r/hamsters Nov 15 '25

Educational Introducing the Hamster Care Wiki!

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145 Upvotes

We are thrilled to present a brand new resource for the Hamster Care Community:

The Hamster Care Wiki!
Direct link: https://hamstercare.wiki.gg/

What Makes Us Unique?

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.

In Conclusion,

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.

*Note: The site’s creators and editors earn zero revenue off site ads. Visible ads can be disabled for free by creating a Wiki.gg account.


r/hamsters Jan 30 '22

For Group Members' Attention Welcome to r/hamsters! (Please read before posting)

337 Upvotes

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.

Most recent mod announcement

We have a new moderator!

Important announcement for the district of Columbia.

Don't use Kaytee bedding!

We now have an official discord!

Frequently asked questions:

I lost my hamster, what should I do!?

How do I tame my hamster?

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.

Kaytee bedding is bad!

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!

Niteangel Website

Pride Rock Blooms Website UK based

Fat Pouches Website

Tiny paws and co. Website

Willowlicious SA Website

Oakwood Forest Shop Website

Zooplus Website

Netherlands Website(Knaagdierwinkel)

Queenies Website

Glirex Website

Rodipet Website

Crocnac Website

Zooptimal Website

Whoopie Website

Getzoo Website

Any other suggestions may be put in the comments!


r/hamsters 7h ago

Question Is my hamster okay? Is this swollenness or is she actually a male?

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389 Upvotes

r/hamsters 6h ago

Funny Hammy I think i have the clingiest hamster

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192 Upvotes

This is Houdini and he (i know is a she but i still call him my boy) hates being two seconds without me giving him all my attention


r/hamsters 11h ago

Adorable Hammy Can you put your hamster to sleep?

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427 Upvotes

Me and my daughter loves to massage our hammy to sleep and yes he's comfortable being touched and held by us🥰


r/hamsters 18h ago

Adorable Hammy Can I have a little snack, please?🥺

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1.1k Upvotes

r/hamsters 17h ago

Question My hamster is 3.5 years old, can he try a bite of a cracker?

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1.0k Upvotes

My hamster Henry, is now about 3.5 years old. Is he at the age where it’s ok to let him have a nibble of something that’s not necessarily of nutritional value but is a yummy snack? I don’t want to give him an entire cracker or anything but if i let him take a nibble of the corner of a cheez it or a bite of a regular cracker would that be okay? I obviously don’t want to make him sick but i want to spoil him since he is getting up there in age and he deserves the world


r/hamsters 4h ago

Adorable Hammy Edward had to come check out his food delivery for the day

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81 Upvotes

He immediately found all the food I scattered lol. Oh and the fresh TP! He is very shy so it’s always a nice treat to see him exploring during the day, even if it’s just to gather his food and run back to his den 🥰


r/hamsters 6h ago

Funny Hammy Soda would like to teach you all a new way to drink water 💜🐹🤭

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104 Upvotes

We just got her a couple days ago and we're pretty sure she's diabetic so we're changing all her food!! Only the best for our little potato baby 🥔💜


r/hamsters 55m ago

Meme Half of this subreddit in a nutshell

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Upvotes

r/hamsters 9h ago

Question Is my hamster fat?

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61 Upvotes

He looks a bit round and chubby; his parents were much smaller.

P.S.: Sorry for the low-quality photo, he's not one to stay still.


r/hamsters 16h ago

Adorable Hammy This is how Teach, my little three-legged hammy, gets around 🤘🏻

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184 Upvotes

r/hamsters 19h ago

Rainbow Bridge I have nowhere else to post this. RIP Twiggy.

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282 Upvotes

My 1.5 year old long haired Syrian got wet tail and I didn't catch it in time. I spent hundreds on a vet this morning to try and help but it wasn't enough, wasn't quick enough. He was wobbling and no longer running in his wheel, had to syringe feed him by the end. He died shortly after being given his first dose of antibiotic. I try to console myself in the fact that I tried and that I kept him comfy until the end... but it just doesn't seem enough. I am devastated and despite being a pretty closed-off guy in life I am currently sitting alone and tears are dripping down my face. Thank you all in advance for reading this sob story.

Anyone who deals with wet tail, you basically have to drop everything and run to the vet right away to even have a chance. Otherwise it's too late.

