Hamster Cage Accessories
All about Hamster Cage Accessories
When you are going to be getting a pet hamster, you will need to get a cage and hamster cage accessories to make him the perfect home. You need these extra items for feeding, sleeping, and playing.
Hamsters are very energetic creatures. One of the first hamster cage accessories you will need is an exercise wheel. This is not really an optional toy. And, for that reason, you can actually buy hamster cages with built-in exercise wheels. A hamster needs a lot of exercise and the wheel is one way for him to get it easily, whether you are there or not.
In fact, being nocturnal creatures, your hamster might keep you awake at night going round and round on his exercise wheel. The solid, plastic types are the best. Don’t get a metal one with spaces in-between the bars as your hamster might get his feet caught in it. Metal ones can also corrode.
Every wheel has its pros and cons as the alternative plastic types can be chewed. There are very hard plastic ones that cannot be chewed and are solid, which are the ones you aim to get. You might want to get a quiet wheel so that it doesn’t squeak every time it goes around.
Other hamster cage accessories which are necessities are a food dish, a water bottle that attaches to the side of the cage, and a litter box, if you are going to litter train your hamster. It makes the cage a lot easier to clean when your hamster just goes in one location like that. Otherwise, instead of emptying a litter box you will be cleaning the whole cage every few days.
Hamster cage accessories also include toys for your hamster to gnaw and chew. When they have lots of toys to play with, hamsters are not as apt to chew on the cage or the water and food bowl. Hamsters have teeth which grow for their entire lifetime. Chew toys help keep them from growing to be too long, plus it keeps them sharp. They make wooden chews and fruit-flavored toys for hamsters.
There are many types of hamster cage accessories which attach to the cage itself in the form of tunnels and maze-type structures. These satisfy your hamster’s need for constant activity. You can buy cages with multiple floors which are all connected via tunnels, wheels, and other objects for hamster activities.
A lot of hamster owners think that a hamster house inside the cage is a necessity but it really depends on the temperament of your hamster. Houses are made for hamsters to sleep in and also to hide in should they become afraid. It shouldn’t be a necessity unless you have a very reclusive hamster that just doesn’t become friendly after he gets to know you.
A hamster will make his own little nest to sleep in out of the bedding you put on the floor of the cage. There are many types of bedding, but do not use pine or cedar shavings as these can make your hamster sick. Wood pellets can work as can soft paper products such as paper towels or toilet paper. Another toy that is safe for hamsters and that they love is the cardboard toilet paper roll itself. This is a very economical toy.
You can find all different kinds of hamster cage accessories, some which are good for the hamster and some which are not. Before you buy a product, make sure it is safe for hamsters by doing a little research online or at the library. You can also get advice from fellow hamster lovers as to which accessories work best.