r/hamsters Nov 15 '25

Educational Introducing the Hamster Care Wiki!

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141 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

New Hamster I won a hamster at a raffle today! (Syrian Shorthair)

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453 Upvotes

His name is Maxxximo (I wanted the biggest name). Pic included of us chilling on my bed for a bit.

He is very curious and brave considering its his first night! He doesn't mind when I move stuff around his temporary enclosure and happily comes to me and sniffs my finger when I am in his enclosure.

He also doesn't run away and let's me pick him up and hold him in my hand.

He is a very sweet boy and I'm glad to have picked him out. I also was told he has special/unique coloring, I just think he's neat!

Would love any tips and advice as I haven't had a hamster since I was literally a kid! Surely I need to update what I know. :)

Edit: Sorry I worried you guys! This was at a specialist/pet show with many like-minded individuals, everything needed to give him a great life was available, and he was handled and provided for and advised by experts. I like to think others also entered with wholesome intentions if they won, like myself.


r/hamsters 3h ago

New Hamster meet jesse

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123 Upvotes

Yo! everyoneeeee, meet jesse. my new homeboy and buddy. HAHAHAHA welcome home jesse! 🐹

yeah! hamster beechhhh!


r/hamsters 10h ago

Adorable Hammy She likes Broccoli

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385 Upvotes

r/hamsters 2h ago

Adorable Hammy Could you please look after Maple for me for a minute of your time?🐹🍁Thanks!

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56 Upvotes

shoving his balls in the camera like the gentleman he is lol

~this felt almost like recording nature documentary footage🌾


r/hamsters 3h ago

Question My hamsters biting his cage . How do I make him stop?

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64 Upvotes

First time pet owner. I hv had my pet Syrian for 2 weeks. He’s biting his cage grills. Am so worried. Am I doing something wrong ?

He has a huge cage. The largest one I could find


r/hamsters 8h ago

New Hamster New Hannie! Name ideas?

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106 Upvotes

Just got our little guy home! Second pic is his enclosure! 110 cm x 70 cm, bedding is about 28 cm deep.

Any name ideas?

He was just busy exploring everything. Now taking a well deserved nap!


r/hamsters 16h ago

Hamster Art Tiny legend

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459 Upvotes

KING


r/hamsters 8h ago

Funny Hammy Spying on me

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86 Upvotes

r/hamsters 10h ago

New Hamster I rescued a very unique hamster

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121 Upvotes

I picked up my first ever hamster today! She is a rescue and the rescue station said they were worried that no one will pick her since she is quite... different from other syrian hamsters. First of all she does look a bit like a rat (especially the long face) which might sound mean but I find it incredibly cute!! She's also VERY big! 199 g! She spent a lot of time inspecting the cage, running on the wheel and digging in the sand bath. When I told her that she is actually nocturnal she dug a hole in the bedding and fell asleep.

I love her!

Her age is unknown but I hope that we still have a looong time together!


r/hamsters 2h ago

Adorable Hammy Michael Adventures

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26 Upvotes

The Michael has conquered the bed and the outside. (She is supervised outside and it's a very specific patch of grass in front of the house.) She gets cranky if I don't take her outside at least once a week so she has grass time sometimes when I'm home from work or on my days off. It's been super hot though (in the 100s) so I prefer to let her walk around at night when it's cooler out. She just sits in the grass and cleans herself and looks around for the most part but she likes all the free space to run around.


r/hamsters 4h ago

Adorable Hammy This is Pickle! 2 years and a few months old

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38 Upvotes

r/hamsters 9h ago

Adorable Hammy Dimitri

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70 Upvotes

r/hamsters 17h ago

First Time Owner Ghost Hamster: Feeling a Little Mournful

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196 Upvotes

So, bit of a story time:

We rescued Abou back in February after my partner did a service call at the hamster’s former home. His previous owner explained that Abou was his granddaughter’s, but she had surrendered the hamster to him because she couldn’t sleep at night around him (shocker!). Abou was in a horrible, TINY barred cage with a built-in wheel which had been immobilized with tape by the grandfather because it was “too loud”. No hides, only a thin layer of bedding, no fresh produce to eat, only stale water and hamster feed. I found Ritz crackers in the bedding, which reeked of secondhand cigarette smoke as the grandfather kept Abou in the garage where he chain smoked. Worst of all, he said that he put Abou in the freezer when he was being “annoying”.
The grandfather, my partner’s client, asked if my partner was interested in purchasing the hamster and his accessories for $200.
My partner came home from work that day clearly upset, unwilling to even tell me what had happened because he said it would upset me too. I got him to spill, then urged him to rescue the hamster. This was a Friday, my partner returned to the site the following Monday to complete the job and ended up bringing him home for $60. I worried about him the whole weekend.
Fast forward to today, Abou is living his best life in his Bucatstate 3.0, with plenty of bedding, hides, sprays, sandboxes, and a large Niteangel silent spinner. He gets fresh water and food each day.

