CARE GUIDE

Housing requirements to keep your hamster happy and healthy!
These are guidelines for Syrian hamsters, and are what we check for before we adopt out hamsters. The purpose of these is to ensure each hamster can thrive in their environment.

CAGES

The best cages have 600+ square inches of floor space, and the absolute minimum requirement is 450 square inches. However, bigger is always better! These measurements are for unbroken floor space, not connected cages or multiple levels. But you can always add these on to an appropriately sized cage!

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BEDDING

We recommend paper or aspen substrate! Certain softwood beddings have been said cause respiratory issues, so we like to steer clear to stay on the safe side. If you're not sure what wood a bedding is made of, its likely softwood. But paper-based beddings are always a good choice!

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WHEELS

Since Syrian hamsters can be 5 - 7 inches long, they need a large wheel. A 10+ inch diameter wheel will allow them to run with a straight back, which helps avoid injury or pain for your hamster. The wheel might seems very large for a small hamster, but they will appreciate the room!

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FOOD

It is best to feed a mix of lab blocks and seed mix. However, only using lab blocks is also acceptable. You want to choose a high-quality lab block that meets the following requirements:

Protein: 18 - 22 %

Fat: 4 - 7 %

Fiber: 6 - 15 %

A good seed mix will have a wide variety of unprocessed seeds and grains, with minimal corn and fillers.

Higgins Sunburst is a good example of a quality seed mix. 

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TREATS

Whimzees are a great, fun chew for your hammy! They can be bought in many sizes and often you can buy only one or two at a time. These are made with potato starch, so most hamsters love them. Leave them in the cage for only a few hours at a time to make sure they're eating their food as well!

See below list for safe and unsafe fruits and vegetables! 

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