I’ve had Guinea Pigs and Hamsters as pets in my life. And since a lot
of my friends ask about them, I thought I’d share some insight on what it’s
like living with a hamster! Here’s some common questions that people ask:
> What do you need?
A hamster is a pet that is really easy to have even if you haven’t had
much experience dealing with animals. They don’t require much training or
attention, and it doesn’t cost a lot to keep them alive and happy. At the very
basic, you need these items to get started:
1. Cage (water bottle and hideout hut if it doesn’t
come with one)
2. Bedding: you can choose from water absorbing
pallets (this can get very noisy if your hamster likes to dig around), wood
shed bedding (good for summer), and cotton bedding (soft and warm for winter)
3. Hamster hay pallets: personally I don’t like the
mixed hamster food, because every time I bought some it was manifested with
small beetles and my hamster didn’t enjoy the food at all. Instead of that, I
now give my hamster hay pallets which are good for chewing but are also very
healthy!
4. Sunflower seeds: this is also another main
source of food for my hammy, this is her absolute favorite!
5. Treats: there are some fruit flavored drops that
you can buy and give occasionally
6. Chewing block: hamster teeth can grow very long
if not maintained, make sure your hamster has plenty of things to chew on
7. Sand: this is for your hammy to bathe in to stay
clean. (If my hamster feels like it, she also sleeps in the sand)
8. Hamster ball (optional, but highly recommended
because it’s very entertaining)
All of the items
above cost only around HK $300! And usually stock up on the food and bedding
every 2 months. The store I got my hamster and all these items from is “I Love Rabbit”
located in Causeway Bay.
> What does she eat?
Besides the hay pallets, sunflower seeds, and hamster treats, I also
give her human food. Since hamsters are Omnivores (they eat both
vegetables and meat), human food is generally fine, as long as it isn’t heavily
processed. I generally give her carrots, cabbage, steamed rice, baked potatoes,
and even some oven baked chicken!
> Does she smell?
Not really! She usually smells like her wood shed beddings or hay
pellets. The only time she smells is when she stays in her hamster ball for too
long and poops too much. But you’ll only smell it if you hold her up to your
nose. All she needs is a sand bath and she’s good to go!
> Does she bite?
When I first got her she did, but it was only out of self-defense if
you scared her. She’s only bitten me once and it was because I was trying to
refill her food, and I made the mistake of grabbing it while she had her back
facing me so she was very startled. It did draw blood on my fingertip but it
wasn’t that painful. After that I played with her everyday so she gets used to
my smell. And now even if I hold my finger in front of her, or I put food on my
palm, she will never bit me, not even nibble!
> Is she noisy?
Hamsters don’t make very loud noises, and are definitely less vocal
than Guinea Pigs. My hamster only squeals when I tickle her. But having mentioned
that, she is noisy when she chews the cage bars or when she’s digging around in
her cage or hamster call. It’s not enough for the neighbors to hear, but it’s
just enough that will get you annoyed if you’re trying to concentrate. I’ll
either distract her with food, or I’ll put her in our shower room where she can
run freely and I won’t hear her through the bathroom doors.
> What does she do all day?
Eat, Sleep, and Play. My hamster doesn’t eat a lot, she actually eats a
very moderate amount so she’s not chubby. But she does sleep for the most part.
She at a point where she’s so comfortable with the environment that she can
sleep through me swearing at Mario Kart. I’ve also seen her yawn plenty of
times when I wake her up accidentally, and it’s the most adorable thing on
earth!
When it comes to playing, she does a variety of things, like running on
her hamster wheel, digging a tunnel under her 1.5 inch thick bedding, running
around her hamster ball, rolling around her sand box, and last but not least
being a “Spider Nom”. (Her name is Nom Nom, and Spider comes from Spiderman)
She likes to climb up the side of her cage and then monkey-baring across the
ceiling, then sliding on her back into her house on the second floor. This
scene is captured and included in the YouTube vide linked below if you’re curious.
> What if I have to travel for extended periods of time?
Hamsters are really low maintenance, and can survive on little amounts
of food, water, and attention. This summer I was in Japan for around 10 days,
and I was very worried that my hamster would run out of food, water, or die
from overheating. But it turns out that she didn’t even finish her food, and
was just as energetic when I came back from my trip.
One thing to keep in mind though, hamsters don’t cope well with the cold.
If you don’t have a heater for winter, it’s best to give your hamster some
cotton balls or a sock to keep them warm because they can actually die from
being too cold.
> The hamster escape story
There was a time where the cage door was left opened overnight and my hamster
escaped! She actually jumped off a very tall shelf (120 cm tall), and probably
landed on something oft like a shoe, and then went to hide under the fridge.
There’s also been an instance where she jumped off the kitchen counter and
landed on the rug below. But hamsters are tougher than they seem!
I hope from sharing my experience, it either entertained you, or helped
you understand Hamsters better! Leave a comment below if you want to know more!
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