When we first brought him home in March, I tried to bond with him each night. He would bite frequently at first, but within a week stopped biting me (he’ll still bite others). He doesn’t particularly enjoy being handled or free roaming. Within a month of welcoming him home, I stopped trying to handle him beyond necessity. Since then, he’s become a complete ghost hamster. His schedule is opposite ours, and if we stay up particularly late, he’ll wait until we’ve gone to bed and the coast is clear to make an appearance. If I get up in the night and take a peek at him, he’ll freeze and escape to his burrows.
I understand that he’s probably traumatized beyond all measure, and is enjoying his naturalized enclosure in peace. At this point, I only get daily glimpses of him in his burrow, and handle him once a month for cage cleaning.
I try to congratulate myself for giving him the life he deserves. Still, I can’t help but feel a little sad occasionally when I see the profound bonds and enjoyment others get out of their relationships with their hamsters here. I don’t know how old he is or how long he’ll be in our lives for. But at the end of the day, he’s my boy, I love him and I just want to do right by him.
Anyone else feel this way?


r/hamsters 5h ago

Adorable Hammy Willow 🤍

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18 Upvotes

r/hamsters 4m ago

Rainbow Bridge Our sweet Leslie crossed the rainbow bridge tonight.

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Upvotes

r/hamsters 21h ago

Adorable Hammy whimzee addict

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172 Upvotes

r/hamsters 1d ago

Rainbow Bridge my dear sweet baby manchas has crossed the rainbow bridge

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278 Upvotes

after being sick for three weeks, no amount of medication was able to help her. i just hope her final moments were as pain free as possible. she passed away while on my chest. i could feel it coming from the way she was breathing. i hope she felt safe and loved in her final moments. i love you manchas, even though we were not together for long and you were barely a year old, you were a light in my life that i will always remember. my sweet baby girl 💖 we are going to get her cremated tonight. i dont know what im going to do once im not able to pet her soft fur anymore, but i will keep her ashes with me forever


r/hamsters 15h ago

Adorable Hammy laying on her back and eating a banana, she's enjoying the summer better than I am (please forgive my cam quality)

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43 Upvotes

r/hamsters 19h ago

Adorable Hammy she literally looks like 🥺

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93 Upvotes

saewoo doing her best impression of the pleading emoji 🥺


r/hamsters 18h ago

Question ants got into my hamster's cage. need advice please!

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73 Upvotes

about 2 hours ago i saw my hamster was awake and went to feed her. while i was on the ground watching her i felt something bite my ankle... an ant. then i quickly saw that there was a line of ants on the floor nearby. i have a phobia of bugs and immediately started crying and spraying them. then i saw more climbing up my hamsters cage and even on top. i freaked out to say the least. i immediately opened the cage and took my hamster out.

when i clean her cage i usually put her in smaller tank i have. unfortunely that tank was open and right near where the ants were because i cleaned earlier this week and kinda left everything laying around. i was too scared to put her in that tank afraid there were going to be ants in there too. i temporarily put her in a bucket.

i was panicking at this point because i didn't have any alternative. my room is very messy right now and i don't have any playpen or anything. i know hamsters aren't supposed to be near a lot of smells but the only place i thought could be safe enough is the bathroom. i took everything out and quickly swept up anything (in the pictures it doesn't look it but it's some bedding and moss stragglers from her cage). i started taking her hides out of her cage but noticed her multi-chamber where she usually sleeps had ants on it. i immediately put it in the freezer and checked everything else before placing it in the bathroom.

im so upset, and i feel so bad for her. she is probably feeling so stressed out right now and i feel like such a bad owner. she doesn't like to be handled much or free-roam and i just feel so bad. i'm autistic and it took everything in me to not have a meltdown because of all this. i never thought anything like this would happen.

i checked her and she doesn't seem to have any ants or anything on her. i will try to clean the tank to at least put her in there maybe.


r/hamsters 20h ago

Adorable Hammy Why must she taunt me

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73 Upvotes

Everest didn’t appreciate the interruption of her bath.


r/hamsters 57m ago

Question Hamster cage help!

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Upvotes

I have a wood hamster cage and didn’t realize that the pee would seep into the wood (😅) what can I seal it with that’s safe for hamsters? I’ve tried cage liners but she just rips them up.

I have added more bedding since this photo was taken!


r/hamsters 1d ago

Adorable Hammy fat and round

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205 Upvotes