Dwarf Hamster Health - Your Hamster Needs Exercise
By Andrew Martin Jr.
Hamsters need exercise just like humans do. Daily exercise is an important part of your hamster's overall health. By exercising daily your hamster will have a reduced risk of becoming obese, developing diabetes, and suffering a heart failure.
A dwarf hamster has a different level of activity than a golden hamster. Syrian hamsters are nocturnal animals. This means that the night time is when they are most active. They will sleep during the day. Dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, are mostly active in the early morning and the early evening, with an occasional nap in between. This means that they are crepuscular.
Many options are available to provide your hamster with adequate amounts of exercise.
The hamster wheel is a popular option for allowing your hamster to get enough exercise. It is quite convenient since your hamster can exercise right inside her own living are. There are several choices for getting a hamster wheel. You can get one made of plastic, or metal, or one that attaches to the side of the cage. Your local pet store should have several varieties available. If you are still not sure which one to choose you can ask one of the pet store employees. They should be able to help you decide which is best for your hamster.
Another great option to provide your hamster with exercise is an exercise ball. They provide your hamster with the freedom to roam around while getting plenty of exercise. All of the large retail pet supply stores will have a large selection of hamster exercise wheels. They are made of plastic and will have holes in them for adequate ventilation. There are also some exercise balls that are mostly for fun and amusement. They come in various shapes and designs.
There some pet owners who will allow their hamster to roam freely around the house without the protection of an exercise ball. Instead, the owner might corner off an area on the floor or a space on a counter top. This is really not a safe thing to do. What is you step on your hamster or knock her off the counter top? Either way she can be seriously or even fatally injured. There are also health concerns from letting your pet run along counters that are used for food preparation. Any carpet you have on the floor can be harmful to your hamster. Most of them will contain chemicals that are harmful to your hamster if she chews the carpet. There are many other household dangers that your hamster can be exposed to if she is allowed to roam around freely. She can ingest paint, chew on wood and many other items around the house. Your safest option would be to use a container that was designed especially to hold a hamster.
Something else you can do to provide your hamster with some exercise is just to handle her. During the times that your hamster is most active you should try and get in some play time. You should not wake her from a nap just to play with her. Hamster are known to be quite miserable if you wake them up and they would rather sleep.
Sit down or lie down and allow your hamster to crawl over your body. This should give her some exercise. You should not let your hamster crawl over your head and shoulders while you are standing. A fall could cause some serious injuries.
Children can also play with a hamster to provide them with exercise. Of course, an adult should supervise the play time.
Andrew Martin is a pet enthusiast and publisher. To find out more information on dwarf hamster health be sure to visit http://www.hamstercareanswers.com/
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