Questions tagged [hamsters]

A small, furry rodent kept as a pet; this tag works for the hamster and variants including the dwarf hamster.

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18 votes
6 answers
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How much space does a hamster need in its cage?

How much space does a hamster need in its cage? My friend's always tries to get out, and I think he might be a bit cramped.
Timtech's user avatar
  • 3,271
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

When and for how long can my hamster safely play in a hamster ball?

I know there is a special ball for hamsters, which they get in start to moving in; it's called a Hamster Ball. I want to buy one for my hamster, but I have two questions: At what age can a hamster ...
Omid Kashmari's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
5k views

Can a hamster and a tortoise/land turtle coexist peacefully?

We're interested in keeping a hamster in the house, and I know my wife is fond of small reptiles. Is it possible to keep a tortoise and a hamster in the same enclosure? I'm thinking this is ...
Brendan's user avatar
  • 201
10 votes
2 answers
11k views

Light spectrum visible to hamsters

I'd like to build an infrared tachometer for my hamster's wheel, but I don't want to distract him with a light source. Therefore I want to choose the wavelength of the LED for my hamster not to see it....
bot47's user avatar
  • 203
9 votes
4 answers
74k views

How can I stop my hamster biting the bars of her cage?

My hamster absolutely loves to bite the metal bars in her Rotastak enclosure. I know that this is to wear her teeth down but it's so annoying. How can I stop her from doing it? I have already tried ...
Andy Holmes's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is it safe to take a small (such as a Robo or Chinese) hamster in airplane, or can they "explode"?

I am planning to fly from USA to Hong Kong and wanted to take my small Chinese hamster with me. My understanding is that a hamster would probably have to ride in the cargo hold with other animals (...
user100487's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
16k views

Does chocolate hurt hamsters?

I know that chocolate is bad for dogs, but is it bad for hamsters too? I would like an answer from a credible source.
Andrew's user avatar
  • 983
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Plants suitable/safe for a hamster?

I am trying to create a 'natural' looking hamster cage. I want to create as much enrichment as I can by using rocks, moss, wood, leaves, sand, dirt and other elements that would be natural to a (dwarf)...
Summer's user avatar
  • 287
7 votes
1 answer
475 views

Should I bathe my hamster?

While reading the Hamsterific hamster FAQ, I read about never giving hamsters a bath. That's a naughty word in the hamster world; hamsters don't like water sports. Nature has provided hamsters with ...
user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Hostile hamster - Biting hands whilst holding

I recently got a Syrian hamster at the age of seven weeks. Now, at the age of three months, he is not curiously nibbling me, but actually biting until I am bleeding (three times already). What am I ...
Robin Kramer-ten Have's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
436 views

Can a hamster be allergic to cats?

I live in an apartment with my Roborovski hamster, and my roommate has a cat. Occasionally the cat will get into my room and get close to him, and shortly after, I will notice him scratching himself a ...
Kt96's user avatar
  • 85
7 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is my hamster's (fancy dwarf) cage too small?

It's not trying to escape or anything, but I'm just wondering if the cage is too small. Please look at picture provided.
Vivian Z.'s user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Will my hamster take damage if I film him with an active IR camera?

I'm currently using my Raspberry Pi combined with a NoIR camera module as a camera to livestream my hamster's home to my mobile phone. Now, the IR-camera itself does not output any good pictures at ...
rqnn's user avatar
  • 163
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is Cotton Wool an acceptable substitute for Hamster bedding?

I've got two Roborovski Hamsters which both have good sized cages. I like to try and change their bedding frequently which obviously increases the cost of the bedding. It seems there are two types of ...
Henders's user avatar
  • 5,135
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

My hamster ate a bit of chocolate ice cream

I have a pet hamster. I had previously stepped on some chocolate ice cream. As I was letting my hamster run around my room, she stopped and licked the spot of chocolate ice cream on my sock. Just one ...
Eden Goldsberry's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Best pet for a blind person

I'd like to know what would be the best pet for me as a blind person. I don't like dogs at all due to something bad that happened to me and my annoyance with puppies. However, I'm considering either ...
The Cat-alyst's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I prevent my Robo Dwarf Hamster from biting during handling?

