Water and food

The hamster needs to be fed a basic hamster mix each evening as it wakes and may also be fed additional supplements. If the hamster wakes very late it may be encouraged to wake earlier by feeding earlier at night and tapping on the side of their cage to wake the hamster. After a couple of days the hamster will become familiar with when it’s feeding time.

Fresh water ought to always be made available from a position the hamster can easily reach comfortably. Pet Shops also sell vitamin drops which may be put into water and are good for the hamster. The hamster should not be without access to water.

Grooming

Hamsters don’t need grooming, with the exception of Long Haired male Syrian Hamsters that could need the occasional brush to get rid of shavings from their coat which is best done using a soft toothbrush.

Hamsters don’t require bathing because they clean themselves and to bath the hamster it’ll remove the natural oils from the coat and there’s a risk the hamster can catch a chill. Hamsters do appreciate having a plate of sand to roll around though and this helps to get rid of the greasiness from the coat – in the wild they live in deserts so this is natural for them.

Cage Cleaning

The cage ought to be cleaned weekly by removing the hamster from the cage and throwing out all old wood particles and food. Any fresh food that appears to be stored by the hamster needs to be removed after a few days to prevent it from rotting. The hamster will appreciate it if some of its old bedding is positioned in the clean cage along with some fresh bedding.

Health Checks

When cleaning the cage it is recommended that the hamster be checked over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.