Keeping hamsters

Hamsters are small, burrowing rodents that are active in the evening and at night. They are widely sold as a first pet for children, but they are easily frightened, sleep through the day and need far more space than the cages traditionally sold for them.

Species

• Syrian (golden) hamsters are the largest and most common, at around 15 to 18 cm long. They are strictly solitary and fight, sometimes fatally, if kept together once mature.
• Dwarf hamsters, the Campbell's, winter white and Roborovski, are smaller and faster. They have traditionally been kept in same-sex pairs, but fighting is common and many welfare organisations advise housing them singly.
• Chinese hamsters are slender, with a longer tail, and are best kept alone.

Most hamsters live for about two years, and Roborovskis sometimes for three.

Housing

Wild hamsters travel long distances at night and dig deep burrows, and a pet hamster needs room to do both. Welfare charities in Britain advise a floor area of at least 100 cm by 50 cm for any species, in a single level, with a depth of bedding that allows tunnelling. Small plastic cages with tubes do not meet these needs.

• Bedding: a deep layer of dust-free paper-based bedding or wood shavings other than cedar. Fluffy, cotton-wool-like nesting material is not used, since it can wrap around limbs and block the gut if swallowed; plain shredded paper is safe.
• Wheel: solid, without rungs, and large enough for the hamster to run with a straight back, which for a Syrian means about 28 cm across.
• Hides and tunnels, a sand bath for cleaning the coat, and wooden items to gnaw.
• Water from a bottle or a heavy bowl, changed daily.

The enclosure is kept indoors at a steady room temperature, away from direct sun, draughts, radiators, televisions and other pets. Exercise balls are not recommended by welfare organisations, because the hamster cannot escape from them or see and smell normally.

Feeding

The diet is based on a complete hamster mix or pellets, with small amounts of fresh vegetables and an occasional piece of fruit. Hamsters carry food in their cheek pouches and hoard it, so scattering the dry food encourages natural foraging, and the hoard is checked for fresh food that has gone off. Citrus fruit, onion, and sugary or salty human foods are avoided. Their teeth grow continuously and are kept in trim by gnawing.

Handling

A hamster woken during the day is likely to be stressed and may bite. Handling is done in the evening, once the animal is awake and has come out by itself. It is scooped up in both cupped hands, close to the floor or over a soft surface, since falls cause serious injuries. A new hamster is left to settle for several days before being handled.

Cleaning

Wet bedding and droppings are removed daily. A full clean-out removes the hamster's scent marks and is stressful, so part of the bedding is changed at a time and some of the old, clean material is put back.

Health

• Wet tail: severe diarrhoea, mostly in young and newly rehomed hamsters, with a wet, dirty rear end. It can kill within a day or two and needs a vet at once.
• Overgrown teeth, weight loss, lumps, breathing noises, discharge from the eyes or nose, and hair loss all call for a veterinary examination.
• Torpor: a hamster kept too cold may become stiff and barely breathing, and can be mistaken for dead. It is warmed gradually and taken to a vet.

Hamsters and children

Because hamsters are nocturnal, fragile and quick to bite when startled, they suit older children better than young ones. Under the animal welfare legislation, the adult in the household is legally responsible for meeting the animal's needs, and in England and Wales an animal cannot be sold to anyone under 16. Rescue centres regularly have hamsters needing homes. Other options are compared under choosing a pet.