If you have decided upon bringing home a new friend as a pet hamster, you most definitely must be excited and elated. Hamsters as pets require a lot of care and attention but not something that is excessively hard to get it done. There are a lot of things that need to be arranged and also taken care of before you bring the hamster home.
This article is to mainly focus on those important things that need to be done for preparing for your new hamster. It is very important to note that it is always advised to bring them home only if you are 100% sure about the decision.
- Choosing the right cage:
The very first thing that you need to worry about is the accommodation of the hamster. Choosing the perfect cage for the hamster is one of the pivotal things in the “to do” list. While there are a number of cages, be it the metal ones or the aquarium type ones, it is best to choose the one which will let the hamster roam about freely, help indulge in activities and also would be cozy and safe. You can also get multi-level cages which tend to help a lot in engaging them in a number of activities. It is best to avoid the wired cages because they tend to chew on the wires and injure themselves.
- A nesting box:
The shelter or the nesting boxes are equivalent to a safe haven for the hamsters when they are threatened or scared. This is the place they tend to sleep and or hide, and it should be big enough for the hamster not to feel claustrophobic. The shelter should be dark as well.
- The climate or temperature of the surrounding:
The hamsters are used to a dry and harsh weather condition, and you need to maintain the same in your house as well. One more thing that needs to be done is to make sure that the cage of the hamster is away from the windows or the air conditioning vents and should be placed in a dry area where there is a minimum amount of humidity.
- The right kind of food:
After preparing for the housing and the suitable adjusting conditions, the next thing to do is to select the right kind of food to feed your hamster. They need a very balanced diet in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, vegetables and sometimes fruits as well. It has also been seen that some owners also feed some proteins in the form of insects.
- Freshwater:
Last but not the least is the water that you feed your hamster. The hamster apart from the healthy diet also needs a steady and continued supply of fresh drinking water. It is best to opt for the water bottles which are available in any pet store. They are the best to supply the necessary amount of water to the hamster.
