by Andie H

Created on: June 13, 2006   Last Updated: March 22, 2007

The ideal living environment for you hamster depends entirely on what type of hamster you have! Many people don't realise there are actually five different varieties of domestic hamster, and each one has very different needs when it comes to environment.

Syrian hamsters, the largest and most recognisable of the five breeds, are the friendliest and most docile towards humans, but when it comes to other hamsters they are solitary dwellers and cannot be kept with "cage-mates" past adolescence. Same sex, opposite sex; doesn't make a difference! They will not cohabitate peacefully. They'll fight until there is a permanent loser.

For your (sole) Syrian hamster, the best environment will be a cage with a deep tray (they do dig a lot!) that offers plenty of room to tunnel as well as climb. Syrians don't usually do well in tanks because of the poor ventilation they offer; however, if you must keep your Syrian hamster in an aquarium, make sure it's a BIG one! Fifteen to twenty gallons should keep him quite happy; certainly nothing smaller than ten.

Campbells' Russian Dwarf hamsters, the other species commonly available in pet stores and through North American breeders, are somewhat territorial towards humans but can coexist happily in small communal groups, though it's kindest to your pets to make sure they are all the same sex. Otherwise, you may have to witness the demise of several pups as Mama hamster tries to keep them safe from everybody else!

Dwarf hamsters can be kept in aquariums or cages, although juvenile dwarves are sometimes safer in tanks, since their tiny little bodies can get through some amazingly small holes!

Both of these breeds benefit from a soft, absorbent bedding (the 'Carefresh' brand is especially popular) that offers them the chance to tunnel. Please do NOT give your hamster cedar bedding; this contains oils that have been shown to cause organ damage in rodents. Pine shavings can also be problematic, but kiln-dried pine bedding is usually safe to use. You'll also need to provide a water bottle; if you have an aquarium, suction cups can be used to attach the bottle to the tank (dishes of water work if you can't find anything else, but they tend to tip over and soak bedding. Wet bedding MUST be changed or it becomes mouldy). Hamsters can have a food dish, but they don't need one; some even prefer it if you scatter their seed mixture around the cage, because it encourages their instinct to forage.

Finally, hamsters love to play, and they need exercise! Be sure to provide a safe, closed in wheel (wheels with gaps often catch hamsters' feet in them and can be dangerous) and then sit back, and enjoy the show! Hamsters have a migrating instinct; most of them travel several miles each night on their wheels, and to deprive them of the chance to exercise is cruel.

The three other breeds of hamster less commonly found in pet stores, usually only available through breeders, are 'Winter White' Russian Dwarf Hamsters, Roborovski Hamsters and Chinese Dwarf Hamsters. Unless you are purchasing through a breeder it is far less likely you will be needing to house any of these, and in the event that you do, your breeder will be best able to tell you how to keep them.

For further information on hamsters, the following site gives plenty of specifics!

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters.asp

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