Thinking of getting a hamster? New to owning a hamster? Already have a hamster?

With too many pet shops generally dishing out inadequate, outdated, and often risky information, this site will give new or potential owners proper researched advice and tips to a provide happy and healthy life for a hamster.

Current hamster owners will also find helpful insight to correct any areas where they may be lacking.

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We suggest that you read all the main topics BEFORE you get the hamster

(or before you make adjustments for the little one you already have)

so that you don’t waste your hard-earned money on the incorrect items. 

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HOWEVER, BEFORE YOU GET OVERWHELMED WITH SO MUCH INFORMATION,

we suggest that you begin with the IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS page

(and then the STARTER LIST page for the basic essential requirements).

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While not all pet shops are completely bad,

please be very weary of outdated advice from most!

It may  also be handy for you to print our BASIC CARE SHEET to take with you when out shopping for the little one, to remind you of the do's and don'ts.

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DOWNLOADABLE BASIC CARE SHEET

A

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Abuse (Reporting)

ACCESSORIES & ENRICHMENT PAGE

Additional substrates/enrichment

ADOPTIONS - INFO PAGE

Adoptions - groups & pages to advertise

Ageing Hamster - special care

Ageing Hamster - food

Allergies

Animal Zone Cat Litter

Anima Strath Granules

Antibiotics

Ants

Anxiety (Stress)

Aquariums (fish tanks)

Aspen Shavings

Attapulgite/Palygorskite/Sepiolite Clay Litter

Aubiose (Hemp) bedding

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B

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Baby Hamsters (info)

Baby Hamsters (when to separate)

Baby Hamsters (emergency hand rearing)

Baby & Pureed Food

Backyard Breeding

BALLS (rolling/exercise balls)

Bar Chewing

Basic Items (Starter list)

Bathing a hamster (bad)

Bath (sand & pits)

Bath Dust

Bathtub Taming

Beach Sand

BEDDING SUBSTRATES PAGE

Bedding Substrates (info)

Bedding Substrates - Depth & Quantity

Bedding Substrates (international list)

Bedding Substrates - Pine Shavings

Bedding Substrates - Safe (paper based)

Bedding Substrates - Safe (HOW TO USE)

Bedding Substrates - Safe Wood Shavings

Bedding Substrates - Scented

Bedding substrates - Unsafe

Bedding Toppers

Bedding Toppers (DIY)

Bedrooms/Nest Boxes

Beeztees 29cm Wheel

Bendy Bridges (purchase)

Bendy Bridges (DIY)

Bentonite Gravel

Bin Cages

Birch Shavings

Bird Food & Mielies

Birth (pregancy & gestation)

Birth & Newborn hamsters

Bite - hamster bites you

Bite - mosquito

Body Language & Behaviour

Bonding Scarf

Booster Meatloaf (recipe)

Boredom Breakers

Breeding

Bridges (DIY)

Bucket Trap (catch escaped hamster)

Builders Sand

Bumblefoot

Burrow Box

Butternut Pips (treats)

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C

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CAGES - also see "H" for Housing

CAGES & HOUSING PAGE

Cages - acceptable wire cages

Cages - bad wire cages

Cages - Rabbit & Guinea Pig

Cages - Rabbit & Guinea Pig (mesh wide bars)

Cages - round and oval

Cages - Small cages

Cage/Habitat Cleaning

Calcium Blocks/Gnaws

Cancer / Tumors

Carefresh Bedding

Carefresh Bedding - how to use effectively

Carno/Youda Wheels

Catch escaped hamster

Cat Litter (fine clumping)

Cat Litter (regular gravel)

Cat Litter (wood pellets)

CBD Oil / Tincture

Cedar Wood Shavings

Chamber Box

Children and hamsters

Children's Play Sand

Chinchilla Sand

Chinchilla Dust

Chinese Dwarf Hamsters

Clay - Paper Pulp (diy)

Clay litter - attapulgite/sepiolite/polygorskite

Clay litter - betonite gravel

Cleaning your Habitat

Coco Peat / Palm Peat

Coconut Hideaway (DIY)

Colds & Respiratory Infections

Cold Weather - keep your hamster warm

Colloidal Silver

Comfort Wheel

Common Illnesses

Corncob Bedding

Coronavirus/COVID-19

Cost/Expense

Cotton/Fluffy Nesting (bad nesting

Cotton wool (bad nesting)

Craft Sticks

Crittertrail Cages

Cushings Disease

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D

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Daro Medicated Bedding

Daro NV1530 Wheel (DaYung)

DIY PAGE (things you can make yourself)

Driftwood & Logs

Dwarf Hamsters

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E

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Eco-Earth (coco/palm peat)

Elderly Hamsters (special care)

Enrichment

Escaped Hamster - How to catch

Eye Infections & Irritation

Eyedrops (Rooibos-Saline)

EXOTICS VET DIRECTORY

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F

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Fabric & Wool

Feet - Bumblefoot

Fireworks - keep your hamster calm

Fish Tanks

Fleas

Flowers & Herbs

Fluffy Nesting (bad)

