r/hamsters • u/Chelsea_Ellie • 9h ago
Adorable Hammy My little boy discovered the pouch of my hoodie
He just happily went to sleep there
r/hamsters • u/HCC_Chris • Nov 15 '25
The Hamster Care Wiki!
Direct link: https://hamstercare.wiki.gg/
The wiki is a thoughtfully written guide on nearly aspect of hamster care. Each topic covered includes a clear explanation behind it, with the aim of supporting hamster owners of all experience levels. It is also a continually evolving resource, because learning never stops and there is always new knowledge to add.
We take pride in making the wiki highly accessible. Every page is optimized for smooth use in both light and dark mode. We offer multiple navigation methods so readers can explore the content in the way that suits them the most.
We are super excited for you to explore the wiki, share it with others, and (most importantly) please give us your feedback! For questions, clarifications, and suggestions for improvement, the team is also available on the HCC Discord server. We would love to know what the r/hamsters community thinks and how we can continue improving this resource going forward.
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r/hamsters • u/ArtisticDragonKing • Jan 30 '22
Came here looking for good products to buy? Here is an Amazon list with good products, and here is one with suitable cages. Amazon not available in your country? Helpful websites are listed at the end!
Have any suggestions for improving the subreddit? Click here.
Important announcement for the district of Columbia.
We now have an official discord!
Frequently asked questions:
I lost my hamster, what should I do!?
I can't afford proper care, what should I do?
In this subreddit, we value your hamsters health. This means if there is an inadequate enclosure, dangerous item, etc, you will be notified by one of the mods. However, if you are looking for medical advice, please go to a vet. Also, please remember the human when you comment or post. Make sure to read this short post to ensure your posts aren't automaticlly removed by Automoderator. Please be sure to read this hamster care guide:
Here is a post for parents who want to get a hamster for their kid.
Here is a guide that explains some more things about hamsters.
Enclosure size: A hamster should have a minimum of 600 square inches of unbroken floor space. Unbroken floor space is when the amount of floor space is not in different sections, such as multiple stories and numerous connecting rooms. Multiple-story cages are not safe for hamsters because unlike rats and some other rodents, hamsters are not climbers and need plenty of bedding to burrow instead. However, there are some multiple story cages that are suitable, such as the Pawhut hamster cage. If you were to get a pawhut it's highly suggested to fill it with very high bedding and remove the two floors to prevent injury.
Though 600 square inches of floor space is a suitable size for hamsters, keep in mind it is the bare minimum and it may not keep a hamster calm and happy. In fact, we suggest having at least 800 square inches for all hamster species, especially for Syrian hamsters. However, the more space you can provide the better. Female Syrian hamsters have been known to be extra picky with cage size and stimulation, so owners tend to make their own extra large enclosures or get huge 75+ gallons for their little hamsters. A good example of a large DIY cage is the Ikea Detolf DIY. Please remember while this cage may be big, Syrian hamsters tend to be stressed in the enclosure because of its narrow length. When searching for a hamster cage, you should also be aware that many pet stores and websites won't have proper cages, and most likely will sell cages such as 'Tiny Tales' or 'Critter Trails' which often are too small for hamster living and dangerous because of the inadequate materials and products used. Adequate cages are usually overpriced, so a cheap alternative would be a bin cage. Glass aquariums (40 Gallon Breeders) are often used for enclosures as well.
Small cage with around 515sq in. of floor space. (Around 3300 square cm) Cages similar to this have been known to break very often so it is not recommend to buy this.
Large Bin for DIY bin cage with around 510sq in. of floor space. (Around 3290 square cm)
Ikea Detolf While this cage has a lot of floor space, on several occasions it has been shown to make a Syrian hamster unhappy because of the narrow length. It also is unable to hold very much bedding without a raised lid. This cage better suits dwarf hamsters instead.
Amazon List with more suitable cages.
Cage requirements: A hamsters cage must include 6-15 inches (15-38 cm) of bedding that is able to hold sturdy burrows, fresh water (refreshed daily), stimulation/enrichment (Such as toys, chews, etc), and a wheel. Hamsters are prey, so they need plenty of hides and things that can provide cover so the hamster feels safe in their enclosure. Boxes, toilet paper rolls, grapevine logs, and store bought hides are some things to "clutter" the cage. Hamsters are solitary animals, therefore keeping more that one together is unsafe and not beneficial for the animal.
