The First Few Hamster Days

This content will give you a step by step guide on bringing your new hamster home.

Step 1:
The first thing to do is take two or three handfuls of your hamster’s old litter into the hamster’s new cage. Now fill up the food bowl and the water bowl.

Step 2:
Carefully place the hamster into its new home. If you were given a cardboard box, put the hamster (still inside the box) in the cage. Now carefully open the lid of the box so that the hamster can come out on its own.

Step 3:
Now comes the time when you must be very patient. Please do not go and pick up the hamster straight away, this will cause stress on the little hamster. But now it is very satisfying to watch your hamster explore its new surroundings. Now close the cage door and sit quietly and watch your new hamster take possession of its new surroundings.

Step 4:
Once the hamster has explored its new cage, it will probably dive straight into its little house and stay there for quite some time. Please be patient and do not dive straight in and go and pick your little hamster up.

Step 5:
Besides from providing your hamster with new food and fresh water, everything should proceed this way for a week. Under no circumstances should you wake up your hamster or lift up its sleeping house! Gradually your little hamster will come out and explore its surroundings once again. Your hamster will start to mark its territory with its own scent by licking the sides of its body and rubbing itself on the cage.

Step 6:
Now your little hamster should look like it has lived in your house for weeks. Once your hamster sleeps inside its little house in the afternoon and come out at night and does its night activities. It means that your hamster is completely relaxed in its new environment and it means that you can start to pick up your little hamster and he can now become hand tame.

(Author: Ivana Perestrelo. Source: www.hamster-club.com)