I think the one in the pet store that seems special to you is best. Each time I buy a new hamster, I choose one with a new, unique look, or at least one that I haven’t had in a while. I’m partial to the teddy bears, the fluffier the better. I have never had a dwarf hamster. They are very cute and can live in pairs, unlike other hamsters, but I’ve heard they sometimes are not as friendly and they have a very slight odor (kind of like mice).

Really, this is up to you, depending on your experience. If you are a total beginner a Syrian is most certainly recommended. Syrians Hamsters are very hardy hamsters so they are more suitable for beginners and younger children. On the other hand, some dwarf hamsters are fast and hard to handle. Russian Campbell hamsters are sociable and it is recommended they live in a large cage with the same sex species in which to keep him or her happy.

No a hamster should never be cleaned with water. Hamster are very fragile and can easily become ill. You can however give your hamster a dish of chinchilla sand in which they can roll around in and help clean their fur. Make sure it is sand and not dust, dust is too fine for a hamster. Firstly close all doors in your house then place a pile of food in each room and check regular to see if any has gone missing. If you notice any gone you'll know the hamster is in that room.

There is no possible way to tell the age of a hamster. If your hamster is lively, his coat is very neat, he's not bald or anything he will be quite young. But remember, when buying your hamster/s ask how old they are, so you will always know.

In your local pet shop, you should be able to buy a dry hamster mix, that will be a fine diet for your hamster as long as there isn't too many sunflower seeds in it. Too many sunflower seeds may cause your hamster to become overweight. A list of fruit and vegetables that can be eaten is listed here.

They should be handled at least daily, for at least 10 minutes. Especially dwarfs because if not handled regular they will become untame again.

Hamsters enjoy most fruits and vegetables, depending on their individual tastes. Some good choices are: dandelion greens, grass, clover, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, oranges, apples, grapes, pear, berries, raisins, carrots, and corn. There are two important things to remember about giving your hamster fresh produce. First, be sure to remove any uneaten food before it spoils.

Don't worry that is perfectly normal. Hamsters don't always absorb all the nutrition in food they eat first time around so to get all the nutrition they need they will eat their own poop.

Hamsters are nocturnal meaning that they like to sleep during the day and wake up in the evening or night.

There are 5 types that are kept as pets: Syrian, Campbell's, Winter White, Roborovski and Chinese. There are lots more but these types aren't kept as pets.

Hamsters don't need to be cleaned, they can clean themselves with their paws. You can help them though by providing a dish of chinchilla sand.

Hamsters are nocturnal, meaning they like to sleep during the day. Hamsters will sleep most of the day and will usually wake up for a couple of hours during the evening.

Fruits and Vegetables can be feed once or twice a week in small quantities. Too much can lead to diarrhea or wet tail in Syrians.

You need to get your hamster to a vet asap. There they will prescribe a medicine that will cure the disease. Some pet stores will sell a product called Dri-tail, which they say will cure it but in actual fact it won't. This medicine isn't strong enough and will just cover the symptoms.

No, Black Bear's and Teddybear's are a nicknames pet stores sometimes give to Syrian Hamsters. Syrian hamster are solitary, meaning that they like to live alone and don't like the company of another hamster. Caging them together can lead to serious fighting or even death!

Leave her alone, provide her with more bedding and extra food. When she has pups, do not touch or disturb the pups for a couple of weeks. So avoid cage cleaning and do not vac around the cage. You do need to clean the toilet area of the cage and you can provide fresh bedding for the mother to exchange for old bedding. You might also want to remove the wheel to prevent the pups being injured if they are playing around the wheel when the mother runs on it.

No matter what you have heard, water is dangerous to hamsters. Even if they do not drown trying to stay out of the water, chances are they will catch pneumonia.

It is not safe to feed hamsters with food that contains bugs as these bugs are from an unknown origin. Since the food was most likely harvested from a farming environment, there is no way to tell if these bugs ingested pesticides or carry diseases/parasites. Do buy reliable brands of hamster mixes which come with an expiry date and are vacuum packed to ensure the freshness of the food.

During the day, you could try looking behind and inside all the furniture, inside cupboards, and under freezers or cookers where the hamster may have decided to sleep for the day. Try not to leave doors open and let it into more rooms. Ask people to help so that watches can be kept in multiple rooms. The hamster will be easier to find at the time of day or night when he is normally active as you may spot him running around the rooms, or he may just run over your foot.

Although hamsters do hibernate off and on during the winter in the wild, they will not do this in captivity when kept in a warmer climate.

The mother should be allowed at least six weeks between litters to regain her strength. She should not have more than six litters altogether during her life. That was according to a book, but I think two or three litters are plenty for any mother.

My hamsters have enjoyed bread products (bread, pancakes, muffins, etc.), pasta, and rice. On rare occasions, they can have a little bit of cooked egg or cheese.

You can create a “play area,” using either a store-bought pen or make-shift enclosed area. Inside, you could place food treats, hiding places, tunnels, things to run around and under, etc. Or put her on the stairs and give her a chance to climb up. Let her run around an entire room, supervised of course and hamster-proofed. Another idea is to create mazes out of toilet paper tubes and/or cardboard, and then put a treat at the end.

That's a naughty word in the hamster world; hamsters don't like water sports. Nature has provided hamsters with a natural oil to maintain the condition of their fur. That's why they spend so much time grooming. Although they can swim, water baths are not recommended. If a wet hamster becomes cold, it can lead to flu and possibly death.

Hamsters can be regular little escape artists, but don't fret, hamsterama has the perfect solution. The first thing you should do is close all the doors, and get any other animals such as cats or dogs out of the house if possible. Put piles of your hamsters usual food mix in the corner of each room. Observe which pile of food gets eaten to determine which room your hamster is in. Once you know which room he is in, you can trap him.

Yes. Hamsters have a different digestive system than humans. Hamsters produce two types of excrement - one that's partially digested containing lots of nutrients, and one that's just garbage. Hamsters practice coprophagy, eating the nutrient-filled excrement to get the nutrients from it and digest it fully.

Defensive raising of both front paws can be observed in males that have been unexpectedly attacked by females and have no way of escaping. This gesture prevents or at least delays an even more serious attack. Puffing up the cheeks and showing the abdominal regions are to be construed as a threat. Lying motionless on the back shows resistance and fear.