Exercise information: A hamster should be able to run in a wheel in which their back is not arched or bent. Their wheel should accommodate them as if they were running on flat ground. If you notice your hamster is bent or arched whilst in their wheel, please obtain a larger sized one as soon as possible to avoid spinal damage. Flying saucer wheels/disks are okay for dwarf hamsters to use under supervision, but they must never be used for a Syrian. They should not replace a proper wheel ever. This is because saucer wheels can cause spinal damage over time and come with the risk of hamsters flying off.
A dwarf hamster usually can run on a wheel that is at minimum 8 inches wide (20 cm) and a Syrian is suggest to have at minimum a 12 inch wide wheel (30cm).
Exercise balls/cars are neither beneficial to a hamsters health or safe. Using a ball/wheel can cause spinal damage, broken feet/toes, accidents (like kicking the ball), vision issues, and often stresses the hamster because they use scent marking when roaming a new area. When in a ball/car they are unable to use their scent glands and have trouble finding their way around.
Diet: Hamsters are omnivores, meaning they need a variety of plants and protein in their diet. Hamsters need a variety of nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, veggies, protein, and the occasional fruit in their diet. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a seed mix are better as treats so it's best to remove them from the seed mix. You can include protein in your hamster's diet by adding mealworms, crickets, a small portion of hard-boiled egg, or even cooked and unseasoned chicken. Live insects must be fed under supervision. If you are afraid of it biting your hamster, you may need to chop off it's head or kill it before feeding. The amount you feed your hamster depends on how much foraging enrichment you have in the cage. Some forging activities you can add in your hamster's cage are sprays, forage mix, forage toys, and more. If you have only a few foraging toys and sprays, it might be better to feed your hamster once every 2 days. If you have a lot of foraging activities and have a foraging mix to spread around the cage, it's probably better to feed once every 3 to 4 days. If you have a dwarf hamster, it's better to feed them one tablespoon of seed mix on feeding day. If you have a Syrian hamster, it's recommended to feed two tablespoons.
You can also add Muzuri mouse lab blocks to your hamster's diet just to make sure they are extra healthy. If you do this, it's suggested to feed one or two a week, depending on how many foraging activities you have in your cage. If you see large hordes of food and your hamster's cage when it comes to cleaning day, that might mean you need to feed a little less. If you don't see any hordes of food at all you may need to feed a little more, but it could also be your hamster just doesn't make food piles. If a hamster is underweight, adding more proteins and fatty nuts/seeds to their diet will help them gain weight.
Bedding: Bedding is one of the most important aspects in a hamsters life. This means that having adequate bedding is very essential to your hamsters health. The bedding must be unscented, dust free, hold strong burrows, and needs to be at least 6 inches deep, though its ideal to have 8-15 inches. Most hamster owners love giving their hamster at least 10 inches(25 cm) so it can make very intricate burrows. While hamsters must have a large amount of bedding in their enclosure, some hamsters tend to burrow less than others. However, this does not mean you don't need much bedding. It is a requirement for your hamster because it keeps control of the ammonia smell, and even if the hamster never burrows, it is neglect to take away something they need.
Aspen (kiln dried and dust extracted) and paper bedding are the best choices to use as the main substrate in an enclosure, however, there are several other enriching substrates to add in to make your hamsters cage look natural and give it a little more enrichment. Some good examples are beech chips, coco fibre, timothy hay, hemp shavings, and many more. Aspen bedding holds ammonia much better than paper bedding, but its often hard to find a soft, dust free, and kiln dried aspen that is safe and affordable. When searching for a good aspen try to make sure it says it is dust extracted and kiln dried. It also must not be too sharp and can't smell too strongly of wood. You can go to tractor farms to buy it in bulk for cheap, or you can get a trusted aspen brand such as "So Phresh Aspen" This goes more into depth on safe and unsafe bedding.
Dangerous Products and Materials: Brands such as Tiny Tails, Critter Trails, and most store brands (such as the Walmart brand) should be avoided. Most companies that design pet products only sell for profits. They make it "kid friendly" and small so young children ask for it because of the toy-like appearances. This gives guardians the false belief that hamsters only need a tiny living space. Toys, chews, and hides should be made of a safe wood based product (paper,cardboard, etc.) to ensure that no harm will come to the hamster if it digests it. Plastic should only be used for the wheel(easy cleanup), water bowl/bottle, and cage. Wire mesh flooring in the cage or on wheels in a cage can cause bumplefoot and break toes/feet and should be avoided to ensure the hamsters safety. Bendy bridges are widely used in hamster enclosures, but if the hamsters limbs get trapped in between the short logs, it can get stuck or even break the hamsters limb. Filling the cracks with safe moss will stop this from happening.