I purchased a Roborovski hamster on the 19th. I let him roam his cage and get comfortable for the first four days before attempting to handle him. As an aside, his current housing is too small and I ...
ineptchimpanzee's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
6k views

Hamster - Skin Infection

I have a white dwarf hamster about 6 months old. Now I am pedantic about diet, it's environment and I check him daily. Water replaced regularly, bedding regularly. Overall he gets the same treatment I ...
Metamorphosis's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
139 views

How to enjoy keeping a hamster as a pet

I have a small robo dwarf hamster. He's getting older (maybe ~2 years old?) and I'm trying to figure out how to enjoy him instead of just cohabitating with him. He's a very cute little guy, but not ...
Churro's user avatar
  • 81
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to make homemade hamster food?

I have heard that many types of hamster food sold in pet stores are either not healthy/safe for hamsters or don't provide the proper diet for hamsters. I am interested in making a homemade food mix ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why does my hamster freeze?

I've had several hamsters and was wondering why they do a certain behavior. Sometimes my hamster will suddenly stop whatever it is doing and stay completely still until I move around or say something. ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
4 votes
1 answer
445 views

Should I get a larger cage for my two dwarf hamsters? How large?

I have two Russian female dwarf hamsters and they share a 25 x 30 x 50cm wired cage from pets at home which was highly recommended for two dwarfs. It seemed cramped with all the chews and toys, so I ...
ilovehammies's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
85 views

Is there anything more that I can do to make my dwarf hamsters more comfortable and happy?

I have three Russian dwarf hamsters that are almost 41/2 weeks old now. My sister purchased two hamsters that she thought were both females, but she realized they were not once she unexpectedly ...
Jay's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
111 views

Hamster hair loss

For months now, our dwarf hamster is slowly losing hair at the back, between the shoulders. We can see that the hamster scratches itself often at this spot where the hair gets lost. The hamster is ~7 ...
Laokoon's user avatar
  • 135
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to cool a dwarf hamster in hot weather

Our Djungarian hamster is apparently getting hot when temperatures reach about 25 °C. She then sleeps outside her house, in a corner of her terrarium, leaning on the glass and looking annoyed. She ...
Petr's user avatar
  • 195
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How big does my robo hamster cage have to be?

So I bought a cage on amazon for around $70 and you can see the specs in the image so anyway, it was pretty expensive and if its too small i dont think i want to give it up. If you think its too ...
Vik Singh's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
900 views

How high can an unprotected second level be in a hamster cage?

I have read that hamsters must be protected from injury due to accidental falls. I am starting to make DIY hamster toys out of cardboard, wood and Popsicle sticks. I know that my hamster can ...
aparente001's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
641 views

Is it possible and/or cruel to encourage a hamster to be more awake during the evening?

We were considering a small pet for our family when, out of the blue, someone offered us a 6-month old Syrian hamster. The owner felt that their children weren't paying the pet enough attention, and ...
Bob Tway's user avatar
  • 521
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Can I use any type of wood shaving for my hamster

I recently bought a hamster and I've been reading on different types of hamsters bedding to use on it's cage. Currently I'm using self made paper bedding (made out of toilet paper) but it's quite ...
celsomtrindade's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
391 views

Can a hamster run around a room instead of having a wheel?

A hamster needs to run to stay healthy and happy. I am wondering, if a hamster was given a large enclosure (like the size of a room that is 300-400 square feet / 28-37 square meters), would the ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
2 votes
2 answers
579 views

Is my hamster tank large enough?

The hamster tank I bought is 96 x 47 x 38 cm (L x W x H) and I’m looking to get three winter white dwarf hamsters. Would this be spacious enough for three or two?
Natalia's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
855 views

Why is my hamster awake all night?

My hamster runs on her wheel all night long keeping me awake! What can I do to stop the noise so I can get some sleep?
Zaralynda's user avatar
  • 20.2k
2 votes
1 answer
148 views

Couple of same-sex Djungarian hamsters?

We want to avoid keeping a couple of Djungarian hamsters to prevent breeding. Is it more natural for the animals to keep just one solitary hamster, or two of the same sex? And if two, males or females?...
Petr's user avatar
  • 195
2 votes
1 answer
457 views

Is this cage too small?

