Gerbils, and Hamsters...

[guineapigluver1]

My dad has already said that after 6 months of me having my own guinea pigs, that I can foster guinea pigs, because my mom said I can't have any more than two. Well, I have liked Gerbils, and Hamsters for a long time, and I asked her if I could possibly foster gerbils, and hamsters too, she said maybe, that we would see, I want to know more about how to care for them etc. etc. Since the rodent books are always inaccurate, I have some questions.


What do they eat? What brand of food is good?

What cage is large enough for them?

Can you use fleece for bedding with them too, or should you use CareFresh, or Aspen?

What kinds of toys do they like?

Can you use excercise balls, and wheels with them? I'm 99.9% sure you can

Do they have to be kept in pairs?

Any specific things I need to know about them?







Sorry for all the questions! I know there was something else I wanted to ask, but for the life of me I can't remember!


Edit-(Here are the questions I forgot)

Do they need hay, like guinea pigs?

Do they need any veggies?

[Tophica]

What do they eat? What brand of food is good?

Sorry, can't answer that one!


What cage is large enough for them?

20 gallon tank min for gerbils as they like to dig. Hamsters would probably have the same size only taller and with bars/wire so they can climb.

Can you use fleece for bedding with them too, or should you use CareFresh, or Aspen?

Bedding is a must for gerbils otherwise they will get bored and just rip it up. Hamsters I am not so sure about but knowing them they would robably pull up the fleece too. I would stick with carefresh or aspen.

What kinds of toys do they like?

Gerbils- Wood, cardboard, possibly rocks to climb on, safe branches of trees
No plastic

Hamsters- Wood , cardboard, can use hard plastic and rocks as long as they are safe and not too sharp, same with gerbils.

Both animals like things to chew and climb on.

Can you use excercise balls, and wheels with them? I'm 99.9% sure you can

Yes you can as long as the whels and balls are big enough. Not all gerbils use wheels and they may be hard to attach to and glass tank.

Do they have to be kept in pairs?

Syrian hamsters must be kept alone
Gerbils need other gerbils, the more ther merrier.
Dwarf, russian and chinese like companionship aswell.

Any specific things I need to know about them?
Hamsters can bite but depends on the temperament. Gerbils are very fast but rarely bite. Don't know much about dwarf, russian and chinese hammies though.

Do they need hay, like guinea pigs?
No hay for hamsters i don't think (could poke out an eye)
I think gerbils can have hay for bedding for their houses but i'm not sure.

Do they need any veggies?
They can be fed small amounts such as bell pepper, carrot broccoli.
Hamsters can be fed toast and boiled egg and both can eat nuts and seeds but they are best kept to a minimum as they can cause obesity.

[guineapigluver1]

Thanks! I knew that Syrian hamsters had to be alone, bu not about the others.

[Jenni_Feathers]

This is all for Hamsters, I dont know much about Gerbils

What do they eat? What brand of food is good?

-They eat seeded foods, Harry Hamster is best.

What cage is large enough for them?

-As big as you can get, most petstore cages are too small ecspecially the ones with all the tubes. I reccomend a Bin Cage they are big and cheap.

Can you use fleece for bedding with them too, or should you use CareFresh, or Aspen?

-fleece is a big no-no, they like to dig. Carefresh and Aspen....it doesnt really matter obviously carefresh is best but aspen is fine too if you can afford carefresh.

What kinds of toys do they like?

-some like to climb, some like to go in tunnels, all kinds of toys.

Can you use excercise balls, and wheels with them? I'm 99.9% sure you can

- yes. Be sure the exercise ball is clear, and that the wheel is plastic I hight reccomend a Wodent Wheel, they are the safest and the only ones that the ASPCA reccomends and approves of.

Do they have to be kept in pairs?
-no
Any specific things I need to know about them?

-ehhh not that I can think of. Syrians must be kept alone, dwarfs can live with other dwarfs of their species. Syrians are best for 1st time hammy owners becuase they are larger and easier to handle.
- also no fluff bedding you will see at petstores, it is dangerous. Also no water baths, some like Chinchilla SAND (not dust!) to roll in. They are also very big escape artists so beware, they will try with all their might.


Do they need hay, like guinea pigs?

-no

Do they need any veggies?

- they dont need veggies like a G.Pig but they do enjoy them as treats, be sure to wean them in very slowly unless they will probably get dirriah (sp?) also my hamsters favorite is hard boiled egg, which they can also have.


And thats about all I can think of.

[buttons]

I've had a hamster, but I'm as clueless as you (maybe even more) when it comes to gerbils. So what I am able to answer will all be about hamsters:

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

My dad has already said that after 6 months of me having my own guinea pigs, that I can foster guinea pigs, because my mom said I can't have any more than two. Well, I have liked Gerbils, and Hamsters for a long time, and I asked her if I could possibly foster gerbils, and hamsters too, she said maybe, that we would see, I want to know more about how to care for them etc. etc. Since the rodent books are always inaccurate, I have some questions.


