Once you have decided to get a hamster for a pet, you need to be aware that you are putting the life of the hamster in your hands. Although they are small and easy to care for, you should not take the responsibility lightly. They will depend on you for food, for their home and medical attention and lots of personal attention from you. You have to keep your hamster happy and healthy.
You have to have a clean and safe home for your hamster. There are different kinds of cages that are available in the market. They don't need the most expensive ones, just the ones that are right for the hamster's size and type. Place their cages in a suitable location in your home where the room temperature will remain stable and is away from direct sunlight. Give your hamster toys but do not forget that your hamsters also need space.
By nature hamsters are afraid of anything that is not of its kind, it can be afraid of you too, so, you have to learn the proper way of handling them. Hamsters are in deep sleep at day, do not startle a sleeping hamster or else your hamster might bite you. Since they have poor eyesight and depend much on their hearing and sense of smell, when you want to play with him, make sure that he is awake, tap on its cage or move his water bottles or talk to it, in that way it will be familiar with your scent and your voice. Before handling your hamster always wash your hands, it might smell traces of food in your hands and you might get bitten. It is important that you should wash your hands properly before and after handling them. Always remember that your hamster's confidence is not built overnight so you have to be patient, your patience and care will be worth every moment you spent gaining your hamster's trust.
Feed your hamster with fresh food daily either in the morning or in the evening. Hamster loves fresh vegetables, give them grass, clover, lettuce or carrots but don't over feed them it might result to diarrhea. Give treats at times, hard-boiled eggs, fish liver oil, meat, milk, bird seed, monkey chow or yeast.
