If you have never kept hamsters before you might not fully appreciate what rewarding animals they are to keep as pets. They can happily sit in their tanks all day (with food and water!) while you are at school or work and, when you get home, they are lively, intelligent and affectionate companions who will be thrilled to see you. Even if you have kept hamsters for many years you can still learn more about them, as there is a limitless world of hamster personality and behaviour to explore. However, it must be said that hamsters are unsuitable for very young children¹ . They are not always gentle enough (the children, not the hamsters), hamsters can nip and they don't live very long².They can get up after you have gone to bed as they are nocturnal by nature and a young child may not be able to break this cycle.

Choosing your Hamster

The best thing to do when choosing a new hamster(s) is take your time, say five or ten minutes- give them the back of your hand to sniff. If they lick and scrape their teeth they are grooming you. This is not to be mistaken for teeth being bared and a low growling click which if you are the uninitiated means get your hand out quick or you might need stitches! Let the hamster do the choosing. How can you tell if you are the right person for that particular hamster(s)? There will be one in particular that stands out, does anything to get your attention long after the others have gone back to play fighting, grooming, feeding or sleep. They will be at the front of the cage/tank, clowning around, look at me, I'm the one!

How to name your hamster

Tricky. You have to let them settle, remember that he or she has had a traumatic experience. Left mum, shoved in a box with lots of other hamsters, bumped around in the dark and slapped into tanks/cages under unsuitable lighting³ and stared at, poked and generally disturbed. They will be missing mum and the other pups. Lonely, disorientated and very scared. Let them settle, in there own time⁴. Hamster dependant this can be anywhere between six and twelve hours. Have muted lighting in the room, they really do not like very bright light. No extraneeous sounds such as the t.v, radio or other noise. Just you and the hamster in its cage/tank. Get talking. Like humans, hamsters have things they prefer- sounds, tastes, smells. Many hamsters get given names that they do not respond well to, they may even ignore you. You can use a baby name book trying a few sounds out to see which they prefer, then work your way through E, for example, till you get to something that the little one pricks its ears up to and comes to you or looks at you.

Where they should live

The most important thing to remember about your hamster's home is: they live on their own. With a few exceptions (such as some dwarfs) hamsters live individually and would be likely to fight, perhaps to the death, if they were housed as a pair.
There are many schools of thought on how to house one's hamster. Cages are all very well but you can have problems. Longhairs can get knotted to the bars. Hamsters can climb and slip awkwardly and break a limb. They can chew the bars and make their mouths bleed or sore. Answer- tanks. Plastic Tommy Tanks⁵ are great. These tanks come with lids that clip on, with one or two hatches on the top. As a precaution put something heavy (not too heavy- you don't want to break the lid) on either end of the lid to prevent any possible escapes. You will always get one that tries to be a Houdini. You can fill them up with up to 6-8 inches of woodshavings, they love to dig, all the way to Australia!! It keeps their coat clean and, when it's warm, they sleep in the sawdust as it is cooler. Guess what, with tanks no mess on the floor and especially with little boys who aim high- your wall paper does not go all whiffy and yellow!! While hamsters love enviroments with variety where they can play, you should be careful. Some hamster homes can come with a range of tubes, wheels and accessories which are great fun for the hamster but far too easy to escape from or get injured by. They are highly intelligent animals who will find a way out, but they will also explore anything new and interesting, without realising that it may be dangerous.
The tank needs to be carefully located. Hamsters are fragile animals that need to be kept out of bright light and away from drafts, heaters and windows.

The Bed

Hamsters do not skimp on creature comfort. They love to be cosy, secure and warm. The best thing to do is try to make the home (tank, cage, or wherever you have housed them) they live in arranged the way they want it. The bed is the be all and end all for a hamster. Get it wrong and they make you pay! They love ceramics, cool in summer, warm in winter. A one pint or pint-and-a-half mug in the summer filled with woodshavings (tissues if it's a little chilly) and in winter, buried beneath huge mounds of woodshaving and half a box of tisssues. Other cermic alternatives with no sharp bits and big enough for said inhabitant are also hamster recommended. Occasionally you will get a hamster who will go to the ends of the earth for a box. This can be any box as long as there is no plastic linning. If it smells of tea- hamster heaven.

Housekeeping

Cleanliness is next to godliness. A rule that should strictly adhered to. Don't just clean them out once a week or once a month. every day. Every day you must clean the toilet corner/bowl⁶, twice a day if it's hot- first thing in the morning and last thing at night. They must have fresh water every day and this also may need changing twice in hot weather. Check the bed and remove any damp, soiled or dirty bedding as well as hoarded food. Eventually they should get out of the habit of hoarding food. Always make sure any woodshavings you take out are replaced. This whole process should take about five-ten minutes, depending on the mess they've made.

Once a Month

You must follow the cleaning for every day but thereis one other housekeeping chore that must be undertaken. The entire contents of your pets' home should be either cleaned in boiled salty water (soak for five minutes) and rinsed thoroughly and all bedding ditched and replaced with fresh. The cage or tank must also be cleaned. The cage, the plastic base must be cleaned with the salty water method. For tanks/hutches you can get an antibacterial cleaner. For the wire of the cage use a large headed soft-bristled brush and warm, soapy water. When all is washed, dry thoroughlyeverything. In summer this will need to be done once a week, as it is wamer and the bugs are more numerous.

What Else?

There is plenty more for you to know about hamsters if you are to properly take care of them. Keeping a Hamster as a Pet Part 2 will tell you all about the food and health needs of your hamster, as well as keeping them happy and stimulated. Part Three talks more about the traits and behaviour of hamsters and how you can enjoy an good relationship with them throughout their lives, and also lists some varities of hamster you might consider keeping.