Hamster_Cages

In the wild hamsters love nothing more than to dig and tunnel, so to keep your hamster happy you should try and recreate these conditions for your hamster so they can do what comes naturally.

Firstly, fill your hamster cage with about 10cm of hay, grass or torn paper. To create an artificial tunneling environment for your hamster, take a large waste bin and fill it with shavings but make sure if the artificial tunnel is outside of the cage that you leave enough room at the top of the shavings pile so he cannot escape. It’s also a good idea to keep a close eye on your hamster while he enjoys his tunnel.

If you are concerned it could get too messy, then a alternative would be to get a hamster cage with tunnels already build in so your hamster can have fun playing and be in a save atmosphere. Apart from providing your pet enough resources to dig & burrow, it's also incredibly vital that your pet hamster has sufficient amount of the right materials to build a resting area. Again hay & shredded toilet paper are the easiest resources for this, one word of warning though never use any wood that's treated in any way, because hamsters take great pleasure in chewing and this can make your pet very ill.

A good nesting area is a perfect condition for your hamster to hide away & retreat when it gets frighten. Hamsters are nervous little animals by nature so it's extremely important for them to have an area were they can retreat to for some quiet time, you will notice your hamster will be a lot less anxious, a lot more joyful & healthier because of this.

 Stay away from anything that can cause your hamster to get sick when you're lining his enclosure for nesting. Materials similar to cotton & cotton wool have small fibres that will make your pet hamster very sick, if your pet hamster were to ingest them. So it would be safer to use tissue paper or even shredded toilet paper to line their enclosure for them to build a sleeping area. Another thing to bear in mind when you're taking out the old cage shavings and you’re putting in the new filling, mix some of the old material with the new filling so your pet hamster is not too troubled by the sudden change in the atmosphere of the cage.

Hamsters can be toilet trained, which will make cleaning your cage a lot easier and a lot less messy. After a few weeks from getting your new pet, see where the greatest concentration of droppings is located in the cage, then place a small tray filled with either newspaper or cat litter pellets (as opposed to clumping cat litter, which can cause health problems for hamsters if eaten). Your hamster should soon start to use the litter tray, just like a cat, and before to long your pet hamster will be completely toilet trained.

An other thing to bear in mind is that your hamsters teeth continue growing all its live, so don't forget to get your hamster all the chewy toys he will require. Getting them soft chewy toys will help them maintain their teeth regular and will decrease the likelihood of your hamster's teeth overgrowing, and stopping them from maintaining a usual diet.