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Bringing your new pet home can be an exciting but also anxious time if you are inexperienced with dwarf hamster care. Thankfully, caring for dwarf hamsters is not difficult when you take the time to learn what is required. Using all available resources and doing good research is important. Here are some basic tips to get you started.
One of the first and most important decisions to make is the housing or cage type for your hamster. There are wire cages, plastic type cages, and glass aquariums that you can use to contain your dwarf hamster. You can also use a mouse cage. If you have a Chinese Dwarf hamster, you should not use a wire cage as they can squeeze through the wires.
More expensive types of cages have wheels and numerous tubes, which are great for your active hamster. These cost a little more so if it is not affordable, you can provide toys separately.
Hamsters love to tunnel and burrow so a basic of dwarf hamster care is providing them with toys to play with. Every hamster should have a wheel but you can also place paper towel tubes or toilet paper tubes on top of the bedding and your hamster will be thrilled. Also add objects with interesting shapes that they can hide behind.
No matter which type of cage you decide on or how you decorate your hamster's new "pad," the most important thing is to make sure it is kept clean. This includes changing out the bedding three to four times each month, cleaning the inside of the cage with a very gentle solution, and cleaning the cage daily as well. Daily cleaning should include scooping out droppings, removing old food, and getting rid of soiled areas of bedding.
The next important part of dwarf hamster care is diet and water. Hamster food is available in most pet stores but you should also provide some bits of fresh fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, leafy greens, carrots and apples. There is nothing quite as cute as seeing a hamster stuff its checks full of food to stash away for snacking on later. This is why checking for older food in the cage is so important. Do not let your hamster snack on anything that has spoiled.
Water that is changed daily should also be provided. Use an inverted bottle that is placed so that your hamster can reach the dispenser. Even if the bottle still has water in it, you should still change it out daily.
Something else you can offer your hamster is pieces of dog biscuit. This is important for their chewing instinct to help keep their teeth ground down a bit. You can also place a few pieces of clean, natural wood or sticks in their cage for this purpose.
Finally, the most important thing to take note of is the overall condition of your pet. If you suspect your dwarf hamster is ill, you should take it to the vet right away. There are some conditions (like wet-tail) that can be deadly but can also be treated if done early. Look for diarrhea, lethargy or sluggishness, shaking, dull eyes, and weight loss. Hamsters need veterinary care just like other pets so make sure they get the care they need. This is probably the largest dwarf hamster care lesson to take to heart immediately.
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Source by Liz Andrews
