hamster care guide last draft

Matty Day · 01-26-2008, 05:27 PM

this is the last draft please tell me about any typos etc and genrally critsize this guide.
Congratulations for purchasing your new pet.

This is a basic guide designed to help you care for your hamster. And if followed will ensure that your new Chinese hamster will have a long happy life

General care

Housing
your hamster/hamsters should have a cage which is at least 1800cm2 of floor space for a single hamster( roughly 6o by 30 cms with at least 15cms height) for each additional hamster in the cage add 5oo cm2 however the bigger the better. I personally give all my hamsters at least 2000cm2 of space And your cage should include a wheel/wheels, water bottle, food dish. House and some tunnels. With Chinese hamsters if your are using a wire cage make sure that the bars are no more further apart than 0.7mm.

Wheels
for Chinese hamsters I would recommend a wheel designed for dwarf hamsters or mice or gerbils a wheel should be solid and made of plastic .not a wire wheel with rungs I would recommend a silent spinner wheel.

Cage mates
With Chinese hamsters there is a big debate into weather they are social or solitary however if you do buy a pair or more there is a fifty percent chance that fighting may occur. Males are less likely to fight than females as the female are dominant If fighting does occur we stress that the hamsters must be separated be vigilant if you see them fighting seriously and for long periods of time. and they have bite marks cuts etc separate them into different cages as the fighting will only get worse.

Diet
when you purchase your hamster/hamsters you will have been provided with a bit of there current food keep them on this and gradually introduce the hamster mix of your choice. And make sure to give your hamster/hamsters some fresh food at least once a week however introduce fresh foods slowly and gradually into there diet. Remember fill up the food bowl once every two days. As if you fill it up every day the hams will pick eat and will only eat the bits they like. It is also important to make sure your hamster has access to fresh water and water at all time never feed your
hamster
Kidney Beans (raw)
Onion
Potato (raw)
Potato tops
Rhubarb (raw)
Rhubarb leaves
Tomato leaves
Tobacco
Alcoholic drinks (never give your hamster any drink accept plain water or milk)

Taming
All our hamsters have been tamed and have been handled regularly from3 weeks old but here are a few simple taming tips to help you tame your hamster/hamsters which will help your hamster get used to you. Put a small container like a cup into the cage with some treats let the hamster/hamsters climb in and let him/her them climb onto your hands and handle away. Remember a hamster only bites because her or she scared or your hands smell of food.

play pens
playpens are ok and are a great idea for giving your hamsters something to do when you are cleaning out (as long as they are supervised by another person ) or are just spending time with your pet/pets I personally use vhs on there side tapes to make play pens as you can make whatever size of pen you like and can change it to any shape or size. don’t use DVDs they can be pushed over to easily With commercial play pens if wire ones make sure the bars are no more than 0.7 mm square apart or you risk your hamster getting stuck between them

Exercise balls
all our hamsters are exercise ball trained from four weeks old however some hamsters don’t like exercise balls if so we will add a note on to the pedigree. If it says that your hamster/hamsters don’t like exercise balls it is in your best interest for you not to force your hamster to use an exercise ball. However if your hamster likes exercise balls the we recommend a small ball designed for dwarf hamsters which is clear hamster have poor vision. Coloured balls make it more likely that your hamster will bump into things

suga · 01-27-2008, 01:18 AM

I can't remember if you said previously about whether you were going to put your contact details on the leaflet - just in case assistance is needed. Also just thinking, is there a good vet in the area that you could maybe list???

It's looking very imformative and certainly useful to new owners.

Holly · 01-27-2008, 02:52 AM

It really does look very informative, Matty - there are a few missing capital letters, full-stops, commas etc - I know it's hard to see them when you've written it yourself and re-read it several times - do you want me to copy/paste it and highlight them?

souffle · 01-27-2008, 03:04 AM

I have copied your post with a few typos and amendments I would suggest.

Congratulations on purchasing your new pet. We take pride in breeding healthy hamsters with good temperaments and want you to to enjoy your pet to the full and for it to have a long and happy life.