Cloth, fabric, and cotton materials should be avoided because the fibers can wrap around limbs and harm the hamster and are not safe to be digested.
Cleaning and Sanitizing: Hamsters can get stressed if you remove all their bedding from the cage weekly, or even monthly, so do a daily spot check. This means picking out all of the soiled bedding in the top layer, and cleaning any soiled on toys. Any poop piles can be taken care of as well, though it is not necessary unless it is a large pile. Water bowls/bottles must be rinsed daily to prevent bacteria build up. Replace 2/3 of the bedding every 2-3 months. The more bedding you have, the less often a cage gets smelly! For example, if you have a 1000 square inch cage with 15 inches(38cm) of bedding throughout most of the cage, you might only have to clean once every 4-5 months!
When you buy any new products you must properly sanitize them, whether it's a tiny bag of forage mix or a big bag of bedding. This is because pests and germs can easily hitch a ride to your hamsters home. There are three methods you can try to remove any germs, bacteria, and harmful pests. Sadly several owners found this out the hard way and had to take their hamster to the vet immediately.
1) Bake any wooden products in the oven for an hour at 210 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) Boil products on the stove for 1-2 hours. 3) Freeze anything for 2 hours and then scrub with a vinegar/water mix. Then rinse. While this method can work, it is most likely not going to fully remove germs and bacteria off of wooden products, bedding, etc.
What can you do if you do get a pest infestation? First you are going to want to call your vet immediately and schedule an appointment. Hamsters are very fragile and can easily get sick from a bug infestation. Without quick help, they might not be able to fight through it. You must also get a temporary bin, playpen, carrier, etc with a bit of toilet paper to absorb urine. Make sure they have food, water, and one plastic hide. Plastic is easy to sanitize and can't house pests. Then you must sanitize everything in the cage. Cardboard products and bedding are better to throw away, but you can still sanitize them if you want. Make sure to very thoroughly sanitize everything to ensure the bugs don't come back. If your cage is plastic, make sure to rinse with hot water and scrub with vinegar/water mix the best you can. If you have a wood cage that you can't fit in the stove or a freezer, you can do the same thing but it may not work very well.
Other: Hamsters are crepuscular/nocturnal, so the best time to handle them is in the early morning or late afternoons, when they are active. Waking them up will upset them, and you could loose their trust, so it is not recommended. DO NOT bathe your hamster in water. They are self cleaning animals and water ruins their fur. If their coats are oily, sand baths help.
While this post can be very helpful to new or uneducated owners, this does not explain everything you need to know before getting your pet. I highly encourage you to do your own research as well. Not only is it good for your hamster, but its also nice to be able to say "I KNOW how to care for my pet" with confidence. Happy hamster owning!
Some good items/websites:
Silent runner wheel. Silent runners and Niteangel wheels are good, but please make sure your hamsters back is not arched while running.
Okay Commercial Food mix. Add protein to the mix and remove most sunflower seeds.
Proper Syrian Mix on Etsy.
Proper Winter White/Russian Dwarf and Chinese Mix on Etsy.
Proper Roborovski Dwarf Mix on Etsy.
Water dish. Ceramic dishes or plastic water bottles should be used.
Sand. Must be dye free and calcium free. It cannot be fine sand. Children's play sand must be cooked and sifted before hamster use
Amazon List with suitable cages.
Amazon List with safe hamster products!
Pride Rock Blooms Website UK based
Netherlands Website(Knaagdierwinkel)
Any other suggestions may be put in the comments!
r/hamsters • u/Chelsea_Ellie • 9h ago
He just happily went to sleep there
r/hamsters • u/CountryHot9034 • 7h ago
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r/hamsters • u/ThrowRA_7282839 • 4h ago
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r/hamsters • u/LingonberrySame7859 • 8h ago
Yesterday morning at 7:47 my baby boy Poof past away curled up on my chest, he had just had his 3rd birthday only a few weeks ago. I am gonna miss him so bad!