What do they eat? What brand of food is good?

Sorry...can't help you with that one other than that hamsters like apples!

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

What cage is large enough for them?

I think if you can get a plastic container it should be ok, I don't know anything of them needing air circulation, although thinking about it - it might be better. The cage NEEDS a lid! Hamsters are escape artists!

(To catch them, have a pail with veggies and fruits in the room you think they're in, have a ladder leading into the pail, but not one leading out. I'll climb up the ladder, jump into the pail, eat, and can't get out!)

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Can you use fleece for bedding with them too, or should you use CareFresh, or Aspen?

I wouldn't use fleece because hamsters like to cuddle up in their bedding. There is even this batting like thing you can buy for them to sleep in. I also don't think they require CareFresh, just use any wood chips that are OK for guinea pigs to use. (Both rodents can smell well)

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

What kinds of toys do they like?

Wheels!!!! Hamsters will run MILES in a night (Sorry but I forget the exact numbers that were estimated of hamsters running every night)

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Can you use excercise balls, and wheels with them? I'm 99.9% sure you can

You definitely can! They love them!

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Do they have to be kept in pairs?

Some breeds of hamsters (dwarf hamsters) can be kept together but otherwise, MOST hamsters will KILL eachother! That's why it's said to be pretty hard to breed them - because they are so territorial!

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Any specific things I need to know about them?

Hamsters will bite without warning. (My hamster never did! That is - he only bit my mother 3 times!!)

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Sorry for all the questions! I know there was something else I wanted to ask, but for the life of me I can't remember!


Edit-(Here are the questions I forgot)

Do they need hay, like guinea pigs?

I don't think they need hay - though then again they do eat grass and hay would probably be good for them...

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

Do they need any veggies?

Yes, apples I know were my hamster's favorites. Grapes...etc. I got you a list below.
By the way, hamster's are omnivores, they also eat meat!!

Fruits

• Apple (seedless)
• Banana
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe.
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Grapes(seedless)
• Lychee
• Mango
• Melon
• Peaches (no stone)
• Plums (no pits)
• Raspberries
• Raspberry Leaves (helpful for diarrhea)
• Strawberries

Veggies

• Asparagus
• Bean Sprouts
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cabbage (Limited amounts)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Chestnuts
• Chickweed
• Chicory
• Clover
• Corn on the Cob
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion Leaves
• Endive
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Radicchio
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet bell Peppers
• Swiss Chard
• Turnip
• Water Chestnuts
• Water Cress
• Zucchini

Meats and Proteins foods

• Cooked Ground Beef (Rinse well in hot water to remove any grease)
• Cooked Chicken or Turkey (Steamed or baked)
• Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• Fish Cod (Cooked removing bones and skin)
• Grasshoppers (Pet Shop)
• Mealworms (Pet Shop)
• Crickets (Pet Shop)
• Bread(whole grain no white bread) soaked in milk ( Low Fat, Skim, Soy)
• Eggs ( boiled or scrambled)
• Plain Tofu
• Plain Low Fat Yogurt
• Dog Biscuits (No Garlic, onion, or onion powder)
• Monkey Chow
• Lab Blocks

Other foods

• Buckwheat
• Baby Food(low sugar and no onion or garlic)
• Cheese (mild cheeses in moderation)
• Cooked Plain Brown Rice
• Cooked Pasta(Wheat or Spinach would be better)
• Dry toast(Also helpful for diarrhea
• Flax seed
• Low or Sugarless Cereals
• Pumpkin Seeds (unsalted)
• Nuts (No almonds)
• Sesame Seeds
• Soybeans(Roasted no salt)
• Squash seeds
• Lentils
• Oatmeal(dry or soaked in skim, soy or lowfat milk)
• Nutritional Yeast
• Bran and Wheat Germ (Refrigerated goes bad fast)
• Peanuts (unsalted)
• Alfafa
• Unsalted Popcorn (no butter)

Foods To Avoid

• Almonds (Contains Cyanic Acid)
• Apple Seeds
• Canned food
• Chocolate
• Candies
• Chips and Junk food
• Pork Products
• Potatoes (Raw)
• Raw Kidney Beans
• Eggplant
• Fool's Parsley
• Grape Seeds
• Avocado (Contains Cardiac Glycosides)
• Raw Rhubarb
• Tomato leaves
• Oranges or Tangerines(no citrus fruits)
• No watermelon (the water content is high causes diarrhea)
• Cherry Stone
• Peach Stone & Leaves
• Apricot Stone
• Lemon or Lime
• Jams and jellies
• Spices
• Garlic
• Onions
• Leeks
• Scallions
• Chives
• Pickles

I hope this helps!

[guineapigluver1]

Thanks for all the info on Hamsters!

[buttons]

No problem!