Hamsters are the perfect pet for young children. Hamsters need no vaccinations, eat a daily diet of inexpensive pellet hamster food and gain with some fruit and green vegetables and are kept in a cage amused with lots of miniature toys. Kids can have fun watching their furry friend exercise on wheels and inventive activity houses, but the only drawback is that they tend to be nocturnal so are best kept in the bedroom.

Food for your Hamster

Your furball will do just fine if he dines on hamster mix available at pet supply stores. This food contains seeds, grains, cracked corn, and special pellets made for rodents. (Yes, your hamster is a rodent just as rats and mice are!)

Supplement his food with bits of fresh veggies and fruits like carrots, broccoli, bananas and apples. If he looks like he's literally stuffing his face, don't freak. This is perfectly normal. Hamsters love to carry food in their cheeks, which are actually big, roomy pouches. Then they store it in the corners of their cage for late-night snacks. Just make sure to remove any stale food when cleaning the cage.

Your pet will need to chew a lot so make sure he has a piece of wood that has not been painted or treated with chemicals to chew on. Pieces of dog biscuit are good too. Fresh, clean water should be available to your hamster at all times. Use an upside-down bottle with a drip tube and change it everyday.

His cage

If you want to keep more hamsters, a ten-gallon aquarium with a wire cover makes a cozy home for hamsters of all kinds. All hamsters need a cave for sleeping and resting. You can use a small flower pot or a wooden box with an entrance hole or buy one from a pet supply store.

Clean his cage weekly. Remove and replace the bedding, scrub the bottom of his cage with hot soapy water and throw out any leftover, stale food your pet has stored.