 Large Syrian size wheel |
My hamsters all have a large wheel. They also have a variety of boxes and tubes to chew and climb on. Any wooden toys are regularly sprayed with mite spray and discarded when a hamster dies for any reason. I always microwave egg boxes for a few seconds before giving them to the hamsters, also just in case there are mites on them.
They enjoy the small wooden fruit chews which are sold in most pet shops and they like dog biscuits to chew on. I don't generally give houses as the plastic houses which come with most cages would not be big enough for my adult hamsters, one or two hamsters do have the wooden cabin in the photo, which is large enough for them. I also have a playbox, which is a large plastic storage box which I put toys in and let the hamsters run around and play in. I do have plastic exercise balls which they run around in from time to time |
Wheels
Standard Wheel compared to larger wheel required for Syrians
The wheels which usually come with hamster cages are too small for adult Syrian hamsters, they will have to arch their back in order to use it. A Syrian hamster needs a 7-8 inch wheel. My first hamster, Basil, loved his wheel but then stopped using it. After doing some research online, I bought him a larger wheel and he immediately started running on it again. Obviously arching his back was causing him some discomfort.
Wild hamsters will run 5 miles a night, so a wheel is much appreciated by captive hamsters, it helps prevent boredom.
Wild hamsters will run 5 miles a night, so a wheel is much appreciated by captive hamsters, it helps prevent boredom.
 9' Wodent Wheel |
 Comfort Wheel |
Exercise Balls
Most hamsters will enjoy spending some time in their exercise balls. Don't leave them in the balls for very long sessions though, they should be put back in their cages after about 20-30 minutes so they can have a drink and rest.
One of my hamsters, Fuzzy, could escape from every exercise ball I put her in. She used to bash them against the wall until they opened up, so I sellotaped the centre join and sellotaped the lid on after putting her in the ball. She then ate her way out of them. Keep an eye on your hamster to make sure you haven't got a Fuzzy. Luckily Fuzzy was easy to catch. Be careful that the ball can't roll downstairs or be caught in direct sunlight. I don't use exercise balls for hamsters I am taming. They like to come out of their cages and I want them to associate 'out' time with me, so I don't put them in exercise balls until they are very easy to handle.
One of my hamsters, Fuzzy, could escape from every exercise ball I put her in. She used to bash them against the wall until they opened up, so I sellotaped the centre join and sellotaped the lid on after putting her in the ball. She then ate her way out of them. Keep an eye on your hamster to make sure you haven't got a Fuzzy. Luckily Fuzzy was easy to catch. Be careful that the ball can't roll downstairs or be caught in direct sunlight. I don't use exercise balls for hamsters I am taming. They like to come out of their cages and I want them to associate 'out' time with me, so I don't put them in exercise balls until they are very easy to handle.
Playpens and Play Boxes
The wire playpens in these photos are useless for Syrian hamsters, they climb straight out of them. They have an amusement value in timing how many seconds it takes the hamster to get out but don't ever leave a hamster unsupervised in one of these playpens.
An alternative to the playpen is a large cardboard or plastic box with deep enough sides to prevent them climbing out.
An alternative to the playpen is a large cardboard or plastic box with deep enough sides to prevent them climbing out.
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Plastic Hammocks
