How much is it to own a hamster?

Question

How much is it to own a hamster?

Answer 1

Well here is some intail cost numbers and info for syrian hamsters:

Cage: $20-40 (we will average 30)

Syrians will sometimes get stuck in Critter Trail and Sam/penplax tubes. Aquiruim cages can be expensive and also hard to find and buy.

Here are two wire cages you may want to try:

http://www.petco.com/product/106173/PETC...

http://www.petco.com/product/106282/PETC...

Otherwise i think you really should make a bin cage. They are really suprior because they can be huge and cost nothing compared to wire and plastic cages. Here are two links on how to make bin cages(>$20):

http://www.ehow.com/how_2101498_hamster-...

http://www.freewebs.com/happyhamsterhelp...

Wheel: Comes with the cage usually (5)

A wheel comes with the two wire cages i showed you. But many people turn to a different wheel. If you choose to make a bin cage you will need to buy a wheel.

http://www.petco.com/product/105026/PETC...

Beeding: $10 (if you go to a Tractor Supply like store(farming) you can get a huge bage of wood chips for 10 dollars)Also many people choose to get carefresh bedding: http://www.petco.com/product/3370/Carefr...

If you are on a budget i alos suggest unbleached tolite paper.(3-7 for a LOT!) All you do is rip to squares from the roll and put them in the cage your hamster will love it

Food: $5. But this really depends on what way you decide to go here are two foods i reccommend:

http://www.petco.com/product/106049/Vita...

http://www.petco.com/product/10389/Kayte...

Bottle: ($5)Water bottles are a MUST! Here is a link. You can choose the size you want:http://www.petco.com/product/105615/PETC...

Hamster: 10-20(average 15)Now this really depends where you live many people it costs less than 10 dollars, but i live in NJ and most hamsters cost $15.

Hamster Ball: $7(not needed)

This is not a must be i reccommend it. This is great to let your hamster out in to get exsercize and can be a good place to put her when you are cleaning the cage.

http://www.petco.com/product/101969/Supe...

Chew toys: ($3)You may have some fruit trees you can use, but you do need chew toys. Here are one you may like to buy.

http://www.petco.com/product/6560/Small-...

Hamster Boook:($7) This is highly reccommend for all hamster owners, expecailly first time owners here is a great book:

http://www.petco.com/product/7737/Hamste...

So now the total really depends on which way you go.

Bin Cage, Carfresh bedding or wood chips, everything else, W/ hamster~~ $63

Bin Cage, Carfresh bedding or wood chips, everything else, W/out hamster~~ $48

Bin Cage, Tolite paper, everything else, W/ hamster~~ $58

Bin Cage, Tolite paper, everything else, W/ hamster~~ $40

Two or three level Cage, Carfresh or wood chips, everything else, W/ Hamster~~ $ 70

Two or three level Cage, Carfresh or wood chips, everything else, W/out Hamster~~ $ 55

Two or level three Cage, Tolite paper, everything else, W/ Hamster~~ $ 65

Two or three level Cage, Tolite paper, everything else, W/out Hamster~~ $ 40

You can also subtract $14 from any of those if you don’t get a ball and books. But if you don't get a book i suggest printing out some of the pages form this website as it is a good referense and will be good for you to have easy acess to. http://www.freewebs.com/happyhamsterhelp...

You could also add $ 2.50 for a food bowl if you want, but you can also use any small ceramic container you may have.

http://www.petco.com/product/106845/PETC...

You could also add $3 if you want to buy a hamster hideout if you want. http://www.petco.com/product/10219/Small...

The only big difference between the syrains and dwarf needs are the cages. If you do indeed decide to go with a dwarf than dont get a cage with any wire on it as they can easily escape from those. As for everything else it is basically the same.

But i do reccommend getting a syrian if this is your first hamster because they are easier to care for and handel in many aspects.

It also cost money each month or so to renew hamster items. Including: chewing sticks, wooden toys, edible houses, food, and bedding.

So here is the bimonthly upkeep pricing for an average two months owning a hamster:

Food: $7

Bedding: $10

New Toys(replacements): $10

So the average two months of owning a hamster is 27 dollars, $13.50 a month. This will vary each month and also depending on your food and bedding and what toys need to be replaced.

I hope this is what you were looking for

Good luck!!

Answer 2

I have published this answer for xX...M.@.i.s.y.Xx's too. Hope it will be helpful to you as well.

First, here is a list with the things you need before considering to buy a hamster:

Hammy Shopping List:

-Cage: between $10-$30 depending on the type of cage you want: wired, tan and on the size of the hamster.

-Bedding to line the floor and allow your hamster to hide in it: prices vary between $2-$10 according to the quantity. At pet shops you can find even bedding smelling like apples or strawberries.

-Paper bedding: this is optional and the price is very low as you can realize. I use it because my hamsters love it. I put small pieces of paper in their cage and they take it and use it as a blanket.They are so sweet when they tuck themselves in with it:). Sometimes they use to decorate their room(house).

-Food dish: $2-$9. Is better if the food dish is not made of wood or plastic because the small hamsters will chew it till there is nothing left. I bought mine a ceramic bowl which they love. This is a better choice because is kind of heavy and they can not move it or spill it.

-Water bottle: $2-$5. This is the best choice because if you put water for your hamster in a bowl he could spill it and make a real mess in the cage. Be careful when you put this in the hamster's cage: it has to be high enough so he can not chew the plastic part.

-Hamster mix: $2.5-$5. This is the food that you should give to your hamster on a regular basis. The additional proteins and calories that the hamster needs should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables according to your hamster needs.

-Hamster toys: $1.2-$30 . This is the part I love most. First, your hamster needs a wheel ($3-$5) so he can exercise. Instead of buying tunnels or other stuff that you may not afford at the beginning you can use a trick: don't throw away your toilet paper rolls. Use them to entertain your hamster! You can even make some holes in it to be more fun for your hamster:).

Insider's tip: I recommend you to use a small bowl with sand. The hamster likes to have small sand baths and mine uses it as a toilet as well.

After you have all this, the monthly cost are :

-bedding: I usually use one big pack of bedding (I change the bedding of the cage at least twice a week) - $10 per pack

-food: one or to packs - $5-$10

As you can see, the monthly cost isn't high at all. The initial costs are quite high, but once you buy yourself a hamster, you will agree with me that they are the best!

If you need to find out more about them before buying a hamster you can find it at http://www.HamsterBungalow.com

Good luck!