Have Fun With Your Hamster

Playing with your hamster provides her with the stimulation she needs to stay healthy. And whether you are letting your little furry friends crawl all over you or watching her conquer a maze, playing with your hamster is great fun. However, you must handle your hamster properly to ensure her safety while playing inside or outside of her cage.

Steps

Handling Your Hamster Safely

1. Let sleeping hamster lie. Hamsters sleep most of the day and are most active in the evening and night. If you wake your hamster, she may be grumpy and resistant to handling. Always let your hamster wake up on her own before playing with her.
2. Wash your hands first. Hamsters have a very keen sense of smell. It is important that you wash all food scents off your hands, or your hamster may bite you.
3. Rub your hands in clean hamster bedding. The smell of bedding will make your hamster feel safer in your hands.
4. Hand-tame your hamster. Before you can play with your hamster outside her cage, you need to get her used to being handled by you. Start by feeding your hamster treats from your hand. When your hamster approaches you without fear, try letting her play in your hand. When she is comfortable there, pick her up. Gradually increase the amount of time you hold your hamster.
   • Always let your hamster sniff at your closed fist before attempting to pick her up. Do not surprise her.
   • Always handle your hamster over a table or while sitting on the ground. Otherwise, your hamster might suffer a serious injury if she squirms out of your grasp. A fall of only one foot can seriously injure a hamster.
   • If your hamster tries to squirm away or bites you, put it back in its cage. It is tired of being held.
5. Make sure your hamster cannot escape when playing outside her cage. Play with your hamster in an enclosed area. Be aware that hamsters can escape through very small spaces, such as under doors, so you will need to keep your pet under supervision when playing outside its cage.
   • Don’t play in an area with a small space that your hamster can squeeze into to hide, such as underneath couches or drawers.
   • Bathrooms are convenient enclosed space to play in, but be sure to shut the toilet lid.
   • Consider purchasing a hamster playpen to make sure your pet can’t escape. It should be larger than the hamster’s cage. Also consider covering the pen with a mesh screen so your pet can’t escape.
   • Purchasing a child’s wading pool is an easy way to provide an enclosed, inexpensive play space.
6. Remove any hazards when playing outside the cage. If it’s there, your hamster will probably chew on it. Be sure to remove all electrical cords from the area where your hamster is playing. Also remove any toxic plants, such as azalea, daffodil, oleander, speedwell, buttercups, bindweed, bluebells, ragwort, elder, hemlock, and privet. For a complete list of toxic plants, see here.
7. Be careful when playing with your hamster on a table or counter. Hamsters have almost no instinctual fear of falling, and a tumble off a high table or counter can seriously injure your pet. Don’t leave your hamster alone in high places, and always be on hand to keep her from falling.
8. Remove your other pets from the room when playing with your hamster out of the cage. Imagine sharing a room with a giant monster that wants to eat you. Not fun. Even if your hamster is safe, they will find the presence of your dog or cat stressful.
9. Know how to Catch-a-Runaway-Hamster if she escapes. If your hamster gets loose, all is not lost. Having a plan in advance can ward off panic and make it much more likely you will find your pet.
   • Search near the hamster’s cage first.
   • Look in small places: behind and underneath furniture, in between cushions on sofas and chairs, on bookshelves, in drawers, and inside shoes, tissues boxes, and shoe boxes.
   • If your search fails, leave the cage open and place your hamster’s favorite food near and inside it. Turn out the lights and wait for your hamster to come.
   • If that fails, set out some food before you go to sleep and surround it with flour so that your hamster’s tracks lead you back to its hiding place.

