- Hamsters are nocturnal, which means they don’t particularly like to be disturbed during the day and will be busy and running on their exercise wheels all night.
- Hamsters live approximately 1-1/2 to 2 years.
- Hamsters come in many different species, a handful of which are available in the pet trade in the US. The most common are the Golden or Syrian hamster (short coated as well as the “Teddy Bear” long-coat version) and Russian Dwarf hamster.
- Some hamsters do not like to be handled, making them a poor pet for most children. However, there are certainly some hand-tamed hamsters out there.
- Hamsters need an exercise wheel for their physical and mental health.
- Common medical issues of hamsters include: diarrhea/intestinal infections, obesity (from a poor diet), and respiratory infections.
6 Things Every Hamster Owner Should Know