Housing and Bedding

Hamsters are indoor pets and although you can take them outside on a warm day, they should live indoors in a suitable house like a Qute. Your hamsters home should not be kept in direct sunlight, next to central heating radiators or in draughty areas.

Ideally you would position your hamster house in a busy room in the house so that you can see them a lot. You'll be able to learn all about your hamsters daily routine and natural habits just by watching them and your hamster will learn all about you too.

Hamsters really like to make a nest for themselves. The best type of home will have a draft free bedding area with high sides to stop the bedding being accidentally kicked out of the house by a burrowing hamster. It will have plenty of ventilation too so that your pet always has fresh air.

From your point of view you should make sure that the house is easy to clean. It's very important that the house is cleaned regularly and so you don't want a fiddly lot of small spaces that take ages to clean.

When you first arrive home with your new hamster it's important to settle him or her in the new home. Make sure you have put the bedding, food and water in the hamsters home before you put the hamster in. Let the hamster settle in overnight to get used to its new home. Talking to it quietly will help it get used to your voice. Wash your hands before handling your hamster as any smells left on there from food you have been handling will excite the hamster and he may give you a little nibble.

Bedding
Your hamster needs a thick layer of bedding material that it can arrange into a home. The most commonly available bedding materials are wood shavings, woodchips and sawdust. There are now also paper and cardboard bedding materials which area also really good.

If you have a long haired Syrian male consider using sawdust once the fur gets to any length as shavings and woodchips get tangled up in the fur.

Just one note of caution: some bedding is made from synthetic materials which if a hamster accidently eats it can cause a blockage (as it won't break down).

Plain white 'tea-bag' type bedding is both economical and good for spotting if the hamster has any health problems e.g. tummy upset, blood from any small cut etc.

Accessories
Once your hamster has settled in and is used to coming to your voice you can start adding toys. There are many accessories that you can put in your hamsters home to create extra interest. Wheels, little dens, food dishes, tubes, sea-saws, etc. Your Qute comes with some really neat cut out cardboard toys that you can put in the house. Things like egg boxes are good and your hamsters will chew these and turn them into bedding.

Time outside their house
You can take your hamsters out of their home and let them explore the world outside. Use the Qute bedding tray to take them with you when you move around the house. For example if friends come over you can all sit roudn the bedding tray and take it in turns to lift the hamster out and play with him. If there are other animals in the house, especially cats, make sure they are in a different room and can't get in. When your hamster is out by himself, don't let him out of your sight. Any wires should be concealed and holes in the floorboards should be closed up before letting your hamster out to explore.