Having Fun with Your Hamster in the Cage

1. Watch your hamster run. Wild hamsters run miles each day to find food. Your pet doesn’t have to work that hard, but she still has the instinct to run. Put a hamster wheel in your pet’s cage and watch her go.
   • The wheel should be large enough that your hamster’s back does not bend.
   • Solid wheels are preferable, as your hamsters toes or legs may get caught between the bars of a wire wheel.
   • Check the wheel periodically to make sure it is rotating freely. Remove any obstructions as needed and grease with olive oil or vegetable oil.
2. Add some nature. Wooden branches give your hamster something to chew and climb on in her cage, but make sure they are thoroughly cleaned first. Wash each branch with soapy water, let it dry, and then bake it for 45 minutes at 200°F to kill any bugs or eggs. And be sure to use wood that is not toxic to hamsters, such as willow, pear or apple, cottonwood, pecan, or mulberry. For a full list of safe and unsafe woods, see here.
3. Create a cardboard tube maze. Hamsters love to crawl through leftover toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Try taping several together to make a tunnel maze for your pet.
4. Make a swing with a little string and a used roll of duct tape or packaging tape. Simply run the string through the roll and tie it to the top of your hamster’s habitat so that it hangs just off the floor.
5. Tie shoelaces to the top of your hamster’s cage. Tie several laces from side to side or leave a few hanging down. Your hamster will love to climb and pull on them. But be sure to remove the plastic tips covering the ends, so that your pet does not eat them and get sick.
6. Hide food in your hamster’s cage and watch her find it. Hamster’s love to forage for food. Hide food all around your hamster’s cage – in tubes, on platforms, in corners – and watch her find it.

Playing Outside the Cage

1. Let your hamster out of her cage to play every day. To maximize your hamster’s health and happiness, you need to give her time outside her cage. And it’s fun! Just be sure your that hamster is hand-tamed and that you play with her in a safe, enclosed area.
2. Cuddle your hamster and let her crawl on you. Hamsters enjoy being cuddled, so long as you don’t squeeze too hard, and they’ll also have fun exploring you. This is a great way to bond with your hamster and teach her to trust you.
   • Be sure you are seated on the ground so that your hamster doesn’t hurt herself if she falls. Better yet, try lying on your back with your hamster on your chest.
   • Make sure you are in an enclosed area so your hamster can’t escape.
   • Limit your time handling your hamster to 10-15 minutes, and for the first few times only 3-4 minutes. If you handle your hamster for too long, she will try to escape or bite you.
3. Get a hamster ball. These are plastic or rubber balls that you can place your hamster inside so that she can safely explore your home. They are basically a hamster wheel on the go.
   • Be sure to get a ball with ventilation slots.
   • Wash the ball with soap and water after each use. Let it dry completely before re-using.
   • Limit time in the ball to 10-15 minutes, and giver your hamster a chance to drink and eat afterwards.
4. Make a maze. You can make your maze walls out of anything: glued together Popsicle sticks, cardboard, blocks, books, etc. Place some treats in the maze and watch your hamster explore. To make sure your hamster doesn’t escape, consider placing the maze inside a large cardboard box.
5. Put your hamster in a playpen with toys. Any secure area with no means of escape can serve as a playpen for your hamster. You can purchase a variety of toys, but your pet will also enjoy exploring household objects such as:
   • Paper towel or toilet paper tubes
   • Tissue or shoe boxes
   • Paper bags
   • Shoes
   • Ramps (a propped up piece of wood or cardboard)
   • Cereal boxes
6. Watch your hamster gather food. A hamster can carry up to half her body weight in her cheek pouches! Scatter grains or crumbs on the table and watch your hamster collect them. But be careful what you feed your hamster. Foods to avoid include:
   • Junk food: pizza, chocolate, potato chips, pickles, salted peanuts or other high salt foods
   • Citrus fruits, dried fruits, fruit pips, or apple seeds
   • Iceberg lettuce, parsley, or rhubarb
   • Avocado, eggplant, onions, peppers, mushrooms, or garlic
   • Potatoes, kidney beans or red beans
   • Red meat

Related Articles

• Keep a Happy Hamster
• Catch a Runaway Hamster
• Convince Your Parents to Get You a Hamster
• Build a Relationship With Your Hamster
• Care for a Hamster
• Find out Your Hamster's Favourite Food

Sources and Citations

See also

• Supervise Hamsters Outside of the Cage
• Play With a Hamster
• Keep Hamsters Happy
• Convince Your Parents to Get You a Hamster
• Care for a Hamster
• Find a Lost Hamster
• Keep a Happy Hamster
• Choose a Hamster
• Exercise a Hamster

What links here

• Find a Lost Hamster
• Keep a Happy Hamster
• Set Up a Hamster Cage
• Treat Your Hamster's Broken Leg