Hamster Care Basics: Cage, Food, and Handling

Species differences

There are around 24 species of hamster. Five are commonly kept as pets.

• Syrian hamster: the largest and most common pet hamster, also called the golden hamster. Long-haired types may need brushing once a week.
• Chinese hamster: a small species that, like the Syrian, should live alone.
• Campbell's Russian dwarf hamster
• Winter white dwarf hamster
• Roborovski dwarf hamster

The dwarf species weigh under 100 grams and move quickly, so they can be harder to handle than Syrians. Pet hamsters usually live for about two years, and Syrians may reach two to three.

Solitary or in pairs

Syrian and Chinese hamsters should always live alone. Adult Syrians live alone in the wild, and hamsters of both sexes can be aggressive toward cagemates.

Dwarf hamsters can sometimes live in pairs or small groups. This works best when they are young littermates, kept together from an early age in a stable group. Even then, they may fall out later, and they do not need company to be happy. Hamsters do not play-fight. Fights usually happen at night, so check group-housed hamsters every morning for wounds. If they fight, separate them permanently into different cages.

Syrian hamsters can breed from about 7 to 8 weeks of age. If you are not sure of the sex of young hamsters kept together, ask a vet to check, and separate males and females.

Cage size

Most cages sold for hamsters are too small. Current UK welfare guidance recommends a floor area of at least 100 x 50 cm (about 40 x 20 inches), and bigger is better. Floor space matters more than height, so a large single-level enclosure is better than a tall cage with several small levels.

Research supports this. In a study of Syrian hamsters kept in four cage sizes, those in the smallest cages gnawed at the bars longer and more often. Bar-gnawing is a repetitive behavior linked to poor welfare. Hamsters in the largest cages tested, at 10,000 square centimeters of floor, did best.

• Choose a cage with a solid floor. Wire mesh floors can cause foot problems.
• Avoid wooden cages. Plastic bases with stainless steel bars or mesh sides are a better choice.
• Make sure the lid and doors close securely. Hamsters are skilled escape artists, and many are injured after getting out.

Bedding, hides and the wheel

Hamsters dig burrows, and deep bedding lets them do it. Aim for at least 25 cm (10 inches) of bedding in at least part of the enclosure. Dust-free wood shavings or granulated corn cob without preservatives are good choices. For nesting, offer hay, plain shredded paper or cardboard. Avoid cotton wool and fluffy nesting products, since the strands can wrap around legs and cause harm if eaten.

Give your hamster at least one dark nest box or hide, and more if hamsters share a cage. Many hamsters store food in their nest, so place it near the food and nesting material and away from the water bottle.

A wheel is important, because wild hamsters can run a long way in one night. It needs a solid running surface, not bars or rungs, and it must be big enough. As a guide, choose a wheel at least 30 cm (12 inches) across for a Syrian and at least 20 cm (8 inches) for a dwarf hamster. The wheel should not be the only enrichment. Tunnels, cardboard tubes, chew toys and scattered food all help.

Where to put the cage

Keep hamsters indoors, in a quiet room with a steady temperature of about 18 to 21°C (64 to 70°F). Avoid drafts, damp and direct sunlight. Hamsters hear high-pitched sounds that we cannot, so keep them away from televisions, computers, vacuum cleaners and running water.

Cold is a real risk. Below about 5°C (41°F), hamsters can go into a hibernation-like state. Unlike some animals, they do not build up fat beforehand and can starve if they do not wake to eat. Pet hamsters should never be allowed to hibernate. This is different from tortoises, which need a carefully managed winter rest, as described in our guide to tortoise hibernation. If your hamster is cold, limp and hard to wake, warm the room gradually and call your vet.

Food and water

Feed a complete pelleted food made for hamsters as the main diet. Many hamsters fed seed mixes pick out the tasty seeds and leave the rest, which unbalances the diet. Scatter some of the daily food around the cage or hide it in bedding so your hamster can forage.

Add small amounts of fresh food, such as leafy greens, washed root vegetables, and small pieces of fruit like apple. Do not give grapes or rhubarb, which can be poisonous to rodents. Make any diet changes slowly, and remove fresh food that is not eaten so it does not spoil in a hidden store.

Hamsters have cheek pouches that reach back past the shoulders. They carry food in them and hoard it in the nest, so it is normal for a full bowl to empty quickly.

Provide fresh water at all times, usually from a bottle with a metal sipper tube placed low enough to reach easily. Check it daily for leaks and blockages. A hamster's front teeth grow all the time, so offer safe things to gnaw, such as plain wooden chew blocks.

Night activity and sleep

Hamsters are most active at dusk and during the night. During the day they need to sleep without disturbance. Waking a hamster to play with it is stressful, and a hamster that is startled, woken suddenly or handled roughly may bite. Plan handling, cleaning and play for the evening, and keep a predictable light routine in the room.

This is worth thinking about before getting a hamster for a child. A hamster will be asleep for most of a child's day and awake, sometimes noisily, at night.

Handling and taming

Give a new hamster time to settle before you try to handle it. Then start slowly.

• Rest your hand in the cage in the evening and let the hamster sniff and climb on it in its own time.
• Offer a small treat from your palm so your hand becomes a good thing.
• Pick it up by cupping it in both hands, never by grabbing from above.
• Hold it low, a few inches above a table or your lap. A fall from standing height can cause serious injury.
• Keep sessions short and regular, ideally daily, rather than long sessions once a week.

Children should always handle hamsters with an adult present. Keep cats and dogs out of the room when your hamster is out of the cage.

Cleaning

Spot clean every day or two, removing wet bedding, droppings and stale food. Do a full clean once or twice a month, or more often for a small cage, using a pet-safe cleaner. Keep a handful of old, clean, dry bedding and mix it into the fresh bedding so the cage still smells familiar. Put the nest, toys and bowls back where they were.

When to see a vet

Hamsters hide pain and can go downhill quickly, so do not wait to see whether a problem passes. Never give human medicines, and only give antibiotics your vet has prescribed, since some can cause serious digestive illness in hamsters. Hamsters can also catch colds from people, so wash your hands and avoid handling them when you are ill.

Book a vet visit soon if you notice any of these signs.

• Wet, dirty fur around the tail, or diarrhea
• Eating less, losing weight or drooling
• Front teeth that look long, broken or uneven
• A runny nose or eyes, or sneezing
• Hair loss, scabs or flaky skin
• Any new lump or swelling

Get help the same day if your hamster:

• has wet tail and is quiet, hunched or not eating, especially if it is young
• has trouble breathing or is wheezing
• has tissue sticking out from its bottom, or an eye bulging out
• seems to be in pain or does not want to move

Wet tail is a common name for diarrhea in hamsters. It has several causes. A bacterial infection called proliferative ileitis is especially serious in young Syrian hamsters aged about 3 to 10 weeks. Stress from travel, crowding or a sudden diet change makes diarrhea more likely.

Before you get a hamster

A hamster's short life can still be a full one if its needs are met from the start: a big enclosure, deep bedding, a proper wheel, the right food and quiet days. Similar basics apply to other small pets, as you can read in our guides to rabbit care and budgie care. If your circumstances change and you can no longer keep your hamster, our guide to rehoming a pet responsibly explains how to find it a good home.

Paw Squadron rescues dogs and cats rather than small pets, and every animal we take in sees a vet and is dewormed. The same idea of adopting first applies to hamsters too. Small-animal rescues and shelters often have hamsters looking for homes.

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