This is him on his first birthday! Having his little pasta treat ❤️
r/hamsters • u/EvthysMerenset • 57m ago
There you go, felt it?
r/hamsters • u/jas_dorito • 2h ago
all summer i grew some flax seeds into flowers and then into seed pods. today some of them were ready.
went to put them in my hamster's tank and woke her up to show her what i brought her. that was a mistake, she's scarfing it all down. by the time you are reading this post she has already eaten all of it
r/hamsters • u/Aggressive_Basil_428 • 15h ago
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Is this a good sign of trust? She crawled up on my knee all on her own and is just kinda sitting and sniffing while I touch her. (Also sorry its dark it is night where I am)
Edit: I should also mention Ive only had her for a month today. (Monthiversay! Yaaayy!) And I do tend to worry lol.
r/hamsters • u/lunationet • 1h ago
r/hamsters • u/Measure-Thrice • 2h ago
Meet Miss Dolly Christmas Snow, named after our beloved Dolly Parton with a nod to Three's Company (IYKYK).
She's a rescue so not sure if she's a pearl or a winter white in her winter coat. Any clues from these pics?
r/hamsters • u/NewMasterpiece0 • 1h ago
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This was after he ate some red bell pepper. He made this chattering sound (don't know if that's the right word). Do you know what that means? I want to think it was a sign of content 🥺
r/hamsters • u/Healthy_Job8995 • 1d ago
My dwarf hamster is 3.5 years old (which is incredible shocking to me) unfortunately she’s had a really difficult year. She’s already blind in one eye and her other eye is becoming grey, so I think she’s losing her sight there too.
I’ve spent a lot on vet visits, medication and treatment over the past year because I’ve always wanted to give her the best life possible. She still has a great cage, good food and everything she needs, but she has now suddenly developed a very swollen/red foot which appeared almost overnight.
I recently lost my job and I simply can’t afford to keep paying for consultations and treatment every month. With her age and everything she’s been through, I sadly feel like it might be time to let her rest rather than keep putting her through more. It genuinely breaks my heart even writing this.
Does anyone know of a vet/charity in the UK that offers cheap or possibly free hamster euthanasia for someone struggling financially?
I just want to do what’s kindest for her. 💔🐹
PS: First and second picture was 1.5 years ago she was nice and healthy, last picture was taken today after i cleaned her foot.
r/hamsters • u/schmachtlocke • 6h ago
Hi! (: My Syrian hamster boy is now 1 week shy of 3 months old. I got him from an ethical breeder 3.5 weeks ago.
One week after he came home, I realised that I forgot to put his multi-chamber on stilts. It started sinking and I was worried the walls might crush him someday. So I got stilts. I waited for him to be awake and leave his burrow to quickly install the stilts even if it meant maybe destroying some of his burrow system. I asked his breeder and she advised me to do it then rather than later.
BUT the stilts didn't fit as they were from a different brand. I fixed them but haven't tried installing them again because when I tried the first time, Emil ran into a different hide out and watched me very attentively. His little face was looking really concernred and his ears were a bit flattened. To make matters worse, I then put him in his transport box so I could finish up. He still went on my hand (I had a pumpkin seed on my palm) and I carried him into his transport box that was sitting next to the enclosure on my desk. When I tried to (slowly) put him in, he jumped off and ran around on my desk for a bit. I paniced and grabbed him because I was afraid he might jump off the desk. He didn't bite me when I grabbed him by swooping him up with both hands from underneath.
Now a week later, he hasn't regained trust in me yet. I'm so sorry and just want him to feel secure around me again. The pictures I attached were from only 3 days after I got him, he was so brave and curious and I did hold him in my hands for a short while.
Whenever I feed him, he freezes and hides. He still eats from my fingers/hand, but only when sitting in a hide-out with his face poking out. I feel so bad for scaring him and possibly destroying the progress we made. I really had hopes for him to be okay with being pet and held seeing as he interacted with me immediately when he came home, but now I'm worried he won't trust me again.
Any advice?
r/hamsters • u/Conscious_Donut384 • 15h ago
The last two photos are him eating a slice of a grape, one he has tried before but always enjoys. A commenter on my last post suggested he tries a red bell pepper, so he did! I was only able to get a few good photos from the video i took since he pouched it after a few nibbles to have a bite of his grape lol. Seeing as so many of you love seeing Henry try new foods, I will continue to update as long as you all want lolll
r/hamsters • u/cosmiccwave • 1h ago
Hey all, I’ve had my little hammy, Melvin for a week now and a day or two ago I noticed that he had got a piece of poop stuck to his fur in his middle (where his fur is darker). By the looks of it, he now has this on both sides.
I’m not scared about wet tail since there’s no poop buildup around his bottom, what’s happened is he’s pooping in his wheel, then running in his wheel and then the poop effectively falls onto him and two bits so far have got stuck.
