Not sponsored. Below are my recommended sources for purchasing supplies for hamsters. Will be adding similar pages for other small animals in the future!
Enclosures
- 75 gallon aquarium tank
- These are pricey to purchase brand new, they’re not too hard to find second hand
- Pawhut Hexagonal
- Modifications are needed
- Pawhut Rectangle
- Modifications are needed
- Niteangel Bigger World
- Only sizes M or L
- Niteangel Vista
- Only sizes M or L
- Bucastate
- Only the larger size
- Coziwow
- Mewoofun
- Only the larger size
IKEA Enclosures: A lot of people love buying IKEA closet systems like pax, platsa, uppfora as enclosures. The upside is they’re big and cheaper, but unfortunately due to not being see-through you can’t watch them burrow (unless you modify one side and put acrylic or glass).
Basics
- Water dishes – Amazon
- 8.7in wheel – Amazon (suitable for Robos or small dwarfs)
- Quality is not as good as Niteangel but it is an affordable alternative. 8.7in is for Robos only (possibly other dwarfs that are on the smaller side).
- Small Pet Select Paper Bedding (brown) – Amazon
- In my observation, brown has less dust.
- Aspen Mini Shavings – Amazon
- Much more expensive than the Small Pet Select paper bedding but the MINI sizes hold burrows very well and can be used as complementary with paper bedding for variety in texture.
- In my observation, brown has les dust.
- Bunny Nature Dream Expert Hamster Food
Enrichment
Hides
- Coconut shell hide – Amazon
- Multichamber hide – Amazon
- Highly recommended for hamsters.
- Must be on a platform/stilts (buy stilts here, or you can make your own with birch/poplar dowels)
- Niteangel has bigger/smaller options with varying prices (make sure to get the right size for dwarf/syrian)
- You can also check out this video on how to make your own. A DIY cardboard one won’t need stilts.
Corks/Branches
*See safe wood list (coming soon)
- Sandblasted Grapewood – Etsy
- Cork flats and rounds – Etsy
Textures
- Shredded paper – Amazon
- Not difficult to make yourself or to collect from packages
- Coco chips – Amazon
- Most popular texture based on my experience
- Large flat stones – Amazon
- Safe stones are easy to forage (ie. slate is safe), but they need to be larger than the size of the hamster’s head (so they don’t pouch it) and no sharp edges. Foraged stones must be boiled.
Foraging
- Flower mixes – Etsy
- Flower mix – Mountain Rose Herbs
- Make sure to refer to the list of safe flowers/herbs (list coming soon).
- Sprays
- Sorghum – Etsy
- Pagima – Etsy
- Delicha – Etsy
- Delicha/Pagima set – Etsy
- Sprays set – Amazon
- Sprays set – Etsy
- I’d throw out the apple slices as they are too big, and I didn’t think they were sufficiently dried.
- Sprays set – Etsy *throw out grapefruit*
- Etsy has a lot of hamster spray sets, not all of them are safe (even if advertised) .. I would always double check (safe list coming soon)
Toys/Boredom Breakers
- Dried Sunflowers – Etsy
- Mixed Nuts – Amazon
- If you crack it open a little for them try not to create any super sharp edges in the shells. Everything in this mix is safe but here’s the list in case: Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Brazil Nuts
- Willow Chew Sticks – Chewy
- Treat dish – Etsy
- This can be DIYd by mixing buckwheat flour and water to create an edible “glue” to keep the seeds sticking to the wood (which can be a slice of cardboard, poplar/birch wood)
DIY crafting
- Sisal rope – Etsy
- Sisa/Jute rope tend to have oils added to them in the twisting process and this was the only one I found that advertises as not having it. Though I am not sure if the added oils is that dangerous in small quanities.
- Willow wood slices – Etsy
- Large Birch wood slice – Etsy *must be on stilts!*