Enrichment
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Hamsters, like humans, need mental, physical and emotional engagement on a regular basis. Would you like to be stuck in a small room all day with nothing to do but run in a wheel? Nope, me either!
I love this video from Victoria Raechel, it’s a great intro to thinking about Hamster Enrichment and how to ensure your hamster lives a full and happy life!
There are a few major things I like to think about when I think about Hamster Enrichment:
Burrowing Room
Victoria Raechel mentions burrowing room in her video and I’ve seen and heard many hamster owners saying the same thing- they noticed a marked reduction in hamster stress signs when their hamster was given more burrowing depth.
The recommended minimum is 6” of burrowing room, but most hamster owners suggest giving at least 8” of depth for dwarves, 12” for Syrians (and more is always better!)
So, how do you ensure your hamster can make burrows?
1) Get an enclosure that allows for deep burrows
There are many enclosures out there and there is probably not one enclosure that works for all hamsters. Generally speaking, however, the more space and more depth you can give your hamster, the better off they will be. For this reason, I generally don’t recommend cage-style enclosures for hamsters - they only allow for 6” max of burrowing space. Personally, I think the best solution for most hamsters will be a large, solid walled enclosure, for example:
75 Gallon Tank (or 40 gallon Breeder Tank)
Niteangel Bigger World of Vista Enclosure (size L is best!)
200 qt Bin Cage
(Want more info? Check out my Hamsters Enclosures page!)
2) Use a bedding that holds burrows
Beddings vary from place to place so I can only personally speak to what’s available in the US.
In many European countries there are wood-type beddings that hold burrows well. Unfortunately, these are not available in the US. In the US your best bet is a paper based bedding, like Small Pet Select, Kaytee Clean & Cozy or Carefresh. Please stick with unscented bedding as hamsters have very sensitive noses.
Some hamsters owners mix their paper bedding with aspen or hemp. This is okay, but you still must ensure that enough of the bedding is paper based so that burrows can be maintained. Aspen and hemp on their own do not stay formed in tunnels and cannot provide this function for your hamsters. I personally use hemp bedding in an area of my hamster’s enclosure for variety of texture.
Bonus points for also providing your hamsters with a variety of textures and substrates to experience (like coconut fiber, sheet moss & sand!).
For more on substrate types, please see my substrate page.
3) Invest in some platforms, stilts and levels
It is hard to give your hamster burrowing depth and also find a spot to put a wheel, water bottle and sand bath. This is why you need to put everything on stilts! Ensuring that heavy items (like a sandbath or wheel) are supported will keep those items from topping over or crushing your hamster if they try to burrow under it (and guarenteed, they will try to burrow under everything!). Additional levels & stilts also give new places of interest for your hamster to hang, nap or nibble.
A good hamster enclosure is fairly crowded with many nooks and crannies.
You can make your own hamster items by attaching dowels to a mutichamber hide etc, or you can buy multichamber hides & platforms with stilts already attached.
If you choose to go the DIY route, please ensure the glue you use is labeled as “Non Toxic” in case your hamster decides to chew on it. Please remove any excess glue to avoid your hamster interaction with it. I have never had an issue with using hot glue on DIY projects personally, but it is always best to use caution!
Foraging & Boredom Breakers
One of the major hobbies of most hamsters is hunting and gathering their food. Hamsters love a food-challenge and will enjoy a variety of food-related tasks.
It can be as simple as sprinkling their food around their enclosure for them to find (aka “scatter feeding”) or as complex as creating puzzles they have to solve to get their food ( aka “boredom breakers”).
This is your time to be creative! My hamsters enjoy new challenges and I’m constantly coming up with fun ways to get them to find their food.
I also suggest purchasing some seed sprays (some videos & links below 👇 for where to purchase). Seed sprays are very lovely to look at and great fun for your hamsters to forage from.
Favorite Shops Selling Boredom Breakers & Foraging Items:
Precious Pastries - based in New Jersey, US. They carry a variety of treats, chews and boredom breakers! https://www.etsy.com/shop/PreciousPastries
Hungry Hammies - one of my new favs, they sell some really unique and adorable things! https://www.hungryhammies.com/shop
Redwood Grove Shop - I get lots of sprays and foraging items from Redwood Grove, my hamsters love them! https://www.redwoodgroveshop.com/treats
Oakwood Forest Shop - Oakwood Forest is based in the Netherlands (but ship world wide!) and sells gorgeous, high quality flowers & sprays. https://www.oakwoodforestshop.com/
Tiny Flowers Shop - https://www.tinyflowersshop.com/
Priderock Blooms - https://www.priderockblooms.co.uk/
Wonder Hamster Shop - I just put in an order here after seeing Casper the Roborovski get some! Their shop is through Etsy. They are based in Germany but shipping was very reasonable and they had a nice selection of products! Can’t wait to get it! Shop here —> https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderhamsterShop
Hope’s Healthy Treats - I also just put in an order here (I have lots of hungry hams!) They are based in the UK but ship to many countries in Europe, Canada & the US.. Shop here —> https://www.etsy.com/shop/HopesHealthyTreats
Foraging can also mean sprinkling food over interesting cardboard or cork-logs… be creative to give your hamsters new and interesting challenges when it comes to finding their food
Playtime
Playtime or out-of-cage time is a great way to get to know your hamster and build trust. I heard the YouTuber HammyTime say that she likes to think of playtime as “bonding” with her hamster, not taming. Taming implies some hierarchy, where as bonding implies a more equal relationship where you are both building a trust.
Not all hamsters love out-of-cage time and it’s important that you watch and get to know your hamster’s body language to gauge when enough is enough.
For more on playtime, please see my Playpen page!
Additional Materials & Textures
Providing your hamster with a variety of smells, textures & experiences can help enrich their lives.
Coconut Fiber Digging Areas:
Loose coconut fiber is easy to buy in the reptile section of your pet store. I recommend freezing it for 48 hours to ensure there are no bugs that come with it.
I like to sprinkle loose millet seeds, hamster flowers and whatever else my hamster might like to hunt for in their coconut fiber for another #foraging opportunity!
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Hemp, Aspen or Other Materials Digging Areas:
Hemp, aspen or other types of safe wood fibers don’t hold burrows well, but they do make for good digging!
Hamster Safe Plants:
Many people use hamster-safe plants in their enclosures. Some of my hamsters LOVE “cat grass” and it’s so fun to watch them play in it and munch on it!
Including a video from Erin’s Animals, she does a great job of explaining hamster-safe plants