic material the top. Hutches can be found in a number of sizes and shapes and often have got physical exercise hamster wheels. A few wire topped versions tend to be a couple of levels or even more large. Even though these types of hutches might seem basic in comparison with homes that's much more sophisticated along with pipes as well as channels, they're comparatively cheap and you will improve all of them with the addition of numerous gerbil home furniture and playthings. Furthermore, ventilation through these hutches is preferable to within an aquarium tank which is simpler to connect drinking water containers and add-ons compared to within an aquarium tank.
Gerbil hutches usually possess some kind of "home" where the gerbil may cover. In case your gerbil's crate does not have a home, you will find plastic material, wooden or even porcelain homes accessible. You may even make use of some thing made from card board like a container or even bathroom tissue roll.
A few hutches are made like a number of plastic material pipes. Gerbil hutches along with pipes could be harder to wash compared to conventional gerbil crate. You have to in addition make sure that the actual hooking up channels is going to be big enough for the gerbil to feed whenever he's completely developed as well as your gerbil might try eating the plastic material, which could lead to injuries or even get away.
Obvious, plastic material tank-like homes created for rodents along with other little mice supply several choices. Designed to consider numerous add ons for example channels, pipes, rewriters, tree houses, slides, steps, penthouses as well as atmosphere podiums, these types of obvious condominiums give a diverse surroundings by which your own gerbil may physical exercise as well as enjoy. This kind of property the majority of tightly models the actual canal environment by which rodents reside, however it could be costly and much more hard to thoroughly clean compared to regular gerbil crate.
Your own gerbil's house ought to be big enough to supply sufficient space with regard to their physical exercise wheel, bedroom, meals holding on to region as well as bathroom region, with room remaining in order to scamper around. It is advisable to supply the biggest environment feasible.
The doorway should shut securely so that your gerbil can not press them wide open as well as get away. The actual doorways ought to open up to the outside instead of back to the inside. If you are using a fish tank having a wire-mesh or even plastic material cover, ensure that the highest matches comfortably on the attributes which the actual gerbil can't press away. Your own hamster cage should never possess well-defined ends or even damaged wires which might trigger injuries. When the crate is actually plastic material, make certain there aren't any uncovered sides by which the actual gerbil might gnaw making a getaway.

hamster cage

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Hurry-up Hamster

Price: $3.99

Product Description

Just turn this cuddly hamster on and watch him hurry, scurry and shuffle around-making cute, electronic chattering sounds! When he bumps into something, he'll change directions, but won't stop until you turn his switch off. Assorted styles, we'll choose for you. Plush and plastic; requires 2 AAA batteries (not included). 4 1/2" long x 2" wide. Ages 3 and up.