Enjoy Your Pet’s Affection

Hamsters make excellent pets, thanks to their fun personalities and cute antics and because they are rather inexpensive to keep. Although there are plenty of designer hamster cages on the market, these really are not necessary to keep your pet healthy and happy. In fact, once you buy a simple hamster cage, water bottle, and food bowl, you can create the rest of your hamster's setup with items you probably already have lying around your home.

Wooden blocks or twigs make excellent chew toys. Chewing on them will keep your hamster from developing painful overgrown teeth that may require veterinary care. Avoid soft woods; instead, choose hardwoods such as maple and oak.

Toilet paper tubes are a lot of fun for hamsters to play with. They can hide in the tube when they're scared, and run back and forth through it when feeling energetic. Hamsters like to chew on toilet paper tubes, which is perfectly fine. Keep an eye on the tube, and replace it with a new one when it starts to look particularly worn.

PVC pipes make more permanent tunnels. You don't have to hook them to the cage or anything. Just set them inside a large cage to add entertainment. Make sure the edges are filed down smoothly so your hamster does not scrape itself.

Tissue boxes make perfect little shelters for hamster cages. The hamster can run inside the box through the opening in the top, and build a nest or rest. Just make sure you remove all of the plastic from the top of the box before giving it to your hamster.

Paper towel shreds are nice to include in your hamster's cage. Your little pet is likely to use them to build a nest. Toss a few in every time you clean your hamster's cage and replace the bedding. If they are still clean and dry the next time you clean the cage, there's no reason to remove them.

Hard melamine containers can be fun to include in your hamster's cage. Place a cylindrical one on its side, and your hamster may start using it as a house. Place it upright, and he or she may simply having fun scurrying in and out of it. Never use softer, flexible plastic containers, as your hamster may chew them and ingest the plastic.

Including plenty of interesting elements, such as those mentioned above, makes your hamster's cage a place he or she will enjoy being. A happy hamster often stays healthier and will make a friendlier pet than one who is bored, so take the time to outfit your hamster's cage as soon as you bring your pet home. After all, it probably won't cost you a dime. Vets like those at the North Lexington Veterinary Clinic can offer you more ways to keep your hamster healthy and happy.