Hamster Guru Blog

Do hamsters have good eyesight?
Upon placing Oscar’s food within his cage, I have noticed that it often takes him a while to locate his bowl. I watch as his whiskers flicker and his little nose twitches, compensating for what his eyes are unable to see. Hamsters have very poor eyesight, so rely on their other senses in order to

Differences between male and female Syrian hamsters
When we collected our hamster from the pet store, we did not request a particular gender. This is because we naturally assumed (that bar the physical differences), all Syrian hamsters were the same. But is this a fair assumption? Although a large portion of a hamster’s personality is based on their breed and individual character,

How to tell the sex of a hamster?
Many moons ago, when I was a child myself, we bought a couple of rabbits from a breeder who assured us we were taking home two males. Low and behold a few months later upon opening their hutch, we found a litter of bunnies. For this reason, it is really important to figure out the

What can hamsters drink?
In the winter I am a massive tea drinker, although I do like to indulge in a steaming mug of hot chocolate around an open fire. And, as summer approaches a nice cooling drink of squash is the perfect thing to quench a thirst. But what about our furry friends? Are hamsters allowed to drink

Hamster wet tail symptoms and treatment
When we first chose our hamster at the pet store, we were given a leaflet on the dangers of wet tail. Thought to be the most common hamster illness (and unfortunately the most fatal), its symptoms are often misdiagnosed. But what is wet tail and how do I know if my hamster has it? What

How long do hamsters live for and what is their lifespan?
A pet is for life, not just for Christmas so it is important that you are committed to looking after your hamster. But how long do hamsters actually live for and what is their lifespan? There are many factors that may affect how long your hamster will live for, but on average a hamsters lifespan

What to get your hamster for Christmas
Upon asking the kids what they would like for Christmas I was presented with a wish list of toys, treats and games, and neatly scrawled on the bottom was a gift list for our hamster – because apparently, Oscar’s on Santa’s nice list too. Christmas is a time for giving, and if you have an

Can hamsters eat blueberries, spinach or lettuce?
A guide to feeding your hamster fruit and vegetables Now I know hamsters are not known for their discerning palates; and having previously researched and written information on what we should and shouldn’t be feeding them; I was still somewhat confused about certain food sources. Therefore, I decided the time was right to produce an

Can hamsters catch colds?
It’s cold and flu season and whilst in our house we appear to be wallowing in our own sick beds for fear of infecting each other, it made me wonder if we should also be steering clear of our hamster Oscar? It is true, hamsters can catch colds. Although they are covered in fur, they