Taking care of our pets requires commitment and responsibility. Proper pet care also entails knowing our pet’s preferences and personality, which means we might encounter challenges.
For those taking care of new hamsters, providing them daily with fresh, clean water is a must. Do this by giving valveless sipper tubes for their water bottles; you need to find ways to help them suck water, as not all hamsters have strong suction.
The rest of this article will explain specifics on taking care of hamsters. Hamster care requires bedding, a cage, diet, temperature, water, and even exercise toys.
What Should I Remember When Feeding Water to My Hamster?
Your daily routine with your new hamster entails checking its water bottles properly. You need to ensure that they are debris-free and chlorine-free.
Also, as mentioned, you need to invest in bottles that contain valveless sipper tubes. Not all hamsters bode well with traditional types, such as the ball valve.
Part of feeding water also ensures that the sipper has a segment pitch or a relatively small diameter so that your hamster can use it easily. Remember this, especially if you are nursing old, sick, or young hamsters.
Another critical point is to check for blockages or leaks daily—at least once. Ensure that you prevent contamination, too, by cleaning a bottle and its nozzle correctly.
You should also check for signs of mineral deposit plugs, bubbles, or hair in the bottle’s stopper.
Regarding cleaning, use soapy water followed by bleach at least once a week, ensuring that you avoid using ammonia-based products.
The sipper, in particular, requires thorough scrubbing with a bottle brush, as there might be non-visible debris. Ensure that you have removed all bleach before filling your hamster’s bottle with another batch of fresh, clean water.
On another note, if you succeed in feeding your new hamster with more water but see it drinking more than usual, it is a warning sign that you must take it to the veterinarian.
Overall, water management is crucial in keeping your hamster well-fed and healthy. Water can easily be infected, and you do not want your hamsters catching diseases.
What Other Factors of Hamster Care Must I Consider?
Other than ensuring that your new hamster is drinking water properly, you must consider the following factors for adequate care.
Feeding
An essential part of a hamster’s needs is food. For your hamster’s diet, you can give it fresh vegetables like spinach, squash, cauliflower, cucumber, broccoli, and carrots – and you need to ensure that you wash these well before feeding.
Remember to avoid buying mixes of pellets and seeds because hamsters tend to eat the seeds, which are the ones deficient in nutrition.
Also, remember not to buy or offer high-sugar items to your hamster because their sensitive digestive tracts cannot handle too many food items like fruits. Chocolate and caffeine are off-limits, too.
Given the steps we mentioned in giving proper water, you must also ensure that you feed food properly.
Place your hamster’s food on the cage floor or flat dish. Another technique is to scatter food on the cage floor so your hamster can learn behaviors on food-gathering. Also, like water drinking, keep a watchful eye on how much the hamster eats. Eating less is another sign that your hamster needs a veterinary checkup.
Equipment
Depending on your budget, you must consider ongoing needs and startup costs for your new hamster. Initially, you will need a water bottle, nesting, bedding materials, food dish, wire cage, modular habitat, aquarium, hamster treats, and toys.
Part of gathering equipment is providing the right environment for your hamster. Since they do not have sweat glands and cannot pant, keep them in a relatively cold area to avoid heat stress.
Ideally, the environment for your hamster should have 40-60% humidity and keep between 75-85 °F (23.89-29.44 °C).
Regarding your hamster’s bedding, recycled paper products should be fine. Remember not to use corncob byproducts and pine and cedar shavings because these can harm your hamster’s health.
On another note, picking exercise equipment can be tricky. Consider ones with a quiet exercise wheel because hamsters tend to use the wheel often.
Try not to buy spherical balls despite their popularity because they can harm the hamster. It would help if you also watched for sharp projections on metal wheels.
Remember that exercise and playtime are essential for hamsters because they are very active at night. There should be plenty of space for them to play and a quality running wheel with a large diameter —to avoid having bent backs when running and prevent back problems.
Health Care
Lastly, an important part is providing health care for your hamster. While you can start with adequate food, water, and environment, be safe by paying a visit to the veterinarian shortly after acquiring your hamster.
Diarrhea is a common problem among hamsters, often known as “Wet Tail.” If untreated, your hamster might die within the next 24 hours, so it’s best to watch out for warning signs.
You will know that your hamster has health issues if it has shaky legs, trembles, or a runny nose and red eyes. Other signs include having dull fur, caved-in sides, and feces smeared on its anus.
On that note, remember that hamsters can also transmit diseases to humans. Avoid kissing your hamsters, and do not clean their habitats in your home’s food preparation area.
As long as your hamster has a lively disposition—with a clean anus, a steady gate, fine hair, a smooth coat, a dry nose, and right-sized teeth—they should be fine. Love and play with them, but ensure you exercise proper hygiene when supervising them.
Conclusion
There are many ways to care for your new hamster, including properly feeding water. Their overall health is essential, and you must ensure that they avoid the risk of dehydration.
Lack of water and proper conditions for a hamster can lead to lethargy, weakness, breathing difficulties, and diarrhea. Ensure that they stay healthy for a beautiful co-existence with your pet hamster. Taking care of pets is a commitment, so being responsible and aware of your hamster’s needs is essential.