14 Ways You Are Hurting Your Hamster Without Realizing

If you are a hamster owner, you surely want your pet to be happy, healthy, and live a long, fulfilling life. But sometimes, we do things that can potentially harm our hammies. In this video, we will talk about 14 common mistakes that hamster owners unknowingly make when they are caring for their little friends. 14. Dangerous Products Many hamster owners just buy any product that has a photo of a hamster on it. However, most of the products that are marketed towards hamsters are actually not good for them. Things such as wired and mesh wheels can cause injuries to limbs and the pressure they put on your hamster's paw pads may cause bumblefoot. Small wheels can also lead to health issues. Your hamster will end up arching their back while running, which will result in massive spine problems. For larger hamsters, such as syrians, wheels should be between 8 to 12 inches. Hamster balls could also cause injuries in part due to a lack of ventilation. Another common product that is harmful to hamsters is cotton fluff. Cotton is not digestible. Not only can it cause choking, it may also lead to intestinal blockage that can slowly kill your pet. Cotton can also get wrapped around the limbs and cut off circulation, leaving the limbs dead. Pine and cedar bedding shavings are also dangerous because they can cause upper respiratory issues. Use safe materials that are easily digestible, such as paper-based bedding or toilet paper, so they can easily go through a hamster's digestive system. These materials also don't have enough tensile strength to cut off circulation to your hamster's limbs. 13. The Wrong Diet Hamsters are omnivores, meaning they eat both animal-based and plant-based foods. Hamsters in the wild live primarily on seeds, grasses, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, but they also eat insects, frogs, lizards, and other small animals. Hamsters are not herbivores, so if they're just fed an herbivore diet, they will slowly die from malnutrition. Adult hamsters' diet should consist of a minimum of 16% protein, 4% to 7% fat, and 6% to 15% fiber. Always check the label to ensure your pet's food mix has adequate nutrients. Make sure to feed your hamster a wide-variety, balanced diet full of seeds, grains, animal proteins, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and more. Oftentimes, hamster owners need to mix more than one mixes together to get the right amount of nutrients that their pets need. 12. Temperature Changes Hamsters do well in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything below 65 degrees Fahrenheit can cause your pet to go into torpor. Torpor is a survival tactic used by many animals during cold months, and it is a little bit different from hibernation. If there's suddenly cold weather, the animal's metabolic rate and body temperature drop to conserve energy and survive short periods of unfavorable environmental conditions. Temperatures below 50 degrees can cause your pet to go into hibernation. If temperatures get nearer to freezing, your pet may die. Heat is equally dangerous, especially if the cage is placed under direct sunlight. Make sure to keep your pet indoors where you can control the temperature and keep them away from drafty areas. 11. Feeding Them Too Many Treats We love treating our pets, and they love it when we do. But too many treats can lead to obesity and a slew of health problems. Remember, your treat should never make up more than 10% of your pet's overall diet. You can feed your hamster treats such as apple, pear, or banana about once a week so they don't get too much sugar. On that note, make sure not to keep your hamster's food dish topped up at all times because it can make your pet a picky eater. Your hammy will just pick up the good stuff and not get all the nutrients they need. The best way to prevent a picky eater is to fill up their dish one or two tablespoons every two to three days and wait until the dish is completely empty. When the dish is completely empty, you can fill it up again. 10. Having Nothing to Chew On Hamsters' teeth grow continuously all their lives. They're designed to be worn down to the right length by grinding away at hard objects. Make sure to provide your pet with a variety of hard objects such as wooden chew toys, walnut, coconut shells, or even cardboard to chew on. The more your hamster has to chew on, the happier it will be. 9. Taking Them Outside The outdoors is full of dangers for hamsters. No matter where you live, there are predators like stray cats, dogs, or hawks who want to eat your hammy. Secondly, hamsters are tiny and they can be very quick. This means they can escape and be lost outside which is a death sentence to them. Remember, hamsters are nocturnal slash crepuscular. So to take them outside during the day, you're likely going to have to wake them up which is another must to avoid. Hamsters have sensitive eyes and don't like bright areas. Taking them out during night would also be very risky as there is even more chance of losing your little friend. 8. Not Enough Space to Exercise Although hamsters are small, they need plenty of room to exercise, burrow, and explore tunnels. Hamsters are high-energy animals and their bodies are built to run. In the wild, hamsters run up to six miles every single night to search for and gather food. Like the wild hamster, your captive one is still biologically programmed to be energetic. You should be able to tell this by how much they run in their wheel every night. So be sure to provide your hammy with an environment as large as possible with the enrichment they need to stay happy such as sand bath, different substrates, and properly sized wheel. Keep in mind that hamsters are burrowers so your little pet needs at least six inches of bedding to dig, burrow, hide, and stay occupied. Keeping your hamster in tiny cages is unkind and can cause a range of stress-related and health problems such as obesity, depression, and boredom. 7. Lack of Attention Hamsters are prey animals so they instinctively hide signs of pain and illness to avoid attracting predator's attention. Unfortunately though, this also means that it's very difficult for hamster owners to tell if their pet is sick. Make sure to pay attention to the smallest changes in their routine. Common signs that indicate your pet is sick include loss of appetite, lack of energy, a dirty or matted coat, hunched posture, excessive itchiness, diarrhea, or any sudden change in behavior. 6. Bathing Them Hamsters are known to be very clean animals who groom themselves often. Therefore, they don't need a bath. These animals also have sensitive skin and baths may result in dry fur coats and skin problems. Bathing them can send a hamster into shock. Hamsters are also sensitive to temperature changes, which is another reason why bathing them isn't recommended. Damp fur can keep their little bodies too cold. If your little hamster has dirt in a certain area of its body, you can spot clean them using a damp washcloth. Sand bathing is also something most hamsters love. It's what they would do in the wild. Provide your pet with a container of pet-safe sand. Your hamster will dig and roll around in the sand granules. As the sand is abrasive, it removes grease, moisture, and dirt from their fur. 5. Yelling At Them Yelling is another thing you should never do to your hamster. Hammies don't understand the word no. When you yell at your pet, you're just frightening them. Keep in mind that hamsters are highly sensitive to loud noises, finding them scary. Yelling at them not only could cause them stress, but they may also perceive the person making these noises as a threat and start to stay away from them. Make sure not to do anything that causes fear in your four-legged friend. 4. Keeping Their Enclosures In A High Traffic Environment As prey animals, hamsters can be prone to stress, so their enclosure should be placed in an area where there isn't a lot of noise or traffic, like where there aren't many people and young children constantly walking around. Stress can affect your pet's physical well-being in addition to their mental well-being. A little hide box in their enclosure will also help control stress. Hideouts will help your little pet feel safe and confident. Having nowhere to take cover will make your hammy scared, stressed, and anxious. 3. A Dirty Living Space Hamsters are very clean animals, and they appreciate a clean, nice environment. Dirty and smelly homes will create mental and physical health problems for your pet. Make sure to clean your hamster's cage regularly, but remember not to use harsh chemicals in the cleaning process. Any product that contains bleach or ammonia is hazardous to animals. Make sure to use pet-safe cleaning products. 1. Living With Another Hamster Hamsters should not be kept together in the same enclosure. These animals don't get along well when placed in the same enclosure, in part because hamsters are solitary animals.