How to Care for Teddy Bear Hamsters

Teddy bear hamsters make adorable and loving pets for children 9 and older. They will live two to four years if properly cared for, and are relatively low-maintenance animals. Their long, silky fur makes them fun to pet and offers an ideal bonding scenario because they love to be gently groomed. A teddy bear hamster is a great step up from the family goldfish for any child, and teddy bear hamster care is relatively simple.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Soft bristle brush
  • Rodent chow
  • Dried vegetable and seed mix
  • Hay
  • White unscented toilet paper
  • Toilet paper tubes
  • Bleach
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean your hamster twice a week. This involves changing the bedding in his cage. You will need to clean out all of the soiled bedding using paper towels and replace it with clean bedding. Appropriate bedding includes hay or soft, unscented white toilet paper, which teddy bear hamsters like to nest in. If you notice that your teddy bear hamster's fur is getting wet or matted, then you must clean and sanitize the cage more frequently. These hamsters are especially prone to colds if their fur becomes soggy or unkempt. You can sanitize the cage while you are cleaning with a weak mixture of warm water and bleach (about 1 tbsp. bleach per 4 cups of water). Wipe the cage down once the bedding has been removed with a rag dampened with this mixture.

    • 2

      Hold your hamster often. You must start this when the hamster is young. If you do not, your teddy bear hamster will be nervous and prone to biting. Always speak to the hamster before you pick it up, and cup your hands around it rather than grabbing it around the middle. While you hold the teddy bear hamster, you can gently groom it with the soft-bristled brush. Hamsters can groom themselves, but you can develop a strong rapport with your pet if you do the work some of the time.

    • 3

      Feed your hamster a healthy diet of rodent chow. Some people think that hamsters should eat mainly dried vegetables and seeds. However, this will lead to malnutrition. These dried mixes should only be used for treats. Make sure that your teddy bear hamster always has food in her bowl. She will not eat more than she needs at a given time.

    • 4

      Give your teddy bear hamster somewhere to hide. Toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes are ideal for this. Your hamster will chew on the tubes and you will occasionally need to replace them with new ones.