Foam Chips (packaging) (bad substrate)

FOOD PAGE

Food - how much to feed

Food - DRY FOOD Info

Food - Dry Food - BAD mixes

Food - Dry Food - GOOD mixes

Food - Dry Food - Additional mixes

Food - Dry Food - fussy hamster

Food - Dry Food - Homemade mix

Food - FRESH FOOD Info

Food - Fruit & Veg (good list)

Food - Unsafe/Bad foods

Food - Old hamsters

Food - Pregnant/Nursing/Baby hamster

Food - Pureed & Baby Food

Forage Boxes

Forage Mixes/Enrichment

Fruit Kernel Bedding (cat litter)

Fruit & Vegetabes (fresh)

Fur Loss

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G

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Glues (pet-safe)

Gnaws

Gnaws -seed (homemade)

Guinea Pig Cages

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H

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HABITATS (main page)

Habitats (purpose-built)

Habitats (glass/tanks)

Habitrail Cages

Handling/Holding your hamster correctly

Hand Rearing babies

HaPV (Polyomavirus)

Harness

Hay

Hay (DIY)

HEALTH & MEDICAL PAGE

Heat Cycle (female hamsters)

Heating Pads

Heat - weather (cooling tips)

Hemp Hurd (Aubiose) Bedding

Herbs & Flowers

Herbs (Medicinal)

Hibernation / Torpor

Hip Spots (scent glands)

Homemade Dry Food Mix

HOMEMADE THINGS (DIY PAGE)

Hot Weather - keep your hamster cool

Housing hamsters together

HOUSING - important notes

Housing - MINIMUM SIZES

Housing - BAD OPTIONS

Housing - Cages - rat & tall cages

Housing - Cages - wire (acceptable)

Housing - Cages - wire (bad)

Housing - Custom DIY Habitats

Housing - Custom DIY - Bin Cages

Housing - Custom DIY - Clam Pool

Housing - Custom DIY - Doll House

Housing - Habitat Manufacturers

Housing - GOOD OPTIONS

Housing - Glass tanks (fish tanks)

Housing - Modular cages (Habitrails, etc)

Housing - Purpose-Buillt for Hamsters

Housing - Round & Oval cages

Hyggelig Hamster Food

I

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Important Considerations - general

International Bedding Substrates

International Food List (commercial - dry)

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J K

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Kaytee Clean & Cozy Bedding

Kaytee Bedding - How to use effectively

Kaytee Soft Granule Blend

Keep your hamster cool

Keep your hamster warm

Keep your hamster calm (fireworks & storms)

Kenaf bedding

Kid's Play Sand

Kitchen wipes - bedding/nesting

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L

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Ladders (DIY and fixing)

Lifespan

LIFE STAGES PAGE

Living World Zoozone Home (cage)

Lolly/Popsicle/Craft Sticks

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)

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M

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Mache (paper & "clay")

Mazes & Playpens

Mealworms

Meatloaf (Booster) Recipe

Medical "Aid"

MEDICAL & HEALTH PAGE

Medicated Bedding Substrates

Medicated Sand

Medicinal Herbs

Mesh - cover wide bars (DIY)

Mesh options for ventilation

Mielies & Bird food

Mineral Blocks

Missing hamster - find/catch

Mites

Mosquitos

Moss

MPet Wheel

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N

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Nest Boxes

Nesting Material - Why?

NESTING SUBSTRATES PAGE

Nesting Substrates - Bad

Nesting Substrate - Fluff/Cotton (bad)

Nesting substrate - Safe (1-ply)

Newborn hamsters (pups)

Newspaper

Nibble Rolls (seed gnaw treat- diy)

Non Toxic Clay (diy)

Non-Toxic Clay - Paper Pulp (diy)

Non-Toxic Glue & Paint (diy)

Non-Toxic Wood Sealant

Nutro-Stim

Nuts

NV1530/1528 Daro/DaYung Wheels

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O

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Old Hamsters (special care)

Oliver's Burrow Hamster Mix

Orbital Wheel

P

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Paint (pet-safe, diy)

Pairing/Grouping (hamsters together)

Palm Peat (coco peat)

Palygorskite/Attapulgite Clay Litter

Paper Bedding (how to use)

Paper Bedding (diy)

Paper Mache

Paper - newspaper

Paper Pulp Clay (diy)

Paper - shredded

Paper & Wood "Wool" (packaging)

Pawise Silent Spinner Wheel

Peanut Butter (hamster safe)

Pellet Beddings

Phillippi & Building Sand

Pick up your hamster correctly

Pine Cones

Pine Shavings

Pine Shavings - dangers (research)

Pipes - Ideas & DIY

Pits (coco peat)

Pits (sand)

Plants in the habitat

Platforms & Shelves (DIY)

Playpens

Pneumonia

Palygorskite/Attapulgite/Sepiolite Clay Litter

Polyomavirus (HaPV)

Polystyrene - packaging

Popsicle Sticks

Potty cleaning

Potty Litters (see sand page)

