What you will learn from my site
FOOD: You can buy hamster food in most good pet stores. Hamster will live off of this food, but it is nice to give them some treats once in awhile. Some good ideas are: Romaine Lettuce(Iceburg Lettuce is OK, but not as nutritious)carrots,small amounts of cheese, cooked meats(ground beef, chicken) and cheerios. You should avoid foods with high amounts of citric acid(oranges, limes, etc) and sugary foods. Generally, hamsters will avoid foods that are bad for them.BASIC HOUSING AND CARE:There are an assortment of cages you can choose for your furry friend. I keep my hamster Snoopi in a plastic cage. These cages are very good quality, and they come with many attachments you can put on the cage to make it more exciting for your hamster.The only problem with these cages are that the hamster can chew at the corners and escape(this has never happened to me, but i've heard stories about it.) If you put enought toys in your hamster's cage, it will keep him entertained. I have seen hamsters kept in wire cages. These are good too, because the hamster can climb on the wire. Next is bedding. I usually switch back and forth between pine and aspen bedding. Some people say that pine is bad for hamsters, but I have never had any problems with it. Next is taming your hamster. You should let him stay alone in his cage for about a week. Then start letting him smell your hand by giving him treats. Gently pet his back, and if he doesnt jump or run away, pick him up by putting your thumb and pointer finger around the back of his front legs, and putting your other hand underneath him, holding him against your body. Pretty soon, your hamster will become tame!TOYS AND NAMES: You need toys to keep your hamster entertained. My hamster loves to run around in his little plastic ball. You can buy these in pet stores. You can buy most toys in pet stores, but you can also make them at home. If you have a plastic container, clean it out and put it in the cage. They will usually use this to chew on and to sleep in. You can also put paper towel tubes in the cage; hamsters love creeping through the tubes. **I will be putting a list of hamster names on my site at a later time** (last updated July 21,2003)