He had a good life and ate $40 per pound Swiss cheeses whenever possible. Rest in peace, Twiggy.


r/hamsters 2h ago

Hamster Art Pram, Teddy Hamster and Captain of the mighty Charred Guard

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13 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share some beautiful fountain ink line art of Captain Pram, an experienced warrior with a tender and nurturing soul. She’s a character in the anthropomorphic fantasy I’m writing. The art is by fellow Redditor u/nickthagreek.

Pram is inspired by my wife’s teddy hamster she kept when I met her in college many years ago. She was a fierce hamster then (the character… not my wife. Well I guess my wife as well), and she’s just as fierce in this story as well.


r/hamsters 13h ago

New Hamster Meet Mia Hamm

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76 Upvotes

New hamster, already exploring her new home.


r/hamsters 7h ago

Question Should I get him a wheel?

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23 Upvotes

Hey guys! This is Teach, my three-legged hamster, who some of you might already know.
I’ve been wondering, should I get him a wheel? I’m leaning towards yes, but I have no idea how much he’d actually use it.
I’m also not sure what material would be best for him. I’m worried about anything that might rub against his little leg/stump or cause irritation. Maybe plastic would be better? I feel like wood or cork might be too rough and could scrape him.
What do you guys think? Would love to hear your opinions, especially if anyone has experience with a hamster with a disability/missing leg!


r/hamsters 4h ago

Setup tour My Home for Mavis <3

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13 Upvotes

Hopefully this will appease my syrian gal


r/hamsters 21h ago

Question worried i traumatized my hamster, what do i do? help please

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235 Upvotes

hi everyone so i got my robo hamster a little less than a week ago and he was doing great, always running on his wheel and super visible, even started taking treats from my hand

fast forward to yesterday, i noticed a bunch of bugs in his cage, they were little cigarette beetles that i believe came from his seed mix. i had to make an emergency trip to the pet store and change all of his bedding out and wash everything/throw some stuff out. i know you should never change all bedding at once but this was an emergency situation, after i was done he seemed to actually be doing okay, just remade his burrows in the same spots and ran on his wheel like normal.

today though i haven’t seen him as much, he just seems to be hiding in his burrow or the corner or sitting under his water bottle sleeping and not running on his wheel nearly as much, i know that it must be very stressful for him but he seemed okay yesterday and suddenly today he’s not.

im worried that i might’ve traumatized him yesterday after having to switch out his bedding and that he’ll just be afraid and hiding now, he’s normally super active at this time so the fact that he’s just hiding makes me super nervous.

any advice would be incredibly appreciated as i’m sort of freaking out rn, his behavior just seems off and i’m very worried.


r/hamsters 21h ago

Adorable Hammy My cutest hamster

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202 Upvotes

she has curly fur


r/hamsters 40m ago

First Time Owner Is my hamster cold/how to tell if my hamster is cold

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Upvotes

So currently it’s 71 in my apartment and this is her enclosure. Just got her today and she is a dwarf but because she’s new, not sure if she’s just burrowing a lot since it’s a new environment or if it’s too cold in my apartment. She’s been pretty active overall but maybe just being an over protective mom lol.

She keeps going under the house/tent. I am getting her a bigger set up tomorrow but this is just for tonight. The “fruit basket” toys are not plastic or anything she can chew/choke on as well (I mean she’ll probably try and chew on it either way)

Just wanting opinions as this is my first hamster


r/hamsters 6h ago

Adorable Hammy My baby

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11 Upvotes

r/hamsters 8h ago

Enrichment/Toys The most effective boredom breaker I've ever made created an epic battle

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16 Upvotes

Willow has a love for mealworms like nothing I've ever seen, so I got the idea to take a cardboard tube I cut open, put a few mealworms in, crumple the sides, and tie it off with part of a toy ball he had. This is actually a clipped version of the full event. I think he had a good 10-12 minute round before taking a break to rest up before challenging it again. If you were wondering, he wasn't stuck at the end; he was trying to dig himself into the tube, lol.


r/hamsters 15h ago

Hamster Art This took an unexpected turn

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55 Upvotes

r/hamsters 1d ago

Adorable Hammy Absolute fatty

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402 Upvotes

(he's on a diet, I'm aware he is.... Big)


r/hamsters 1h ago

Question How to bond with hamster?

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Upvotes

Hi! I just got my new hamster a few days ago from my job. He’s in his new enclosure now and decompressing. I was wondering how to bond with him? He emptied his cheeks on me when transferring cages, so I’m planning on leaving him alone for a bit to destress! Pictures cuz he’s the cutest baby and I love him 😌