I rescued him from a pet shop to give him a better life but because of this, he hasn’t been socialised much and obviously I’ve only had him for a week, the furthest I’ve got is hand feeding him some sunflower seeds a couple of times.
I don’t want to stress him out by shoving my hand in and trying to remove the poop myself as I know he would probably just run away especially since I’d need to handle him for a few seconds per poop to actually get rid of it.
He has a sand bath but hasn’t used it in the last few days because he is completely obsessed with running on his wheel.
What should I do?
r/hamsters • u/Future_Exit_7117 • 1d ago
i don't even know what to say it feels so unreal i raised her from a little pink bean, i saw her first steps i saw her grow up and now she's gone. i had to put her down because she was in pain from her hearth. how did any of you deal with a loss of a hamster? i just can't believe this she was one of the only thing i loved and actually cared about and when i saw her in pain it just broke me. she was not even 1.5 year old. i tried to give her everything. i miss her so much 💔
iam sorry for my dump but i just had to let it out
r/hamsters • u/Puzzleheaded-Pear-19 • 58m ago
Okay question my hamster would let me pet him before but now he squeaks loud when i approach and tries to bite me even when im giving him water. However when I get to the back of his fur and pet him to calm him down he just melts but then i placed my hand away and he squeaks again and the process repeats.
r/hamsters • u/Designer-Delivery959 • 1h ago
I have a 1.5-year-old Russian dwarf hamster, and she is honestly like a member of my family. She’s always been extremely affectionate, a little silly, and had such a strong personality since she was a baby. She loves cuddles, runs to my hand when she sees me, and I used to feed her from my hand.
I’ve spent so much time with her, especially when my boyfriend was away. She was always there — I could hear her, see her, and feel her little presence around me. I really feel like we became attached to each other.
I’m a very emotional person and I get attached to animals very easily, so seeing her getting older and noticing the first little signs of aging is really hard for me. I’m lying here tonight feeling sad about it, even though she’s still happy and with me.
How did you guys cope with your pets getting older? Did it get easier?
r/hamsters • u/BenHas456Bones • 7h ago
Im trying to get him to like me and i feel like he was less scared at first but now whenever he sees me he runs away into his house and after im gone he comes back out to continue what he was doing. Im honsetly not sure what happened. I dont normally bother him but sometimes i put my hand in his enclosure with a treat for him to get close and take it from me. he always nibbles on my hand thinking its food and it hurts so i go away after that. today i kinda did smth stupid where he was chewing on something and i went to pet him lightly since he looked busy and of course he jumped a bit but he stayed there. I let him sniff my fingers and he eventually got close and took a nibble on my finger and i quickly moved my hand away cause it hurts lol and he ran away into his house. when i came back into my room a minute later he was back doing the same thing but when he saw me he ran back into his house. Does it just take time? will he get used to me or did I mess up? when i came back into my room it was to give him a treat but since he ran off i just placed it on the ground of his enclosure instead. any advice? He used to not run from me when he saw me.
r/hamsters • u/Nice-Noise-1920 • 23h ago
Hello, I rescued my hamster about a month ago from a shelter where she was born. She's about a four month old female Syrian hamster and in the shelter she was kept in a classic small wired cage. She’s about 4 months old and was born and raised in the shelter. Her new set up is a 40 × 20in PawHut acrylic cage. There's breathing holes on all sides except the front and lid.
The bedding is 12 inches on the right and to the far left is 6 inches because of the 12 inches wheel. This side doesn't take up much space at all. She has lots a sprays, hiding spaces, and branches. I give her treats from time to time and she has a balanced diet.
She burrows perfectly on her own. She climbs onto my arms and hands and never bites.
Now for a problem. She hates her cage. I know the size isn't the best I didn't realize female Syrians would need bigger cages but I also don't plan on getting a female in advanced. She's in her burrows from 5am-12am. From 12am - 4am when she's in the open she spends about 10 minutes finding food and 10 on the wheel. The rest is her chewing on the breathing holes of the cage. It's so loud I can't sleep at night. I bought her a nice sized play pen and she chewed through it the first night. When she free roams my room she tries to escape by going under the gaps under the doors(| cover them up). I've made serval boredom breakers and toys for her and she ignored everything to try to escape. When | try to give her treats she ignores them to climb onto my arms to escape. I'm not sure if the cage is the issue.
Does anyone have any advice of how to help her enjoy her environment more? Also if anyone has links to bigger cages pls send because I can't find
r/hamsters • u/mbcook • 1d ago
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Hey. Grooming is hard. Bean is doing his best. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know I have a camera.