It has come to my attention that people are starting to purchase smaller breeds of animals. As my wife and I visit the local mall, we notice that the pet shop there only sells small puppies and even when they become adults, they’ll stay about the same size. It used to be that people purchase bigger pets to be guards, but now it seems like it’s all about the “cute” and nothing more. Since everyone is moving onto smaller pets anyways, why not think even smaller. I’m not talking about bunny rabbits, birds, turtles, or even Tea Cup Chihuahuas…because I’m actually talking about hamsters.
My wife, Michelle, has bugged me for weeks now for this post and I finally have the time to gather up all the information to post this. Since hamsters are so cute, even to a guy, I’m pretty sure purchasing one for roughly around $6.99 for a Christmas gift is good to keep a loved one happy. That is unless the person you’re buying it for is an animal torturer.
*Note* - This post is completely written on my wife and my opinion…so things can be different. Our hamster is a teddy bear short-haired hamster.
Top 10 tips when purchasing a hamster:
- Find a cute hamster that you will actually love (obviously)
- Make sure he/she does not bite by telling the store employee to poke it continuously until you realize that the hamster you chose will not bite. They might bite a little, but you will understand what I’m talking about when you do this task.
- Purchase a cage where there is a wheel attached for the hamster to exercise with water bottle attachment (will save you money…our cage cost $20-30). I suggest buying a cage that is made with metal bars (not the plastic cages) because the hamster will bite on the cage, and it helps the hamster grind it’s teeth.
- Buy bedding for your hamster and I suggest buying a bigger bag (this will come in handy and save you money). For the bedding it is better to buy “Carefresh pet bedding” because of the texture, it is extra soft fibers that protects the sensitive skin.
- Decide on what kind of food and treats to buy for your hamster. I suggest purchasing all natural ingredients and also be sure to check for the expiration date.
- Purchase wood chews for your hamster due to the fact that hamster’s teeth grows continuously.
- If you decide to purchase another hamster, and place the hamsters together make sure they are compatible with each other before fights begin.
- For more exercise fun for the hamster, purchase a hamster ball, and be sure to get the ball that fits your hamster; a bigger ball is better than a smaller ball.
- Make sure you know what you are buying, whether it is a baby hamster or a older (younger hamster lives longer). If you want to breed the hamsters, purchase the male and female hamster together so the age difference is not too far off.
- Make sure when you purchase a hamster that the pet store provides a 2 week to 1 month warranty, just in case of sudden death.
Top 10 care tips:
- Be sure to clean the cage and change the bedding every 2-3 days.
- Make sure to fill the food everyday.
- Change the water every day to eliminate bacteria formation.
- Keep the hamster warm as the hamster ages; keeping the hamster warm will extend their life.
- Check the hamster each week for mites. The procedure is similar to checking the dog for fleas. Hold onto the hamster then roll your thumbs through the hamsters fur and examine carefully for any mites or skin irritation (it is better to start from the behind to the head).
- Feed the hamster vitamins “Vitabites”, so it will enhance the hamster’s immune system and occasionally feed the hamster some healthy treats.
- Play with the hamster for at least 30 minutes a day, to keep the hamster active and happy. This provides the hamster with love and care.
- Let your hamster get a full day of rest because the hamster exercises all night, so when you decide to play with the hamster make sure it is fully awake.
- When the hamster awakes with either 1 or both eyes closed (not able to open), get a cloth or tissue with warm water and dab off the mucous lining. When this happens it means that the hamster is coming down with a flu, so make sure the hamster is kept warm.
- Hamsters get shocked easily because of their tiny size, so when the hamster is frightened place your hamster to your heart so it can calm down, or gently rub the hamster’s back to let the blood flow.
* Remember the hamster’s life span is between 3-4 years, so please your hamster live the fullest out of his/her life =)* OH YEA! Remember a fat hamster= a happy hamster.
Be sure that you know what you are getting yourself into, because caring for a pet whether it is a dog or a hamster, it is a living thing just like me and you. Your hamster will need your attention and love all the time, so consider all the care facts and time that the hamster will need before you make a purchase.
If money is a problem, I suggest you hold back on purchasing a hamster or any type of animal because it is costly to take care of your pet. Personal experience with finance problems: we have a hamster, a dog, a bird, and a turtle. The food that we purchase gets very pricey because we buy the top of the top brand food for our pets because we want our pets to stay healthy.