This is a basic guide designed to help you care for your hamster and if followed will ensure that your new Chinese hamster will have a long happy life

General care

Housing
Your hamster or hamsters should have a cage which has at least 1800cm2 of floor space for a single hamster( roughly 6o by 30cms with at least 15cms height) For each additional hamster in the cage add 5oo cm2 however the bigger the better. I personally give all my hamsters at least 2000cm2 of space. Your cage should include a wheel for each animal, water bottle, food dish, house or box and some tunnels and toys. With Chinese hamsters if your are using a wire cage make sure that the bars are no more further apart than 0.7mm as they can squeeze though and escape if narrower.

Wheels
For Chinese hamsters I would recommend a wheel designed for dwarf hamsters ,mice or gerbils . The wheel should be solid and made of plastic, not a wire wheel with rungs as feet can become trapped in these. I would recommend a regular silent spinner wheel.

Cage mates
With Chinese hamsters there is a big debate as to whether they are social or solitary however if you do buy a pair or more there is a fifty percent chance that fighting may occur. Males are less likely to fight than females as the females are dominant. If fighting does occur we stress that the hamsters MUST be separated. Be vigilant if you see them fighting seriously and for long periods of time and they have bite marks cuts etc. Separate them into different cages as the fighting will only get worse. You should always have a large plastic bin or spare cage ready in case of emergencies.

Diet
when you purchase your hamster/hamsters you will have been provided with a pack of their current food and details of the brand. Keep them on this and gradually introduce the hamster mix of your choice. Make sure to give your hamster/hamsters some fresh food at least once a week however introduce fresh foods slowly and gradually into their diet. Remember fill up the food bowl once every two days. If you fill it up every day the hams will pick eat and will only eat the bits they like. It is also important to make sure your hamster has access to fresh water and water at all times so ensure your water bottle is in easy reach and frequently check it is working properly. Never feed your hamster these items
Kidney Beans (raw)
Onion
Potato (raw)
Potato tops
Rhubarb (raw)
Rhubarb leaves
Tomato leaves
Tobacco
Alcoholic drinks (never give your hamster any drink accept plain water or milk) Some hamsters do not tolerate milk and kitten or soya milk is a better choice.

Taming
All our hamsters have been tamed and have been handled regularly from 3 weeks old but here are a few simple taming tips to help you tame your hamster/hamsters which will help your hamster get used to you. Put a small container like a cup into the cage with some treats inside and let the hamster/hamsters climb in. Take them to a low safe area such as a bed and let him/her climb onto your hands and handle by running hand to hand through your fingers. Remember a hamster only bites because her or she scared or your hands smell of food so be calm and patient.

Play pens
Playpens are OK and are a great idea for giving your hamsters something to do when you are cleaning out (as long as they are supervised by another person ) or are just a nice way of watching and spending time with your pet/pets I personally use VHS 'on their side' tapes to make play pens as you can make whatever size of pen you like and can change it to any shape or size. Don’t use DVDs they can be pushed over too easily With commercial play pens if wire ones make sure the bars are no more than 0.7 mm square apart or you risk your hamster getting stuck between them and seriously hurt. A large plastic bin also makes a good playpen.

Exercise balls
All our hamsters are exercise ball trained from four weeks old however some hamsters do not like exercise balls if so we will add a note on to the pedigree if this is the case. If it says that your hamster/hamsters don’t like exercise balls it is in your best interest not to force your hamster to use an exercise ball. However if your hamster likes exercise balls the we recommend a small ball designed for dwarf hamsters which is clear hamster have poor vision. Coloured balls make it more likely that your hamster will bump into things.

We hope you will enjoy your pet and as responsible breeders you should always contact us on XXXXXXXX if you are no longer able to care for your hamster or if you have any questions or problems. We are only to happy to try and help.

You can obtain useful information from the following website and forum
www.hamstercentral.com.

Hope this helps. (I am always proof reading stuff so hope you are not offended by any changes-just change them back!!!)

Nicolapompicola · 01-27-2008, 12:29 PM

Still clueless with the "add an extra 2000cm2" for extra hamsters. People need to know what this is in real terms, for example, 60cmx30cm minumum, and then say, 90cmx30 cm for a pair (or what ever it works out at). Also, say what wheel size is right, I've seen some 4" wheels that have been labelled as suitable for mice, so say that they need to be 6" or what ever..

Other then that it's good