Sunday, August 2, 2009

What are good toys, etc. to put in my hamster's cage?

Do I need any chew toys? Should I change my pine bedding? What bedding is the one you totally recommend? Should I get a some chinchilla sand like what people said?Should I get a mini house inside her cage?
Answers:
Bedding - Carefresh! Its the best, very absorbent and it also keeps it from smelling too much and its not much more than wood bedding which can be harmful to small animals. I put a little baking soda down too, just to keep it from smelling too much like my rodent.
I put a small wooden house in my hamster's cage and she loves it, sleeps in there all day and runs in and out at night. Its her nest.
Hamsters need wheels to burn off energy. In the wild they run several miles a night gathering food so they have a ton of energy. I like the plastic silent ones, you want to avoid the wire ones where they can get caught. Make sure its big enough for your little guy.
I also include wood chews and from the bird section of the store wooden ladders because she loves to chew on them and run up and down the walls of the cage
I always cut a toilet paper tube (so she doesn't get stuck because she is a fat black bear hamster) and she scampers through and chews it
You can also get those ferret hammocks, get the smaller one, my hamster like to jump from it... its a bit like skydiving for her but fun to laugh at anyhow.
a hamster ball
you should get these bits of soft wood that r coloured and look like fruit and veg that it can nibble on or get like a toy mouse in there for it to play with
hope this answer helps x
all hamsters are different, have different toys to alternate, becuz hamster (just like birds) get bored of their toys. i recommend a house of sum sort. the dust isnt necessary becuz hamster are naturally very clean animals, chew toys r good, they need to keep thier teeth moderately short, if they get too long, they cant eat. make sure it has a wheel, that is essential. for bedding i suggest critter care odor control. also, put an tube of toilet paper in the cage with a lil bit of tp left on it, and a handful of loose tp thrown in there for extra comfort. you should hive your hammy lettuce or sumthin at least 3 times aweek :)
My hamster likes a product called a chew tunnel. It's a cardboard type tunnel that she can both hide in and chew, and it's made of harmless vegetable fiber. Many pet stores carry them. My rabbit likes a larger version of the chew tunnel. She actually stands it up and runs rings around it, very creative play.
don't use pine, use super shavin's by cozy critter, pine gives off too many oils and fumes, it can kill them. they like empty toilet paper rolls. and also those huts they sell at petsmart they can chew on and climb in.
Wooden pet chew toys are an ideal choice. Wood items should ideally be safe (stay away from cedar or other evergreen type woods), and pesticide and chemical free. If you are unsure a type of wood is safe, it is probably best to stick with items made for use by pets. Pesticide-free fruit tree branches from your backyard or hardwood wood blocks or shapes that are not chemically treated are okay for your hamster.
Willow balls, rings and tunnels are also marketed for rabbits, and the smaller sized of these items can be used for hamsters.
In addition to wood chews, cardboard can also be provided for chewing (and for hiding). Ideally, choose cardboard with as little ink as possible as there has been concern over the content of commercial inks in the past (I can find no solid evidence one way or the other on the safety of colored cardboard, and I have used colored cardboard for my mice, so don't panic if you are using colored cardboard). Hamsters also love cardboard tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, although some people are also concerned about the safety of the glues used in these. Many hamsters regularly chew these items without problems, but if you are concerned there are now commercial tubes that are a bit sturdier and are said to be safe for chewing (e.g. Totally Chewbular Play Tubes and Critter Crunchy Chew Tube).

No comments:

Post a Comment