Since hamsters are prey animals, making them feel secure is key to their wellbeing. Here are tips for maximizing your hamster’s comfort:
- Spacious Habitat – Provide your hamster with the largest possible enclosure to allow running and burrowing. Meet minimum size guidelines for their breed.
- Hideouts – Furnish the habitat with hides, tunnels, wood houses, and other sheltered spots to retreat to when resting or stressed.
- Deep Bedding – Allow burrowing by providing at least 6 inches of soft, nestable substrate like aspen shavings or paper bedding.
- Nesting Material – Offer shreds of unscented toilet paper and timothy hay for nest building. The cozier their nest, the more comfortable hamsters feel.
- Cage Comforts – Include amenities like a large exercise wheel, boredom breaker toys, and chew sticks to meet a hamster’s needs.
- Reduce Noise – Hamsters are easily startled by loud noises. Place their habitat away from televisions, radios, and high traffic areas.
- Monitor Lighting – Since hamsters are light-sensitive, avoid bright light exposure at night and limit ambient daytime light.
- Consistent Routine – Stability and predictability comforts hamsters. Maintain consistent daily routines for feeding, handling, and cage cleaning.