Too small? It has 2 sections, an upper level, and a second floor. It has 2 wooded houses, a stick of chewable things, and food stick, wooded logs, a second food bowl, a wheel, and only has tubes for ...
Isabella4's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
792 views

Hamster refuses to climb back up pipe

My Hamster that I got yesterday went down a curvy tube into another part of her cage (a separate container) and acted like she wanted out, but when she climbed back up the tube she got to a point and ...
Emil's user avatar
  • 91
2 votes
1 answer
376 views

Can a hamster be litter box trained?

I know that it is not just dogs and cats that can be litter box trained. Some other pets like rabbits are pretty easy to train so can you litter box train a hamster? If so how?
James Jenkins's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
90 views

How to pick up Syrian Hamster

Does anyone have any tips on how I can start handling my Syrian hamster? I have had him for a couple of weeks now and have stroked him while feeding him, but I am finding it difficult to pick him up. ...
ailish 's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
87 views

Difference between small hamsters and larger hamsters?

After having several hamsters over the years, I've noticed that larger hamsters tend to be calmer while the smaller ones seem to be far more energetic and oftentimes more afraid of people. Why are ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
2 votes
1 answer
92 views

Hamster excessively washing her front paws

My Syrian black bear hamster has lately been washing her front paws and face a lot. Is this because she is nervous?
Emil's user avatar
  • 91
2 votes
1 answer
205 views

Hamster cage's tunnels seem to be too small

I'm looking at different cages for our hamster (can't remember what kind she is - she's just average size) but the tubes/tunnels that come with them seem really narrow for our hamster. Can they fit ...
Christa Dunlap's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
120 views

Not bathing a female hamster for 2 months

My hamster just gave birth 3 weeks ago, and today it gives birth again. I heard that they can't bath using bathing sand for 28 days since. My concern is, I've read through some articles and their ...
Soh Min's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
0 answers
67 views

How to encourage a hamster to chew more?

I have had a few hamsters over the years, but the hamster that I have now seems to not chew on its chew toys. I know that hamsters need to chew on things to prevent their teeth from growing too long ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
1 vote
1 answer
379 views

How can I encourage a Winter White dwarf hamster to change color?

I was told that the Winter White dwarf hamster changes color based on the season. i.e. brown/dark grey in the summer and white/light grey in the winter. Firstly, what causes the hamster to notice the ...
Jacob B's user avatar
  • 636
1 vote
1 answer
108 views

Dwarf Hamster bites into anything to find food

I got a djungarian dwarf hamster roughly 4 weeks ago. She is roughly 12 weeks old now. She doesn't seem scared at all, and comes out of her house to check me out when I open the cage up. However, she ...
xerox102's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

My hamster won’t stop biting the cage

My Syrian hamster is about 1 and a half years old and still doesn’t stop chewing the cage, no matter what. I’ve given her chew stick, toys, hay toys and I’ve sprayed the cage she bites with hamster ...
Chloeanne's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
620 views

Changing Hamster Food

I recently hit the bottom of my bag of hamster food and ran to the store to get another bag. After searching the shelves I learned that they may not carry the kind I previously used, and because I had ...
Kt96's user avatar
  • 85
1 vote
1 answer
58 views

Why did our Djungarian hamster stop using her house?

Our Djungarian hamster has had a big, wooden house (under the wheel) where she used to happily live since we got her a few months ago. But recently she stopped using it for sleeping. Instead she just ...
Petr's user avatar
  • 195
1 vote
0 answers
13 views

One Hamster Needed Cage Size [duplicate]

I am looking to get a hamster, but don't know how big an aquarium has to be for one dwarf hamster. Help!
ayla's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
75 views

how do i know if my cage is to small (syrian) [duplicate]

i have a syrian hamster who looks to be 3-5 inchs. can you tell me what you think by looking at the picture below.
hammie_and.me's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
163 views

What's the hearing range of Djungarian hamsters?

The closest I could find was the hearing range of mice, which is is 1-70 kHz. I'm curious for 2 reasons: To avoid possible sources of ultrasound that might startle the pet. To try recording their ...
Petr's user avatar
  • 195