Here is a short story on our hamster, Pinky:
Since the weather is getting colder, we placed sweaters on top of her cage. And because the sweater covers her food bowl, we actually did not notice that all her food was gone for almost 2 days!!! She was trying to hint us by biting more on the cage, running on her wheel, and sleeping less. She was so hungry that she drank all her water within minutes. We finally got the hint when she nibbled on our fingers, which she usually does not do, so we glanced at the food bowl and notice that it was empty. We felt so bad because she practically starved our daughter. We now check everyday to make sure her food bowl has enough food, and we have been giving her more snacks and treats to make sure she forgives us.
To end this post, here’s a video of Pinky:
Source: My wonderful wife, Michelle 
…she’s actually the writer of this post..
Here are a few other things about hamsters.
1. Males tend to be better pets than females, disposition wise.
2. If they get out of their cage, put out peanuts or another crunchy food treat. You can track them down from the crunching.
3. Hamsters naturally know how to swim. They’ll inflate their cheek pouches as kind of an flotation device and paddle about.
4. Hamsters are nocturnal and will chew and run on an exercise wheel all night long. Don’t put their cage in a bedroom.
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Frank C » Wow! My wife and I did not know that hamsters could swim. We do want to try it, but we’re scared our hamster will get sick..
As for hamsters being nocturnal, I hear ya…they run ALLLL NIGHT!!!
I found out that hamsters were natural swimmers from my high school biology teacher who raised them as a hobby business.
Some hamsters seem to enjoy a swim as exercise, much like running in a ball, and others don’t. I had one that when I’d lower her down to the water she would jump right off my hand and start to swim.
When I let one swim I’d use lukewarm water and make sure that the room was warm too. Plus I’d dry them off with a towel afterward. Of course, you want to keep a close watch on them and not let them tire themselves out.
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[...] animal lover that I am, I enjoyed this post written by Mike from Bloggin-Ads. Mikes shares with us 10 care tips for owning a hamster. So, for all of you kids who get hamsters from Santa, make sure you read [...]
Frank C » OMG! This is amazing news lol. Thanks for bringing this up…my wife and I will try to put our hamster in water to see what happens.
I love pets and love small animals.I had a gerbil, a guinea pig, squirels(love them) and hamster one at a time.
When I was in college I wanted to have a pet dog but I just live in a small apartment in the city that’s why I cant afford to have one. Then one time in petshop, I saw this cute little fella..soo tiny and so active and he looks so adorable and fluffy, he really caught my attention so I bought him. His name is TWATABUDDI.. originaly Twitie bird from the cartoon, my nephew cant pronounce it so he just say twatabudi.. then it became his name.
We got really close and I’m soo happy everytime I come home because he knew that it was me who just arrive, he will wiggle in his cage and so desperate to be taken out. He love going out and eating lots of foods, It’s our routine to have a playtime before I sleep at night. During my semestral break I brought him with me to the province at my hometown.. he really loves traveling! People were amazed by us.. Im tall guy with cute little pet.. quite odd haha!
My mom loves him and all the people loves him. We had a great time together indeed. He lived for 2years.. Actually I dont know how he died.. he just vanished from his cage.. just like that and he was gone.
His cage was a small old aquarium filled with beddings. The aquarium was tall and theres no way he can climb it and I got a suspect.. it was a big rat. Filthy rats put a nest on a nearby roofs of our neighbor’s old house and sometimes they can get inside our house… how they did? that really baffles me up to now. They’re big like a small cat.
One day when I arrived from school.. Im really happy to see him again and calling out my pets name aloud.. suddenly i noticed that twatabudi was not in his cage… its empty! I panicked and I look for my brother who also adored him.. but theres nobody home. I guess I look for him in every place in our apartment.. he was gone! I was really devastated and I missed him so much.. actually after 2 or more week I still looking after him.. looking every possible place he might got into. but I didnt found him..
After that I didnt buy a pet hamster again.. probably because I dont want to replace him. But now Im here in Kuwait.. Im actually planning to buy one.. dog is not accepted in many buildings. That’s why a cute pet will suit.
Its a sad story bt I hope it inspire you to love more your pet hamster.
Jhay
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Jhay » That really does suck and I understand your situation. My wife has owned many hamsters before, so this current one is the 3rd or 4th one. I was here to see the one before the one we have now, but she passed away and I was also devastated. The current hamster we have now makes me realize how it has to be treated with a lot of care and love..
-Mike