Don't poke your fingers through the bars.go to:
From Armitages (Rotastak) who foolishly redesigned their website to just show pdf catalogues. I rescued this from the wayback machine.
Your hamster needs a combination of dried hamster food, fresh fruit, vegetables and water. The average hamster or gerbil requires 7-15 grams of food per day, depending on its size. Do not give your pet too much fresh food as this can cause stomach upsets. Fresh water should always be available.
Treats can also be given, but, like all good things, should not be given in excess. There are a wide range of treats for all small animals, such as choc drops and Nibble Bites.
It will take a bit of time for a new hamster to get used to being handled. They are very nervous and easily frightened when young, but the more you handle your pet the tamer it will become. Wait until your hamster is wide awake and active, giving it time to go to the toilet first! Face your hamster so that it can see you and cup your hands around it.
Initially it is sensible to only lift it a little way off the floor as nerves may cause it to jump. Once it is used to being picked up you can take it out of the cage and sit down to let it run from hand to hand. Hamsters may bite if frightened or teased. To avoid this there are some common sense things you can do:
Don't poke your fingers through the bars.
Don't hold your pet too tightly when handling.
Avoid picking your pet up if you have the smell of food on your hands.
Don't shout at your hamster or punish it even if it does bite as this will only frighten it and may cause it to bite again.
Rodents gnaw by nature. Some will gnaw things they shouldn't! To help protect exposed plastic tube edges anti-gnaw rings are available. It is important that you provide your pet with plenty of things to chew to keep it occupied and to keep its teeth in good condition. Try cardboard rolls, soft, splinter-free wood, nuts, peach stones and purpose made wooden rodent chews.
Some hamsters are like Houdini! If yours escapes here's a tip for recapture. If you aren't sure which room your hamster is in, place very small piles of food in the corner of every room and see which one disappears. Then put approximately 3cm of wood shavings and some bedding in a bucket and place it in the room.
Make steps up the outside of the bucket using books and finally put some strong smelling food, e.g. cabbage, in the bucket. Your hamster should smell the food, climb into the bucket, land softly onto the bedding, but won't be able to get out again!
