As some may know, recently I've got myself a new Hamster.
His name is Dou. He is shy, fast and afraid of heights. He doesn't like to carrots. He loves to hide his food underground, loves to sleep in the corner. He doesn't bite too hard and is very gentle.
I've never really thought I would get a Hamster anytime soon, and before I get married and before I get my new home. I stay in a house which parents don't like pets around the house. (but actually, my brother and I had quite a few Pets secretly while we were at our growing stages)
Of course, secretly we weren't able to give our pets very much space or freedom to move which was one of our biggest regrets I guess.
I adopted Dou when I was passing by Pets Lovers Centre at 100AM shopping mall while bringing my mom for a short shopping & leisure day out over the last weekend. Dou was that tiny Hamster that squeezed himself right to the corner to sleep. "Ah.. so he is an introvert"
It was the way he slept that attracts me but it didn't ring the bell for adoption, it was so long ever since I had my last pet. By walking away, I kind of feel that pinch of not having him to come along with me. So I decided to go into the Pet shop to ask about it, not long after I'm assured that I'm serious about having him. My mom actually felt in love with Dou too.
Well, some of the things that you may consider before buying a Hamster.
It is always best to be prepared before you bring a new pet home. No new hamster should be an impulse buy so you really ought to have all the necessary equipment set up before hand. It probably is not very comfortable for a hamster to sit in a small cardboard box for an hour while you fumble around with assembling a cage. Understanding the needs of your new pet is important.
I may love Dou a lot, but if I can't afford to take care of him properly I would prefer him to a better owner. Having a Pet is a big responsibility because we're holding lives.
Here's a startup kit for you, if this is the first time you're considering to buy a Hamster:
MUST HAVE:
1. Spacious Hamster Cage: Best sizing is at least 60x60cm space
An example would be:
An example would be:
2. Water Bottle
An example would be:
3. Food Bowl
An example would be:
An example would be:
4. Hamster House / Hut
An example would be:
An example would be:
5. Hamster Dried Food
An example would be:
6. Bedding: better with the ones made of paper & odour free
An example would be:
An example would be:
7. Bathing Sand: along with a Bowl / Hamster toilet
An example would be:
8. Hamster Wheel: stable & quiet spinning types, at least 17cm diameter
An example would be:
9. Mineral Bite
An example would be:
OPTIONAL:
2. Hamster Ball
3. Hamster Toys
I remembered when I was younger, I kept some "knowing the pets" brochures by AVA. It is good to research and study about the pets you're gonna have too.
For hamsters to have a more happy and fulfilling life, they need more than a simple cage, bedding, food and a wheel. They can't be bored, can't be stress and need lots of stimulation and they need to feel safe. A daily "sayang" would make them feel "loved" and secure. They might bite, that does not mean they hate you.
Pets have a different way to express themselves, so we gotta observe them well too.
Other than the Hamster Food in the packaging, natural food is also good for the Hamsters. However, it's not so ideal to feed them Food that contains too much water because of Hamsters diarrhea very easily. We won't want to make them sick by doting on them.
I have done up a list of fresh fruits, seeds and vegetables each hamster species can eat, click here to view. If you're interested in having a Hamster, here's the Types of Hamsters link.
Dou is Winter-white species, surprisingly I heard it's the smartest out of all types of the species. Hamsters are natural jail breaker, they escape well. So do remember to lock your cage well.