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A Hamster Owner's Guide
Find out all you need to know about how to choose, buy and care for your pet hamster in this comprehensive guide.
Hamsters are small, chunky-bodied rodents with thick fur, short tails and cheek pouches. They are nocturnal animals and, in the wild, burrow underground in the daylight hours to avoid predators. This makes a hamster an ideal pet if you are at work or school during the day as it will sleep during this time and become active during the evening.
Syrian hamsters, also known as golden hamsters, were introduced as pets by the American highway engineer Albert Marsh, who started a hamster breeding business in the 1940s. The Syrian hamster remains the most popular choice of pet hamster due to its low cost, ease of care and the many different variations available, although the various species of dwarf hamster and chinese hamsters are also commonly kept as pets.
Learn about the differences between each type of hamster and the care each requires before choosing the one that is best for you and your family.
Learn about the process of buying a hamster. Find out how much keeping a pet hamster costs, the best places to buy, how to make sure you choose a healthy hamster, and advice for when you bring your pet back to its new home and settle it in.
There are several different supplies that you will need to keep your pet hamster happy and healthy. Discover how to choose the best type of cage for your hamster, what toys and other items you should provide in the cage, and what types of food to feed your pet, as well as information on other supplies. You can even find out how to build your own homemade hamster cage.
Hamsters are generally an easy pet to care for, but they still require a fair level of commitment to give them a happy, healthy life. Find out how to tame your hamster for handling, learn how to find your hamster if it escapes, and get detailed information on spotting, treating and preventing common health problems.