Hamster care is generally moderately easy, but mastering key knowledge is essential to avoid common issues. Below is a detailed breakdown:
1. Basic Care Difficulty
Diet Management
Simple Aspects: A basic diet of specialized hamster food plus small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g., carrots, apples) meets their fundamental needs.
Common Pitfalls: Feeding human snacks (such as chocolate, onions) can cause poisoning; excessive sunflower seeds lead to obesity.
Environment Requirements
Minimum Setup: A 60cm basic cage (larger for Syrian hamsters) plus dust-free bedding (e.g., aspen shavings).
Easily Overlooked Items: An exercise wheel (with a diameter of ≥20cm) and a hideout are necessary. Without them, hamsters may develop stereotypic behaviors (repetitive, abnormal actions).
2. Health Risk Levels
Wet Tail Disease: Symptoms include diarrhea and swollen, red anus. It is highly difficult to treat and requires immediate veterinary care.
Respiratory Infections: Symptoms include sneezing and a runny nose. Treatment is moderately difficult; the environment must be kept warm and dry.
Cheek Pouch Infections: Caused by food residue buildup. They are relatively easy to handle with regular cheek pouch checks.
Note: Care difficulty increases significantly for young hamsters (<3 months old) and senior hamsters (>2 years old).
3. Breed Difference Comparison
Beginner-Friendly: Syrian hamsters (Golden Hamsters) have a gentle temperament and strong interactivity.
Challenging: Roborovski hamsters ("Grandpa Hamsters") are small, fast-moving, and easily startled.
4. Key Care Recommendations
Daily Tasks
Check if food and water are sufficient.
Clean fresh droppings (hamsters usually defecate in specific spots).
Weekly Tasks
Replace 1/3 of the bedding (keep some of the original bedding to reduce stress from scent changes).
Disinfect food bowls and water bottles to prevent bacterial growth.
Mistake Avoidance Guide
Never give hamsters water baths (they can cause hypothermia); use hamster-specific bath sand instead.
Avoid sudden diet changes (a 7-day transition period is required).
Summary
Hamster care is similar in difficulty to keeping small ornamental fish but easier to pick up than caring for turtles or birds. Approximately 70% of hamster deaths result from dietary mistakes or improper living conditions. With scientific care, the survival rate can exceed 90%.