Potty Litter - wood/sawdust

Potties (sand) - containers

Potty Litter (commercial)

Potty Training

Pouch problems

Pregnancy (gestation & birth)

Proteins

Protexin Soluble (probiotic)

Pups (newborn hamsters)

Pyometra

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Q

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Quartz Sand

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R

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Rabbit Cages

Rabbit Pellet (bedding)

Rat & Tall Cages

Reporting abuse

Reptile Enclosures & Vivariums (glass)

Reptile Enclosures & Vivariums (wood)

Reptile Sand

Rescue Centers

Respiratory Infections (pneumonia)

Revolution (mite treatment)

Ringworm

River Sand

Roborovski Hamsters

Rocks & Stones

Rooibos Tea (tonic)

Rotastak Cages

Russian Campbells Hamsters

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S

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Safebed Paper Bedding

Salt Licks

Sand - beach and building sand

Sand - cleaning (potties & pits)

Sand - clumping

Sand - garden soil & river sand

Sand - importance/info

Sand - kid's play sand

Sand - Potty training tips

Sand - safe to use

Sand - Scented

Sand - unsafe kinds

SAND  (Main page)

Sand Pits

Savic Orbital Wheel

awdust

Scented Bedding Substrates

Scented Sands

Scent Glands (hip spots)

Scratches & Abrasions -treatment

Sealant (for wood)

Seed Gnaw (recipe)

Seed Nibble Rolls (diy)

Sepiolite/Palygorskite/Attapulgite Clay Litter

SEXING (genders - male or female?)

Sexual Maturity

Shampoo

Shelves & Platforms (DIY)

SHOPPING (recommended places)

Shredded Paper

Silica Litters & Sands

Silkworms

SnuggleStuff Nesting

Soil (garden sand)

Space and cost

SPECIES OF HAMSTERS

Sphagnum Moss

Sponge Pieces

Sprogley Bedding/Nesting

STARTER LIST (Essential Items)

Stones & Rocks

Stormy Weather - keep your hamster calm

Straw

Stress & Anxiety

String, Rope, Twine

Summer - keep your hamster cool

SUPPLEMENTS

Swimming - getting your hamster wet

Swing (tube)

Syrian Hamsters

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T

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TAMING YOUR HAMSTER (main page)

Taming your Hamster (video tutorial)

Taming your Hamster (editorial)

Taming (bathtub method)

Taming - advice about rescued hamsters

Teddy Bear Hamsters (Syrians)

Teeth

Terrariums & Vivariums (glass)

Thyme-Rooibos Tea for scratches

Tonic (Daro and Robalon)

Tonic (Rooibos Tea)

Torpor / Hibernation

Toys & Boredom Breakers

Toy & Cushion Stuffings (bad nesting)

Transport & Lifts for adoption

Travel cage - bin style (diy)

Travelling with your hamster

Treats - Dry

Treats - Fresh

Treats - Homemade (recipes)

Tubes - Ideas & DIY

Tube Swing

Tumors /Cancer

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U

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Underweight (supplement)

Unsafe Bedding Substrates

Unsafe Nesting Materials

Unsafe Sands

Urine colours & UTI's

Uterine Infection (Pyometra)

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V

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Veg & Fruit (good & bad list)

Ventilation - wire mesh options

Vet Directory (Exotics)

Vitamin deficiency

Vitamin Syrup

Vivariums & Terrariums (glass)

Vivariums & Reptile Enclosures (wood)

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W

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Wadding, Toy, & Cushion Stuffing (bad nesting)

WATER (main page)

Water - wetting/bathing your hamster

Water Bottles (bad)

Water Bottles (good)

Water Bottle Stands (diy)

Water Bowls

Water - placement & cleaning

WEATHER COMFORT TIPS

Weight - average hamster weights

Wetting your hamster

WHEELS & BALLS (main page)

Wheels - correct sizes

Wheels - good

Wheels - bad

Wheel - Beeztees Wooden Wheel

Wheel - Daro NV1530

Wheels - hack (fix a stiff wheel)

Wheels - hack (fix a squeaking wheel)

Wheels - make yourself (DIY)

Wheels - Flying Saucer/UFO

Wheels - Flying Saucer (DIY)

Wheels - Mesh & Runged (bad)

Wheel - MPet

Wheel - Orbital (Savic)

Wheel - Pawise Silent Spinner

Whimzees

Winter - keep your hamster warm

Winter White Dwarf Hamsters

Wire Mesh options for Ventilation

WOOD (safe woods)

Wooden Bendy Bridges (DIY)

Wood Pellet (bedding)

Wood Potty Litter

Wood Sealant (non-toxic)

Wood Shavings - acceptable

Wood & Paper "Wool" (packaging)

Wool & Fabric

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X Y Z

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Yeast

Yogurt

Youda/Carno Wheels

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For further advice and discussion, please feel free to join the Facebook group: Hamsters South Africa 
Please note that FB disabled the original large group (malicious intent suspected) and Facebook/Metaverse fails to perform requested reviews (for anyone).
The group had to start over afresh in Nov'21.