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Hamster Starter Kit: Everything You Need for a Safe, Happy, and Enriched Home ☁️✨
30
items Setting up your hamster’s first home can feel overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to! This list covers everything you need to create a safe, happy, and enriched environment for your little friend. Perfect for beginners who want their hamster to thrive... I'm always adding more to the list!
Sections
6
🐹 The Enclosure
🧺 Bedding & Burrowing
🛞 Enrichment & Exercise
🛖 Hides & Tunnels
🍽 Feeding Essentials
✨ Extras!
🐹 The Enclosure
A spacious, well-ventilated home is essential for your hamster’s wellbeing. It should provide plenty of room for exploring, burrowing, and playing safely.
This one is one of the best ones that I can recommend for any hamster owner. Its is just about the minimum size of cage and looks amazing.
MEDIUM - BUCATSTATE Hamster Cage Metal 2.0 Large Stackable 100x50x52.5cm
Really high quality and looks really nice! Meet the minimum cage size for hamsters and allow for 25cm of bedding. Has an easy open lid with great ventilation, the vents aren't big enough to allow your hamster to escape.
Niteangel MDF Aspen Terrarium Small Animal Cage M
This one is a little under the minimum recommended size for hamsters (80x44x50cm). However this would be okay for Dwarf species of hamster.
BUCATSTATE Hamster Cage Metal 2.0 Small
🧺 Bedding & Burrowing
Hamsters are natural diggers and love to make tunnels. Deep, soft bedding gives them space to dig, nest, and feel secure in their home.
Kaytee clean bedding is really good for holding burrows. It’s really good at absorbing liquids, however, make sure you prepare it correctly, sifting it to remove any plastic or metal pieces' and make sure you don't buy any colour or scented bedding.
Kaytee Clean & Cozy Small Animal Bedding White
This is absolutely great at absorbing liquid and holding borrows however, I recommend mixing this and the Kaytee is even better for holding burrows but on its own it is still great.
Carefresh Complete Comfort Care Small Animal Bedding White
It's really cheap and easy to get in bulk and is safe for hamster use. They are also mainly dust free so are great at preventing repository infections.
Megazorb - 85L
🛞 Enrichment & Exercise
Hamsters need more than just a safe home — they thrive when given opportunities to stay active and mentally stimulated.
I would recommend the small for dwarf hamsters and the medium size wheel for Syrian hamsters. It's a really quiet wheel and is really easy to clean.
Niteangel Silent Hamster Wheel Adjustable Stand
The removable lid makes cleaning the sand quick and easy. It is also really easy to organize within your hamsters cage.
Niteangel Small Animal Acrylic Sand Bath Box
It is dust free and is really good at absorbing odours and oils from your hamster. Hamsters use the sand as a way of cleaning themselves so it is important to have it safe and appropriate for your hamster.
Niteangel Hamster Desert Bath Sand 2.5LB
🛖 Hides & Tunnels
Multiple hiding spots and tunnels make your hamster feel safe and encourage natural exploration and play.
Can be used as a starter burrow for your hamster. it can also be used as a safe way for your hamster to change levels in the cage if you are making it a multi-leveled cage.
Hamster Burrow House / Burrow Starter
Another great and cheap thing you can use for a hide. Depending on what hamster you have, make sure that the hole size is large enough for them to safely get through and that there is enough space inside for your hamster to turn around.
Concave Wax Melt Burner
OMG! It's adorable and adds a beautiful pop of colour to your hamsters cage. It should be big enough for all hamsters!
Niteangel Ceramic Hamster Hideout - Mushroom
Add a halloween spin. Another cute and aesthetic item you can use as a hide.
Pumpkin Wax Melt Burner
This can be used as a cheap hide and can look really nice. However, depending on which one you get, make sure to fill any small holes with something like bedding.
Hestia Urn Shaped Ceramic Wax Melt Burner
🍽 Feeding Essentials
Easy-to-access feeding and watering areas make daily care simple and help ensure your hamster stays healthy and hydrated.
These allow them to exhibit their natural foraging behaviours and provide mental stimulation for them. It also helps with dental care, as chewing on them wears down their teeth. You can find many cheaper alternatives all over the internet.
Organic Dried Sprays Bundle: Hamster, Bird, Mice, Rats, Gerbils, Rodent Forage & Chews
Again, make sure its not too big to not tun into problems with your hamster getting stuck in the water dish. These are really cheap and you should have at least 3-4 in your hamsters cage at a time and change out the water daily.
Simply Everyday Mini Ribbed Tealight Holder | Candles
They add a vibrant colour to your hamster cage while also giving them a large amount of enrichment! They smell amazing too. Forage is important as it allows hamster to display one of their most important natural behaviours, foraging, they get most of...
Bunny Botanicals: Ribwort & Rose Blossoms
These are just another version of forage for your hamster, it uses different flowers. I would recommend scattering a combination of both to give your hamster even more enrichment and to give them a variety within their cage.
Bunny Botanicals: Daisies & Red Clover
They provide your hamster a tasty treat! I wouldn’t recommend regularly scattering them around their cage as they should be offered as an occasional chew or treat.
Dandelion Root Nibbles, Tasty Gnaw Treat for Small Animals
They are an absolutely delicious treat for your hamster. You can mix this into your hamsters diet or use it as a treat!
Rosewood Naturals Herb Plus Small Animal Treat
Having a large amount of sprays in your hamster's cage is an absolute must have. Sprays are essential food and enrichment for your hamster. I recommend giving your hamster a wide range of spray types, and having them on rotation so your hamster can c...
Rosewood Naturals Harvest Festival Small Animal Treat
I would recommend mixing this and the dried rose petals together. You can scatter feed this across your hamster cage. Its also suitable for Guinea Pigs & Rabbits.
Pets at Home Small Animal Dried Floral Mix Treats
Great for encouraging natural instincts such as foraging behaviour, Great for breaking your hamsters boredom and keeping them stimulated.
Pets at Home Small Animal Dried Rose Petals Treats
Mealworms are a great thing to add to your hamster's diet due to being mostly protein. I recommended only feeding dried mealworms as a hamster might not want to eat live ones and it can cause massive problems for you if any mealworms the hamster can’...
3 Litres Chubby Dried Mealworms
They are great and delicious treats that you can give to your hamster. However, you should only give them 1-2 a day. Treats should only make up 2% of your hamster diet.
Oxbow Simple Rewards Oven Baked Small Animal Treats with Cranberry
✨ Extras!
Additional toys, tunnels, or safe structures can make your rabbit’s environment more stimulating and enjoyable.
This can be used to create multi-leveled areas within your hamster's cage. You would place it in the area you want to make higher and it holds the bedding behind it in place and secure so you can safely place thing their.
Niteangel Wooden Climbing Ladder Bridge Large
You should place this under any large and heavy objects within the hamster's cage to stop them from falling if your hamster burrows underneath them. It also can be used to add vertical space into their cage.
Niteangel Hamster Wooden Play Platform - Triangle
Can be used as a safe ramp for your hamster to get from one place to another. They are made with a safe material in case your hamster chews it.
Niteangel Wooden Ladder Bridge for Hamsters
Is really good for making your hamsters cage look more natural and is a great way to add climbing enrichment into their cage.
Exo Terra Forest Branch Decoration
You should regularly deep clean your hamster's cage. You can use a spray bottle for cleaning solutions that are safe for hamsters.
Elliotts 1 Litre Transparent Spray Bottle