Hamster....help !?

Question

i have a number of hamster questions,pls help !

~What bedding should i use ?

~Is it OK if i change the water everyday ?

~And the bathing sand...do i leave it in the cage all the time, or do i put it in once a week, or what ?

~ After getting a new hamster, i heard you gotta leave it alone to adjust...i understand, but how long does it take ?

What type of hamster should i get ?

I dont want a syrian one. I want one that warms up to the new environment the fastest...im kinda eager. One not too big not too small and friendly.

Answer 1

Hi, i have a hamster and she is a syrian. When i first bought her i purchased a hamster starter kit. It contained wood shavings for the bottom of the cage, and shredded material for bedding. You can get a variety of bedding but i prefer the shredded material or fluff bedding as its really soft. Some bedding and shavings can be sharp or hard. Sometimes even dusty so you may want to shop around and pick a preference that suits you and your hamster.

I change my hamsters water about twice a week. gives you chance to check the water bottle is in working order etc.

I have never used the bathing sand though, so im not sure about that but if you ask a sales adivisor in the pet store im sure they could help.

After i bought my hamster they told me at the store to prepar her cage with fresh food and water, chew toys and bedding and leave her in a quite area with no direct light and let her adapt to her new environment, so i left her for about 3 days, checking on her still to make sure she was ok etc.

After that i started handeling her and shes fine. I was also told that it is best to not move your hamster cage around and to try and leave in the place you have chosen.

My syrian hamster warmed up to the environment very quickly. My brother owns a Roboroviski dwarf hamster and his is very affectionate and playful. But i think it depends on how well they are brought up and handelled. Good luck.

Answer 2

Here you go -

You should use only aspen shavings or Carefresh. Pine and cedar shavings are sold in pet shops but should not be used since they hurt the little feet of hamsters.

You have to change water everyday. Best is to hang a hamster water bottle in the cage and put fresh water in it everyday. But if your hamster is new to bottles, it might take time for it to figure out how to use it, so unless then, you can keep a dish of water in the cage.

You can put the bathing sand (use only chinchilla sand, don't use dust since it can cause respiratory problems to the hamster) in a dish permanently in the cage so that the hamster can roll & play in the sand as and when he wants. Change the sand every week and remove p**p (if there) with a litter scooper.

Adjustment time varies from hamsters to hamsters. You can get a calm hamster which can get used to you in a couple of days or you might get one that might be slightly more difficult to tame. For a guide to taming hamsters, email me.

First time pet owners go in for a syrian because it is easier to tame, handle and more friendly. Also they can stay alone in their cage. Dwarfs on the other hand are small, equally friendly but take a longer time to tame. Also if you do not handle them once a week, they can become untame again. However syrians once tame are tame for life.

Considering that you do not want a hamster too small, you have to go in only for a syrian because all the other breeds are dwarfs which are only 4 inches long and very small. Syrians are the generic name for teddy bear, black bear, fancy etc hamsters.

Answer 3

OK i have 2 hamsters and the best bedding you should use is the odor control because they really stink and yes it is OK to change their water every day. for a hamster to adjust you leave them alone for about  24 hours.the bathing sand you might want to change every week.

the best hamsters are baby teddy bear hamsters or any kind babies are  the fastest to warm up to their new enviroment.

Answer 4

Well, the first thing you should do is make sure the hamster is not preggers.  I was once a young lad and I got a hamster.  And he was a Syrian hamster.  But when the hamster was still in the store he decided to get preggers but this fact was unbeknownst to me.  When he got back to my house, two days later there were many young baby hamsters in his cage.  The only problem is that he decided to eat almost all of his young.  I asked him why because there was plenty of hamster food nearby for him to munch on.  But he did not answer me and only stared at me with a blank look.  There were only 2 baby hamster that survived his wrath.  So please make sure your hamster is not preggers when you get him and that is the best advice I can give you.  Good luck.

Answer 5

1. Aspen shavings are best, the other have fumes that are harmful to your hammy. I have heard care fresh is good, but it is man made so their might be chemicals. Do NOT buy fluff, it is soooooo bad for you hamster.

2.It is best if you change the water everyday, then there are no bacteria that you have to worry about.

3. You can leave it in all the time, but if you hammy is dumping it and making a mess, then put it in there for like 20 min. or more  as late as you can in the evenig, they are nocternal.

4. The people at the pet store will usually tell how long before you can handle you hamster, but it is normally 2 or 3 days.

5. I have a dwarf hamster, and I love him to death, but you know what you are looking for, so maybe do some reasearch on the net about all the diff. kinds of hamster or dwarf hamster.

GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 6

there is "hamster bedding" you can find at any pet store. you dont need to change the water every day. i found that after i change it some water leaks into the cage from moving the bottle around. (not good) so dont over change. remember a well ventilated easy to clean cage is the best, but dont put the hamster in the sun or where theres a draft.

Answer 7

carefresh bedding.

you should change the water every 1-2 days.

you dont need bathing sand. just comb him with a toothbrush.

leave it for 1 day, then start offering him treats. on the 3rd day, stroke him, on the 4th, pick him up, and set him back down. on the 5th, you can start to cuddle him!

im in the same position as you. ive decided to get a campbells. they are found at most petstores, as long as they are young. plus they are small and cute!

Answer 8

I'm going to answer all your questions in order:

~DON'T get cedar or pine shavings for woodchips because that is asking for your hamster to roll over and die. I have PetsPick, a Wal-Mart brand.

~Yes, you actually should change the water daily, especailly in warm temparature.

~I do leave the bath powder in the cage all the time, but the cage gets really messy because of it. It doesn't matter if you leave it in all the time, but you can decide that.

~My hamster took about a month and a half until I could pick it up without him biting me. You need to feed him by hand so he learns to trust you, then you can scoop him up after a while and hold him.

~I think you should get a dwarf hamster because, although they are small, you can buy alot of tubes and stuff and they would be able to fit in them, and the bigger the animal, the bigger the supplies you have to buy. What I mean is if you were to get sometthing like a rat, the balls they run around in cost more because they can't fit in the mini ones, so you use more supplies to make it, get what I'm saying?

Hope I helped!!!!

~Animal_Lover

(I think this is my longest answer ever!!)

Answer 9

I haven't had a hamster since I was a kid, but here goes...

I used cedar shavings for bedding...they had a nice scent and they repel pests.  By all means, do change the water every day.  I have never heard of bathing sand, so I can't help you there.  My hamster bathed like other mammals do, by l*****g himself.  My hamster seemed fine with his surroundings immediately.  I have never heard of hamsters "warming up" quickly or not based on type.  My hamster was a regular golden or syrian type and he was extremely sweet.  I think the key is to find a hamster that has been handled a lot.  I have seen fairly vicious and unfriendly hamsters from pet stores, and friendly hamsters who were born in people's homes and handled a lot by the kids living there.  They need to be socialized around people.