As with every new pet, a new hamster owner should thoroughly research hamster care before buying their pet. Unfortunately, not everybody does this as hamsters can sometimes be impulse buys – purchased at short notice. If this sounds like you, don’t worry! We’ve created a list of the 5 most common mistakes new hamster owners make, so that you can learn from other people’s mistakes and avoid making them in future!
Keeping your hamster in a cramped cage:
Hamsters are active and run for long periods of time every night, so keeping them in a small cramped cage will limit their physical exercise space and lead to an unhappy hamster. The minimum cage size for hamsters in most European countries is 80cm x 50cm, so if you’re able to get something bigger your hamster will definitely thank you!
Keeping males and females together
Unless you want lots of babies, avoid keeping a male and female hamster in the same cage! Hamsters breed easily, and female hamsters can give birth to up to twenty babies at a time, so it’s not ideal!
Provide an unbalanced diet
Don’t feed your hamster citrus fruits or onion- these foods are acidic and can interfere with your hamsters digestion system putting them at risk. Make sure you do your research and take care to feed your hamster a healthy, balanced diet.
Using incorrect bedding
Don’t be fooled by the fancy names of hamster bedding at the pet store and avoid using the following as bedding in a hamster cage:
Scented bedding
Cat litter
Newspaper
Pine and cedar wood shavings
These can irritate your hamster and cause much discomfort.
Using the wrong hamster wheel
Your hamster wheel will keep your hamster happy and healthy, allowing them to get all the exercise they need. For this reason, make sure your hamster wheel is a good size and not too small. A wheel too small will force your hamster to adopt a bad hunching posture when running, which can be very harmful for their health. Ensure the wheel is of high quality and has a solid surface, you wouldn’t want the wheel to break and your hamster getting hurt.
Hopefully the information above will help you create the perfect home for your hamster. Enjoy this time with your new hamster and continue doing research on how to ensure your hamster can stay happy and healthy at all times!