How to Entertain Your Hamster

From ***WikiHow Pets.***

*Co-authored* by Pippa Elliott, M.R.C.V.S.

**Updated**: March 23, 2020.

Keeping your hamster entertained is an important part of making sure that it's happy and healthy.

There are many ways to keep your hamster entertained to ensure that it stays stimulated and doesn’t get bored.

Enrich your hamster’s cage by adding chewing materials, hiding food, and installing a plastic wheel.

To get your hamster out of its cage and exploring new environments, create a maze or an obstacle course, use a hamster ball, set up an outdoor playpen, or teach your hamster some new tricks.

**Method 1 - Enriching Your Hamster’s Environment:**

1. **Provide 2 in (5.1 cm) of bedding in your hamster's cage so it can dig.**

Choose a specialty hamster bedding and avoid using pine or cedar shavings.

In the wild, hamsters love to dig, burrow, and build nests deep into the ground.

A depth of 2 in (*5.1 cm)* is only a minimum and you can add more bedding to give your hamster more digging space if you prefer.

**2. Make sure that your hamster has plenty of things to chew.**

Hamsters love to chew on different materials and this is a great way to keep them entertained.

Change the chewing materials in the cage these whenever you clean it out so that your hamster has variety.

Coconut shells, hay cubes, *sea-grass*, and pumice stone are all ideal options.

* You can also give your hamster untreated, softwood to chew on.

Bake small branches (*approximately 3 in (7.6 cm*)) of wood for 1 hour on low heat first to ensure that it is safe for your hamster.

Wait for it to cool before placing it in the cage.

Good softwood options include apple, elm, hazelnut, pear, and yucca.

3. Hide food in the cage so your hamster has to forage for it.

While it’s important to limit treats and to give your hamster a healthy diet, that doesn’t mean that food can’t be entertaining!

Place some food inside the food bowl and hide the rest inside toys or under bedding to encourage your hamster to forage.

* Feed your hamster well-balanced, *nutritionally-complete*, rodent pellets.
* These are available from pet supply stores.
* You can feed your hamster occasional treats such as seeds, small pieces of fruit and vegetables, and cooked pasta.
* Foraging is a natural hamster behaviour. It helps to reduce boredom and aggression.

4. Place a hamster wheel in the cage so that your hamster can exercise.

Choose a minimum of a 6.5 in *(17 cm*) wheel for Roborovski and dwarf hamsters and a minimum of a 8 in (*20 cm*) wheel for larger hamsters such as Syrian hamsters.

Follow the instructions that come with the hamster wheel to fit it to the cage.

* A plastic wheel is safer than a metal wheel for hamsters because plastic wheels don’t have rungs.

Your hamster’s legs are fragile and can easily get injured in wheel rungs.

* Make sure the wheel is large enough so your hamster’s back is straight and level while it runs as opposed to a *U-shape.*
* Hamsters require a lot of exercise to stay happy and healthy.

A hamster wheel helps them to exercise and to avoid health problems such as obesity.

5. Put a cardboard tube in the cage to create a tunnel.

Reuse paper towel and toilet roll tubes to create a fun form of enrichment for your hamster.

Simply place the tubes in the cage and replace them whenever the old ones get worn down.

Your hamster will use the tunnel for hiding and exploration.

* Cardboard tubes also give your hamster something to chew on.
* You can purchase *ready-made* paper and cardboard hamster toys from pet supply stores.

6. Place a variety of different toys in the cage for your hamster to play with.

Pet stores stock a huge range of different toys that are suitable for hamsters.

These are commonly made out of plastic, metal, and wood.

You can also make your own hamster toys at home with cardboard to create tunnels, platforms, and hiding spots.

* If possible, choose natural and dye-free toys to help keep your hamster healthy.

**Method 2 - Entertaining Your Hamster Outside the Cage:**

1. Let your hamster crawl over your hands to help form a bond.

Pick up your hamster and take it out of the cage.

Hold your hamster in your hands and let it sniff you and crawl over your hands to explore.

This not only helps you and your hamster to bond, but it also keeps your hamster busy with all of the new sights and smells.

* Hamsters can remember your scent and voice.

Spending time holding your hamster lets you gain its trust while keeping it entertaining.

2. Create a maze **or an obstacle course for your hamster to explore.**

Hamsters are very curious and love to explore new things.

Make your own maze using LEGOs, toilet paper rolls, boxes, or large plastic blocks.

Alternatively, purchase a hamster maze from a pet supply store.

* To make a maze for your hamster, plan out your design on a flat piece of cardboard first.
* Then cut out cardboard walls and glue these onto the base.

Place treats around the maze to encourage your hamster to explore.

**3. Place your hamster in a hamster ball for 10-15 minutes to get some exercise.**

Check that the area is safe and free from cats, dogs, and stairs before placing your hamster into the ball.

Watch your hamster as it runs to make sure that it stays safe.

Keep the hamster ball sessions short to make sure that your hamster doesn’t tire itself out and become exhausted.

* Never leave your hamster in the ball unattended or for extended periods of time.

This is because there is no way for your hamster to stop exercising if it gets tired.

* You can also use the hamster ball outside if it is safe to do so.

Make sure that your hamster is in the shade, on a flat part of the ground, and away from cars and other pets.

**4. Set up a playpen to let your hamster explore a new environment.**

Purchase a rodent fence or playpen and place this in a different room or outside on a shady patch of grass.

Let your hamster explore the different environment.

* Make sure that the outdoor area is flat and free from cats, dogs, and cars.

5. Teach your hamster a trick **to provide mental stimulation.**

Hamsters are both smart and curious, and they love to learn new things.

Train your hamster to stand on its hind legs by holding a treat above its head and saying “***Stand***,” clearly.

Give your hamster a treat whenever it follows a command and keep the training sessions short so that your hamster doesn’t get bored.

* There are a large variety of tricks that your hamster can learn.

Use a lot of repetition and practice, and your hamster will easily learn new skills.