Preparing for my hamster.

[foxyjadda]

I want to get a winter white hamster.Doing lots of research first so i have questions

How big does a Winter white hamster cage need to be?(I like gallon cages)
I will like a female any down fall to that?
Can two females be housed together?
How do you get a water bottle to hang in a gallon cage?
First hamster how many should I get?
Do these hasmsters like hamster balls?
How many times to clean there cage?
How often do they have to go to the vet?
How much do vet care cost?
What bedding is best?
Do they like hay?
Should they have a hay wheel?
How much is there monthly care cost?


I'll ask you when I come up with more.

[kyrilliondaemon]

70cm by 40cm is a good minimum size, but you can go a little smaller for a single dwarf. I believe 30 or 40 gallon tanks are best for hamsters.

No downfall to either sex that I know of.

Yes, but they may fall out later in life. Many people believe its best to give them that chance if you can though. You just need to be careful and make sure they have two wheels, two water bottles e.t.c

I'd just make a bottle holder - Our favourites are 500ml bottles with the top cut off, a small hole poked through and pebbles up to the hole. Then put the bottle in and put it in the cage.

I'd get two at most, one if you want, but I personally prefer to give social species the chance to live together where possible.

Balls - All depends on the individuals.

Cleaning - Depends, once every week or two should be fine.

Vet care - Depends on what you need the vet for and the individual vet charges. It can be quite expensive though, so you should plan and save a vet fund before buying if you can.

Er... Bedding? Cheap, plain, unscented toilet paper is a favourite with lots. Cage substrate is personal choice, but woodshavings should ideally be aired before use.

Not big hay fans as far as I know, so no they won't need a hay wheel.

Monthly care cost - Not much. Bedding, substrate, food, er... thats about it. We have 8 hamsters of varying species and our monthly costs are only about £20 to £25, and our substrate isn't the cheapest since we pay £7 postage per bag of it.
Plus making a contribution to your vet fund each month would be handy if you can.

Note - Costs are in UK pounds, I do not know what that would be in dollars and the amount would vary depending on what food/substrate/bedding e.t.c you choose to use.