HAMSTER TOYS

People often have hamsters as pets and do not realize that they too need accessories in their cages to stimulate their minds and also, importantly, to give them the right amount of exercise that they would have needed if they were in the wild.

Amongst many accessories on the market these days, the following should be considered important and should be bought when you have a hamster:

Exercise Wheel:

This is probably the most important accessory every hamster should have, and this is not a luxury item, but something that is important to have to ensure your hamster has a healthy life. As hamsters are naturally active animals in the wild, inactivity in their cages can cause serious illness, ranging from stress to paralysis. Different types are available, ranging from plastic wheels to the metal/wire wheels. The metal or wire wheels are more preferable, as they cannot be nibbled on as the plastic ones are prone to be.

Exercise Ball:

Although often considered a luxury item, these exercise balls are useful and can be used for a variety of reasons. If you are cleaning out your hamster cage, this exercise ball can let your hamster run safely around an enclosed area without going missing or being injured. These balls also make handy small carriers should your hamster need a visit to your local veterinarian. Care should be taken not to let the exercise ball go near stairs or other dangerous objects in the house, and also ensure the hamster’s droppings and urine do not block the air holes in the exercise ball. Do not leave the hamster in these balls unsupervised for long periods of time, as fatigue and dehydration can set in quickly.

Gnawing and other toys:

Hamsters can often get bored very quickly, and they love to have fun. Hamsters need to be mentally stimulated often as well, so having toys in their cage will relieve their boredom. Gnawing toys will normally stop them destroying their cage and water bottles, and free toys can be made from everyday household items such as empty toilet rolls, ice cream sticks and plastic tubs (remove these if chewed on!) Any toy that can also be used as a shelter/hide-away is also desired, as this is the natural instinct of a hamster, who often loves to hideaway and peer out at the world.

Special insecticide:

To ensure your hamster is not plagued by insects and other parasites, it is advisable to get special hamster friendly insecticide. Your local veterinarian should be able to advise you on the correct product.

Bathing supplies:

Although not always advised, a quick wet bath with a special hamster/small animal shampoo is often unavoidable. Your hamster should then be quickly and carefully dried before it gets cold. A more regular type of bath that should be done is using a product specifically designed for chinchillas, but can be used safely with hamsters. This is a special bathing salt that removes all the oily and dusty particles in the fur. It is also great fun to watch them rolling in a tub of bathing salt!

Tags: bathing supplies, Hamster Cages, hamster chew toy, hamster exercise ball, hamster gnawing toy, special insecticide